The Story of Little Black Sambo is a children's book written and illustrated by Helen Bannerman, and first published by Grant Richards in October 1899 as one in a series of small-format books called The Dumpy Books for Children. The story was a children's favorite for more than half a century though criticism began as early as 1932.
Simple plot,
Sambo is a South Indian boy who lives with his father and mother, named Black Jumbo and Black Mumbo, respectively. While out walking, Sambo encounters four hungry tigers, and surrenders his colourful new clothes, shoes, and umbrella so they will not eat him. The tigers are vain and each thinks he is better dressed than the others. They chase each other around a tree until they are reduced to a pool of melted butter. Sambo then recovers his clothes and collects the butter, which his mother uses to make pancakes.
Showed Sambo as a quicker thinker, nothing deprecating about it. I retain the memory of the succesive drawings showing tigers chasing one another around the tree in a blur until the final puddle of butter. I mean, it's not as though he gutted and skinned the protected man-killer tigers, is it?