The Brahmin, the Tiger and the Jackal
Vishnu Sharma | India
A Brahmin frees a trapped tiger who breaks its promise but outsmarts it with the help of a clever jackal.
Once upon a time, in a small village, there was a wise old man called a Brahmin. One day, he was walking through the jungle and found a tiger in a cage. The tiger saw the Brahmin and said, "Please help me! A hunter trapped me."
The Brahmin was kind but also smart. He knew tigers could be dangerous. He asked, "Why should I help you? You might eat me if I let you out."
"I promise I won't eat you," the tiger said. "I need your help."
The Brahmin felt sorry for the tiger and decided to help. He opened the cage and let the tiger out. But as soon as the tiger was free, he said, "I am very hungry, and I want to eat you."
The Brahmin was surprised. "But you promised not to eat me!"
The tiger said, "I changed my mind."
Thinking quickly, the Brahmin said, "Let's ask three others if it's fair for you to eat me. If they all say yes, then I will let you eat me."
The tiger agreed. They went to ask others. First, they met a big old tree. The Brahmin asked if it was fair for the tiger to eat him. The tree said, "Humans cut us down, so it is fair for the tiger to eat you."
Next, they met a buffalo. The Brahmin asked the same question. The buffalo said, "Humans make us work hard, so it is fair for the tiger to eat you."
Lastly, they met a clever jackal. The Brahmin told the story to the jackal. The jackal pretended to be confused. "I don't understand," said the jackal. "Can you show me what happened?"
The tiger agreed and went back into the cage. As soon as he was inside, the jackal told the Brahmin to lock the cage. The Brahmin did so, and he was safe.
Thankful for the jackal's cleverness, the Brahmin left the tiger and went home.
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