How the Tiger Got Its Stripes

Once upon a time, in a lush green jungle, there was a furry and playful tiger named Tia. Tia was a little different because she had no stripes at all! She was all orange and looked just like a big fluffy orange ball.

Tia loved to run and play, but sometimes she found it hard to hide from other animals in the jungle. When she wanted to play hide-and-seek, the birds and monkeys could easily spot her.

One sunny day, Tia met a wise old turtle named Toby. Toby had lived for many, many years and knew all about the jungle and its secrets. Tia told Toby about her struggle to hide from her friends, and how she wished she had stripes to blend in better.

Toby smiled and said, 'You know, Tia, there’s a magical story about stripes. Long ago, tigers were all the same, just like you. But one day, the tigers decided they wanted to be the best at hide-and-seek!'

Toby continued, 'So they asked the great Jungle Spirit for help. The Jungle Spirit thought for a moment and then said, 'I will give you stripes, which will help you blend in with the sun shining on the grass and the shadows in the trees.' So, with a wave of its magical paw, the Jungle Spirit painted beautiful black stripes on the tigers while they were asleep.'

When the tigers woke up, they were amazed at their new stripes! They could hide better and play their games much more easily. And soon, all the other animals in the jungle were in awe of their beauty, and they all wanted to play with the striped tigers!

This is how tigers got their stripes, dear friends! Just like Tia learned that our differences can help us make friends and be better at what we love to do, tigers evolved over time to have their beautiful stripes that help them survive and thrive in the jungle. This special story reminds us to celebrate our uniqueness!

So, whenever you see a tiger with stripes, remember Tia’s story and how in nature, change can be magical!