After the animals were created, they lived in the jungle in chaotic foolishness, constantly interfering with one another. To establish a sense of order, the Bleis (gods) summoned a grand Durbar. They bestowed beauty and wisdom upon the human man, and craftiness with a silent tread upon the tiger, leaving each creature with the initial traits best suited to its disposition.
When the man returned home to his kindred, his mother looked upon him with immense pride because of his beauty and wisdom. However, her heart soon turned to worry. Realizing he lacked the raw physical power to match his comely person, and that his life would always be in danger among wild beasts, she commanded her son to return to the Bleis and ask for the gift of strength.
The man traveled back to the gods, arriving so late that they were preparing to retire for the night. Deeming him worthy, the Bleis promised to grant him the gift of strength if he returned the following morning. Unbeknownst to them, the tiger was lurking in the vicinity; using his silent tread, he crept close enough to overhear the entire conversation and resolved to forestall the man.
Early the next morning, before the gods had even emerged from their retirement, the cunning tiger crept to their abode. He sent in a false message claiming he had come by their command to receive the strength, and the deceived Bleis endowed him with power twelve times greater than before. Bursting with raw energy, the tiger left the abode, leaping twelve strides forward and twelve strides upward in a single bound.
Later in the day, the man set out to meet the gods as instructed, but the tiger intercepted him on the way. The beast challenged him to a fight, aggressively leaping and bounding to boast about his newly acquired "twelve strengths". The man, realizing he had been tricked, safely made his way to the Bleis and informed them of the tiger's deception, leaving the gods deeply annoyed but unable to recall a gift already given.
Pitying the defenceless man, the Bleis refused to leave him at the mercy of lower animals. They instead bestowed upon him a bow and an arrow, granting humanity the unique gift of skill to fashion and master weapons of warfare. When the mother of mankind saw this new gift, she decreed that her sons must never use these weapons against one another, but only to defend themselves against the beast.
When the man returned home to his kindred, his mother looked upon him with immense pride because of his beauty and wisdom. However, her heart soon turned to worry. Realizing he lacked the raw physical power to match his comely person, and that his life would always be in danger among wild beasts, she commanded her son to return to the Bleis and ask for the gift of strength.
Dr. Peacefully Kharkongor is an Assistant Professor, Department of Anthropology, Women’s College, Shillong. She also has a passion for art.
