The Fox Borrows the Tiger's Terror
'The Fox Borrowing the Tiger's Might' comes from the Strategies of the Warring States — a parable that Jiang Yi told King Xuan of Chu. A fox borrowed the tiger's prestige to frighten all the other animals, but what the animals really feared was the tiger walking behind the fox. The saying describes people who throw their weight around by leaning on someone else's power.
Deep in a thick green forest lived a mighty tiger. One day, the tiger was out for a walk among the trees when it spotted a fox hiding in the tall grass. The tiger's eyes lit up. In a flash, it leaped forward and pinned the fox under its heavy paw. Then it opened its huge, bloody jaws, ready to swallow the fox whole. The fox was so frightened that its whole body shook.
Just as the tiger was about to bite down, the clever fox had a sudden idea. It shouted loudly, "Stop! You cannot eat me! The Jade Emperor in the heavens has already named me King of All Beasts. If you dare to eat me, you will be going against the will of heaven, and you will be punished most severely!"
The tiger froze for a moment and closed its great mouth a little. Half believing and half doubting, it asked, "You say you are King of All Beasts. What proof do you have? Why should I believe you?" The fox's eyes darted around, and an idea came to mind. Calmly, it said, "The proof is simple. Come for a walk with me, and you will see for yourself."
The fox puffed out its chest and put on a very grand and dignified manner. "Just follow behind me," it said. "Watch how frightened the animals of the forest are when they see me. Then you will know whether I am telling the truth." The tiger thought this sounded like a fair test, so it nodded in agreement.
And so the fox strutted proudly at the front while the tiger followed quietly behind it. One after the other, they walked through the forest. As the fox walked, it kept glancing back to check that the tiger was still following. Inside, it was secretly delighted. "My trick is working!" it thought.
They had not gone far when a little rabbit poked its head out of the grass. The moment it saw the tiger's enormous body, the rabbit was scared out of its wits. It spun around and ran, shouting as it went, "The tiger is coming! Run for your lives!"
Next, a sika deer and several monkeys spotted the tiger too. They were so terrified that they scattered in every direction. Some dove into the bushes, others climbed up the trees, and the whole forest fell into chaos. The fox turned around and said to the tiger in a proud, smug voice, "See? Look how frightened they are of me!"
Seeing the animals flee in terror, the tiger thought to itself, "So the fox truly is the King of All Beasts. Even I cannot compare with it." The tiger no longer dared to eat the fox. Sheepishly, it lifted its paw and let the fox strut away.
Once the fox was far away, it could not help bursting into laughter. In truth, the animals had not been frightened of the fox at all. What they feared was the great tiger walking behind the fox! The fox had simply borrowed the tiger's terror to frighten everyone.
From then on, "The Fox Borrows the Tiger's Terror" became a saying used to describe people who have no ability of their own but bully and frighten others by leaning on someone else's power. Remember: real strength comes from yourself, not from what is borrowed.
