a tiger which had been caught in a trap, seeing a man, begged to be released. the man said to the tiger: "if i let you out of the trap will you promise not to attack me?" "certainly," said the tiger, and the man therefore let the tiger go; but the moment the tiger was loose it sprang upon the man and caught him. at this the man begged the tiger to wait until he had inquired how the law stood with reference to their contract, and the tiger agreed to do so. the man and the tiger therefore set out together; and on coming to a road the man said: "o road, road, is it lawful to requite evil for good, or good for good only?" the road replied: "i do good to mankind, but they requite me with evil, defiling my surface as they go." then they came to a tree, of which the man asked the same question. the tree replied: "i do good to mankind, but they requite me with evil, lopping off my branches and cutting me down." at last they came to the mouse-deer and the man made the same inquiry as before. the mouse-deer replied: "i must really go into the question thoroughly before i answer it; let us go back together to the trap." on reaching the trap, he requested the tiger to "step inside," and the tiger entering the trap, the mouse-deer let down the door of the trap, and exclaimed, "accursed brute, you have returned evil for good and now you shall die for it." he then called in the neighbours and had the tiger killed.