When the day came, all the court were gathered together, and a great crowd assembled of men, young and old, who thought that they had as good a chance as anyone else to gain both the throne and the princess. As soon as the king was seated, he called upon an usher to summon the first claimant. But, just then, a farmer who stood in front of the crowd cried out that he had a petition to offer.
‘Well, hasten then,’ said the king; ‘I have no time to waste.’
‘Your majesty,’ said the farmer, ‘has now lived and administered justice long in this city, and will know that the tiger who is king of beasts hunts only in the forest, whilst jackals hunt in every place where there is something to be picked up.’
‘What is all this? what is all this?’ asked the king. ‘The man must be mad!’
‘No, your majesty,’ answered the farmer, ‘I would only remind your majesty that there are plenty of jackals gathered to-day to try and claim your daughter and kingdom: every city has sent them, and they wait hungry and eager; but do not, O king, mistake or pretend again to mistake the howl of a jackal for the hunting cry of a tiger.’
The king turned first red and then pale.
‘There is,’ continued the farmer, ‘a royal tiger bred in the forest who has the first and only true claim to your throne.’
‘Where? what do you mean?’ stammered the king, growing pale as he listened.
‘In prison,’ replied the farmer; ‘if your majesty will clear this court of the jackals I will explain.’
‘Clear the court!’ commanded the king; and, very unwillingly, the visitors left the palace.