A stolen slice of Pi?

While (re)writing the review of _Life of Pi_ that I promised the kind readers of Flayrah, I was suprised to come across this news story. Martel's story of a hindu boy trapped on a lifeboat with a tiger has been acused of blatently lifting from Brazilian Moacyr Scliar's _Max And the Cats_ which is about... Er... A jewish boy trapped on a lifeboat with a panther.

Martel's reply, "why put up with a brilliant premise ruined by a lesser writer?".