and fend for her in her old age? Far from it. As soon as it is big enough it will push me away from the places where I am grazing and take the best for itself, and will drive me away altogether from the pastures if it can. Can that be called keeping faith with its mother? No; my experience makes me believe that there is no such thing as good faith in this world."
When the Musk Deer heard this she was much downhearted, and fully expected to be killed and eaten without further delay; but she begged the Tiger to give her one more chance, saying that she was fully prepared to abide by the opinion of the third person whom they met.
The Tiger consented to this, and after going on a little farther together they met a Hare, hopping quietly down the road towards them.
"Good-morning, Brother Hare," called out the Musk Deer; "could you spare us a few moments to give us an opinion upon a point of difference which has arisen between this Tiger and myself?"
"Certainly," replied the Hare, stopping short in the roadway. "I shall be delighted to do the best I can for you."
"Well," replied the Musk Deer, "the facts are as follows: I was drinking just now at a stream in the forest when I noticed this Tiger shut up in a Woodcutter's hut. The door was bolted outside, and he was unable to come out, and was in danger of starving to death, so he called out to me, asking me to release him, promising me, if I did so, that he would spare my
