Then the Queen said, “Having caused the animals that are in this Lan̥kāwa (Ceylon) to be brought, let us build a tank.”
Then the King having said, “It is good,” caused the animals to be brought. The King having gone with the animals, showed them a place [in which] to build a tank; and telling them to build it came away.
The animals, at the King’s command being unable to do anything, all together began to struggle on the mound of earth. Those which can take earth in the mouth take it in the mouth. All work in this manner. The Jackal, not doing any work, having bounded away remained looking on.
After three or four days, the King having gone [there] trickishly stayed looking on. The King saw that the other animals are all moving about as though working; the Jackal, only, having bounded off is looking on.
Having seen it he asked the Jackal, “The others are all working; thou, only, art looking upward. Why?”
Thereupon the Jackal said, “No, O Lord; I looked into an account.”
Then the King asked, “What account art thou looking at?”
The Jackal says, “I looked whether in this country the females are in excess or the males are in excess.”
The King asked, “By the account which thou knowest, are the females in excess or the males in excess?”
The Jackal said, “So far as I can perceive, the females are in excess in this country.”