The Tiger and the Wolf

           There was a great commotion in the woods one day, the Tiger and the Wolf in mortal combat. The destruction was great and terrifying to all the animals. The Humans, being the newfound rulers of the jungle, were tasked with correcting the situation so that it would not happen again.

            They devised a wooden cage for the beasts, and set off capturing two specimens. “If the Wolf and Tiger are to get along, we must place them close together, that they may learn to love each other,” they said, and placed a Wolf and Tiger in the cage. For a moment all was well, and then the two beasts promptly took to ripping each other to shreds.

            Seeing their failure, the Humans came up with a new idea. “Ah, the problem is their teeth, and their claws,” they theorized. So they caught two more specimens, and defanged and declawed them both. Placing them in the cage, the Wolf and the Tiger hit and gnawed at each other but, being unable to inflict any real damage, they quickly gave up and became docile. “Success!” the humans cried, and released the two into the wild. Unfortunately, the two beasts were unable to catch their prey or defend themselves, and within a few days they were both dead from starvation.

            This puzzled the Humans, who did not know what to try next. One of them theorized “perhaps the best way to tame a Tiger is to turn it into a kitten.” Thus, the Humans took to domesticating the Tigers and Wolves, and cats and dogs came into existence. But they could not tame them all, and still the Humans pondered, as the forest creatures watched in hope.
            So it was that they went to the Wolf, and asked him, "Why do you fight so ferociously with the tiger? What has he done to you to deserve your scorn?" The Wolf replied, "Nothing, he is a gentlemen of highest esteem in my eyes. It is not that he has done me wrong, but that he might do me wrong. It is therefore in my interest to strike first so to gain the upper hand." The same was said by the Tiger when asked why he fought.

This, at long last, brought one of the Humans to his senses. He said to the others “Perhaps it is the case that the Tiger and the Wolf must mix of their own accord, or not at all.” So the Humans agreed to never meddle in the affairs of the wild beasts again, and the forest remained in turmoil for the foreseeable future.