The woman conversing with her children, as the leopard returns, egged on by a fox who is tied to his leg, from a Tuti-nama (Tales of a Parrot): Thirtieth Night

c. 1560

The woman conversing with her children, as the leopard returns, egged on by a fox who is tied to his leg, from a Tuti-nama (Tales of a Parrot): Thirtieth Night, c. 1560. Mughal India, court of Akbar (reigned 1556–1605). Gum tempera, ink, and gold on paper; overall: 20.3 x 14 cm (8 x 5 1/2 in.). The Cleveland Museum of Art, Gift of Mrs. A. Dean Perry 1962.279.202.a For the second time, the leopard appears in hopes of eating the woman and her children. Previously, he had fled after falling for the woman’s clever trick. He returns with the fox’s encouragement but is tricked again by the shrewd woman who convinces him that she is a hyena in human form. The large tree in the background is a plane tree, which is a type of sycamore.