The Man, the Tiger and the Jackal

A Folktale from Punjab

Jagat was a man of many qualities. He was caring, helpful and very hardworking. But brave, he was not!

There is a famous saying, “Bravery is not the absence of fear, but the mastery of it.” And it would be accurate to say that Jagat was not only easily afraid but also a slave to his fear.

Jagat was a priest by profession. He spent most of his time carrying out ceremonies at the behest of the village people. His fear did not leave much room for adventure and Jagat was more than happy leading his humdrum life.

One day, he received an important letter in the mail. It was an invitation from his youngest sister for the naming ceremony of her newborn daughter. It was going to be a grand celebration and Jagat’s sister had insisted on his presence on the auspicious day.

But there was one problem. His sister lived in the village across the mountains, which was accessible through only one route. The road passed through a dense forest and so far, Jagat had managed to avoid a journey through it.

Though Jagat loved his sister and really wanted to go, he was hesitant. His wife calmed his nerves and encouraged him to go. And so, it was decided that Jagat would leave early the next morning.

At the break of dawn, the priest started his long journey on foot along the path that went through the forest around the mountain. He was carrying only a small bag. A change of clothes, some snacks and a gift for his little niece was all he really needed for the occasion.

For most of the morning, his walk was pleasant and filled with some mesmerising sights and scenes of the forest. Evergreen trees, gushing waterfalls and cool breeze kept him company. The sound of chirping birds and the scent of fragrant flowers soothed his senses and Jagat felt all his fears disappear.

But not for long. Shortly after, he turned a corner on the grassy path and heard some grunting sounds coming from behind a tree. He walked towards it and saw a truly terrifying sight!

A muscular, brightly striped tiger was trapped inside a bamboo cage.

EEEEP!

Jagat let out a high-pitched cry. The tiger turned and looked at Jagat’s frightened face.

But instead of a looking fierce, the tiger seemed scared and sad.

“Help! Please, please help me! Let me out. I beg you, my dear man!” pleaded the tiger.

But “Err… Umm…” is all Jagat could muster up.

“Please have some mercy. I have been trapped here since last night and not a soul has walked by who could have helped me. Now that you are finally here, please set me free!” urged the tiger.

Finally, Jagat managed to gather his senses and his kind-heartedness got the better of him.

“Of course, of course. I would really like to help you…” his voice trailed off.

“Then what are you waiting for, my dear man? Just unlock this door, right here!” the tiger said, gesturing towards the cage door.

Jagat cleared his throat and spoke up, “But if I let you out, you will definitely eat me!”

“I give you my honest word, that will never happen. I will be indebted to you forever,” promised the tiger.

Jagat had half a mind to walk away, but he was a priest and an earnest one at that! He took his duty to help all living creatures very seriously.

And so, he decided to put the poor tiger out of his misery.

“Please remember your promise,” Jagat requested as he opened the cage door.

But a tiger doesn’t change his stripes for anyone! As soon as he stepped out of the bamboo cage, the tiger took a threatening step towards Jagat and bared his teeth. “Ha! You really are a very foolish and gullible man, aren’t you! But you will certainly make for a delicious meal!”

Jagat was shocked and froze with fear. A few seconds passed and he managed to take a deep breath. “Please, you gave me your word! You said you would be thankful for my help…”

“Oh that! I would have promised anything to be set free. You can’t possibly take what I said so seriously!” replied the tiger as he took another ominous step towards Jagat.

Jagat took two steps back and was now pressed up against a tree trunk.

“And I am very thankful, but I am also very hungry!” added the tiger, coming closer.

“Please, Sir, find some kindness in your heart. I have a loving family I need to get back to. Please spare me!” begged the priest, down on his knees.

“Don’t grovel. I prefer my food standing up straight!” the tiger roared.

But seeing the poor priest trembling, the tiger finally said, “Oh, all right! I will give you one chance. Go ahead and ask the first three things you meet whether I should let you go. Even if one of them agrees, I will let you live.”

Jagat somehow stood up straight and looked towards his right. He saw an enormous, old, wise-looking tree nearby and decided to ask her. It was mid-day and the sun was shining brightly. Jagat was blinded by it, but he ran as fast as his legs could carry him.

“Good afternoon, Madam Tree! I have an important question which needs your guidance and my life literally depends on it!” he greeted the old tree.

“Sure. It’s not like I have anywhere to go,” replied Madam Tree, looking a bit bored.

Jagat narrated the whole saga of how on his way to his sister’s house, he encountered a trapped tiger and set him free as he believed the tiger’s promise of sparing his life.

“… And so, what do you think, Madam Tree? Shouldn’t the tiger keep his word and let me live? It only seems fair…” asked Jagat hopefully.

“Well… it’s not that simple. The world isn’t a fair place. I think the tiger should eat you!” Madam Tree said dismissively.

“But, Madam Tree, doesn’t gratitude mean anything?”

“One would think it means something, wouldn’t one! But look at me for instance. I generously give weary travellers my shade to rest and share my fruit with them. And what do they do in return? They just keep cutting down my branches without even a second thought. So, why shouldn’t the tiger eat you?”

Disappointed by Madam Tree’s answer, Jagat turned to his left this time.

In the distance, he saw a field where an ox was tied to a water wheel and decided to try his luck there instead.

The poor ox looked exhausted as he had been working hard all morning without a single break.

He was slowly trudging along when Jagat approached him.

“Hello, my good Sir! I need your help on a matter of life and death!”

“Humph! A man needs help. Tell me something new!” grunted the ox, rolling his eyes sarcastically.

Jagat explained his predicament and asked the ox for his kind opinion.

“My kindest opinion is that you are a massive fool! Your stupidity knows no bounds if you expect compassion from anyone, let alone a tiger!” yelled the disgruntled ox.

“Oh… but I trusted the tiger’s promise…” said the priest, only to be interrupted by the wrath of the old ox.

“Bah! Promises are the sweetest lies, I tell you. I have heard them all my life. When I was young and could plough the fields, the farmer fed me the finest cotton seeds and loads of delightful oil cakes. He even promised to look after me and keep me well-fed. But now that I am old, I am tied to a yoke and given only dry fodder!”

“So yes, the tiger should eat you! This world is unfair and promises are meant to be broken!” the ox ranted on.

“Oh!” thought Jagat, as his chances of staying alive became bleaker.

He walked away from the field towards the nearest path. With one last burst of hope, he decided to ask the road on which he was walking. He shared his sob story with the road and asked for his view.

“Alas, you are doomed! The tiger is definitely going to eat you!”

“But… why? Shouldn’t the tiger let me live in exchange for the kindness I have shown him?”

“Look at me! All day long, everybody — rich and poor, young and old — walks and tramples all over me. Nobody ever spares me a thought. I am so useful and what do I get in exchange? Some stomps and plods?” complained the road.

Dismayed by this response, the priest gave up. “Maybe everyone is right, after all. Let the tiger just eat me.”

Jagat turned back sadly and with his head down started walking towards where the tiger was waiting. Suddenly, he heard a cheerful voice. He looked up to see a jackal.

“Why so sad, my dear man? What seems to be the matter?”

The priest repeated his story one more time and declared how his fate was sealed. But the jackal seemed very confused.

“Wait. So, there’s a man, a tiger, a cage and a bamboo?”

“No. Just a man, a tiger and a bamboo cage. Not a separate bamboo,” Jagat clarified.

“How very confusing! Would you please tell me once again?”

After Jagat had explained the whole situation once again, the jackal looked even more puzzled.

“Everything seems so mixed up. So, you are telling me that a tiger put you in a cage?”

“No, no. Why would I be in a cage?” Jagat cried in exasperation.

But the jackal continued, “It’s not making any sense to me. Maybe if you take me to the place where all this happened, perhaps I would understand it better.”

So, the priest and the jackal reached the spot near the bamboo cage where the tiger was waiting rather impatiently.

“It’s way past my lunch time. Where have you been?” grumbled the tiger. “Ah! Never mind, let’s just get started.”

“Do give me just a few more minutes. I am trying to explain the situation to this slow-witted jackal,” Jagat said, gesturing towards the jackal.

The jackal ignored the tiger and continued talking, “So, you were saying you were lying down?”

“No! When did I say that? I said I was walking, and the tiger was in the cage!”

“You were in the cage and you wanted to eat the tiger? I don’t understand.”

Now, Jagat was really riled up and frantically trying to explain, “No! No! Look! I was walking past the cage and…”

The tiger finally lost his patience and roared, “ENOUGH! STOP THIS NONSENSE!”

“You are such a fool! I will eat you too!” he added, glaring at the jackal.

“Sssssorry… Please don’t eat me. I completely understand now. I was in the cage… no… you wanted to eat the cage! Wait, how can that be?” mumbled the jackal. “You were talking… and the cage walked by… Oh dear! I will never be able to understand this!”

ARGGGHHH!!!

The tiger was not one to suffer fools!

“Listen up! I will explain this only once and you will have to understand,” he commanded and started telling the story from the beginning.

When he finished, the jackal said, “Oh… I get it now. You were inside this cage?”

The tiger walked into the cage to demonstrate his point. “Yes! I was inside the cage. Look!”

The jackal took this chance, quickly leapt forward and slammed the cage shut.

“And that’s where you shall remain!” he said, grinning.

“ROAR! Let me out, you tricksters. NOW!”

While the tiger bellowed, Jagat and the jackal walked away as fast as they could.

The priest thanked the jackal for saving his life and praised his quick-thinking.

The jackal asked smugly, “So, do you still think I am slow-witted?”

“I think you are the cleverest animal in the whole wide world!”

The priest and the jackal walked together until Jagat reached his sister’s village. And in this way, the priest’s adventure ended on a happy note and it was the first of many more to come!