Page 21 - English Reader - 7

“Help me,” implored the tiger when he saw the Brahmin.

“But you will eat me,” replied the Brahmin, quaking with fear.

“I will certainly not eat someone who helps me,” cried the
tiger, “on the other hand, I will help you if you ever need
my help.”

The Brahmin thought about it and being a kind
person decided to help. He rolled a rope into
a loop and threw it down. The tiger stepped
into the loop and was pulled out after much
panting and puffing. The Brahmin became
aware of more cries coming from the well
and when he looked down again, he saw

a monkey.
“Help me, please,” the monkey called

out and the Brahmin nodded his head.
“A monkey is harmless,” he thought,
“besides it weighs much less than a
tiger.” Thinking this, he again threw
down the rope and the monkey
grasped it easily and climbed up.

But there were more cries coming
from the well. “Is there no end
to this?” thought the Brahmin,
getting a bit impatient as it was
now midday.

He sighed and looked into the well again. This time he saw a snake. “I suppose you want me to
help you out, too?” the Brahmin asked the snake. “Yes, will you please?” said the snake hopefully.

“What if you bite me?”

The snake was indignant.“I only bite those who harm me. If you help me, I will remember your favour
and repay you in the future.”
The Brahmin thought about it and decided that a snake was no more dangerous than a tiger and a

lot lighter. He threw down the rope and the snake slithered up.
As the Brahmin was about to take leave of the animals, he heard yet another cry coming from the

well. As he was about to peer in again, the animals told him in one voice, “It is an evil man in there.
Do not help him.”
When the Brahmin wanted to know the reason for their strange statement, the snake replied, “If you
help the man in the well, he will harm you.”

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