Once a horse was grazing in a meadow when a tiger suddenly appeared. The horse was startled and feared for its life, but it didn't let on and asked the tiger: "I don't even know you, who are you?"

"I am the tiger, the king of the wild animals!" roared the tiger.

"And I," said the horse boldly, "am the king of all tame animals!"

The tiger was surprised because he had never heard of this king before.

"Be that as it may," said the tiger, "I am stronger than you!"

"Never!" said the horse and began to scuff his hooves. "I'm more powerful than you, and if you don't believe me, we can measure our strength."

"All right," said the tiger, "but how can we measure our strength?"

"Do you see this stone here?" asked the horse. "Whoever can make sparks from this stone is stronger than the other."

The tiger agreed. He was the first to try to strike sparks from the stone and hit it with his paws. But not a single spark could be seen.

Now it was the horse's turn. It turned around and kicked the stone so hard with its shod hoof that the sparks flew in all directions.

As soon as the tiger saw the sparks, he thought to himself: "The king of all tame animals is much stronger than me, I'd rather flee!". Without looking back, he jumped away and was never seen in that meadow again.

Fassung Djamila Jaenike, nach: K. Reichl, Märchen aus Sinkiang, Düsseldorf/Köln 1986, englische Fassung Lysander Jaenike, ©Mutabor Märchenstiftung