Saturday, October 13, 2018

Pee 7: Servant Of Tiger (小解7:虎伥)

There is a Chinese idiom that reads: 为虎作伥 or simply 'working for the tiger' meaning doing things for bad guy. The one who works for a tiger here refers to the 'ghost of the victim' of the tiger.

It is believed among Chinese hunters that the souls of victims of a tiger will in turn serve the tiger. So if a tiger has killed many people, then this tiger becomes very powerful. The 'job' of these dead souls serve to entice more innocent folks to the tiger as food.

Albert told me a story somehow resembles this type of servitor spirit (虎伥). 

Normally Albert would hunt only small animals and tiger is now a protective animal and unless it harmed human first or else it shall not be shot. But one cannot chose to avoid a tiger while hunting in a jungle as the jungle is its home logically speaking.

Towards the end of 70's, human skulls can still be easily found in local jungles. People believed those skulls were leftover remains of soldiers, civilians, communists or even local villagers who ventured in to the jungle but killed by wild animals. Anyway, no one would touch or collect them then unless for magical purposes.

So said, Bob who was Albert's hunting buddy decided to go to a maiden jungle in Kuala Kangsar to hunt for mouse deer. That piece of land was known to have seen the presence of tigers but the duo weren't afraid as they were seasoned hunters. After all, almost all parts of a tiger are valuable commodities.

They wriggled their ways for hours in the jungle but saw no potential prays, not even a monkey in sight. Then Bob feeling the urge to pee, so he hinted to Albert that he would move to a tree to do his business.

As Bob peed, he noticed his pee dropped onto a piece of stone like substance. So after done, he knelt down to take a look. Apparently it was a human skull. Bob somehow spitted into the eye sockets of the skull and said: "Poor bastard, sorry you're at the wrong place!"

After that Bob and Albert continued to hunt but still nothing of interests were found. That was odd as the timing should be just right for mouse deer to reproduce. So the duo decided to take a break and had something to eat.

Perhaps Bob was too tired and he dozed off. Albert just sat beside Bob and kept an watchful eye on the surrounding. Then he heard Bob murmured in his sleep: "What do you mean I should apologize? I did not urinate onto your head you stupid bastard! Tigers? I am not afraid of it... Let me have a big one!"

Albert immediately shook Bob's shoulders to wake him. When Bob opened his eyes, he complaint to Albert: "That guy accused me of peeing onto his head and he said that I will be killed by a huge tiger!"

Of course Albert gave Bob a cold stare and said cynically: "Yeah Bob, that will be the day. Let's move on as it is getting dark!"

The duo walked for another half an hour or so and suddenly a tiger jumped onto Bob who was in front of Albert. Bob fell onto the ground and his right arm was severely bitten by the tiger. Luckily Albert who was about 10 feet behind took an aim at the beast and fired a shot.

The shot missed the tiger but the sound of the shot scared off the attacker and it retreated and disappeared among the trees and bushes.

Bob was propped by Albert out of the jungle and they were lucky to meet some rubber tappers who were clearing the rubber plantations.

Later as recalled by Albert, Bob must have urinated onto the skull of the victim of a tiger and the spirit has led its master to Bob. Or it does not really matter as the so-called servant of tiger would bring its master the required human pray. The only pity was that he did not kill the tiger that could be exchanged for a lot of money then.