Daṇḍin mentioned the request of the snake and the ichneumon, and the king said, “Tell both of them this: ‘When ye were men, ye were born as two brothers. One of the two said, “Let us divide our property.” But the other, overcome by envy, would not consent to the division. On that account the one, being too covetous, was born again as a snake; but the other, inasmuch as he was [[36]]excessively covetous and clung to the property, was born as an ichneumon. Do ye then give these treasures to the Śramaṇas or the Brahmans, and then leave that spot. By that means will ye fare well.’ ”
Daṇḍin brought forward the snake’s request, and the king said, “Say this to the snake: ‘When hungry and in a state of collapse, you can easily creep out of your hole. But when you have partaken of copious food, then it is only with pain that you can creep back into the hole. If you can content yourself with so much food as is fit for you, you will fare well.’ ”
Daṇḍin mentioned the young wife’s request, and the king said, “Tell the young wife this: ‘In your father’s house there is a friend. When you are in your father-in-law’s house, you long after that friend; but when you are in your father’s house, you long after your husband. As it is not right that you should suffer pain beyond measure, give up the one place of residence and take up your abode permanently in the other.’ ”
The young wife and the snake did what they were told to do. The snake and the ichneumon, as well as the crow, made over their treasures to Daṇḍin. The others likewise acted in accordance with the instructions given to them. [[37]]
[1] Kah-gyur, book ii. pp. 198–201. We have here a simpler and at the same time more concrete recension of chap. xxxi. of the Dsanglun, with a continuation which includes chap. xxxix. of that work, with the latter of which Benfey’s remarks in his introduction to the Panchatantra (i. 394) are to be consulted, as well as Sukhomlinof’s account of “The Tale of Shemyaka’s Judgment” in the Zapiski of the St. Petersburg Academy of Sciences, 1873, vol. xxii. book i. The decision in the second part of the continuation is attributed in the Dsanglun, chap. xxxix. to King Mdges-pa.—S. [↑]
IV.
THE CLEVER THIEF.[1]
In olden times there lived in a hill-town a householder, who married a wife of his own caste. When a son was born unto him, he said to his wife, “Goodwife, now that there is born unto us a causer of debts and diminisher of means, I will take merchandise and go to sea.” She replied, “Do so, lord.” So he went to sea with his merchandise, and there he died.