BELIKERL 57 



knew to frighten the tigress away, 

 shouting, banging his bell stick on the 

 ground, and abusing her vilely; the brute 

 merely roared back at him, and would 

 not move till he collected a sufficient 

 number of allies to overawe her. This 

 news immediately inspired our raconteur 

 to cite a parallel incident. 



" Once upon a time, sahib, there was 

 a postal runner who was a very brave 

 and strong man. A bear met him be- 

 tween Yellapore and Hullial, and tried 

 to seize him; but the runner slipped 

 behind a tree so cleverly that the bear 

 seized the tree. Upon this the runner 

 laid hold of the bear's fore legs, set his 

 own feet against the tree, and being very 

 strong he ground the bear against it; 

 and the more he pulled, the tighter the 



