Jackal or Tiger?
Indian fairy tale
'Jackal or Tiger?' is an Indian fairy tale featured in The Olive Fairy Book. It is story about a kind-hearted holy man who helps a tiger out of a trap, but is then threatened by the tiger, who turns on him. He is ultimately rescued by a clever jackal. Different versions of the same theme have been told to children in different parts of India.
It is said that 'Jackal or Tiger?' was collected in the 19th century by Joseph Jacobs, an Australian-born man who came to England. The moral of the story is that appearances can be deceptive.
Synopsis
A king and queen, in bed at night, heard a howl. The king thought it was a tiger, and the queen a jackal. They argued. The king said that if it were a jackal, he would leave the kingdom to her; if it were a tiger, he would send her away and marry another woman.
This brief starts where responsible research should: with the source description of “Jackal or Tiger?” as indian fairy tale. Everything that follows is an evidence route, not borrowed authority.
Why this record matters
The subject matters to the general reference register because the source frames it as indian fairy tale. Its deeper value depends on whether names, dates, institutions and citations support that framing.
Named sources, stable identifiers and responsible institutions provide the strongest route from overview to verifiable evidence. The source revision retrieved here is dated Aug 18, 2026. The linked authority identifier is Q6116053. None of the 0 selected statements returned an explicit reference.
Overview language is designed for orientation and should not be treated as a substitute for the evidence cited beneath it. The lead is largely declarative, so disagreement and counter-evidence require a deliberate search beyond the opening account. Authority statements aid reconciliation but still require their own references, qualifiers and ranks to be checked.
How to read it
Use the entry as an orientation point, then follow its citations and revision history. Names, dates and institutional relationships should be checked against the original record.
- Subject orientation
- Search vocabulary
- Locating named sources
The closest primary source, responsible institution and strongest cited specialist reference.
Three-step research path
- Establish the record: confirm the title “Jackal or Tiger?”, its source revision and the description used here.
- Expand the search: follow Jackal or Tiger? primary sources, Jackal or Tiger? archive and Jackal research across catalogues and specialist indexes.
- Test the account: compare the strongest cited source with the responsible institution’s current record and note any disagreement.
Questions for further research
- Which source most directly establishes the central claim about “Jackal or Tiger?”?
- Which cited source is closest to the event, object or claim?
- What terminology or title could unlock a more precise catalogue search?
Search terms from this dossier
This entry incorporates text from “Jackal or Tiger?” on English Wikipedia. Contributors are listed in the page history. Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License. Selected authority identifiers and statements are retrieved from Wikidata under CC0; their references and qualifiers remain part of the verification path.