The Clever Kancil (Mouse-Deer) and the Hungry Tiger

Long Time ago in a jungle of Java, tiger was wandering around for food. He hadn't been eating for days. He was really hungry! While he was approaching a small lake, he saw Kancil (Mouse-Deer) drinking. The tiger want to eat him.

Tiger smiled, "Hmmm yummy, finally I get my lunch!"

Tiger slowly ducked, crawled, and held his breath. And then...

"Gotcha!" said Tiger.

He caught Kancil and bite his leg. Kancil was trembling. He was really shocked. But he tried to be calm. He was thinking of a plan to escape from Tiger. He looked around and suddenly he had an idea!

He said, "Hey Tiger, I know you are hungry and want to eat me. But the king will angry if he knows you eat me now."

"Why? The king knows that I eat meat. I eat animals like you!" Said Tiger.

Kancil explained, "I guard king's cake. It's very delicious. Only the king and his family eat it."

Kancil pointed at one big, black lump near the lake. It did not look delicious at all. But Tiger was curious.

"Don't be fooled by its appearance. It's taste is very delicious. That's why it meant for kings. And you won't get hungry for a month after you eat it. I tasted it once," said Kancil.

Tiger's mouth watered. "Can I taste it?"

"Of course you can not! The king will punish me like he did when I tasted it last time. He would kill me if something happened to the cake again!" Kancil paused, then said, "Well...it's all up to you. You eat me or you eat the cake. The choice is yours."

The Kancil thought for a moment. "Well, then. You don't give me much choice, Tiger. You can have the cake. But first, let me run away as far as I can. By the way, the king won't be able to get me."

"All right...Now, go!" said the Tiger, who was really hungry.

He could not wait any longer to eat the king's cake. Kancil took a safe distance away from the Tiger, but still watched as the tiger eagerly bit into the ‘cake.’

"Phooey! It's no cake! It's... it's buffalo dung! I'll get you, Kancil! You just watch!"

But Kancil was already far away, laughing out loud. Kancil was safe for now, but next time, he might meet the tiger face to face again.