Week 7 Storytelling: Jovial Jackal

The 5 o’ clock whistle rang at the Canine Brothers law office. All fifty workers logged out of their computers, grabbed their suitcases, and headed for the door.

“Ah, what a WONDERFUL day it is,” thought Mr. Jackal as he strolled down the tree-lined sidewalk.

Mr. Jackal's Street

 

“Looking great, Mrs. Equine”

“Good day, Mr. Hare.”

Mr. Jackal said all of this as he made his way home. He strolled up along his fence and gave a great grin to his children as they played in the yard.

“Honey!” cried Jackal’s wife.

“Why the commotion, dear?” said Mr. Jackal.

“That tiger! He is at it once again!” exclaimed Mrs. Jackal.

“I saw it all from the window!”

“And what was it that you saw, honey?” beckoned Mr. Jackal.

“Well, you see, there was a mighty nice Brahman fellow making his way down the sidewalk when he came across the tiger pleading for help,” said Mrs. Jackal.

“Wasn’t he [the tiger] in there because of a failed attempt at murder? That’s the word down at the office,” said Mr. Jackal.

“Yes!” cried out Mrs. Jackal.

“What I’m trying to get at is that the tiger managed to coax Brahman tourist into opening the cage!”

“The poor man didn’t have any idea of who that tiger really is.”

“Now you need to hurry out there or that tiger is going to eat that poor Brahman!”

Mr. Jackal, well-equipped to handle situations like this because of his law background, hurried onto the scene.

“Tell me what is wrong, dear Brahman,” said the jackal calmly.

The Brahman, trembling in terror, proceeded, “The tiger lamented and pleaded for anyone to help him out of the cage he was locked in.”

“Uh huh, I see. Go on,” said the jackal.

“He [the tiger] claimed that he was locked in by accident. I thought he looked to be a man of good character,” declared the Brahman. “And as soon as I opened the door he pounced on me and roared that he was going to eat me.”

“Well why don’t we go and hear the tiger’s side of the story?” responded the jackal.

“My good sir, Mr. Tiger, how are you today?” asked the jackal.

“Mighty fine!” said the tiger. “And even better after I devour this Brahman for supper.”

“About that,” said the jackal, “why don’t you explain just what happened?”

“So I was locked in this here cage,” responded the tiger.

The jackal, looking puzzled, said “What do you mean locked in?”

“You know, confined within the bars,” beckoned the tiger as he approached his former prison.

“I’m afraid I don’t know what you mean,” said the jackal. “I can be slow to grasp situations at times.”

“Ah! Perhaps a visual would help me to better understand your story,” exclaimed the jackal.

“Fine you idiot,” shouted the tiger as he jumped in the cage.

“I was trapped. Like this. In the cage.”

The jackal, having set up the tiger just right, pounced on the door and saw it slam shut.

“Now have a fine day, my Brahman,” commented the jackal, “and see to it that you don’t fall for the ploys of these thugs.”

 

Author’s note: I told this story in third person to elaborate on the character of the jackal. In the Indian Fairytale  In the Indian Fairy Tales the jackal is simply brought in out of nowhere; I thought it would be nice to have known more about him. The original story line had that the Brahman helped the tiger who was trapped in the cage and pleading for his life. Upon being freed, the tiger threatened to eat the Brahman. Next, the jackal came about and tricked the tiger into being locked back up. I didn't change the overall storyline much; what I did manage to do was to create a story for the jackal and slightly readjust the conversation that led to the tiger's self-imprisonment.

Bibliography: Indian Fairy Tales by Joseph Jacobs (1912).