The darkness lightened to pale grey. She could hear the monkeys stirring in the tall trees. She saw the black head of a water snake swimming by. Birds began to call in the forest. Still the tigress did not move.

A family of small dear slipped out of the underbrush. One by one, they came down to the river. And inch by slow inch, the tigress began to move toward them. She had a great need of food. She had not eaten for two days and a night. But the tigress did not hurry. She inched along on her belly silently. As quiet as a shadow. As quiet as death.

Suddenly the largest deer lifted his head. Had he heard the golden cat or caught the smell of a tiger? The tigress stood very still, ready to strike.

Then the large deer wheeled about and leapt for the trees. As his family raced after him, the tigress struck. Roaring, she sprang from the leaves – black and gold thunder-bolt. With one blow, she broke the neck of the last deer.

The tigress stood over her kill and roared again. The monkeys and birds screamed back at her. But they were no longer afraid. Tigers do not kill except for food. The forest animals were safe for another day.

Soon the great black and gold cat had eaten all she needed. Carefully, she covered the rest of the meat with leaves. Later she would finish it. The sun rose higher, filling the trees with heat and light. Now she must find a place to sleep through the day's heat.

First she walked silently down to the river. Pushing her face deep into the water, she drank. Then she opened her mouth wide, letting the water wash off her great teeth. Now she was ready to rest.

Softly, the black and gold tigress moved through the trees, turning her head to hear the forest noises. The morning sun was bright on her golden fur, on her black velvet stripes; she seemed part of the forest, a flow of sunlight and shadow. Peacocks screamed above her; small animals hurried out of her way. But they did not fear her now; she had made her kill.

The tigress came to the forest's edge. Before her was open ground, filled with elephant grass. The grass, taller than a man's head, waved like a warm yellow sea. Here she would make a sleeping nest for herself.

But she paused under the trees. Lifting her velvet head, she sniffed the air. Something was wrong. What was it?

She stood listening, her yellowish green eyes searching the grass. The wind was behind her. She could not catch any strange smell. Though she feared nothing in her world, she would not move. She would trust her own wildness that said DANGER.

There was a moment of sunlit silence. Then the grass opened, and a boy walked out. He walked a few steps toward the great tigress, then stopped in the shadows. He stood quietly, looking at her. His bright eyes watched her evenly and without fear.

From the shadows, the burning eyes of the tigress looked back at him. For a minute, the boy and tigress looked quietly at each other. Then the tigress was gone. Silently she disappeared in the forest leaves.

Then a great shout broke the golden silence.

A man carrying a gun burst out of the tall grass. Roaring angrily, he charged at the boy and knocked him down.

"You fool!" the man shouted. "You frightened that tiger away! I wanted a tiger head to take back home!"

The man lifted a heavy boot to kick the fallen boy. "All you do is get in the way!"

Then other men rushed to hold the man back. The angry hunter shoved them away.

"I'm pulling out of this place right now," he cried.

He turned and ran back into the forest of grass. The other men followed him, talking excitedly.

Slowly the bent grass rose, covering the path of the men. The sound of the excited voices soon died away. Once again, the elephant grass stood tall and yellow in the golden silence.

Then the boy rose from the shadows. Quietly, he moved under the tall trees where the tigress had paused. He lifted his head as if he were listening. Listening and hearing something far away. He smiled.

The sun, striking through the leaves, turned the boy's dark face to gold… glinted like fire in his yellowish green eyes. And shadows of leaves made black velvet stripes on his golden skin.

Or were the black velvet stripes only shadows?