XXXIV.
THE TWO OTTERS AND THE JACKAL.[1]
In long-past times there lived on the bank of a river two otters, which from time to time used to enter the water and bring fish ashore. But while the otters were on the dry land, the fish used to get back into the water.
Finding there was nothing left, the otters took counsel together one day, and determined that in future one of them should go into the water while the other remained on land, and that they should share the spoil in common. So one of them went into the water while the other remained on land. The one which went into the water frightened the fish, and drove them ashore, while the one which remained on land killed them; the fish also which remained in the water were killed by the otter which had gone into the water.
Now when the heap of fish had become great, one of the otters said, “Divide the heap.”
The other replied, “I will not divide it.”
“Why not?”
“I should not like to make a mistake.”
Then the other said, “For the matter of that, I too might make a mistake.”