No. 178
Concerning the Friendship of the Hare and the Parrot
In a certain country there are a Hare, and a Mouse-deer, and a Parrot near a river, it is said. The three every day come to the river to drink water.
One day the Parrot said to the Hare, “Friend.”
Then the Hare having said, “What? We two are friends indeed. From our friendship what will be the profit? Should you find and give me a mate we should indeed be friends,” afterwards the Parrot said, “If so, stay there until the time when I come [after] finding a mate for you,” and the Parrot drank water and went away.
On the following day, when the Parrot came he met with a Mouse-deer. Having seen the Parrot the Mouse-deer says, “Friend, where is your friend?”
The Parrot says, “My friend has not come to-day.”
Then the Mouse-deer says, “What friendship with those Hares! If you become friendly with us what things cannot we do!”