Chapter 26 - The grateful Animals and the ungrateful Man

[Source: Kah-gyur, iv. ff. 212*, 213*. This story is very intimately connected with that contributed by me to Benfey’s Pancatantra i. 194. See also ii. 128.—S.]

In long past times King Brahmadatta came to the throne in Vārāṇasī. A man, who had gone with his axe and wood-basket into the forest to fetch wood, was frightened by a lion while looking for wood, and in running away fell into a pit. Into it fell likewise the lion which was intending to devour him. A mouse, which had been frightened by a snake, ran away from it, and a falcon pursued the mouse, in order to devour it. They all four fell into the pit, and they all entertained the evil design of putting each other to death. But the lion said, “O honoured ones, ye are all comrades of mine. As things are so, and we are suffering intolerable pain from woe, it is now no time for us to expose one another to danger. Therefore sit quietly without disturbing yourselves.”

By the dispensation of destiny a hunter, who was looking for gazelles, came to that spot, and while he was looking at that pit, all those creatures exclaimed in confused words, “Ho, friend, rescue us!” Understanding what they said, the hunter drew out first of all the lion. It touched his feet and said, “I shall prove grateful to you. But do not draw out that black-headed one who forgets accepted benefits.” Having thus spoken, the lion departed. The hunter then proceeded to extricate them all by degrees from the pit.

One day the hunter came again to that spot when the lion had killed a gazelle. The lion recognised the man, and touched his feet, and gave him the gazelle. At another time King Brahmadatta had gone into the park with his spouse, and, after enjoying himself there, had lain down to sleep. Left at their ease, the women took off their clothes and exposed them to the air. And they laid aside their ornaments in divers places and roamed about, or sat, reposed, and slept in the grove. When one of the wives had laid aside her ornaments at a certain spot, and had gone to sleep, the falcon carried them off, and gratefully presented them to the hunter. When the king awoke from his sleep he went swiftly to Vārāṇasī. And away went quickly also the wives, princes, ministers, towns-people, and country-folk. The wife, who looked for her ornaments but could not find them, said to the king, “O king, my ornaments are lost in the park.” The king gave orders to his ministers, saying, “O honoured ones, as the ornaments are lost, find out who has carried them off.”

When they began to make inquiries, the black-headed man, who had visited the hunter from time to time and knew that he was in possession of the ornaments, came with ungrateful heart and told the king. Then the king was very angry. And the king’s men summoned the hunter, and said to him, “Ho, friend, you stole the ornaments out of the park.” The hunter was terrified and related what had taken place. The ornaments were restored to the king. But the hunter was bound and cast into prison.

Then the mouse went to the snake and said, “By the contrivance of the black-headed sinner has our benefactor been bound and cast into prison.” The snake said, “O hunter, I will bite the king to-day. Then do you heal him with this spell and this remedy. If that is done, no doubt the king will set you at liberty, and will confer upon you gifts and good things.” The hunter said, “Good, so be it!” The snake bit the king, and the hunter came and healed him with the spell and the remedy. Then the king joyfully released him from the prison, and bestowed upon him gifts and good things.