How TigerClan got their stripes

when the big cats first walked the forest, TigerClan and LionClan both had pure golden coats, but only LionClan cats had a mane of long hair like the rays of the sun. The TigerClan cats were jealous of these golden manes, and they were jealous of LeopardClan's ability to run faster than any other cats. Jealousy made them bitter, and they started hunting at night and keeping to the shadows during the daytime.
  One TigerClan warrior, Thorntooth, was more bitter than the rest. He started attacking the other Clans at night, stealing their kits and raiding their fresh-kill pile. Shadestar, the TigerClan leader, knew what Thorntooth was doing, but she did nothing to stop him, because her own heart was black with envy..
  Then a day came when Thorntooth sneaked back into camp with a small lion cub dangling from his jaws and mewing sadly.
  Shadestar took one look at the kit and flew into rage.
  "That's Petalkit!" she roared. "You've stolen Goldenstar's only daughter!"
  "Yes, I have," Thorntooth replied smugly, dropping the she-cat on the ground. Petalkit let out a wail and buried her nose into her paws.
  "What have you done?" Shadestar snarled. "This will mean war. LionClan will not rest until they rescue this kit. They will slaughter us all if they have to."
  "We can fight them," Thorntooth growled angrily
  "And let TigerClan warriors die? For what?" Shadestar hissed. "For nothing. We are giving Goldenstar's daughter back immediately."
  Shadestar called a gathering that night and gave Petalkit back before LionClan could attack. Here was proof that Thorntooth was behind the night raids. Goldenstar and Swiftstar demanded that Shadestar put an end to her warrior's dishonorable behavior.
  "But it's not fair!" Thorntooth protested. "TigerClan has nothing special. We are plain orange cats with no great skills. We should have something to set us apart like LionClan and LeopardClan have!"
  "Enough!" Goldenstar snarled. "Shadestar, your Clan must be punished. For the next moon, TigerClan shall not see any day light. The light of the sun shall not touch your pelts. You may not speak to cats of other Clans. For one whole moon, you will forfeit your Clan's honor. If you stop your raids, you may rejoin the Clans at the next gathering.
  So TigerClan only walked by night for a moon and stayed away from the other Clans. When the full moon came around again, they stepped into the gathering under the moonlight. All the other cats gasped.
  "Your pelts!" Swiftstar meowed.
  TigerClan had spent so long walking in the shadows that their pelts where sliced through with jet-black stripes. Thorntooth was pleased, because now TigerClan was marked out like the other Clans.
  From that day on, all TigerClan cats were bornn with stripes.