A long time ago the Crow and the Dove arranged to go hunting together. They took with them their guns, charms, dogs, and chief huntsman. The dogs entered the bush and started an animal which the Dove fired at and killed. Then up ran the Crow shouting: “It is mine, it is mine.”
“No,” said the Dove; “I killed it.”
“It is mine,” asserted the Crow, and although they tried to argue with him, he would not listen, but only shouted more loudly: “It is mine.”
At last the Dove gave way, and thus it was every time they went hunting--the Crow always cheated the Dove out of his game by his loud blustering cry: “It is mine. It is mine.”
One day, while hunting, the Dove accidentally shot the chief huntsman, and no sooner did the Crow hear the report of the gun than he came running and calling out: “It is mine, it is mine. I shot it,” but on drawing near and seeing the body of the huntsman, he said to the Dove: “It is yours.”
“No,” replied the Dove; "you have said ‘It is mine’ every time I have killed game, and now this is yours also." They talked long and loudly about the matter, and at last they laid the case before the elders in the town.
The elders said to the Crow: “Yes, it is yours. You have claimed everything before, now take this also, and bury the body properly, and pay all the expenses of the funeral.” There are many people like the Crow, who take all the credit to themselves, and leave the blame to others.
XIII
How the Civet and the Tortoise lost their Friendship for each other
The Tortoise and the Civet, although they lived in separate towns, had a great friendship for each other. Their kindness to one another was known to all the neighbours, for they never refused to help one another in sickness and trouble.