One night in the jungle, a man heard animals predicting the future: his nephew, not yet born, would be killed by a tiger — on his wedding day!
Years later, he came to his nephew's wedding armed with a bow. Sure enough, a tiger pounced on the groom. But the uncle was ready: he shot and killed the tiger.
"Now you are safe!" he proclaimed, as everyone looked on, amazed.
"He's not so scary!" scoffed the groom. But when he kicked the tiger, a fang lodged in his leg.
The bleeding could not be stopped.
He died.
It was his fate.
Inspired by: "Killed by a Tiger," in Folktales from India, by A. K. Ramanujan, 1991.
Notes: You can read about the Santal people of India, Bangladesh and Nepal at Wikipedia.
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