_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 said he would not harm me if I did so.
_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!
_Brahman._ Why, the tree, and the road, and the buffalo.
_Jackal._ Oh, it’s very confusing. Let me see! Perhaps matters are not so bad as you think. But it’s very confusing. You say the tiger said the tree and the road and the buffalo were right?
_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.
_Tiger._ You have been away a long time. I want my dinner.
_Brahman._ Just wait until I make the jackal understand how it all happened. He is so slow in his wits! I must explain things to him.
_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.
_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