Santal (South Asian people) -- Folklore; Santali literature -- Translations into English; Tales -- India
From this forest they went to another in which they found a cow to whom
they said, "We are come to ask your opinion on a certain matter about
which we are at variance. This tiger was up to the neck in a quagmire,
and we pulled him out. Now he wishes to return evil for good. Is it
right for him to do so?" The cow replied, "Yes, yes, I have heard what
you have got to say. You human beings are not the correct thing. Behold
me, how much I have contributed to the health and comfort of my master,
yet he does not recognize my merit. Now that I am old, he has turned
me out, and should I improve a little in condition, he will say, 'I
will take this cow to the market and sell it. I will at least get a few
pence for it.' Behold, when a man is well to do, he has many friends,
but when he is poor, no one knows him. Verily, you are worthy to be
devoured." The tiger then said to the men, "Well, have you heard all
this? Are you convinced?" They said, "Hold on, let us ask one person
more." So as they walked along they saw a jackal and called to him, "Oh
uncle, stand still." The jackal said, "No I cannot wait, my companions,
who are on their way to see the swinging festival, are far ahead of me,
and I am hurrying to overtake them." They said to him, "Wait a little
and settle this matter for us. We pulled this tiger out of a quagmire,
and now he wishes to devour us." The jackal then said to the tiger,
"Is this true? I cannot believe that a famed individual like yourself
would be fool enough to jump into a quagmire. Come, shew me the place,
and how it happened." So the tiger led him to the quagmire, and said,
"This is the place from which I sprang, and this is how I did it,"
and he leaped into the quagmire. The jackal turning to the men, said,
"What are you staring at? Pelt him with stones." So they all set to
and stoned the tiger to death.
STORY OF A LIZARD, A TIGER, AND A LAME MAN.
Once upon a time in a certain jungle, a lizard and a tiger were
fighting, and a lame man, who was tending goats near by, saw them. The
tiger being beaten by the lizard was ashamed to own it, and coming to
the lame man said, "Tell me which of us won." The lame man being in
great fear lest the tiger should eat him, said, "You won." On another
occasion the lizard was compelled to flee, and took refuge in an
ant hill. The tiger pursued him, but not being able to get him out,
sat down to watch.
The lizard seeing his opportunity, crept stealthily up to his
inveterate enemy, and climbing up his tail, fixed his teeth into his
haunch, and held firmly on. The tiger felt the pain of the lizard's
bite, but could not reach him to knock him off, so he ran to the lame
man, and said, "Release me from this lizard." When he had caused the
lizard to let go his grip, the tiger said, "Oh lame man, which of us
won in the encounter?" The poor man in great fear said, "You won."
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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