Category Archives: INDIA
32. THE CRAB AND THE SNAKE
Once upon a time, there lived in a village, a youth by the name of Brahmadatta. One day, Brahmadatta had to go to some other town for some important business. His mother called Brahmadatta and said to him, “My dear son, don’t travel alone. Better take a companion with you. He can help you, at least, when you are in trouble.”
But Brahmadatta said, “Mother, I am a young man. I can very well take care of myself. Besides, who do I take with me as companion?”
31. THE CLEVER JACKAL AND DEAD ELEPHANT
Once upon a time, there lived a jackal in a dense forest. His name was Mahachaturaka. He was very clever. One day, while he was wandering in search of food, he came across a dead elephant. He wanted to eat its flesh, but his teeth were not strong enough to cut through the tough hide of the elephant. So, he waited patiently for someone to come around.
In the meantime, a lion came there. The jackal said to him, “Your Majesty, please have a taste of the elephant. I have been guarding it for you only.”
30. THE CAT, THE RAT AND THE HUNTER
Once upon a time, there lived an owl in a big banyan tree. A mouse, a cat and a mongoose also shared his neighbourhood. They all feared each other. The owl was scared of the cat. The mouse would be frightened to see the owl, the cat or the mongoose. The owl and the cat were the enemies of the mongoose. But despite all these problems, all of them continued living at the same place.
Once a hunter came under the banyan tree. He spread his snare there and waited at a distance for some animal to be trapped in. After sometime, the cat came there looking for the mouse. She stepped on the snare and got trapped. Seeing the cat in the net the mouse became happy and came out of his hole and began taking rounds of the trap in great joy.
29. THE CAT AND THE HARE AND THE PARTRIDGE
As related by a partridge:
“One upon a time, I was living in a certain tree. In the hollow, at the foot of the tree, lived a partridge, by the name Kapinjala. In the course of time, we became good friends. Every day, at sunset, we would return home and tell each other stories about the holy men and such things, and talk over together about what had happened during the day. In this way, we passed our time very nicely.
