TIGER, BRAHMAN, AND JACKAL LEVEL M

A Readers Theater Script

Retold by Mary Cronin
Word Count: 523

Characters:
Narrator
Tiger
Brahman
Tree
Elephant
Jackal

Narrator:

A kindhearted priest, Brahman, walks along a

road in India. Suddenly he hears a cry for help.
Tiger:

Help! Help! I am stuck in this cage!

Brahman:

My goodness! A fierce tiger!

Tiger:

Brahman, help me, please! Free me from this

horrible cage!
Brahman:

Tiger, I cannot set you free. If I do, you will eat me!
Tiger:

Eat you? Never! I give you my word.

Tiger, Brahman, and Jackal

Brahman:

Well, I have to admit, I do hate to see an animal

suffer. I will trust you and unlatch the cage.
Narrator:

Brahman opens the cage. Tiger leaps out.

Tiger:

Fool! I am free, and I am starving! I must eat you

now!
Brahman:

I helped you, Tiger, and you did not keep your

word! Thats not fair!
Tiger:

Fair? Who cares about fairness? Its chow time,

you fool!
Brahman:

Wait, wait, give me a chance! Lets ask someone

else if youre being unfair.
Tiger:

What a funny idea! What makes you think

anyone cares about fairness? Go aheadask one,
two, three times over. Everyone will agree with
me. And then I will make a snack out of you!

Tiger, Brahman, and Jackal

Brahman: (looks at nearby tree)

Noble tree, you have heard us arguing back and

forth. What do you think? Is Tiger being fair?
Tree:

Fair? All day long I give shade to weary

travelers passing by. Elephants nibble my
leaves. Does anyone thank me? Never! I dont
care about fairness.
Tiger:

See? Everyone looks out for themselves. No one

will take your side!
Narrator:

An elephant approaches.
Brahman:

Help us decide a dispute, Elephant. I freed Tiger

from that cage. Now he wants to eat me. Tell
me, is that fair?
Elephant:

Fair? All day I carry heavy loads of wood and

grain. No one thanks me. Fairness? Hah!

Tiger, Brahman, and Jackal

Tiger:

Your time is running out, foolish Brahman.

No one cares for your ridiculous ideas about
fairness. My stomach grumbles. . .
Brahman:

Not yet, greedy Tiger! Here comes Jackal. I will

ask her to judge you. Greetings, Jackal. I freed
Tiger from that cage over there. Now he wants
to eat me. Tell me, is that fair?
Jackal:

Let me see if I understand. Brahman was in that

cage, and. . .
Tiger:

No! I was in the cage. . .

Jackal:

Ahh, yes. I was in the cage, and Tiger came

along, and. . . oh, my brain gets so confused!
Brahman:

Let me try again. Tiger was in the cage. . .

Jackal:

Yes. . .
Tiger:

And foolish Brahman came along. . .

Tiger, Brahman, and Jackal

Jackal:

Yes. . .
Brahman:

And Tiger was crying and moaning. . .

Tiger:

I was not!
Jackal:

. . .And Brahman locked you out of the cage!

Tiger:

No! Stupid Jackal! I was in the cage!

Jackal:

Thats what I dont understand. How did you

get in the cage to begin with?
Tiger:

The usual way, of course!

Jackal:

What is the usual way?

Tiger:

Foolish Jackal! I got into the cage like this.

Narrator:

Tiger steps into the cage. Jackal leaps over and

slams it shut.

Tiger, Brahman, and Jackal

Jackal:

Now I understand! You were in the cage, and

now you are back in the cage! Yes, that seems
fair to me!
Tiger:

Let me out! You tricked me! Thats not fair!!

Brahman:

Jackal, it is fair to help one another, isnt it?

Thank you! Thank you!
Elephant:

Thank you for the shade, Tree.

Tree:

Thank you for your kindness, Elephant.

Narrator:

All the friends hug and thank one another.

Tiger stays locked in his cage. And that seems
the fairest thing of all!

Tiger, Brahman, and Jackal