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You, my prisoner, giving me orders? said the tamer with mock astonishment.
What a funny tiger you are! You should realize that I am the only one who gives
orders around here.
But you are no longer a tiger, said the tamer. In the forest, you are a tiger, but
here, you are caged. Now, you are merely a slave who carries out orders and
obeys my will.
You must obey me because I am the one who holds the food, said the tamer.
Go hungry then if you like, said the tamer. I wont force to you do what you
dont want to do. Then, to his students, he added: Youll see how he changes his
mind, for a head held high does not satisfy a hungry stomach.
So the tiger went hungry. He remembered with sadness the days when he ran like
the wind, free of constraints, chasing down his prey.
The next day, the tamer and his students surrounded the cage once more.
Are you not hungry? said the tamer. You must be so hungry it hurts. Say you
are hungry and you will receive all the meat you can eat.
The tamer laughed and told his students: Now he has fallen into a trap he will
not escape. He gave the order, and the tiger was given much meat.
On the third day, the tamer said to the tiger: If you want to get food, do as I say.
Dont be so hasty, said the tamer. My request is very simple. You are currently
pacing in your cage. When I tell you stop, you stop.
The tiger thought to himself: It really is a minor request; there is no need for me
to be stubborn and go hungry.
The tiger was glad, and he ate heartily as the tamer explained to his students: In
a few days he will be a paper tiger.
On the fourth day, the tiger said to the tamer: I am hungrytell me to stop.
He has begun to love my orders, the tamer told his students. Then turning to
the tiger, he said: Youll get no food today unless you meow like a kitty cat.
The tiger swallowed his rage and said to himself: It will be fun to meow like a
kitty cat, and so he did.
The tamer frowned, and said disapprovingly: That was terrible. A snarl is not a
meow.
And so the tiger tried again, but the tamers face remained grim.
Just shut up, said the tamer contemptuously. Your meow is still terrible. Ill
give you a day to practice meowing, and tomorrow Ill test you. If you succeed,
youll eat, but if you dont, you wont.
The tamer stepped away from the tigers cage with slow, deliberate steps, his
snickering, whispering students in tow. The tiger called to the forests
beseechingly, but they were too far away.
On the fifth day, the tamer said to the tiger: If you can meow like a kitty cat
youll get a big piece of fresh meat.
Excellent! the tamer said with glee. You mew like a cat in heat, and he threw
the tiger a big piece of meat.
On the sixth day, as soon as the tamer neared the tigers cage, the tiger meowed,
but the tamers brow remained furrowed.
Said the tiger, full of resentment: I am a tiger. The animals of the forest fear me.
Bray like a donkey? I would rather die.
On the seventh day, the trainer approached the tigers cage with a gentle smile.
Dont you want to eat?
The meat you will eat comes at a price, said the tamer. Bray like a donkey and
you will be fed.
The tiger tried to remember the forest, but he could not. He closed his eyes and
let out a Hee-haw!
Your bray is not very good, but I will give you a piece of meat out of pity, said
the tamer.
On the eighth day, the tamer said to the tiger: I will deliver the beginning of a
speech, and when I finish, clap as if you like it.
So the tamer began his speech: Oh citizenswe have on many occasions clarified
our position on the defining causes of our time, and this resolute, honest position
will not change no matter how the enemy powers conspire against us, and with
faith, we will be victorious.
Forgive me, said the tiger. I am ignorant. Your words are great, and I will clap
as you wish. And the tiger clapped.
I dont care for hypocrisy, or for hypocrites, said the tamer. You will go without
food today as punishment.
On the ninth day, the tamer came carrying a bag of hay, and threw it towards the
tiger.
Eat, he said.
From now on, youll eat nothing but hay, said the tamer.
And when the tigers hunger grew, he tried to eat the hay. He was shocked by the
taste and backed away in disgust. But he went back, and gradually became
accustomed to it.
And on the tenth day, the tamer, his students, the tiger and his cage disappeared,
and the tiger became a citizen, and his cage a city.
The story An-Namour fii al-Youm al-Asher is taken from the book by Zakaria Tamer of the same
name, first published in 1978 by Riad El-Rayyes Books.