Chinese idiom-hú jiǎ hǔ wēi狐假虎威
The story of “the fox borrowing the tiger’s might” is a well-known fable that tells the tale of a fox using the power of a tiger to intimidate other animals.
Once upon a time, in a dense forest, a tiger was searching for food. When it saw a fox wandering around, it lunged forward and caught the fox. Realizing that being captured by the tiger was not a good situation, the fox hatched a cunning plan. It craftily said to the tiger, “You cannot eat me, because I am the king of all beasts sent by the Emperor of Heaven to rule the mountains and forests. If you eat me, the Emperor of Heaven will not forgive you.” The tiger was skeptical but intrigued, so it asked the fox for proof. The fox quickly replied, “If you don’t believe me, follow me into the depths of the forest, and I will let you see how all the beasts tremble in fear of me.”
The tiger thought this was a reasonable idea, so it let the fox lead the way while it followed closely behind. As they walked through the forest, various animals such as rabbits, goats, deer, and bears saw the tiger approaching and fled in panic. After a circuit of the forest, the fox boasted to the tiger, “Now do you see? Who among the beasts of the forest is not afraid of me?” The tiger believed the fox’s lies and thought it was truly the king of all beasts.
However, one day the tiger encountered the fox again, and it finally realized that the fox had been deceiving it. The tiger was enraged and hid behind a tree. It sneaked up behind the fox and tapped it with its paw, saying, “Finished showing off?” The fox turned around and saw the tiger, screaming in terror. The tiger grabbed the fox and angrily said, “You deceived me and made me lose face. I’m going to eat you.”
This story teaches us that cunning people often borrow the power of others to bully others. It also reminds us to be vigilant and not be deceived by appearances, but to see the essence of things.
