Written and Illustrated by Teresa Ng

Based on an Ancient Chinese Tale by Po Chung-ling

Once there was an elderly widow, Chen Ma, who lived
with her only son inside a forest in the Shanxi Province.
Her son was one of the tiger hunters licensed by the
local magistrate, following the same profession of his
father and grandfather before him. His share of the
profits from the sale of tiger sins, meat and bones was
sufficient to eep the small mud hut well provisioned for
himself and his old mother.
!ll was well until a particularly bitter winter. "uring
a snowstorm, Chen Ma#s son was separated from his
fellow hunters and became food for a hungry tigress.
!fter her initial shoc and grief subsided, Chen Ma
too stoc of her own utterly desperate situation $$ an
old woman left all alone. She went and implored the
magistrate to provide her with compensation for the loss
of her son, who was her only source of support. %he
magistrate decreed that henceforth, she would have a
small share of profits from the ill of each tiger by the
hunters. &eedless to say, his decision was not taen well
by the hunters, who had plenty of mouths of their own
to feed $$ both old and young.
So, when the hunters succeeded in illing the tigress
that ate Chen Ma#s son, they decided not to give her a
share of the profits. 'nstead, they brought her the
tigress# newborn cub. He was a small (uivery ball of
golden fur with wobbly legs and toothless gums. %he
rope they tied around his nec was so tight that it was
practically choing him. 'nstantly, Chen Ma#s heart went
out to this helpless creature, whose )ade$green eyes were
glistening with tears.
!fter the hunters left, the tiger cub wobbled to where Chen Ma sat and
lay at her feet. She bent down to rub his ears and he liced her shoes
with his soft tongue.
%he elderly widow looed at the tiger baby and sighed. *%hey told
me to butcher you, to salt and smoe your flesh for my meat supply.
+our sin would mae warm boots for my feet, your bones are good for
maing %iger -one .ine to ease the pain in my )oints. -ut oh, how can
' bear to ill you/ +ou are so young and vital, while ' am so old and
frail.*
!nd so, Chen Ma untied the rope from the little tiger#s nec and fed
him a paste of cooed roots with her fingers. Her son had a good
supply of grains and roots in the attached shed and she planned to
stretch the food out to last the winter.
.hen the store of the firewood was running low, Chen Ma was
unable to eep her bedroll on top of the ang warm 0a ang is a bed
base built of brics with space for a small fire1. So she slept curling
against the baby tiger, whose soft fur was co2y and warm.
Once ever so often, women from nearby villages would bring sewing
for Chen Ma to do. She was very handy with a needle. %hey paid her for
her labor with dried venison and small sacs of grain. !t first they did
not find the little tiger#s presence alarming, he was no bigger than a
piglet. However, when spring came, he had grown into the si2e of a calf,
showing a full set of teeth and claws. %he women told their hunter
husbands and the men came to ill the young tiger.
Chen Ma armed herself with her son#s hunting spear and threatened to
gut anyone who dared to harm her beloved pet.
*'#ve lost both husband and son. %his tiger is the only companion '
have now. ' shall go to the magistrate and re(uest to adopt him as my
son.*
%he hunters thought the old woman had become mad and )eered at
her. -ut since she was so determined, they dared not ill her tiger
without the magistrate#s permission. So they followed Chen Ma and her
tiger all the way to the official#s )udgment hall.
*3enerable Mother,* said the magistrate. *+our re(uest is most
unusual. !re you not afraid that some day the tiger might revert to his
wild nature and devour you/*
*Honorable sir,* replied the old widow with tears in her eyes. *.hat
is there to fear/ ' have lived too long. %he only worry ' have now is
being left utterly alone. Please let me adopt this young tiger, for he has
become lie a son in my affections.*
%he indly magistrate did not have the heart to refuse such an
ancient woman#s pleading. So he had his assistant draw up a document
for the tiger#s adoption.
'n order to protect the tiger from the hunters# arrows and spears, the
magistrate ordered a large copper pendent made to hang around the
beast#s nec. %he words *4u Chee* were engraved on the pendent
meaning %iger Son. %o show her deep gratitude, Chen Ma nelt down
in front of the magistrate and noced her forehead three times. %hen
she led 4u Chee bac to their home in the forest.
-y next winter, 4u Chee had grown into his maximum
si2e. Chen Ma#s hut was in danger of collapsing
whenever the tiger became playful. 5eluctantly, she
allowed 4u Chee to mae his home inside a cave nearby.
However, the affectionate tiger came bac to visit his adopted
mother often, always bearing a gift in his mouth $$ a dead deer or a
large piece of tree branch. !lso, he still lied to lic her shoes and to
have his ears rubbed. Chen Ma#s needs were being cared for )ust as if
her natural son was still alive6
!fter Chen Ma died at the ripe old age past one hundred, the hunters
noticed 4u Chee guarded her tomb nightly. %hey left him unmolested
as he had never attaced any humans or domestic animals. %his went
on for a number of years and then one day the tiger was seen no more.
Out of deep respect and admiration for the filial tiger son, the
hunters erected a small stone monument at Chen Ma#s tomb with 4u
Chee#s story engraved on it. Henceforth, 4u Chee became a household
legend in that part of Shanxi Province.
~ ~ The End ~ ~
Biography of Po Chung-ling
Written and Illustrated by Teresa Ng
Tiger Son is based on one of the tales of Po Chung$
ling, a Chinese writer who lived 788 years ago. His
account of Tiger Son was based on a true incident. Po
Chung$ling 09:;8 to 9<9=1, the talented author of
Strange Stories, was a resident of Shan "ong Province
in China during the >ing "ynasty 09:;; to 9?991. %he
>ing "ynasty was the last dynasty to have an emperor.
't was followed by the 5epublic of China 09?99 to 9?;?1
and President Chiang @ai$she. 4ollowing that was %he
People#s 5epublic of China 0Communist China1,
declared in 9?;?.
'n his youth, Po Chung$ling passed the Provincial
scholastic examination but failed to obtain an official
appointment. !fter many years and several more
attempts, he was finally appointed to a minor official
position. !pparently, it was not what he wanted and
shortly thereafter he gave up the position.
!fter his retirement from officialdom, he moved bac
to his village in Chi$Chuen County, within the Shan
"ong Province. Aiving a simple but peaceful life on his
home farm, he started to write short stories and
philosophical essays tirelessly. He wrote a total of ;79
short stories according to estimations in some ancient
articles. !las, only a handful of his stories survive the
ravages of time.
%oday, Po Chung$ling#s Strange Stories and another
boo titled The Dream o the !ed Chamber, written by
another author, are the two most famous literary wors
passed down from !ncient China.
%he above illustration is a representation of how Po
Chung$ling might have looed.