At that time a boar, rooting among the ruins of a village, caught sight of a gem endowed with magical power. He bit the gem, and by its magical power rose into the air. Seeing a little island in mid-ocean, he thought: “There now is the place for me to live.” So he descended and made his home in a pleasant place under a fig tree.
One day the boar lay down at the foot of that tree, placed the gem in front of him, and fell asleep.
Now a certain man who lived in the kingdom of Kāsi, driven from home by his mother and father with the remark, “He’s no good to us,” went to a certain seaport, hired himself out to mariners, and embarked on a ship. In mid-ocean the ship sprang a leak, and he floated to that island on a plank. While seeking wild fruits he saw that boar. Creeping up, he seized the gem. By its magical power he rose into the air. Seating himself on the fig tree, he thought: “This boar, become an air-voyager by the magical power of this gem, lives here, I suppose. But I must not go back without first of all killing him and eating his flesh.” He broke off a twig and let it fall on the boar’s head. The boar woke up, but not seeing the gem, ran this way and that, all of a tremble. The man sitting in the tree laughed. The boar looked, and seeing him, ran his head against the tree, and died then and there. The man came down, made a fire, and cooked the boar’s flesh and ate it. Then he rose into the air and passed over the tops of the Himālayas.
Seeing a region of hermitages, he descended at the hermitage of the eldest ascetic. He lived there for two or three days, performed the major and minor duties for the ascetic, and saw the magical power of the little hatchet. “This I must get,” thought he. Accordingly, after demonstrating to the ascetic the magical power of the gem, he said: “Reverend Sir, take this gem and give me the little hatchet.” The ascetic, having a desire to travel through the air, took the gem and gave him the little hatchet.
He bit the gem, and by its magical power rose into the air.
The man took the little hatchet and went a short distance. Then he rubbed the little hatchet and said: “Little hatchet, chop off the ascetic’s head and bring me the gem.” The little hatchet went and chopped off the ascetic’s head and brought him the gem. The man put the little hatchet in a secret place, and then went to the second ascetic and lived with him for a few days. Seeing the magical power of the drum, he gave the second ascetic the gem, took the drum, and in the same way as before caused his head also to be cut off. Then he approached the youngest ascetic. Seeing the magical power of the bowl of curds, he gave the youngest ascetic the gem, took the bowl of curds, and in the same way as before caused his head to be cut off.
Then he took the gem and the little hatchet and the drum and the bowl of curds, and rose into the air. Halting not far from Benāres, he sent, by the hand of a certain man, the following message to the king of Benāres: “Give me battle or the kingdom!” As soon as the king heard the message, he said: “Let’s catch the bandit;” and sallied forth. The man beat the proper side of the drum, and a fourfold army surrounded him. Perceiving that the king had deployed his forces, he turned the bowl of curds loose. A mighty river began to flow, and the multitude sank down in the curds and were unable to extricate themselves. Then he rubbed the little hatchet and said: “Bring me the king’s head.” The little hatchet went and brought the king’s head and laid it at his feet. Not a single soldier had the power to lift a weapon. Accompanied by a mighty force, the man entered the city and caused himself to be sprinkled king. Having become king under the name King of the Curds, he ruled with righteousness.
Part 2. Corrupt fruit from a good tree.
One day, while he was amusing himself in the mighty river, in an enclosure formed by a net, there floated up and lodged in the net a single mango fruit fit for the gods. When they lifted the net they saw it and gave it to the king. It was of large size, as big as a water-pot, perfectly round, and of a golden color. The king asked his foresters: “What is that the fruit of?” “The fruit of a mango tree.” Having eaten it, he caused the stone to be planted in his own garden, and to be sprinkled with milk and water. The tree sprouted, and in the third year bore fruit.