Once upon a time, deep in the heart of a dense forest, a mighty Tiger wandered into a nearby field. There, he saw a Farmer working under the blazing sun, guiding a large Water Buffalo as it pulled a heavy plow through the soil. The sight puzzled the Tiger because the Buffalo was clearly strong and powerful, yet it quietly obeyed the Farmer and endured his whip without resistance.
As the sun climbed higher and it was time for a break, the curious Tiger approached the Buffalo and asked, “You're so big and strong. Why do you let that small human boss you around and whip you without fighting back?” The Buffalo sighed and said, “You don’t understand. Humans may be small, but they have something called intelligence. Because of that intelligence, they can control even the strongest animals like me.” The Tiger was amazed. He had never heard of intelligence before and wanted to see it for himself.
Determined, the Tiger boldly approached the Farmer and said, “I’ve heard humans have intelligence. Can you show it to me?” The Farmer thought for a moment and calmly replied, “My intelligence is at home. If you wait here, I’ll go fetch it for you.” The Tiger eagerly agreed, excited to witness this mysterious power. But as the Farmer began to leave, he paused and said, “Wait a moment. If I leave, you might eat my Buffalo. To keep everyone safe, I’ll tie you to a tree while I’m gone.” The Tiger hesitated but agreed, thinking it was a small price to pay.
The Farmer securely tied the Tiger to a large tree. Instead of leaving, he picked up a whip and began striking the Tiger while laughing, “This is my intelligence! Ha! Ha!” The Tiger roared and struggled, but the ropes were tight. Then, the Farmer piled dry straw around the Tiger, set it on fire, and shouted, “Now you really see my intelligence in action!”
Panicked, the Tiger thrashed wildly as the flames grew hotter. Watching from a distance, the Buffalo laughed so hard that he accidentally broke all his upper teeth by hitting them on a rock. Eventually, the fire burned through the ropes, and the Tiger sprinted back into the forest without looking back. The fire left permanent black stripes burned into his fur, marking the painful lesson he had learned about human intelligence.
From that day on, Tigers have carried black stripes as a reminder of their encounter with human intelligence. And the Buffalo? He still remembers the day, forever missing his upper teeth from laughing too hard. This story teaches us that true power lies not just in strength, but in intelligence.