The Tiger, the Brahman, and the Jackal

Be creative in the type of voices you use. Perhaps the Brahman has a sad voice, the jackal a high-pitched confused voice, and the tiger a loud, threatening tone. By varying the voices, it makes the tale even more fun to hear. Use different voices for all of the different fairy tales in this book.

Once upon a time, a tiger was caught in a trap. He tried to escape, but he couldn't.

It happened that a Brahman came by.

“Let me out of this cage, please!” cried the tiger.

“Oh no, my friend,” replied the Brahman calmly, “you would probably eat me if I did.”

“Not at all,” promised the tiger. “If you release me, I'll be your servant for life!”

Now when the tiger sobbed some more, the Brahman's heart softened, and at last he agreed to open the door of the cage.

Out popped the tiger, and, seizing the poor man, it cried, “You're a fool. Now I'm going to eat you!”

The Brahman begged for his life. Finally, the tiger agreed to ask the first three things they met for their opinion on the matter.

First, the Brahman asked a tree what it thought of the matter, but the tree replied coldly, “What have you to complain about? Don't I give shade and shelter to every one who passes by, and don't they in return tear down my branches to feed their cattle? The tiger should eat you!”

Then the Brahman saw a buffalo, and he asked the buffalo his opinion on the matter. “You are a fool to expect me to help you! Look at me! Humans only treat me well when I produce milk. Eat him, tiger!”

The Brahman then asked the road. “My dear sir,” said the road, “how foolish you are. Here I am, useful to everybody; yet all, rich and poor, trample on me as they go past, giving me nothing in return.”

So the Brahman thought his fate was to be dinner for the tiger. Just then, he met a jackal, which called out, “Why, what's the matter, Mr. Brahman? You look as miserable as a dog without a bone!”

The Brahman told him what had happened.

“How very confusing!” said the jackal, when the recital had ended. “Would you mind telling me over again, for I'm confused.”

The Brahman told it all over again, but the jackal shook his head in a distracted sort of way, and still could not understand.

“It's very odd,” he said, “it all seems to go in one ear and out the other. I will go to the place where it happened, and perhaps I shall understand.”

So they returned to the cage, where the tiger was waiting for the Brahman, and sharpening his teeth and claws. “You've been away a long time!” he growled. “Now, I'm ready to eat you for dinner.”

“Please,” the Brahman pleaded, “let's hear what the jackal has to say.”

The tiger consented, and the Brahman began the whole story over again, not missing a single detail.

“Oh, my poor brain,” cried the jackal, wringing its paws. “Let me see. How did it all begin? You were in the cage, and the tiger came walking by —”

“Silly,” interrupted the tiger, “I was in the cage.”

“Of course! “cried the jackal, “the tiger was in the Brahman, and the cage came walking by — no, that's not it, either! Well, don't mind me, begin your dinner, for I shall never understand!”

“Yes, you shall!” returned the tiger, in a rage at the jackal's stupidity. “I'll make you understand! Look here — I am the tiger.”

“Yes, I got that part.”

“And that is the Brahman.”

“Okay then …”

“And that is the cage.”

“Right.”

“And I was in the cage — do you understand now?”

“Yes …”

“Well?” cried the tiger impatiently.

“Please, how did you get in?”

“Why in the usual way, of course!”

“Oh, dear me, but what is the usual way?”

At this the tiger lost patience, and, jumping into the cage, cried, “This way! Now do you understand how it was?”

“Perfectly!” grinned the sly jackal, as he quickly shut the door. “And if you will permit me to say so, I think that's where you'll stay!”