XV
THE BRAHMIN, THE TIGER, AND THE JACKAL
ONCE upon a time a Brahmin, who was walking along the road, came upon an iron cage in which some men had shut up a great Tiger.
As the Brahmin passed by, the Tiger called out:
“O brother Brahmin, brother Brahmin, have pity on me, and let me out for only one minute! I am so thirsty I shall die unless I can have a drink of water.”
“I am afraid,” said the Brahmin, “that if I let you out you will eat me.”
“No, indeed,” said the Tiger. “As soon as I have had some water, I will go back to my cage.”
Then the Brahmin was sorry for the thirsty beast, and opened the cage door. Instantly the Tiger jumped out, and cried, “I will eat you first and drink the water afterwards.”
“Do not be in such a hurry,” said the Brahmin. “Let us ask the opinions of six, and, if they all say it is fair for you to kill me, then I am willing to die.”
“Very well,” said the Tiger, “we will ask the first six living things we meet.”
So they walked on till they came to a Banyan-tree, and the Brahmin said, “Banyan-tree, Banyan-tree, hear and judge.”
“Let me hear,” said the Banyan-tree.
“This Tiger,” said the Brahmin, “begged me to let him out of his cage to drink a little water and he promised not to hurt me. Now that he is free, he wishes to eat me. Is it fair that he should do so?”
Then the Banyan-tree said: “Men come to rest in my cool shade. When they have rested, they break my branches and scatter my leaves. They are a cruel race. Let the Tiger eat the man.”
“Tiger, Tiger,” said the Brahmin, “do not eat me yet. You said that you would hear the judgment of six.”
“Very well,” said the Tiger, and they went on their way. Soon they met a Camel.
“Camel, Camel,” cried the Brahmin, “hear and judge.”
“Let me hear,” said the Camel.
Then the Brahmin told his story.
“When I was young and strong and could work, my master took good care of me,” said the Camel; “but now that I am old, he starves me and beats me without mercy. Men are a cruel race. Let the Tiger eat the man.”
The Tiger would have killed the Brahmin then and there, but he said:
“Tiger, Tiger, do not eat me yet. You said that you would hear the judgment of six.”
“Very well,” said the Tiger, and they went on their way. Soon they saw an Ox lying near the road.
“Brother Ox, brother Ox,” cried the Brahmin, “hear and judge.”
“Let me hear,” said the Ox, and the Brahmin told his story.
“When I was young,” said the Ox, “my master was kind to me. Now that I am too old to work he has left me here to die. Men are a cruel race. Let the Tiger eat the man.”
They next saw an Eagle flying through the air, and the Brahmin cried:
“O Eagle, great Eagle, hear and judge.”
“Let me hear,” said the Eagle.
The Brahmin told his story, and the Eagle said:
“Whenever men see me, they try to shoot me; they climb the rocks to my nest and steal away my little ones. Men are a cruel race. Let the Tiger eat the man.”
Then the Tiger began to roar, but the Brahmin said, “Wait! we have yet two to ask.”
Soon they saw an Alligator, and the Brahmin told his story. But the Alligator said:
“Whenever I put my nose out of the water, men torment me. They are a cruel race. Let the Tiger eat the man.”
The Brahmin was now in despair, but the Tiger was willing to keep his word. And the sixth judge was a Jackal. Now the Jackal is a miserable little beast whom no one likes, but he listened to the Brahmin’s story.
“You must show me just where it was and how it happened,” said the Jackal.
So they all went back to the cage.
“I was here,” said the Brahmin, standing in the road.
“And I was in the cage,” said the Tiger.
“Which way were you looking?” said the Jackal; “and show me the side of the cage where you stood.”
“I was on this side,” said the Tiger, jumping into the cage.
“Oh, yes, I see,” said the Jackal. “And was the cage door shut?”
“Shut and bolted,” said the Brahmin.
“Then shut and bolt it,” said the Jackal.
When the Brahmin had done this, the Jackal said: “O wicked and ungrateful Tiger, you would have killed the good Brahmin who opened your cage door. Your cruelty shall be punished, for no one will ever let you out again. Go your way, friend Brahmin, and go in peace.”
“Good for the jackal!” said Roland, clapping his hands. “Now for the dragon!”
So the Story Lady went right on.