Shepherd Boy Tumur



Shepherd Boy Tumur is an animated short that is adapted from a Mongolian folkloric tale. It is an episode part of the animated anthology "Animated Tales of the World.

Summary
A nomadic kingdom in the Mongolian province is left without a Khan who died without an heir. The royal astrologer gives the official a prophecy that the new Khan will arrive to the kingdom riding on a tiger, clutching a python in his right hand. The astrologer tells the official that there lived two friends in a kingdom named "Bat" and "Tumur" who studied far from home for three years. While Bat has succeeded, Tumur did not succeed. After failing, Tumur decides to return home as a shepherd boy by telling Bat that he always started as a shepherd in which he will always be. While travelling on his way home, Tumur encounters an old woman who sees him putting her ox in a cowshed. Tumur asks her that he is own his way home after finishing his studies. While inside the shelter, Tumur asks the woman that he is on his way home. However, the old woman warns him that at night about tigers. Little does Tumur know that there is a nearby tiger waiting outside the shelter.

The tiger outside the shelter misunderstands what Tumur said, fleeing into the cowshed. In a hurry to return home, Tumur leaves the old woman in the shelter and hops on what he thinks is an ox. To his surprise, the ox is really the tiger. The tiger takes off in a run. They pass beneath a tree where Tumur accidentally pulls off a python. Meanwhile, people are gathered to see the new Khan. The official and his wife arrive to the astrologer that the new ruler is about to arrive to the nomadic kingdom. The astrologer tells the official and his wife that the new ruler should arrive to the kingdom at any time. Suddenly, Tumur, the tiger, and the python arrive in the kingdom just as predicted. The official sends his guards to capture the tiger and the python, thinking the tiger and snake are harming Tumur. Tumur (crowned as the new ruler of the kingdom) tells the guards to free the tiger and the snake. Suddenly, the official tells Tumur that the kingdom is plagued by thieves and tells Tumur to know anything suspicious happened in the kingdom.

Tumur started thinking that the suspicious thing that happened to her was a flock of larks and two mice eating the crops. The astrologer is worried that the Mongolian province is in danger. Tumur then continues the story that he saw an eagle flying high in the sky, a bush of red berries, and a fish leaping on a stream. The official is then confused what Tumur said as the new ruler of the kingdom. Suddenly, the official's wife is worried the she lost her ring as she tells Tumur to help find the missing ring. The astrologer and the official tell Tumur that he should find the ring by dawn tomorrow and want to know how wise Tumur is. Suddenly, the thieves are hiding inside the cave. It is revealed that the thieves stole the ring that actually belongs to the official's wife. Meanwhile, the thieves arrive in the nomadic province and see Tumur trying to prove himself to be wise. Suddenly, the leader of the thieves enters the shelter where Tumur is proving himself to be wise. The leader of the thieves then hands him the missing ring so that he promises not to steal anymore.

The next day, Tumur gives the wife her missing ring. Happy that Tumur gave her the missing ring, Tumur decides to stop being the ruler of the province and return to his home, but the official refuses to let him leave, since the kingdom would not be safe without a new ruler. The astrologer says that even though Tumur is a shepherd, the kingdom needs him to continue as the new ruler of the nomadic province. Thinking that how unhappy Tumur would be as a shepherd, a servant tells Tumur that wild tigers are attacking the cattle and the province's people. Tumur makes a suggestion to send a thousand of soldiers to get rid of the wild tigers in the province. Meanwhile, Tumur sends the soldiers to find the tigers and tells the official that he is not afraid of the tigers. Suddenly, a pack of wild tigers arrives towards Tumur after he sees a reflection of himself on a large pot. Tumur is chased by the wild tigers and then climbs up a tree by saying that he only feels the droplets.

Suddenly, rain arrives and all tigers escape from the rain. All the wild tigers escape before the soldiers could fire their arrows at them. The official is then happy that Tumur saved the kingdom and got rid of the wild tigers in the province. Suddenly, his friend Bat arrives to the kingdom and tells the people that Tumur is actually a shepherd. However, the people insist that Tumur is the wisest ruler of the kingdom. Tumur then agrees to be the new ruler of the province with the help of his friend Bat, and the kingdom is ruled by Tumur wisely and fairly for many years.

Voice Cast

 * Polly Findlay - Tumur


 * Paul Terry - Bat


 * Roger Allam - The Leader of the Tigers


 * Stephen Moore - The Astrologer


 * Philip Jackson - The Leader of the Thieves


 * Philip Voss - The Official


 * Sue Holderness - The Official's Wife


 * Sheila Reid - The Old Woman