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Overview

The tiger crown-prince advises the sick king to eat the flesh of every kind of animal, and the summons becomes lethal for those who attend. The mouse-deer delays appearing, then explains its absence by claiming a dream of the needed cure: the king must eat whatever is nearest to him. The king devours the crown-prince, recovers and appoints the mouse-deer as successor. This is succession by stratagem rather than the mouse-deer turning into a tiger. The account does not separately establish that the asserted dream occurred, although it narrates the king’s recovery. Skeat attributes this tale to Che Busu; his disparaging generalization about other peoples’ dream beliefs is not adopted.

Beast court where a threatened mouse-deer redirects the proposed curePublic traditional narrative
01

Origins & earliest records

Malay Peninsula; Kelantan teller Che Busu

02

Records & interpretation

Complete relevant tale and attached scholarly notes directly read.

In the literature

“the Mouse-deer himself became Crown-Prince in turn.”
Che Busu; Walter William Skeat, collector · Fables & Folk-Tales from an Eastern Forest — II The King of the Tigers Is Sick
II The King of the Tigers Is Sick, printed 4 · Walter William Skeat

An ill tiger king follows the crown prince’s advice to eat every kind of beast. The mouse-deer initially refuses the summons. Eventually appearing under threat, it claims to have delayed because of a dream about medicine. Asked for the remedy, it advises the king to eat whoever is nearest. The king immediately devours the tiger prince, recovers and makes the mouse-deer crown prince. Skeat identifies the account as another of Che Busu’s tales.

Selected bibliography

Documented works and useful reading. This is not a list of every appearance.

  1. 01

    Fables & Folk-Tales from an Eastern Forest

    Walter Skeat, collector and translator · 1901

    II, The King of the Tigers is Sick, pp. 3–4; note p. 74

  2. 02

    Fables & Folk-Tales from an Eastern Forest — II The King of the Tigers Is Sick

    Che Busu; Walter William Skeat, collector · 1901

    Fables & Folk-Tales from an Eastern Forest, collected and translated Walter Skeat, Cambridge: University Press,1901. Original title leaf13 visually checked; selected complete tales and all accompanying notes read from historical transcription. Introduction states1899 Cambridge expedition collection and limitation of phraseology, not verbatim unedited speech. Original quoted folios visually checked in Archive fablesfolktalesf00skearich; IIIF canvas positions omit initial leaves, so exact original leaf number matched from image identifier, not array index.

Family & connections

A source-supported family tree or inspiration record has not yet been compiled for this profile. Related reading below indicates a connection in subject matter, not a proven lineage or creative influence.

Primary records and illustrations

Direct primary record

Walter Skeat, Fables & Folk-Tales from an Eastern Forest (Cambridge: University Press, 1901)

II, The King of the Tigers is Sick. II, The King of the Tigers is Sick, pp. 3–4; note p. 74

Complete tale and associated notes directly read. Regional spellings and differing accounts retained; commentary does not establish present-day practice or biological facts. Teller attribution retained where stated: Che Busu for I/II; unnamed Siong River villager for VI.

Inspect the digitized plate · Source collection manifest

Located primary passages

Specific passages supporting details in this entry, grouped by their published witness.

Fables & Folk-Tales from an Eastern Forest

Fables & Folk-Tales from an Eastern Forest, collected and translated Walter Skeat, Cambridge: University Press,1901. Original title leaf13 visually checked; selected complete tales and all accompanying notes read from historical transcription. Introduction states1899 Cambridge expedition collection and limitation of phraseology, not verbatim unedited speech. Original quoted folios visually checked in Archive fablesfolktalesf00skearich; IIIF canvas positions omit initial leaves, so exact original leaf number matched from image identifier, not array index.

  1. An ill tiger king follows the crown prince’s advice to eat every kind of beast. The mouse-deer initially refuses the summons. Eventually appearing under threat, it claims to have delayed because of a dream about medicine. Asked for the remedy, it advises the king to eat whoever is nearest. The king immediately devours the tiger prince, recovers and makes the mouse-deer crown prince. Skeat identifies the account as another of Che Busu’s tales.

    II The King of the Tigers Is Sick, complete printed 3–4; note74

CompleteII3–4 and source note74 read. Crown-prince title alone is not explicit biological sonship. Alleged dream remedy is mouse-deer speech in this fable, not medical advice or proven efficacy. Skeat’s colonial generalisation in the note is not adopted.

References

Sources supporting this profile. Linked pages have their own scope and editorial standards.

  1. Historical collected narrative with locality and editorial notesSkeat, Fables & Folk-Tales (Cambridge University Press, 1901), II, The King of the Tigers is Sick, pp. 3–4; note p. 74Research access: 2026-10-05

Image credits

A sourced illustration has not yet been added. This gap is included in the coverage record.

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