WrittenandIllustratedbyTeresaNgBasedonanAncientChineseTalebyPoChung-ling--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Oncetherewasanelderlywidow,ChenMa,wholivedwithheronlysoninsideaforestintheShanxiProvince.Hersonwasoneofthetigerhunterslicensedbythelocalmagistrate,followingthesameprofessionofhisfatherandgrandfatherbeforehim.Hisshareoftheprofitsfromthesaleoftigerskins,meatandboneswassufficienttokeepthesmallmudhutwellprovisionedforhimselfandhisoldmother.Allwaswelluntilaparticularlybitterwinter.Duringasnowstorm,ChenMa'ssonwasseparatedfromhisfellowhuntersandbecamefoodforahungrytigress.Afterherinitialshockandgriefsubsided,ChenMatookstockofherownutterlydesperatesituation--anoldwomanleftallalone.Shewentandimploredthemagistratetoprovideherwithcompensationforthelossofherson,whowasheronlysourceofsupport.Themagistratedecreedthathenceforth,shewouldhaveasmallshareofprofitsfromthekillofeachtigerbythehunters.Needlesstosay,hisdecisionwasnottakenwellbythehunters,whohadplentyofmouthsoftheirowntofeed--botholdandyoung.So,whenthehunterssucceededinkillingthetigressthatateChenMa'sson,theydecidednottogiveherashareoftheprofits.Instead,theybrought
herthetigress'newborncub.Hewasasmallquiveryballofgoldenfurwithwobblylegsandtoothlessgums.Theropetheytiedaroundhisneckwassotightthatitwaspracticallychokinghim.Instantly,ChenMa'sheartwentouttothishelplesscreature,whosejade-greeneyeswereglisteningwithtears.Afterthehuntersleft,thetigercubwobbledtowhereChenMasatandlayatherfeet.Shebentdowntorubhisearsandhelickedhershoeswithhissofttongue.Theelderlywidowlookedatthetigerbabyandsighed."Theytoldmetobutcheryou,tosaltandsmokeyourfleshformymeatsupply.Yourskinwouldmakewarmbootsformyfeet;yourbonesaregoodformakingTigerBoneWinetoeasethepaininmyjoints.Butoh,howcanIbeartokillyou?Youaresoyoungandvital,whileIamsooldandfrail."Andso,ChenMauntiedtheropefromthelittletiger'sneckandfedhimapasteofcookedrootswithherfingers.Hersonhadagoodsupplyofgrainsandrootsintheattachedshedandsheplannedtostretchthefoodouttolastthewinter.Whenthestoreofthefirewoodwasrunninglow,ChenMawasunabletokeepherbedrollontopofthekangwarm(akangisabedbasebuiltofbrickswithspaceforasmallfire).Soshesleptcurlingagainstthebabytiger,whosesoftfurwascozyandwarm.Onceeversooften,womenfromnearbyvillageswouldbringsewingforChenMatodo.Shewasveryhandywithaneedle.Theypaidherforherlaborwithdriedvenisonandsmallsacksofgrain.Atfirsttheydidnotfindthelittle
tiger'spresencealarming;hewasnobiggerthanapiglet.However,whenspringcame,hehadgrownintothesizeofacalf,showingafullsetofteethandclaws.ThewomentoldtheirhunterhusbandsandthemencametokilltheyoungtigerChenMaarmedherselfwithherson'shuntingspearandthreatenedtogutanyonewhodaredtoharmherbelovedpet."I'velostbothhusbandandson.ThistigeristheonlycompanionIhavenow.Ishallgotothemagistrateandrequesttoadopthimasmyson."Thehuntersthoughttheoldwomanhadbecomemadandjeeredather.Butsinceshewassodetermined,theydarednotkillhertigerwithoutthemagistrate'spermission.SotheyfollowedChenMaandhertigerallthewaytotheofficial'sjudgmenthall."VenerableMother,"saidthemagistrate."Yourrequestismostunusual.Areyounotafraidthatsomedaythetigermightreverttohiswildnatureanddevouryou?""Honorablesir,"repliedtheoldwidowwithtearsinhereyes."Whatistheretofear?Ihavelivedtoolong.TheonlyworryIhavenowisbeingleftutterlyalone.Pleaseletmeadoptthisyoungtiger,forhehasbecomelikeasoninmyaffections."Thekindlymagistratedidnothavethehearttorefusesuchanancientwoman'spleading.Sohehadhisassistantdrawupadocumentforthetiger'sadoption.
Inordertoprotectthetigerfromthehunters'arrowsandspears,themagistrateorderedalargecopperpendentmadetohangaroundthebeast'sneck.Thewords"FuChee"wereengravedonthependentmeaningTigerSon.Toshowherdeepgratitude,ChenMakneltdowninfrontofthemagistrateandknockedherforeheadthreetimes.ThensheledFuCheebacktotheirhomeintheforestBynextwinter,FuCheehadgrownintohismaximumsize.ChenMa'shutwasindangerofcollapsingwheneverthetigerbecameplayful.Reluctantly,sheallowedFuCheetomakehishomeinsideacavenearby.However,theaffectionatetigercamebacktovisithisadoptedmotheroften,alwaysbearingagiftinhismouth--adeaddeeroralargepieceoftreebranch.Also,hestilllikedtolickhershoesandtohavehisearsrubbed.ChenMa'sneedswerebeingcaredforjustasifhernaturalsonwasstillalive!AfterChenMadiedattheripeoldagepastonehundred,thehuntersnoticedFuCheeguardedhertombnightly.Theylefthimunmolestedashehadneverattackedanyhumansordomesticanimals.Thiswentonforanumberofyearsandthenonedaythetigerwasseennomore.Outofdeeprespectandadmirationforthefilialtigerson,thehunterserectedasmallstonemonumentatChenMa'stombwithFuChee'sstoryengravedonit.Henceforth,FuCheebecameahouseholdlegendinthatpartofShanxiProvince.
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