The ascetic having been much pleased, asks the Jackal, “Regarding it, what must be done by me for thee?”
When he said [this] the Jackal says, “I don’t want you, Sir, to do any favour at all for me. If I am to give the masuran to you, Sir, please carry me to the place where the masuran are,” he said.
Thereupon the ascetic, carrying in his arms the Jackal, went into the midst of the forest where he said the masuran are. When he went into the midst of the forest, the Jackal having spoken to the ascetic, says, “Look, the masuran are here; please place me here,” he said.
Thereupon the ascetic placed the Jackal on the ground. The Jackal then says, “Taking your outer robe, Sir, and having spread it on the ground, please remain looking in the direction of the sun, not letting the eyelid fall. Having dug up the masuran I will put them into your robe, Sir,” he said.
When the Jackal said thus, the ascetic, through greed for the masuran, without thinking anything having spread the robe on the ground, was looking in the direction of the sun. When he was looking thus for a little time, the Jackal having dunged into the robe, and for a little time more having falsely dug the ground, said to the ascetic, “Now then, be pleased to take the masuran.”
Thereupon when the ascetic through greed for the masuran looks in the direction of the robe, because of the sun’s rays his eyes having become weak, the Jackal dung that he had put [there] appeared like masuran.[1] Making [the robe] into a bundle he went away.
The Jackal having bounded off, went into the midst of the forest.
Western Province.
This tale agrees in some respects with the Jātaka story No. 113 (vol. i. p. 256), in which the person who carried the Jackal was a Brāhmaṇa, who, however, was not told to look at the sun, as in the Sinhalese tale No. 65, in vol. i, of which this is a variant.