The Clever Little Girl
Once upon a time, there was a little girl named Lian who lived in a small village at the foot of a mountain. Though she was young, Lian was known far and wide for her intelligence and quick thinking. The villagers often came to her for advice when they faced problems that no one else could solve.
One day, the village headman came to Lian with a difficult problem. "Lian," he said, "I have a challenge for you. There is a large, wild tiger that has been terrorizing our village. It has been taking the villagers’ livestock, and no one can figure out how to catch it. Can you help us?”
Lian thought for a moment. She knew that the tiger was dangerous, and simply hunting it down with weapons would be risky. But she was clever, and she knew that if she used her wit, she could find a way to solve the problem.
"I will help you," Lian said, "but I need three things from the village: a large net, a basket of rice, and a mirror."
The village headman was puzzled but agreed to provide what she asked. Lian took the items and set off toward the mountains, where the tiger was said to be hiding.
When she reached the tiger's lair, Lian carefully spread the net on the ground, placed the basket of rice in the center, and hung the mirror from a nearby tree. She waited patiently, knowing that the tiger’s hunger would lead it to the rice.
Sure enough, after a while, the tiger appeared. It sniffed the air and saw the basket of rice. Thinking it was a good meal, the tiger rushed toward the rice. As it stepped onto the net, Lian quickly pulled the rope tied to the net, trapping the tiger inside.
The tiger roared in fury, but it was trapped. Lian then used the mirror to reflect the sunlight, shining it directly into the tiger’s eyes. The tiger, now confused and disoriented, couldn’t find its way out of the net.
"Now, listen carefully," Lian said to the tiger. "If you promise to never harm the village again, I will let you go. But if you continue to cause trouble, I will bring the villagers here to deal with you."
The tiger, now afraid and humbled by Lian’s cleverness, promised to leave the village in peace. Lian untied the net and let the tiger go, but it never returned to the village again.
The villagers were amazed at how the little girl had solved the problem that no one else could. From that day on, Lian was known not only for her intelligence but also for her bravery and wisdom. The village was peaceful, and the people learned that sometimes, cleverness and patience are more powerful than strength.
