et me out of this cage, O pious
one!" cried the tiger.

"Nay, my friend," replied the Brahman mildly; "you would probably eat me
if I did."

"Not at all!" swore the tiger with many oaths; "on the contrary, I
should be forever grateful, and serve you as a slave."

Now, when the tiger sobbed and sighed and wept and swore, the pious
Brahman's heart softened, and at last he consented to open the door of
the cage. Out popped the tiger, and, seizing the poor man, cried, "What
a fool you are! What is to prevent my eating you now, for after being
cooped up so long I am just terribly hungry?"

In vain the Brahman pleaded for his life; the most he could gain was a
promise to abide by the decision of the first three things he chose to
question as to the justice of the tiger's action.

So the Brahman first asked a _pipal_ tree what it thought of the matter,
but the _pipal_ 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? Don't
whimper--be a man!"

Then the Brahman, sad at heart, went further afield till he saw a
buffalo turning a well-wheel; but he fared no better from it, for it
answered: "You are a fool to expect gratitude! Look at me! While I gave
milk they fed me on cotton-seed and oil-cake, but now I am dry they yoke
me here, and give me refuse as fodder!"

The Brahman, still more sad, asked the road to give him its opinion.

"My dear sir," said the road, "how foolish you are to expect anything
else! Here am I, useful to everybody, yet all, rich and poor, great and
small, trample on me as they go past, giving me nothing but the ashes of
their pipes and the husks of their grain!"

On this the Brahman turned back sorrowfully, and on the way he met a
jackal, who called out, "Why, what's the matter, Mr. Brahman? You look
as miserable as a fish out of water!"

The Brahman told him all that had occurred. "How very confusing!" said
the jackal, when the recital was ended; "would you mind telling me over
again, for everything seems so mixed up?"

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," said he sadly, "but it all seems to go in at one ear
and out at the other! I will go to the place where it all happened, and
then, perhaps, I shall be able to give a judgment."

So they returned to the c