Long ago, a small town stood on the edge of a green forest, where people and animals had lived side by side for generations. It was a peaceful place — except for one problem. A tiger lived deep in the woods, and unlike the other tigers that shared the forest, this one was cruel and never satisfied. He terrorised the animals of the forest and, worse, began creeping into the town at night to attack its children.
One day, a group of travellers arrived. They were skilled hunters, famous for capturing dangerous animals, and the townspeople begged them for help. Since no one could say for certain which tiger was responsible, the travellers trapped several of them, cage by cage, and left them at the edge of the forest while they decided what to do next.
Among the captured tigers was the very one who had caused so much suffering. Alone in his cage, with no food or water, he grew desperate. Whenever someone walked past, he called out, swearing that if only he were freed, he would never harm another soul. Few believed him — his reputation made his promises sound hollow — but he kept pleading, day after day, until his voice grew hoarse.
Eventually, one traveller began to feel sorry for him. Against his better judgement, he approached the cage and asked the tiger to give his word that he would change his ways. The tiger agreed at once, and the man, moved by what seemed like sincerity, opened the door.
The moment he stepped out, however, the tiger's hunger overpowered whatever intentions he might have had. He turned on the traveller immediately, ready to attack. The man reminded him, in a panic, of the promise he had just made — but the tiger only laughed. Hunger, he said, did not care about promises.
Just as the tiger was about to strike, a fox appeared, drawn by the noise. Curious, she asked what was happening, and both the man and the tiger told their side of the story. When they had finished, the fox turned to the tiger with a doubtful look. "Forgive me," she said, "but I find it hard to believe that a creature as large as you could ever have fitted inside such a small cage."
The tiger, offended by the suggestion, insisted it was true — the cage, he explained, had more room than it appeared to have. But the fox remained unconvinced, so the tiger, eager to prove his point, climbed back inside to demonstrate. The instant he did, the fox slipped behind him and shut the door. The tiger was trapped once again — this time, by his own pride.