One day a tiger was out prowling the jungle in search of food.

Hunting had been bad that day, and he was in an ill temper. As he stalked along, he accidently ran into a spider's web, which was suspended between two low-growing bushes.
Surprised and angered by the sticky web, which was caught on his nose and whiskers, the tiger furiously wiped the clinging strands from his face, then raised a paw and ripped the entire web to shreds, knocking the spider to the ground in the process.
"Why did you ruin my home?" called the spider. "I didn't deliberately snare you in it. There is room in the jungle for both of us, and I would much rather have you as a friend than an enemy."
At this the tiger sneered and answered, "Who are you to lecture me, you insect? And what possible use could I have for the friendship of someone as insignificant as you?" And with a snarl of malice, he reached out a paw to crush the spider, who quickly scuttled under a rock and out of reach.
Just then a party of hunters came by, and the tiger, who had been too occupied with the spider to notice their approach, froze in his tracks, for he knew that if he made even the slightest sound the hunters would hear him and shoot him down before he could escape.
As the tiger crouched there motionless in the brush, the spider emerged from under the rock. Carefully and deliberately he crept up to the tiger and bit him hard on the softest part of his right hind foot.

The tiger let out a bellow of pain, which was immediately followed by a deafening blast of gunfire as the hunters emptied their rifles in his direction.

As the tiger lay gasping his final breaths, the spider approached him and coldly said, "Perhaps you were right in thinking that my friendship would have gained you nothing, but you can see clearly that my enmity has cost you dearly."

Moral: THERE IS NO SMALL ENEMY.

Go Back