ENG
A head so large, a tail so thin, seven feet long,
A patterned form, electric eyes, fierce and strong.
With tiger stripes, it boasts with pride,
Yet beneath its head, a strange guise hides.
In the mountains, there was a tiger with a strong desire for the Dao. Hoping to become a disciple under an accomplished immortal, he traveled across high mountains and great rivers, seeking a Daoist temple. However, his Daoist affinity was thin, and he couldn't find a master willing to accept him until he reached the Webbed Ridge.
At first, the immortal master disdained him for being a mere tiger, unlike his other disciples, and refused to meet him. The tiger knelt outside the mountain gate for several days without rising. The immortal master, sensing his sincerity, gave him a chance and accepted him as an outer disciple.
Unexpectedly, the tiger had no steadfastness. After the initial fervor, he didn't put in the effort. The immortal master advised him, "One's practice relies on oneself, not the master." But the tiger couldn't grasp this and was punished to guard the mountain at Forest of Ferocity. Feeling resentful, the tiger became even lazier, spending his days lying idly under a tree and cursing his master to pass the time.
One day, while half-asleep under the tree, complaining about his master, he suddenly heard a soft sigh and felt something slip into his mouth. Startled, he sat up, but there was no one around. He retched for a long time but couldn't expel anything, thinking it was just a dream.
After some time, the tiger's neck became long and thin, and he could no longer speak. He diligently patrolled Forest of Ferocity every day. People whispered among themselves, "He started his Daoist practice with enthusiasm but ended poorly. The master must have punished him, which is why he looks like this now. From now on, we'd best be careful."
This story is about a tiger with a striking appearance: a very large head, a thin tail, about seven feet long, tiger stripes, bright eyes, and an odd thing hidden beneath its head. The tiger wanted to learn the Dao and become a disciple of an immortal, so he traveled through mountains and rivers looking for a Daoist master. He had weak Dao affinity and most masters refused him, but at last he reached a place called Webbed Ridge.
At Webbed Ridge the immortal master at first looked down on him because he was “just a tiger” and did not meet him. The tiger showed great persistence: he knelt outside the mountain gate for several days without moving. The master noticed this sincerity and accepted the tiger as an outer disciple, a low-level student.
After being accepted the tiger did not keep up his effort. His early enthusiasm faded and he stopped practicing seriously. The master told him that cultivation depends on the student, not the master, but the tiger did not understand or change. As punishment he was put to guard a place called the Forest of Ferocity.
While guarding the forest he grew resentful, became lazier, and spent his days lying under a tree, cursing his master. One day, half-asleep and complaining, he heard a sigh and felt something slip into his mouth. He woke with nothing visible around and could not spit it out; he thought it was a dream. Over time his neck grew long and thin and he lost the ability to speak.
After the change he began to patrol the forest dutifully every day. People who saw him whispered that he had started with enthusiasm but ended badly, assuming the master punished him and that this was why he looked so strange. The story leaves the tiger transformed and silent, serving his guard duty while villagers warn others to be careful.