Tiger's Syrup and the Newborn Cubs

Tiger knocked at Rabbit's door. "My wife had four cubs! I want you as godfather."

"Gladly!" Rabbit replied.

"I've got a jug of syrup for a party tonight!" Tiger continued. "Now I'll go hunt some dinner."

Rabbit went to Tiger's house. "Congratulations, Mrs. Tiger. I'd name that first cub: Top-Gone."

Rabbit came back later. "Next cub should be: So-Good."

Third time. "Call the next one: Nearly-Gone."

Final time. "Fourth cub's name should be: Tummy-Full."

Tiger came home from hunting. "Rabbit suggested very strange names for the cubs," Mrs. Tiger told him.

Then Tiger realized: Rabbit had eaten all the syrup!

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Inspired by: Young Brer Rabbit and Other Trickster Tales from the Americas by Jaqueline Shachter Weiss.

Notes: This story is on p. 45: "Fish and Syrup." Weiss notes that the story comes from Martinique. This is the second half of the story; in the first half, Rabbit helped Firefly after Tiger took his fish. This is a famous folktale type, very nicely done here where it is the Tiger's own children that are being named.