  Characters Tiger Jackal Brahman Tree Road Buffalo Tiger. Let me out of the cage, Brahman! Brahman. No, I will not. If I let you out of the cage, you will eat me. Tiger. O Brahman, indeed I will not. I could not be so unkind as that. Only let me out to get a drink of water. Then I will come back. [Brahman opens the cage.] Tiger. [Jumping out.] Now, I will eat you first and then I’ll drink the water. Brahman. Alas! How foolish I was to let you out. Only do not kill me hastily. Let me ask the first three things I meet to tell me whether it is just and fair that you should put Tiger. It shall be as you say. You may ask the opinion of three. [Brahman goes off.] Brahman. O Tree, hear my story and tell me who is right. The tiger begged me to let him out of his cage, to drink a little water. He promised not to hurt me if I did so. But now that I have let him out he wishes to kill and eat me. Is this right? Tree. I give shade to all who pass by, but when they are rested they cut my branches and break off my leaves. Why do you complain? Brahman. Alas! Alas! [Goes on.] O Buffalo, hear my story and tell me who is right. The tiger begged me to let him out of his cage to drink a little water. But now that I have let him out he wishes to kill and eat me. Is this right, O Buffalo? Buffalo. Look at me! See how hard I work. When I was young I had the best of food. But now that I am old I am kept here in the field. I have only the coarsest food to eat. Why do you complain? Brahman. Alas! Alas! [Goes to Road.] O Road, hear my story and tell me who is right. The tiger begged me to let him out of his cage to drink a Road. Poor Brahman! How can you hope for anything else? Think of me. Here I am useful to every one. Yet all, rich and poor, great and small, trample on me as they go past. Why do you complain? Brahman. Alas! Alas! Alas! There is no help for me. [Turns homeward.] Jackal. What’s the matter, Mr. Brahman? You look very sad. Brahman. I am sad. As I was walking along the road I came to the tiger in his cage. He begged me to let him out to drink a little water. He Jackal. Did you let him out? Brahman. I did. As soon as he was out he tried to eat me. I asked him to wait till I could get the opinion of the first three things I came to whether it was right for him to kill me. I asked the tree, the buffalo, and the road. Alas! Jackal. What did they say? Brahman. They all said it was right. Jackal. Who said it was right? Brahman. Why, the tree, and the road, and the buffalo. Jackal. Oh, it’s very confusing. Let me see! Perhaps matters are not Brahman. No, no, no. The road and the tree and the buffalo said the tiger should kill and eat me! Jackal. It all goes in one ear and out the other. It’s very confusing. Take me to the place where it happened. Then I shall be able to understand. [Brahman and Jackal go to Tiger.] Tiger. You have been away a long time. I want my dinner. Brahman. Just wait until I make the jackal understand how it all Jackal. Show me where you stood. Brahman. Here, by the cage. Jackal. Right there? Brahman. Right here. Jackal. Where was the tiger then? Tiger. I was in the cage! Jackal. Yes, yes. Let me see, how did it all begin? Brahman. Tiger was in the cage and I came walking by— Jackal. Yes, yes, I see. You were in the cage and the tiger came walking by— Tiger. [Angrily.] Not at all! I was in the cage. Jackal. Yes, my lord. Dear, dear, it’s very confusing. It has all got mixed up in my mind. Let me see, the tiger was in the Brahman and the cage came walking by! No, no, that was not it, either! Well, don’t wait for me. I shall never understand. Tiger. Yes, you shall understand. Look here, I am the tiger. Jackal. Yes, my lord. Tiger. And that is the Brahman. Jackal. Yes, my lord. Tiger. And that is the cage. Jackal. Yes, my lord. Tiger. And I was in the cage. Do you understand? Jackal. Yes, my lord. But please, my lord, how did you get in? Tiger. How did I get in? Why, the usual way, of course! Jackal. Oh dear me! My head is beginning to whirl again. Please don’t get angry, my lord, but what is the usual way? Tiger. This way. Now do you understand? [Tiger jumps into cage.] Jackal. Yes, I understand now. And I think we had better leave you just where you are. [Locks cage door.] |
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