Friday Scoop Of Tales – Part 21
Nepalese Folktale: How the leopard came to be known as Flat-nose?
In Sindhu-Palchok district of Nepal, the leopard is called Nepte, which translates to “Flat-Nose”. This is the story of how the leopard got its name as Flat-Nose.
Once upon a long time ago, the leopard didn’t know how to climb trees. So one day, he convinced the cat to teach him to climb. However, as soon as the leopard successfully managed to climb on a sturdy branch of a tree, the cat absconded.
The cat had taught him how to climb but not how to get down. The leopard was now stuck, but as there was no one in sight, he knew that he had to get off the tree on his own. In an attempt to get down the tree, his paws slipped, and he ended up falling flat on the ground. This incident led to the leopard’s flat nose. That day, the leopard had sworn to seek revenge against the cat, and to this day the cats and leopards are enemies. And the leopards are still called Flat-Nose in Nepal.