Читать книгу Fairytales from the Far East - samoht de jong - Страница 3

Many years ago Kuwi lived in a forest village often visited by wild tigers. To free themselves from this tiger plague, people built a powerful trap. It was not long before a huge tiger caught in this trap. The heavy stone had fallen on him and pressed him together so that he could not move, yes, could hardly draw breath. So he had been trapped in the trap for a month, and his moans could be heard all over the place, but life still did not want to escape.

One day an old Brahmin came from his mendicant way. The tiger had already seen him from afar and begged him to free him from his torment. The Brahmin gave a startled start when he heard the voice of the dreaded beast. He came closer, however, when he realized that there was no danger for him and said:

"Oh Tiger, He came, you've been starving for a long time now, if I free you now you'll eat me up right away, so I can not free you from the trap."

Whereupon the tiger replied, "How could I act, would not it be a tremendous ingratitude from me for you to have freed me so kindly from the greatest danger of my life? Could I ever devour my benefactor and savior? No, that could I certainly not! "

The foolish Brahmin believed the words of the tiger and replied, "Yes, I want to deliver you, but swear before me that you will do me no harm, touch the earth with your head and with your paw and swear to me!"

Without thinking, the tiger swore his oath, and the brahmin immediately freed him from the terrible trap.

As soon as the tiger felt free, he immediately plunged upon the poor Brahmin to devour him. Startled, the frightened priest screamed:

Did not you promise under your oath that you would not harm me, would you break your oath, no, you could not, if my word is not enough for you, then leave us ours We will then do the matter to three judges on how they will decide. "

The tiger agreed with this suggestion and let go of the priest. So they went together and first came to a mango tree, which they wanted to submit their case for decision. After the tree had heard its story, he said:

"I see no harm in it, Tiger, if you devour the man, you only give him the same retribution he deserves, since he himself is not acting differently against others." For example, look at me! People live under my shadow, rejoice my delicious sweet fruits, which I give to them, my leaves and dry twigs take them as firewood and warm themselves, and yet they cut me off with stump and stalk, and show not the least trace of pity and mercy. I mean, you are perfectly right in doing the same thing with him. "

When the tiger heard this verdict of the mango tree, he plunged again on the Brahmin to eat it. This time had yet to remind him of his promise that they would listen to two other judges, whereupon the tiger left him again and agreed. So they met on their way a cow, they called as a second judge. When the cow had listened to her story, she, too, showed herself inclined to the tiger, thinking of all the heartache that men had inflicted on her in the course of her existence, saying:

"What did not man do to me already!" He drinks my milk, which he robs my calf, he tenses me in front of his plow, where I spend the whole day in heat and dust biting me like a poor slave, he blows it For me, breaking my cock, that I avoid dying in pain, and then wasted my life in trouble and agony for him, then slaughters me in the end and consumes my flesh. "Man is the most ungrateful creature, therefore Eat him up, tiger, as he eats me up, you are right in destroying him. "

Trembling with terror, the poor brahmin overheard the hard judgment of the cow. The tiger tried again to satisfy his hunger, but the brahmin still succeeded in reminding him of the promise that they would have to hear the third judge.

With no hope of salvation, the poor brahmin walked sadly beside the tiger, until at last they saw a fox basking in the field.

"Oh, my friend," the unfortunate Brahman called to him, "come to us, or wait! I am in for a great misfortune, I have freed this tiger here from the trap, he has promised me that he will not harm me he wants to do it, he even swore it to me, but now he wants to devour me, is that right? "

The fox, whom they had meanwhile approached, lay still, scratching his ears with his paw and growling:

I can not hear anything, speak louder I have a fierce earache today Tell me again - but very slowly I do not love excitement! "

The tiger and Brahman once again began to tell their story, but the fox said, "I can not follow so fast - slower! Still can not quite understand! - Where was it?"

So talking, they were moving closer and closer to the place where the trap lay. Again, as well as they could, both explained the whole situation, but the Fox said that it was impossible for him to decide such a difficult matter.

"We're close to the trap," he began, "show me exactly how it all happened, then I want to give everyone a fair verdict."

So they reached the tiger trap.

"Here is the place," said the still trembling Brahmin, "here I have saved him from his highest danger, and here he has sworn to me."

"Not so," replied the fox, "in order to do justice, I must first have seen right, how was it, where was the tiger, where did you stand, stand in the old place, and you, tiger, lie down, as you lay, and show how the stone lay. "

Then the Brahman lifted the stone again while the tiger explained his situation.

"Can not understand," growled the fox, "show me how you lain down, smoke down and let me see how you carried the weight."

The tiger obeyed and crept under the stone and lay down just as he had lain before. At that moment the brahmin dropped the stone and the tiger was trapped again. Then the fox ordered the Brahmin to bring more heavy stones to strengthen the weight, and he did as he was told. Then he thanked his savior with heartfelt words and asked him how he could please him. The fox asked him for a fat chicken, which the brahmin gladly fetched for him. Then they both parted happily.