[Illustration: “Brother Camel, Brother Camel,” cried the Brahmin.... “Hear and give judgment.”]
“When I was able to work,” answered the Bullock, “my master fed me and treated me very carefully. Now I am old, he has forgotten all I ever did for him and has left me by the roadside to die. Men show no mercy to the beasts. So I say, let the Tiger eat the Brahmin.”
“You hear that, Brother Brahmin?” growled the Tiger. “Now I shall eat you up.”
“Pray, Brother Tiger, have patience! We have met only half of our judges. I still have three more to ask.”
“Very well,” answered the Tiger, and they went on together.
After a time they saw an Eagle flying through the air. “Brother Eagle, Brother Eagle,” shouted the Brahmin, “fly down here and give judgment.”
The Eagle came soaring slowly down and sat upon a rock. Then the Brahmin told his whole story and said, “Do you think that it is fair, or just of the Tiger to eat me after I set him free?”
“Well,” answered the Eagle, “men are not fair nor just to me. Whenever men see me, they try to shoot me and they climb the rocks to spoil my nest and steal my little ones. Men know no pity. They seek only to slay us. So I say let the Tiger eat the Brahmin.”
“Hear that, Brother Brahmin? Now I shall have to kill you,” growled the Tiger.
“Have patience, Brother Tiger,” answered the Brahmin. “We have yet two more judges to ask.”
“Very well,” said the Tiger, and they went on their way.
Presently they came to a river and in the mud they saw an old Alligator. The Brahmin told him the whole story hoping that the Alligator would give him a favorable answer. But the Alligator in great anger snorted out:
“Humph! I hunt no man, but, whenever I put my nose out of the water, men torment me and try to kill me. As long as men live, we shall have no peace. So I say let the Tiger eat the Brahmin.”
Then the Tiger, sprang toward the Brahmin. “This time I shall eat you up, for all are against you.”
“One moment!” said the Brahmin. “I still have one opinion of the sixth judge.”
So the Tiger was obliged to wait, and by and by they met a little Jackal who came gaily prancing down the road.
“Oh, Brother Jackal! dear little Brother Jackal,” called the Brahmin, “please do stop a minute and give judgment.”