The Donkey in the Tiger's Skin
Panchatantra Stories · 1 min read
A washerman, tired of buying grain for his donkey, found an old tiger skin and had an idea. Each night he dressed the donkey in it and let it graze freely in the farmers' fields — the sight of a "tiger" sent everyone running, and the donkey ate its fill for free.
This worked for weeks, until one evening the donkey heard a distant bray from a real herd of donkeys and, forgetting himself completely, threw back his head and brayed along with them.
The farmers, who had been creeping closer with sticks and spears, stopped in confusion — then burst out laughing when they realized the "tiger" was only a donkey in a costume. They chased it from the field and beat it soundly, and the washerman never tried the trick again.
Moral of the story
A disguise only protects you as long as you remember to act the part.