Tiger,

Brahman
and Jackal
 Once there was a tiger who had been
caught in trap. He tried to get out but
could not.  Luckily for him it was not
too long before a Brahman, a holy
man, happened to walk by. He called
to the Brahman,
"Please let me out of this cage, my
friend. I am so miserable in here!"
The Brahman looked at the tiger and
thought for a moment.

"I cannot do that," he said softly. "I am afraid that you would eat me
as soon as you were free.""Oh, no!" the tiger pleaded. "I promise I
would never do such a thing. "

The Brahman listened to the tiger and finally his heart softened.

He went to the cage, opened the door and released the great beast.
Immediately the tiger leaped upon the poor man, pinning him
to the ground.
"Fool!" he cried, "I've been hungry in there for so long. Did you
really think I would pass up an easy meal?
"The Brahman, began to plead even louder than the tiger had
before.  He begged and begged until it was the tiger's turn to
think.

The tiger twitched his

whiskers, flexed his long
claws and thought about
the matter. After a few
moments he said, "You
feel I have been
ungrateful. If you can
find three things who
agree with you then I
will allow you to go
free."
The Brahman quickly got up and set about his task.
He walked as fast as he could, nervously wringing his
hands. Soon a large tree came into view.
He told the tree about the tiger.
It replied," What? You seek my sympathy
with a story like that? I freely give shelter
and shade to everyone that passes, and
what do I get in return? They rip my tender
branches off me to feed to their wretched
cows. Don't bother me with such ridiculous
whining. Stand up tall like me and just
accept your fate!"
So the Brahman went on his way until he came
upon a buffalo turning a well-wheel. He explained
his situation to her but she only scoffed.
"You are indeed a fool," she said coldly. "For years
I provided milk to my owners, helping them feed
their children. Now that I am old and have no
more milk to give, they tie me to this wheel to
work like a slave. Begone and do not bother me
with your whimpering!"
Even the road itself gave no sympathy to his problem.   "Hah! I sit
here providing a service to everyone in the country.  All of them, big
and small, rich and poor, they all use me to get where they are going
but all I get in return is the ash from their pipes and the rubbish from
their pockets.  Leave me alone and go face your fate."
Along the way a jackal stopped him and
asked,
"Why, holy man, you seem so sad.
Whatever is the matter?"
He explained the entire story and the
jackal said, "Oh dear, I am so confused.
Would you mind telling me that again?"
So the Brahman told the story once
more,
Again this
the time being
jackal sure
shook histohead
go into
and
greater
said, "Ohdetail.
my, it just doesn't seem to
make any sense. I just can't seem to
understand. Perhaps we should return
to the cage so that I may see for myself
what has happened."
They both started back.
When they arrived, the tiger smiled
with all of his teeth and licked his
furry chops. "You've been gone for
a while," he said, "But I see it's now
time for dinner."

But the Brahman begged him to

give just five more minutes.
"Please, sir, but this jackal is having
trouble understanding what
happened. "
"Very well," the tiger growled, "But So the Brahman told the story
The Brahman
make it quick."tried again to explain one more time.  When he
the story to the jackal, taking care to
finished he sat back and
mention the tree, the buffalo, and the
looked at the jackal. "Oh, my
road, but still he was confused.   "I
head, my head, my head! It is
suppose I am too slow in my wits to
spinning around and around!
make heads or tails of this," the
How will I ever come to
jackal said, wringing his paws and
understand this complex
waggling his big ears.  "Could you
matter?" said the Jackal.
perhaps explain it one more time?"
 At this the tiger's patience gave out.
"Idiot!" he screamed. "How can you be
so stupid? Here, it is not so hard to
see."
The tiger, snarled at the poor
Jackal.  "Then I will just have to
show you, you stupid creature." 
"Now pay attention, " he growled.
"I am the tiger," and he pointed to
himself.
"Yes, my lord," the jackal replied.
"And this is the Brahman," and he
pointed to the Brahman.
"Yes, my lord."
"And this is the cage," and he pointed to the cage.
"Yes, my lord."
"And when the Brahman first found me I was in the cage,
like this." And the tiger crawled back into the cage to
demonstrate.
"Now do you understand how this all began?" he asked
impatiently."Oh, quite well, thank you," the jackal replied.
  

And at this point he straightened up and smoothly shut

the door, locking the tiger back inside. "And if you will
permit me to say, "the jackal continued with a smile, "this
is how things will remain."