No. 30
The Jackal and the Hare
In a certain country there are a Jackal and a Hare living together, it is said.
One day when the Jackal was rubbing himself in the morning in the open space at the front of the house, there was a pumpkin seed in his hair. He took it and planted it. Afterwards, when the Hare went to the open ground, and was rubbing himself, he also had a pumpkin seed in his hair. He, too, took it and planted it. That which the Jackal planted, being without water, died. The Hare having brought water in his ears, and watered his seed, it sprouted, grew large, and bore a fruit.
After the fruit had become large, the Jackal and Hare spoke together, “Friend, with that pumpkin fruit let us eat pumpkin milk-rice.” They also said, “Whence the rice, coconut, and the like, for it?”
Then the Hare said, “We two will go to the path to the shops. You stay in the bushes. I will be lying down in the grass field (piṭiya) at the side of the path. Men going along the road, having placed on the path the articles which they are carrying to the shops, will come to take me. Then you take the goods, and go off to the bushes.”
When the Jackal and Hare had gone to the path that led to the shops, and seen a man coming, bringing a bag of rice, the Hare lay down in the grass field as though dead. The Jackal hid himself and waited.
That man having come up, and seen that the Hare was dead, said, “Appā! Bola, there is meat for me.” So he placed the bag of rice on the road, and went to get the Hare. Then the Jackal came running, and carried off the bag of rice into the bushes. When the man was approaching the Hare, it got up and ran away. So the man had neither the bag of rice nor the Hare. He went home empty-handed (nikam).
Again when the Jackal and Hare were looking out, they saw a man come, bringing a pingo (carrying-stick) load of coconuts, and the Hare went and lay down again in the grass field. The Jackal hid himself and looked out.
Afterwards that man came up, and as he was going on from there he saw that the Hare was lying dead, and saying, “Appā! Bola, there is a Hare,” placed the pingo load of coconuts on the path, and went to get the Hare. The Jackal, taking the pingo load of coconuts, went into the bushes. As that man approached the Hare it got up and ran away. So the man had neither the pingo load of coconuts nor the Hare. He went home empty-handed.