Bishop Daniel’s Fables, III

The Man and the Tiger (A tale from India)

A tiger, trapped inside a cage
Was in a wild and futile rage:
He could not think of any plan
To free himself. But then a man
Came by, The beast began to shout:
“Oh, please, dear brother, let me out!”
The tiger’s voice, it was so sad,
That our good man, who never had
Seen tigers in a cage before,
Was moved and did unlock the door.
“Now – said the tiger – I must eat,
And for my meal I’ll use your meat”.
The man exclaimed: “Oh, don’t you dare!
It would be utterly unfair:
WIll you repay this my good deed
To you with such an act of greed?” –
“Of course I will – the best did say –
Evil for good – this is the way
It’s always done”, –
“I don’t agree!” – “Ask anyone!”
Then in a field they saw a cow.
They both approached and asked her:
“How
Are the good deeds to be repaid?” –
“Of course with evil ones!” she made
Reply.
“But tell us, why?” –
“I will.
The human beings treat me ill:
They drink my milk and, if you please,
They use my milk to make their cheese:
Besides, they use me for to plough
Their fields of rice: and this is how
They do replay all the good deeds
I do for them to fill their needs:
They kill my calves and use their veal
To make themselves a tasty meal,
This being cause enough for grief;
And they will kill me for my beef.
From this it may be understood
That evil deeds repay the good.” –
“You see? So you will be my fare.”
The man replied: “Oh, don’t you dare
To eat someone who set you free!
Let’s ask someone.” They saw a tree
And asked: “IF one has done some good
To someone else, we ask: ‘how should
He be repaid?’” The tree replies:
“WIth evil deeds. This rule replies:
To all, and always will apply”, –
“But tell us, why?” –
“I will.
The human beings treat me ill,
For they are worse than any brute.
Imagine this: they eat my fruit
And rest themselves in my cool shade,
But how are my good deeds repaid?
They break my boughs, and any wretch
Thinks himself wise enough to scratch
All kinds of letters in my bark:
And from this dark
Ingratitude it may be understood
That evil deeds repay the good.” –
“You see? So you will be my fare.” –
The man replied: “Oh, don’t you dare
To eat someone who set you free!
To this I still cannot agree.
Let’s ask someone to find out why”.
They saw a jackal trotting by
And asked him: “Jackal, can you tell,
How good deeds are rewarded?” – “Well,
WHat do you need this answer for?” –
“You see, this tiger was before
Caught in a cage...” the man replies.
The jackal says: “Don’t tell me lies!
The king of beasts caught in a trap?
I don’t believe such things, old chap!
And I’ll consider them damn lies
Unless I see it with my eyes”.
The tiger says: “I must confess,
It happened to me, nonetheless”.
They lead the jackal to the cage. –
“Suppose, we’re actors on a stage.
We’ll act it out, as it had been.
You say, the tiger was within?
So let him go inside. All right!
The door was shut, the bold made tight?”
WHen all was done to jackal’s satisfaction,
The simple man tried to repeat his action
And started to unlock the bolt.
To this the jackal shouted: “HALT!
Haven’t you learned, you fool, at least
Not to do good to such a beast?
He is inside? So let him stay,
And keep your helping hand away,
And keep in mind the saying of the sages:
‘Don’t ever liberate tigers from no cages’”.