Old White Whiskers and Mr. Bunny

White Whiskers was a huge tawny tiger who lived in the mountains of Kang Wen. He was the proudest tiger in all Korea, with the fieriest eyes, the longest tail, the sharpest claws and the widest stripes of any animal in the hills. He could pull down a cow, fight every dog in a village and even eat a man, and he feared no hunter unless the hunter carried a gun. Calves and pigs were mere snacks to him. He could claw off a stable roof or break its bars, gobble up one pig on the spot, then sling another over his back and trot miles home to give his cubs a dinner of fresh pork.

White Whiskers was especially proud because he served the great spirits of the mountains, whom people feared and worshiped and built shrines to honor. When one of these Mountain Spirits wished, he could call together all the tigers in his realm and, riding on the back of the biggest, fly off on the clouds or ride to victory over Korea’s enemies. Tigers and leopards were his messengers, and only the biggest, swiftest striped tigers were chosen to carry out his orders.

One special duty given to White Whiskers was to visit the shrines in the mountain passes every day to see that offerings were still being made. The people, terrified of the Mountain Spirit and of his tiger servants, made offerings every day out of fear. They piled up stones, rags and bits of metal, or set out dishes of food for the demanding spirit. They believed that if they stopped, the spirit would be angry and send his tigers to prowl around the village at night, scratch at their doors and eat their donkeys, cows, calves, pigs and even people. Then the hunters would go out with their matchlock guns to shoot the man-eaters, but by daylight the tigers were far away in their mountain dens.

Griffis records a saying attributed to Chinese neighbours, who are said to have joked that for half the year the Koreans hunt the tigers and for the other half the tigers hunt the Koreans. That is, men go out with their guns in summer, but in winter, when people stay indoors, the hungry beasts come down from the mountains looking for food.

Old White Whiskers was both proud and cunning. For years he had eaten pigs, calves, dogs, donkeys and chickens, and twice he had feasted on men, and he had escaped every trap and dodged every bullet. So he began to think he could laugh at all his enemies. Yet proud as he was, he was going to be outwitted by a creature with no strength, no sting, no claws and no hoofs.

Mr. Rabbit, who had his burrow in a hill near the village, had often heard pigs squealing and donkeys braying and kicking as they became Old White Whiskers’ dinners. So far, by being very careful, he had kept out of the striped bully’s way and out of his jaws. But one cold winter day, as he was coming home tired, weak and hungry, having eaten nothing since the day before, he was crossing a river on the ice when he came face to face with Old White Whiskers.

The great tiger sprang out from behind a rock on the shore near Mr. Bunny’s burrow and glared at him with huge green eyes, trying to freeze him with terror. Mr. Bunny knew very well that tigers like to play with their prey before eating it, and he thought his last hour had come. All the same, he stayed perfectly calm and did not shiver a bit. He had long expected such a meeting, and he was ready with a plan to catch the tiger off guard.

Expecting to tear off the little animal’s fur and crunch his bones in a minute or two, the tiger said, “I’m hungry. I’m going to eat you up right now.”

“Oh, why bother with me?” said Mr. Bunny. “I’m so small and skinny I’d hardly make a mouthful for Your Majesty. Listen to me, and I’ll get you a royal dinner. I’ll go up the mountain and drive the game right to your paws. Only you must do exactly as I say.”

At the thought of a big dinner, the tiger actually grinned with delight. He yawned so wide, showing his red cave of a mouth and huge white teeth as big as spikes, and rolled out his long curling tongue, rough with points like thorns, that Mr. Bunny was nearly frightened out of his wits. He had never looked down a tiger’s throat before. But he did not show he was afraid. It was only the tiger’s way of showing how happy he was, as his mouth watered and he licked his lips at the thought of a feast.

“I’ll do just as you say,” said Old White Whiskers, seeing how grateful the rabbit seemed to have his life spared.

“My only wish is to serve the lord of the mountains,” said Mr. Bunny. “Now, lie down here on the ice, close your eyes and don’t move. Mind you keep your eyes shut, or the charm won’t work. I’ll make a circle of dry grass and go round and round you, driving the game toward you. If you hear a noise, even some crackling, don’t open your eyes until I tell you. It will take a while.”

Old White Whiskers had been tramping through the forest and prowling round pigpens all day with nothing to show for it, so he was hungry and tired. He decided to take a good nap while he waited, and as quickly as you can blow out a candle, he was asleep.

Mr. Bunny got busy pulling up all the dry grass he could find and piling it close around Old White Whiskers. Delighted to hear the big brute snoring, he kept going until he had made a thick ring of it. Then he set it alight, waited until it blazed up high and scampered off to watch the fun.

Old White Whiskers was woken by the crackling. He yawned and rubbed his eyes with his paws, wondering what the noise could be.

“Wait!” shrieked Mr. Bunny. “Keep your promise!” And off he ran, farther up the hill.

“Rascal!” growled the tiger, as red tongues of flame leaped up all around him. He had to make a great jump to escape with his life. Even so, one paw was scorched so badly that he limped, and his fur was so singed that his long hair and fine looks were gone. When he got home, the other tigers laughed at him.

From then on he had to take second place, for the great Mountain Spirit no longer trusted such a foolish servant.

About this fable

“Old White Whiskers and Mr. Bunny” is from William Elliot Griffis’s Korean Fairy Tales. The tiger is prominent in Griffis’s Korean collection, and Griffis describes him here as the servant and messenger of the feared Mountain Spirits, checking each day that the shrines in the passes have their offerings.

Against this proud and dangerous beast Griffis sets the smallest of heroes, a hungry rabbit with nothing but his wits, in one of the best-loved patterns of animal stories everywhere.

Read the original: Korean Fairy Tales (Project Gutenberg)

Suggested for ages 9–12 with an adult: includes threats of being eaten and a rabbit setting a ring of grass on fire around the tiger, leaving him burned.

A promise that blocks observation

Rabbit offers the tiger the role he most enjoys: a powerful ruler being served. The demand to keep his eyes shut then makes checking the promise seem like breaking it. Even the sound of danger is covered by advance instructions. The escape depends on manipulating pride, while the actual fire makes this a harsher trick than a harmless joke.

Find the warning signs

Underline the instructions that stop White Whiskers looking or moving. Explain why each benefits Rabbit. Discuss the scene through words or a drawing, without recreating the fire.

Questions to ask

• Why was White Whiskers so proud?
• How did Mr. Bunny trick the tiger into closing his eyes?
• What happened to White Whiskers after the trick?

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• The Rabbit’s Eyes — another clever Korean rabbit
• The Unmannerly Tiger — a Korean tiger who gets what he deserves
• The Sagacious Monkey and the Boar — a small animal saved by quick thinking