THE CAT AND THE DOG.

#Indian Fairy Tales

Cats are like aunts to tigers, and this cat in our story was the aunt of this tiger. She was his mom’s sister! When the tiger’s mom was getting very sick, she called the cat over. She took the cat’s paw and said, “When I’m gone, please take care of my little tiger.” The cat said, “Okay, I will!” Then the tiger’s mom passed away.

A watercolor illustration of a small, light brown cat with wide, emerald green eyes sitting next to a sick tiger (tiger’s mom) in a jungle clearing. The tiger’s mom looks weak and has matted fur; she’s lying down on a bed of damp leaves, her breathing shallow. The cat is gently holding the tiger’s mom’s paw with a concerned expression, her brow furrowed. Lush, emerald and jade foliage with broad leaves and trailing vines surrounds them. Dappled sunlight, warm and golden, filters through the trees, creating a play of light and shadow on the jungle floor. The overall tone is melancholic but hopeful, with a palette of muted greens, browns, and yellows, punctuated by the cat’s bright eyes.

The tiger said to the cat, “Auntie, I’m super hungry! Can you get me some fire? When I ask people for fire, they get scared and run away! But you’re so small and cute that people won’t be scared of you. They’ll give you fire, and then you can bring it to me!” So the cat said, “Okay!” and went to a house where some people were eating dinner. They had thrown away some bones, and the cat started munching on them.

A watercolor illustration of a hungry tiger with ribs showing, peering around the corner of a weathered wooden house, its paint peeling. He’s watching a small light brown cat with a smug expression, happily gnawing on discarded bones thrown just outside the house’s back door. Warm, amber light emanates from the house windows, casting long, inviting shadows. The tiger looks frustrated and envious, his ears flattened against his head. The overall feeling is one of contrast and desperation, with a color palette of deep oranges, browns, and muted yellows contrasted with the bright browns of the cat and the green of the overgrown yard. Focus on texture of wood, bone and fur.

This house was close to where the tiger lived. He peeked around the corner and saw his aunt eating the bones! “Oh no!” he said. “I asked my aunt to get fire so I could cook my dinner because I’m so hungry! But she’s just eating bones and not even thinking about me!” So the tiger shouted, “Auntie! I sent you to get fire! Why are you eating bones and leaving me hungry? If you ever come near me again, I’ll get you!” The cat ran away, screaming, “I’ll never go near that tiger again! He’ll get me!” That’s why all cats are so scared of tigers, or anything that looks like a tiger! And that’s why, when the cat in our story saw the tiger, her nephew, fighting with a man, she ran away as fast as she could!

Once upon a time, there were a dog and a cat. It was a very rainy day, and some people were eating dinner inside their house. The cat was inside too, eating her dinner, and the dog was sitting on the doorstep. The cat called out to the dog, “I’m better than you!” “Oh, no, I’m not!” said the dog. “I’m better than you! You steal people’s food right out of their hands! And you scratch them, so they get mad and chase you! I stay away from them, so they don’t chase me. If they give me food, I’ll eat it. If they don’t, that’s okay!” “Oh, that’s not true!” said the cat. “I eat nice, clean food. You eat yucky, dirty food that people threw away!” “Nope!” said the dog. “I’m better than you, and if I tapped you, you’d fall right over!” “No way!” said the cat.

A watercolor illustration of a rainy scene. Sheets of rain streak down the windowpane. A small light brown cat with its tail curled around its paws sits inside a cozy house, contentedly eating from a chipped ceramic bowl filled with milk. A forlorn, tan dog with a matted coat sits outside on the rain-soaked doorstep, shivering and looking longingly at the cat. The interior is softly lit with a warm, yellow glow from a nearby lamp, highlighting the wooden floor and a braided rug. The rain creates a blurred, impressionistic background of blurry greens and grays. The tone is melancholic and cozy, with a palette of warm yellows and browns contrasting with cool blues and grays of the rain.

They argued and argued and started to fight! Finally, the dog said, “Okay, let’s go ask the wise jackal. He’ll know who’s better!” “Good idea!” said the cat. So they went to the jackal and asked him. The cat said, “I’m better than the dog!” “No way!” said the jackal. “The dog is better!” The cat said, “No!” and the jackal said, “Yes!” and they started to fight again. Then the jackal and the dog said they should ask a big, strong animal who lived in the jungle, like a tiger. But the cat said, “I can’t go near a tiger or anything that looks like one!” So they said, “When we get near the animal, you can stay behind, and we’ll go talk to him.” So they ran into the jungle, where a tiger was lying on the ground with a big thorn stuck in his paw! When his aunt, the cat, saw him, she ran away really fast because she was super scared!

A watercolor illustration of a small light brown cat with arched back and raised fur and a tan dog with bared teeth arguing face to face. They are standing on a muddy path in a dense, overgrown jungle. The jackal, looking amused, can be seen in the background, partially obscured by foliage. The cat looks angry, with narrowed eyes and a twitching tail, and the dog is defensive, crouching slightly with its hackles raised. Sunlight breaks through the canopy in harsh beams, creating deep shadows. The tone is tense and confrontational, with a palette of earthy browns, greens, and yellows, emphasizing the chaotic and overgrown nature of the jungle.

A watercolor illustration of a tiger lying on the damp ground with a large, jagged thorn deeply embedded in his paw. He looks pained, his face contorted in a grimace. A small light brown cat (aunt), with wide, terrified eyes and bristled fur, is running away in the background, visibly frightened, her tail puffed up. Jungle foliage with sharp-edged leaves and thorny vines surrounds them. The light is dappled and uneven, creating a sense of unease. The emotional tone is fear and pain, using a palette of muted greens and browns punctuated by the bright red of the tiger’s injury.

The thorn was hurting the tiger a lot! He couldn’t find anyone to take it out, so he had been lying there for days. Finally, he saw a man walking by. He called to him and said, “Take out this thorn, and I promise I won’t eat you!” But the man was scared and said, “No way! You’ll eat me!” The tiger promised three times not to eat him. Finally, the man took out the thorn. Then the tiger jumped up and said, “Now I’m going to eat you! I’m very hungry!” “Oh no, no!” said the man. “You’re a liar! You promised not to eat me if I took the thorn out, and now you say you’ll eat me!” And they started to fight. The man said, “If you won’t eat me, I’ll bring you a cow and a goat!” But the tiger said, “No! I want to eat you!”

A watercolor illustration of a weathered, kind-faced man with calloused hands kneeling and carefully removing a large, wicked thorn from a tiger’s paw. The tiger is watching him intently, its large golden eyes filled with a mix of suspicion and hope. The man’s brow is furrowed in concentration, and his expression is gentle. The background depicts dense jungle foliage, with shafts of sunlight illuminating patches of emerald green moss. The air is thick with humidity. The overall feeling is one of trust and vulnerability, with a palette of earthy greens, browns, and tans, highlighting the connection between man and beast.

Just then, the jackal and the dog came up. The jackal asked, “What’s going on? Why are you fighting?” So the man told him the whole story. The jackal said to the tiger, “I know a good way to eat the man! Go get a big bag!” So the tiger went and got a bag and brought it to the jackal. Then the jackal said, “Get inside the bag, but leave the top open. Then I’ll throw the man in with you!” So the tiger got inside the bag, and the jackal, the dog, and the man quickly tied it up as tight as they could. Then they started hitting the tiger with all their might until he stopped moving. Then the man went home, the jackal went home, and the dog went home.

A watercolor illustration of a shifty-eyed jackal with a sly grin pointing a long, bony finger to a large, roughly woven burlap sack, speaking to a cautious tiger. The tiger is looking curiously at the bag, its head cocked to the side. A concerned man with a worn leather satchel and a loyal dog stand to the side, watching with worried expressions. The background depicts tall, shadowy trees and tangled undergrowth. The lighting is subdued and mysterious, with long, dramatic shadows. The overall tone is suspicion and intrigue, using a palette of muted greens, browns, and grays, emphasizing the uncertainty of the situation.

A watercolor illustration of a burlap sack tied tightly with thick rope lying on the ground. A man with a relieved smile, a wagging-tailed dog, and a smug jackal are standing over the sack, looking relieved and triumphant. The background shows a muddy path leading out of the dark, dense jungle into a clearing bathed in the warm glow of the setting sun. The expressions on their faces are full of satisfaction. The overall feeling is one of accomplishment and release, with a palette of warm yellows, oranges, and browns, contrasted with the deep greens of the receding jungle. Emphasize the textures of rope and burlap.

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THE CAT WHICH COULD NOT BE KILLED.

THE BULBUL AND THE COTTON-TREE.

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