The Panchatantra ( 200BCE - 300 CE )is an ancient Indian collection interrelated animal fables in Sanskrit verse and prose. These stories are arranged within a "frame story", meaning each individual tale contributes to a wider narrative. The Panchatantra is considered to have influenced later European books, such as Boccaccio and The Grimm Brothers.
Deep in the forest, a tiger is trapped in a cage. A Brahmin passes through, and the tiger pleads for release. ‘But how do I know you won’t eat me?’, questions the Brahmin. The tiger promises mercy, and the Brahmin relents. Immediately, the tiger pounces. Later, he boasts to a jackal of his smarts and wit. ‘Your story does not make any sense ‘says the jackal, ‘You must show me’. The tiger jumps back into the cage to demonstrate, and the jackal slams the door with a cunning grin.
