Puli was a beautiful 18-year-old girl with copper skin and silky black hair. She lived in the jungles of southern India. Puli the fate of Puli's original human family was a mystery but after they died, she was found in the jungle and raised by them as one of their own. Puli grew up very much as a tiger did and tried to be a tiger in all respects, even painting black stripes on her skin with dies she made herself from plant juices.
But, deep down, Puli knew she wasn't a real tiger. She walked on two legs, she had no fur or claws, and her stripes had to be painted on. Every time Puli looked at her reflection, she winced. What was that ugly, monkey-like creature staring back at her? It certainly wasn't the majestic tiger she wanted to be. It was bald, tailless, and had a horribe smashed-in face. Was Puli some kind of primate? She worried for a moment that she might be one of the infamous humans she'd heard dark rumors about. Goodness, she hoped not! Whatever Puli was, it sadly was not a tiger. Puli wondered if there could be a way to turn herself into the tiger she felt she was on the inside.
Finally, Puli decided to search for a way to fix herself. She painted her stripes onto her naked body, said goodbye to her tiger family, and set off deep into the jungle on her quest to finally become a tiger.