The battle of Tiger hill.

"Grandpa can tell me about the 'Tiger hill' fight." Nono said when he got comfortable in his bed.

"Again?" Grandpa Wangchok scoffed, "You have heard that story hundred of times little one."

"But I like the story." Nono insisted. "Please grandpa, can you tell me that story one more time?"

Nono pleaded with big puppy eyes, and Grandpa had to comply.

Grandpa Wangchok got inside the covers and tugged Nono properly, so that he won't get cold in the night. Then he got himself comfortable in the bed.

"The battle of Tiger hill is a story about the great warriors of our Maryul. Who fought against the Pakis of Khachul and protected our kingdom from their invasion." Grandpa began narrating the story while gesticulating a lot.

"It was in the spring of the year of the dragon."

"The year I was born." Nono interrupted.

"Yes, the year when you were born." Grandpa Wangchok said and patted his head dearly.

"So it was in the spring of the year of the rabbit when our kingdom Maryul was attacked by our neighbour kingdom Khachul. They destroyed our fortress in Kargil and infiltrated till the fortress of Daras. The Pakis killed many of our people, they burned the villages and also looted them."

"They were very bad people." Nono said.

"Yes, they were. In our whole history we have never attacked any kingdom. But the Pakis of Khachul had waged war on us many times to conquer our kingdom."

"But they always lost when they faced us." Nono said quite jubilantly.

Grandpa nodded in response and continued his story.

"But that year, the Pakis had a great army. They had 7,000 infantry and 500 cavalry. While Maryul had only 5,000 infantry and 250 cavalry. The Pakis were very confident of their number strength, they thought, this time for sure they will be victorious. But in the so many years when our two kingdoms battled with each other, Pakis never learned their lesson. They always underestimated us and they always lost because of overconfidence."

Grandpa paused for a moment to check if Nono was paying attention.

"What is a warrior who is always overconfident?" Grandpa asked Nono.

"He is not a warrior, he is a fool." Nono answered and that brought a big smile on Grandpa's face.

"Correct. A warrior should always be vigilant." Grandpa kissed Nono's head and then he resumed his story, "So that year the Pakis infiltrated our lands and were able to infiltrate till the fortress of Daras, which was on the tiger hill. To counterattack the Pakis and to save the people of Maryul, I, your Grandpa, Jigmet Wangchok, the king of Maryul led an army of brave Maryul warrior."

Grandpa Wangchok paused again, he seemed to be lost in his memories. His face had a sad expression.

"Your father, was leading the army with me that day."

"We reached Daras and a great battle took place in the plains first. The Pakis had greater number than of us, but they were not accustomed to the mountains of our Kingdom, so the brave warriors of Maryul defeated them on the plains. The Pakis retreated to the fortress of Daras on the tiger hill and were able to hold the fortress for nine days."

Nono climbed over grandpa Wangchok's chest and listened more intently.

"It was hard fighting the army of Pakis going uphill. They threw huge stones, poured hot boiling oil at our army. Many Maryul warriors lost their lives and recovering the fortress of Daras seemed very difficult for us.

"After nine long days of failure to recapture the fortress, the motivation of our warriors dwindled a little. Some were even thinking of giving up. But your father was a brave man. He kept on motivating the warriors and refused to give up till we drove out all the Pakis out of our kingdom. So on the ninth day, he lead a unit of eighty warriors and climbed up the tiger hill. They fought bravely and just before sunset they were able to recapture the fortress of Daras.

"The warriors of Maryul were rejuvenated by the victory. It rekindled the fire of will in the hearts of our warriors. But we later found out that my son- your father had died while recapturing the fortress. We mourned his death the whole night and when the dawn came with the first lights of the sun. We attacked the remaining Pakis army in the region of Daras and Kargil.

"We were finally able to drive the infiltrators out of our kingdom. The warriors of Maryul saved the people of our kingdom and avenged the death of your father- who sacrificed his own life, so we could defeat the Pakis."

Grandpa Wangchok finished the story and he looked at Nono, who was in deep thought.

"Grandpa," Nono said, "Why did my father sacrificed himself?" he asked.

Grandpa Wangchok took a long breath and thought silently for a few moments and then he replied,

"When your father was leaving with the warriors to protect our kingdom, you were in your mother's belly. He loved you so much, even though, you weren't even born yet. That's why, in order to keep you safe from harm, he fought the enemies and sacrificed his life."

"My father was a great warrior." Nono said.

"Yes, he was the greatest warrior of Maryul." grandpa said as he gently caressed Nono's head, "Now tell me, what makes a warrior great?"

Nono got very excited and he suddenly stood up on the bed, his right arm held above, as if holding an imaginary sword.

"A great warrior is the one who fights the enemy not because he hate them, but the one who fights the enemy to protect the people he loves." he answered.

"Correct my boy!" grandpa lifted the boy up, "One day you will also become a great warrior, just like your father."

Both of them laughed out loud and didn't sleep until Nono's mother came and scolded both of them for being noisy at night.