FOURTH NIGHT
THE STORY OF RAJ BAGH, THE KING TIGER
While the Keeper Sa'-zada was still loitering over his tea, there came to his ears an imperious roaring call "Wah-h-h! Wah-h-h! Wah-houh!"
"This is the Tiger's night, indeed," he muttered to himself. "Old Raj Bagh is eager to tell us the tale of his life." Then he hurried down to their cages and corrals saying, "Come, comrades; the King of the Jungle calls us."
"We shall have strong tales of blood-letting to-night," muttered Magh the Orang-Outang.
"King of the Jungle, indeed!" sneered Hathi, the Elephant. "When I was Lord of the jungle I knew no king—that is, amongst the animals."
"Now," began Sa'-zada, opening The Book, when the Jungle Dwellers had all gathered in front of Bagh, the killer's cage; "now we shall know all about Huzoor Stripes. And mind you, Hathi, and all the rest, there must be no anger, for Bagh's way of life has not been of his own making; for with his kind it is their nature to kill that which they eat."
"I was born in Chittagong," began Bagh, "and well I remember the little Nullah in which my Mother kept me, a big tea garden spread over three hills just near our hiding place, and there was always much good eating.