Clever Rabbit and Pon Tiger

Clever Ribong

Once upon a time Ribong Rabbit and Pon Tiger lived together in the forest near a small village. Ribong Rabbit was never happy because Pon Tiger bullied him a lot. So one day, Ribong Rabbit decided to get his revenge.

With a plan in mind, Ribong Rabbit approached Pon Tiger and suggested, "Pon Tiger, it will be winter soon. All the animals will come down from the hills and it will be very cold here. We must go up to the top of the hill to avoid the severe winter." Pon Tiger, not realizing what Ribong Rabbit said wasn't logical, readily agreed.

They climbed up the nearest hill. When they reached the top, it was already dark and cold. Ribong Rabbit, continuing with his plan, pretended he was eating a hearty meal. Thinking Ribong Rabbit had some food, Pon Tiger cried, "Hey! Ribong Rabbit, what are you eating? Give some to me! I am also hungry!"

"I am eating one of my eyes. If you want, you can have the other one," offered Ribong Rabbit. He pretended to pluck out his other eyeball and give it to Pon Tiger, but he was really giving him a buram, a piece of sugar candy that looked like an eye.

"How delicious! I have never tasted anything like this before! But it must be painful to pluck out your own eyes, and besides, then you wouldn't be able to see," exclaimed Tiger, now very confused.

"Yes indeed, eyes are very delicious! And a good thing is that they grow back by morning. So you don't have to worry about not being able to see," lied Ribong Rabbit.

"In that case, could you please take out one of my eyes for me?" Pon Tiger asked Ribong Rabbit.

Ribong Rabbit readily agreed and tore out the first eye, hid it and gave Pon Tiger a buram instead of his real eye.

Pon Tiger, relishing the taste, also wanted his other eye to be plucked. Ribong Rabbit gladly consented, and gave another piece of buram to Pon Tiger. Although Pon Tiger was now totally blind, he was content thinking his eyes would grow back by morning and he would be able to see again. Ready to retire for sleep, Pon Tiger complained that he was getting cold. Since he couldn't see and felt helpless he asked, "Ribong Rabbit, can you help me?"

"I'll make a warm fire!" suggested Ribong Rabbit. So he quickly gathered some twigs and branches and lit them. Soon there was a nice roaring campfire. He had Pon Tiger sit by the edge of the fire, close to the edge of the hill next to a deep ravine.

When Pon Tiger got too hot, he said, "Oh! It is very hot now. It will burn my beautiful skin! Ribong Rabbit, can you help me?"

Ribong Rabbit suggested Pon Tiger move away from the fire. So Pon Tiger moved back from the fire, closer to the edge of the hill next to the deep ravine. Then Ribong Rabbit pushed the fire towards Pon Tiger. After a few minutes had passed, Pon Tiger exclaimed again, "Oh! It is very hot again. Ribong Rabbit, can you help me?"

Again Ribong Rabbit suggested Pon Tiger move away from the fire. So Pon Tiger moves back from the fire, closer to the edge of the hill next to the deep ravine. Again Ribong Rabbit pushed the fire toward Pon Tiger. The third time this happened, Pon Tiger moved back a little bit more and fell over the cliff. Luckily he caught hold of a branch of an oak tree with his teeth, saving himself from certain death.

Ribong Rabbit looked down and saw Pon Tiger hanging from the branch. He teased, "Pon Tiger, what are you doing?"

But Pon Tiger didn't dare open his mouth for fear of losing his grip and plunging to his death. He just groaned, "Mmm, mmm."

Ribong Rabbit continued teasing and taunting him. "What is all this mmm, mmm? Speak up!"

Pon Tiger, forgetting about his precarious situation, opened his mouth to speak. His teeth lost hold of the branch, and he fell down into the deep ravine.

The next morning Ribong Rabbit saw Pon Tiger dead on the ground. He congratulated himself for getting his revenge on Pon Tiger and went merrily on his way. Then he thought of playing a trick to celebrate his victory. He headed to the village to carry out his prank.

First Ribong Rabbit walked until he found Lugzi, the shepherd. "Hello, Lugzi-la! Do you want a tiger's skin?" asked Ribong Rabbit.

"Yes, but I am afraid of tigers. They are dangerous animals." replied Lugzi.

"Don't worry! There is a dead tiger at the bottom of the ravine," Ribong Rabbit assured Lugzi.

"I would like to skin the tiger, but who will look after my sheep?" asked Lugzi. Ribong Rabbit readily volunteered to look after Lugzi's sheep.

Ribong Rabbit continued on until he found Changki Wolf. "Hello, Changki Wolf! Do you want to eat the mutton of Lugzi's herd of sheep?"

"Yes, but I am afraid of Lugzi," replied Changki Wolf.

"Don't worry, Lugzi is busy skinning the tiger I killed," Ribong Rabbit assured Changki Wolf.

"But who will look after my cubs?" asked Changki Wolf. Ribong Rabbit readily volunteered to look after Changki Wolf's cubs.

Ribong Rabbit continued on until he found Phorog Nagchung, the Black Crow. "Hello, Phorog Crow! Do you want to eat Changki Wolf's cubs?"

"Yes, but I am afraid of Changki Wolf," replied Phorog Crow. "Don't worry, Changki Wolf is busy attacking Lugzi's sheep. And Lugzi is busy skinning the tiger I killed," Ribong Rabbit assured Phorog Crow.

"But who will look after my nest?" asked Phorog Crow. Ribong Rabbit readily volunteered to look after Phorog Crow's nest.

Ribong Rabbit continued on until he saw some boys playing in a nearby field.

"Hello, boys! Do you want to search Phorog Crow's nest?" asked Ribong Rabbit.

"Yeah, but we're afraid of Phorog Crow," the boys replied.

"Don't worry, Phorog Crow is busy attacking Changki Wolf's cubs. Changki Wolf is busy attacking Lugzi's sheep. And Lugzi is busy skinning the tiger I killed," Ribong Rabbit assured the boys. Upon hearing this, the boys ran eagerly towards Phorog Crow's nest.

Ribong Rabbit, thoroughly delighted, climbed up a nearby hill to have a bird's eye view of all his mischief. He could see Lugzi busy skinning Pon Tiger. Changki Wolf was running around Lugzi's sheep. Phorog Crow was approaching Changki Wolf's cubs. And the boys were climbing up to search Phorog Crow's nest. Ribong Rabbit, proud to be so clever, found the scene so funny that he laughed and laughed so much that his lip became cleft. And that's why rabbits all have a shoto.

That's why it is said in Tibet that if you go around deceiving people, you too shall acquire a cleft lip like a rabbit. Or so my Ama-la told me.

Tibetan Words:

ribong: rabbit
pon: leader/head
buram: piece of brown sugar
lugzi: shepherd
la: term of respect and endearment
changki: wolf
phorog: crow
nagchung: small and black in color
shoto: cleft lip

Note: the boys want to search the crow nest because it is said that in crow nests, you can find a Y-shaped twig. If you throw the twig into river, if it moves against the current, then it is a dibshing. The stick will make you invisible if placed on your head or ears.