THE TIGER, THE BRAHMAN, AND THE JACKAL
This short verse play is based on an Indian folk tale
said to be some thousands of years old. It was originally conceived
for a younger audience although I believe anyone can enjoy getting
the point - sometimes a little practicality is wiser than philosophic
or religious clichés.
THE TIGER, THE BRAHMAN,
AND THE JACKAL
A play for children based on an Indian folk tale
Copyright Mark Scrivener 2007
The Tiger
The Brahman- white, clothed
"holy" man
The Voice of the Pipal Tree-
large fig like the Bo tree (Figus Religiosa)
The Voice of the Water Buffalo
The Voice of the Road
The Jackal
Dim green light. Hunters enter through audience
driving the tiger towards the stage with blunt sticks.
They can get members of the audience to help them.
Finally, they drive the tiger into the cage and drop and shut the
cage door. They exit. Lights fade.
SCENE- A Jungle
Road
The Tiger is discovered, trapped in a bamboo cage.
TIGER (to the audience)
Captured here, with roar and rage;
Caught and enclosed in a tight-trapping cage!
Furious, fuming, with grumble and growl,
For no creatures will answer my heart-shaking howl!
All through this jungle, all through it all,
Not one beast will answer my roaring call.
Wait now! What's this! Nearby is seen
A figure, white against the green,
A holy fool, all in a dream!
Perhaps this is a lucky hour!
Perhaps he will give freedom now!
Enter the Brahman, dressed in white with a white
turban, unaware of the trapped tiger.
BRAHMAN (Entering through
the audience, singing)
Along, along I go along,
And as I go I sing my song-
My mind is on the holy word,
My heart is like a soaring bird!
BRAHMAN
The sun lights up the leaves on high,
Which all but hide the wide, blue sky.
And underneath trees' branching towers,
Bright butterflies flit among the flowers.
On such a singing day as this
How refreshing it is to wander on
Through nature's wonder world.
Ah, all is peace and harmony.
TIGER
AHHR! Have pity on me!
BRAHMAN (shocked,
turns and sees Tiger)
Oh! Highest heaven! What's this I see?
TIGER
Oh, have pity on me, oh, pious one,
White-robed Brahman, holy man.
Oh, free me, release me, let me out,
Out from where the cruel hunters,
With their sharp sticks and loud drums
Have driven me-
Out of this cramped capture cage!
BRAHMAN
Quell your anger, my friend.
If I freed you now, you would probably
Make a quick, light lunch of me.
TIGER
Never, not at all, oh, holy man;
Oh, no, no, no!
Rather I'd serve you, a humble slave,
Forever grateful. O help me, help me!
By the power of the creator of all creatures,
I swear to you that I won't hurt you,
Nor disturb one hair upon your holy head.
Oh, save me, save me! Oh, free me, free me!
BRAHMAN
Well, well, you poor beast,
It must be terrible for you
To be caged up like that.
And as you swore that you won't hurt me,
And as you promised not to harm me,
I suppose I'd better set you free,
Release you from your bamboo bonds.
The Brahman opens the cage door. As he is propping it
up with a long pole of cane, the Tiger sneaks out and gets ready to
spring.
TIGER
Ha! What a feather-brained fool you are!
I might as well devour you right now:
For trapped here, all the hunting hours of night cover,
I've developed quite a raging appetite.
H'm . . .you look like you might make a mouthful,
You look like you might taste all right!
BRAHMAN (trembling)
But, but, you swore so terribly,
And, and you promised mightily
Not to harm or hurt me, not even a hair on my head.
TIGER
Come, come now, you should know
Never to trust the word of a tiger.
BRAHMAN
I beg you, don't destroy me, let me live!
I plead with you, spare me, spare me,
Great king of all the creatures,
For saving you from this trap,
For freeing you from this cage!
Oh, great ruler of the night-dark forests,
Oh, great beast of all the jungle beings,
At least give me some chance,
At least give me some way
To arrange some trial, some test
As to whether you should
Reward my kindness this way.
Oh, great lord of jungle darkness,
Oh, great emperor of moonlit plains,
Please, let us see what others say
About rewarding me this way!
TIGER (grudgingly,
but slightly flattered)
Well, all right, you set up a test;
But only as a last request.
What do you hope to find,
What do you have in mind?
BRAHMAN(to audience)
Oh, dear, oh dear, what can I do?
What sound I say to see me through?
(to tiger)
Oh well, well then, now let me see-
Well then, will you be sure
To leave me absolutely free
So nothing here will need to feel
Threatened by your presence?
And after that, will you agree
To follow and abide by
The decisions of the first, three things
I choose to ask about
The justice of your intent?
TIGER
Well then . . . all right. Question the first,
Three things you wish. For as a holy man
I know that you
Won't break your word;
I know that you
Will stay around.
And if you do not-
Swift as a wild, dark wind I'll run
Until I hunt you down.
So promise me
Or I'll make a few mouthfuls of you now!
BRAHMAN (trembling)
Yes, yes, Sir Tiger,
I promise to stay here.
TIGER
All jungle creatures tremble with awe;
The Lord of the Forest is back once more!
AHHHR!
The Tiger exits through the audience
BRAHMAN (to audience)
Whom should I question?
Who won't fear the tiger's wrath?
Who'll agree with me?
The Brahman looks about
I know, I'll go and ask that pipal tree.
Pipal tree, oh, pipal tree,
Will you listen here to me?
THE VOICE OF THE PIPAL TREE
(swishingly)
I shall listen to you here.
Tell me, what is troubling you?
BRAHMAN
I was walking alone in the sun,
Admiring all the world before me,
When suddenly I came upon
A roaring tiger trapped
And captive in a bamboo cage.
The tiger begged me to release him,
Swore an oath he'd never harm me;
Said he'd serve me well instead.
Yet when set free he sprang upon me!
Yet still I managed to persuade him
To let me ask the first
Three things I wished
For their opinion.
PIPAL TREE
Why whimper your worries to me?
Do I not, as I stand here,
Offer tired travellers a shaded shelter,
A cool and soothing sojourn from
Their sweating journey in the sun?
And don't they in return
Just break my branches,
Tear them down to feed their cattle?
Don't moan to me, just be a man
And face your fate.
The Brahman turns away sadly from the pipal tree.
A Water Buffalo enters, its head poking out from
behind a hedge.
BRAHMAN (to
audience)
Perhaps the buffalo, man's companion,
Will weigh the question in my favour.
Buffalo, oh, buffalo,
Will you tell me what you know?
The Buffalo replies in heavy ruminant tones
BUFFALO
I shall tell you what I know.
Tell me, what is troubling you?
BRAHMAN
I freed a fearsome tiger who had told me
That once at large he wouldn't harm me;
And yet as soon as he was free once more
The crafty and deceitful monster
Decided he should eat me up. Tell me,
Is it right, is it fair? Do I
Deserve to die for freeing him?
BUFFALO
You are a dreaming fool
To expect a smile of gratitude.
See how I have fared.
While I yielded men nourishing milk
They fed me well: but now my milk has dried
They feed me garbage and refuse as fodder.
No, you must suffer the result
Of your own foolishness.
The Buffalo exits
The Brahman notices the road and bends down to it.
BRAHMAN (to
audience)
Perhaps the humble road,
Which everything passes over,
May answer me truly.
Humble road, oh, well-worn track,
Will you hear me and answer back?
VOICE OF THE ROAD (rumbling
from the depths)
I shall answer you then!
Tell me, what is troubling you?
BRAHMAN
I have released a raging tiger
Who has, unfairly, just decided
That he'll repay my act of kindness
By making a meal of me. So say,
Oh, ancient and long-lasting way,
Oh, venerable, well-used road,
Oh, is it fair he should do so?
THE VOICE OF THE ROAD
How very foolish you are
To expect to receive
Anything else. Look at me-
Here I lie, useful to all,
Showing all of them the way,
Bearing their dust-laden feet.
Rajah and beggar,
Merchant and farmer alike,
Trample on me as they pass,
Forever trudge upon my path;
And all they ever leave to me
Is the trash from eaten fruit,
And the useless husks from their ripe grain.
The Brahman rises sadly.
Enter the Jackal through the audience.
JACKAL (in a short,
yapping manner)
Hey, Brahman,
What makes you so sad?
You look less happy than
A fish stranded
On dry sand.
BRAHMAN (with
a deep sigh)
Oh, dear! Oh, dear!
Oh, Jackal, my friend, what can I say?
It seems no one sees things my way.
JACKAL
Come, come. What's so bad?
What's eating you?
BRAHMAN (with a shudder)
Don't talk of eating- please! You see
My friend, this is the end of me.
See, I was strolling cheerfully along
As happy as a butterfly
That's flitting through the warm, blue sky,
When what do you think I came upon?
A roaring, raging tiger in a bamboo cage!
This tiger, he entreated me
To liberate him, set him free-
And swore he wouldn't injure me,
But rather serve me faithfully.
So foolish-trusting as I am,
A foolish, trusting, silly man,
I let him out of his tight cage.
Then he decided then instead
He'd gobble me up from toes to head!
But I persuaded him to promise
To follow answers from the first
Three things I wished question . . .
JACKAL
Wait, wait for a second!
For the picture
Is not perfectly
Clear to me.
You say you were walking along-
Well, what happened then?
It has flown from my mind.
BRAHMAN
I met a tiger.
JACKAL (also to audience)
A tiger? What's a tiger?
BRAHMAN
You know- a tiger,
A tiger in a cage.
JACKAL (also to audience)
A cage? Well, what's
That then?
BRAHMAN
A cage? This here.
The Brahman points to the cage
JACKAL (seeming amazed)
This thing here? Oh, I don't know.
Perhaps you'd better explain it again.
BRAHMAN
All right, then. You see-
Re-enter the Tiger
TIGER
Well, how were you answered?
My stomach's growling for food.
Come, let's begin our dinner, shall we?
BRAHMAN (trembling)
Our dinner. Oh, just leave me
A minute now, Sir Tiger, to explain
The circumstances to this jackal
Who seems to have a weakish brain.
TIGER
Well, all right. But
Be quick about it. I'm hungry!
BRAHMAN (confused and
fearful, trying to spin out the story)
Well, now then, you see, that is to say,
I was going for a stroll, was on my way
Along the sunny, jungle path,
Surrounded by the jungle flowers,
The jungle birds above,
Many-coloured, flying free
Or perching in the jungle trees,
When it happened that, that is to say,
That was when I happened to hear
This mighty tiger here,
Roaring and growling,
Storming and howling,
Caught inside
This bamboo cage, you see-
This one that's over there, you know . . .
JACKAL
Wait, wait, oh, oh-
My poor head is spinning,
My confused thoughts circling.
Now exactly how
Did it start? You were here,
In this cage, and the tiger
Came strolling by.
TIGER
INSANE IDIOT! Listen here-
I was in the cage.
The Jackal pretends to tremble with fright
JACKAL
Yes, yes, of course.
I was in the cage . . .
No, no . . .wait, wait, hold on- I
Wasn't in the cage, was I?
TIGER
AHHRR!
JACKAL
No, no, wait, wait, oh where
Have my wits flown?
Now, now; let's see. The tiger
Was in the Brahman
And the cage came strolling by.
TIGER
AHHHHHHHR!
JACKAL
No, no . . .hold on, that's not so.
Oh, you'd better go
And eat your man;
I shall never understand.
TIGER
HOW CAN YOU BE
SO STUPID! I'll make you see!
Now get this clear! I am
The tiger.
JACKAL
Yes, yes, my lord.
TIGER
And that white-clothed man
Is the Brahman.
JACKAL
Yes, yes, my lord.
TIGER
And that's
The wretched cage.
JACKAL
Yes, yes, my lord.
TIGER
And I was trapped
Inside the cage.
DO YOU UNDERSTAND?
JACKAL
Yes, yes, my lord . . .
No, no, please wait,
Wait, my lord.
TIGER
Well, WELL?
JACKAL
But, but, my lord,
I'm a bit confused . . . but
How did you get
Into the cage?
TIGER
How- HOW ? Why
In the usual way; WHAT ELSE?
JACKAL
Oh, ooh . . . it's all
Whirling around in my brain again.
Oh, please don't be angry, don't rage,
But, but, my lord, what is
The usual way ?
TIGER (raging)
GRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR!
The Tiger springs back into the cage, facing the
opposite way to the door.
TIGER
Now do you see! THIS WAY!
NOW DO YOU UNDERSTAND
HOW IT WAS!
The Jackal, as he speaks, quickly shuts and locks the
door, by slipping out the pole holding the door open and, in one
swift action, using it to bar the cage door.
JACKAL
Perfectly! And,
If you will let me put it so,
I think it would be better if
Things stay the way
They were!
To the Brahman
Quickly! Let's go!
BRAHMAN
Oh, thank you! Thank you!
The Brahman and the Jackal exit
TIGER (raging in the cage)
GRRR! GRRRRRR! GRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR!
The Lights fade.
FINIS
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