A TIGER TALE. 25 



Bear's flesh is never, so far as I know, eaten in India, ex- 

 cept by the Doms (a very low caste of hill Hindoos in ancient 

 times the slave class), although tiger's flesh is often used as a 

 charm. One of the wonderful properties the natives believe 

 it to possess is that of its making their children grow up 

 brave if they partake of it in their youth. The whiskers, too, 

 are regarded as so potent for working evil with, that if they, 

 and also the claws, are not carefully looked after, you are 

 sure to find the former either singed off or plucked out and 

 the latter extracted surreptitiously by your camp-followers. 

 The following anecdote, related to me by an old Central India 

 sportsman, is a curious instance of superstition respecting 

 tiger's flesh. 



A dead tiger had been brought into camp, and all the native 

 followers, except one, seemed anxious to secure some of the 

 flesh. The exception was an old shikaree of the wild tribe of 

 Gonds. On being questioned as to why he did not wish to take 

 his share, he replied, with an expression of disgust, that he 

 never ate tiger's flesh, but would enter into no explanation 

 as to why or wherefore. After a little persuasion, however, 

 and the promise of a glass of grog, the old man at length 

 agreed to join the party at the camp-tire after dinner and 

 relate his story, which, being freely interpreted, was much 

 as follows : " My grandfather and grandmother were once en- 

 camped on the outskirts of a jungle, near a great city, when 

 one day they saw issuing from the city gate a grand hunting- 

 party, riding on elephants with silver howdahs and gorgeous 

 trappings, and escorted by armed retainers mounted on splen- 

 didly caparisoned horses. My grandmother, being struck with 

 envy, exclaimed, ' Why should we Gonds, whose forefathers 

 were the lords of this land, now be reduced to such poverty 

 and live in the jungles, whilst this upstart race enjoys such 

 wealth and luxury ? I will change myself into a tiger and 

 watch the city gate, and carry off every rich man I meet 

 until I have amassed wealth enough to enable us to resume 



