For this first reading assignment I chose to read the story of Tiger, Brahman, and Jackal, from Joseph Jacob’s collection. This one grabbed my attention more than the others did, and I think I can work with it.
Notes
- A poor Brahman (a member of the highest Hindu caste) happened upon a tiger that was caught in a cage, and falling for the tiger’s pleas and promises to not eat him, let the tiger out.
- The tiger, of course, immediately took back his word as soon as he was free, and grabbed the Brahman to eat him.
- The Brahman managed to convince the tiger to let him talk to three things and ask their opinion of the matter, and the Brahman would go with what they said.
- The Brahman asked a tree, a buffalo, and a road their opinion, but they all dismissed his plight, pointing out how they gave and gave to humans and received little in return.
- On his way back to the tiger, the Brahman walked by a jackal, who asked him what was happening; when the Brahman tried to explain twice, the jackal claimed to be confused about the whole matter and asked to go back with the Brahman to the tiger to try and understand.
- They returned to where the tiger was waiting by the cage, and the tiger agreed to let the Brahman explain a third time.
- The jackal still claimed to be confused, and the tiger, enraged at the jackal’s stupidity, tried to walk him through it again.
- The jackal asked the tiger how he ended up in the cage; when the tiger said the usual way, the jackal asked what that was.
- Furious, the tiger jumped back into the cage and demanded if the jackal finally understood. The jackal slammed the cage door shut and proclaimed that he finally understood the situation, and that it was best for things to go back as they were before.
The Brahman telling Jackal of his situation. Source: by M. S. Corley
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