The Tiger, The Fox, and The Hunters

This story is from Indian Fables by P. V. Ramaswami Raju (1887) - page with text.

The Tiger, The Fox, and The Hunters

A FOX was once caught in a trap. A hungry tiger saw him and said, "So you are here!"

"Only on your account," said the fox, in a whisper.

"How so?" said the tiger.

"Why, you were complaining you could not get men to eat, so I got into this net to-day that you may have the men when they come to take me," said the fox and gave a hint that if he would wait a while in a thicket close by he would point out the men to him.

"May I depend upon your word?" said the tiger.

"Certainly," said the fox.

The hunters came, and, seeing the fox in the net, said, "So you are here!"

"Only on your account," said the fox, in a whisper.

"How so?" said the men.

"Why, you were complaining you could not get at the tiger that has been devouring your cattle; I got into this net to-day that you may have him. As I expected, he came to eat me up, and is in yonder thicket," said the fox and gave a hint that if they would take him out of the trap he would point out the tiger.

"May we depend upon your word?" said the men.

"Certainly," said the fox, while the men went with him in a circle to see that he did not escape.

Then the fox said to the tiger and the men, "Sir Tiger, here are the men; gentlemen, here is the tiger."

The men left the fox and turned to the tiger. The former beat a hasty retreat to the wood, saying, "I have kept my promise to both; now you may settle it between yourselves."

The tiger exclaimed, when it was too late, "Alas! What art for a double part?"

Tiger folk art statue from Bhopal, India