Once upon a time there were two little girls who were in love with two boys whom they met whenever their parents were absent. One evening, they made a date to meet in three days’ time when the girls’ parents would be absent from the home. But a tiger was listening in the bushes and heard everything.
On the day of the meeting one of the boys was taken sick and the other having to look after him could not come either.
That night, as the girls were waiting in expectation for their lovers, they heard a scratching sound. Thinking that their lovers had come, they let down the ladder. And who should creep in with eyes gleaming, but the tigers! The terror-stricken girls had the presence of mind to rush to the fire which kept the tiger at bay. All night long they dared not sleep as they had to keep the fire burning. With the tiger prowling about the hut, they kept themselves awake by spinning cotton until dawn when the frustrated tiger went away after eating a fat pig.
The next evening when the boys actually arrived and signaled to be allowed into the hut, the girls were too frightened and kept the ladder up. After waiting all nights the boys went away, back to their village far away.
As morning came, the girls looked out and saw the mistake they had made as soon as they spied the cinders where the boys had kindled a fire to keep themselves warm. Filled with remorse at what they had done, the girls decided to go after the boys in spite of the fact that their parents would soon be returning.
They plunged deeper and deeper into the forest in pursuit, following their lovers’ trail. One path to the left was smooth and well-defined and the one to the right was full of bushes and thorns. Not knowing which way to take, they cried in despair.
Just then a little cat came along and enquired why they were so unhappy. Told of the girls’ plight, the little cat told them that they should follow the well-worn path and that the thorny path was the way to the tigers’ village.
But the girls were suspicious. They reasoned that cats are after all the tigers’ cousins and, since they were now in tiger territory, the well-worn path could be that of the tigers instead of their lovers’. With this they decided to choose the ill-defined and thorny path. The branches and the thorns tore at them and it was very difficult going. Finally, as dusk was falling they heard the sounds of a village and they quickened their pace. But when they burst into the clearing they found to their dismay that they had arrived at a tigers’ village. Just as they were going to turn back they heard more sounds coming along the trail and they desperately pushed themselves into a bush to hide.
All night long they quaked in fear as the tigers leaped and jumped and caroused with terrible roars and screams. As dawn drew near the tigers, tired out, fell asleep one after another. Finally the girls decided to make a break for it and dashed back to the village entrance. One of the girls in her desperate dash stepped on a sleeping tiger which slashed out with its paws and ripped her thighs in an effort to stop them from escaping. But day was beginning to break and the tigers did not pursue them in their rush headlong through the jungle to safety.
Though they were safe enough they could not return to their home and they were not able to find again the trail their lovers had taken. And the two maidens in their despair decided to become two little stars in the sky. (The Guardian, March 1988).