Myth of the Week · Taiwan
Aunt Tigress for kids: Taiwan's most famous bedtime villain
· P.Sean Tales
Almost every kid in Taiwan grows up hearing about Hu Gu Po, Aunt Tigress. She's an old tigress from the mountains who found out that people open the door faster for an auntie than for a tiger.
So she puts on a headscarf and a jacket, practices a sweet creaky old lady voice, and comes knocking at dusk. She always picks the time when mom is away. Her costume is never quite right though. There's a striped tail sticking out under the hem, a furry hand, and a voice that purrs on the wrong words.
The big scene happens through a door. Inside are two kids who were told to open for no one. Outside is the sweetest voice in the mountains saying it's their auntie. The kids ask questions and the voice almost has the right answers. Then they ask to see a hand, and what comes through the crack is two furry striped fingertips.
The hero of the story is always the older sister. When the trick falls apart she stays calm. She tells the tigress she'll go get some supper, and she climbs up the big tree in the yard where the tigress can't reach her. Then she starts stalling. The basket needs a stronger rope. The rope needs oil. Every time she asks for something, the hungry tigress goes and gets it. The ending is a little different in every village, but the sister always wins.
Did you know? Aunt Tigress is a lot like the wolf in Little Red Riding Hood. In a lot of tellings the kids make the visitor show a hand through the door first, which is kind of Taiwan's oldest ID check.
Color the legend yourself
Aunt Tigress, the knock at dusk and the clever sister are all in Myths & Legends of Taiwan, along with the white deer of Sun Moon Lake and the wind lions of Kinmen.
Or start free: grab the free coloring pages.
You can find her in our book: Myths & Legends of Taiwan.