When she realized what had happened she was wild with rage. Her eyes gleamed with a cruel light, but she managed to purr out sweetly, “Did you sleep well last night, Roley dear?”
“Yes, Auntie,” said Roley, “only a gnat stung me.”
“Well, never mind,” she murmured. “Just come again tonight and we shall see what we shall see.”
That night everything happened just as before; only Roley put a huge stone in his place, and then he ran for home as fast as he could go.
At midnight, when the tiger awoke, she brought down her paw upon the stone.
“Did you sleep well last night, Roley dear?”
“My gracious,” she said, “but that is a strong kid. I must kill him now, or he will kill me when he grows up.” So she bit at the stone with all her might—and broke all her front teeth. Howling with rage and pain, she looked all about her den, but Roley was not to be found.
Mother Tiger lay awake all night with the pain in her teeth. She thought and thought, but she could not plan her revenge upon Roley. So, in the morning, she went to a wise old, one-eyed tiger, her friend and counsellor, and asked him how she could punish Roley.