Tiger Story

The Tiger Story is a humorous scary tale for kids about a man who tells some children a frightening story about his adventures while hunting wild animals in the jungle. It is based on an old short story by the Irish author Lord Dunsany called 'In a Dark Room'. This story concerns my uncle Fergus and the trouble he caused when I brought him to dinner at the house of a friend of mine. What happened was not my fault, but I am sure I will never be invited back again. This friend of mine had three young children, two boys and a girl. One day, when I was visiting his home, he happened to mention that his children loved listening to scary tales. Since I myself am a fan of ghost stories and urban legends, I decided to tell them a few tales of some legendary creatures and mythicl monsters I had read about. However, my stories absolutely failed to frighten them. Then I remembered that my uncle Fergus had, in his youth, spent a lot of time in the jungles of India and Africa, hunting wild animals. He even had a lion's head hanging on the wall of his living room. I suspected that he might have some tall tales that could produce the desired effect. Therefore, I told the kids that I knew of an old hunter who had some exciting and thrilling experiences in the jungle. They seemed to be interested, so I asked my friend if I could invite my uncle over for dinner the next day. I never expected that my uncle Fergus would be able to tell the children a scary story that would genuinely terrify them. I did not imagine for one second that the kids would get so scared. And now their parents blame me. I cannot understand why. If you ask me, they brought it on themselves. As soon as I arrived with my uncle, the children began demanding that he tell them a story. Uncle Fergus was always ready to spin a tale and they didn't need to ask him twice. Of course, you must remember that the children had never seen my uncle before and the only thing they knew about him was that he had been a big game hunter years ago. Also, don't forget that young children can be very gullible. As he began his story, my uncle sat down in a comfortable chair and the children sat on the floor at his feet, eagerly trying to catch every word. When I was a child, he had told me about some stories about the lions and tigers he had encountered while hunting. I expected to hear the same old tales again. However, my uncle significantly changed the plot and it seems he went a bit too far. 'The tiger had spotted me long before I knew he was there,' announced my uncle, in a commanding voice. 'He was following me quite leisurely, as though he did not want to run in the hot weather, and knew perfectly well that I couldn't run either. Let this story serve as a lesson for all of you in the future. When you grow up, never go out into the jungle without a weapon. Even if you are just going out for a brisk walk, as I was that ill-fated morning. For on the way, I met a tiger. I heard a noise behind me and when I turned and saw him following me, I almost jumped out of my skin. I knew I couldn't outrun him, so I just quickened my pace, but of course, the tiger was a little faster. As I hurried along, glancing nervously over my shoulder, I knew, without a shadow of a doubt, that escape was impossible.' 'Why?' asked one of the boys. 'Because the tiger was walking faster than I was,' replied my uncle. 'For every hundred feet we traveled, he got two or three feet closer. I was doomed and there wasn't a thing I could do about it. The distance between us was steadily decreasing and it was only a matter of time before he caught up to me. 'Why didn't you run?' asked the other boy. 'If he had wanted to kill me, he would have pounced already,' said my uncle. 'Instead, he was playing a game with me, silently stalking me, drawing closer and closer every minute. I knew that, if I suddenly started running, the tiger would have thought it a new game. He would simply chase me down and rip me apart. Even though I knew what the outcome would be, I kept moving. I didn't want to die. Unfortunately, I was only delayi