In Wide-Awake Stories (Steel and Temple), p. 243—Tales of the Punjab, p. 230—there is a variant in which the Jackal was attracted by a fruit-laden wild plum tree. He made love to a lady Crocodile, and was carried across the river by her.
No. 33
The Gamarāla’s Cakes
At a village there are a Gamarāla (a village headman or elder) and a Gama-Mahagē (his wife) and their four sons, it is said.
One day while they were there the Gamarāla said to his wife, “Bolan, it is in my mind to eat cakes. For the boys and for me fry ample cakes, and give us them,” he said.
The Gamarāla was looking out for them for many days; the Gama-Mahagē did not cook and give him the cakes.
Again one day the Gamarāla thought of eating cakes. That day, also, the Gamarāla reminded her of the matter of the cakes. On the following day the Gama-Mahagē having fried five large cakes, placed them in the corn store. The boys having gone to the chena and come back, after they had asked, “Is there nothing to eat?” the Gama-Mahagē said to the boys, “Look there! There are cakes in the corn store. I put them there for father, too; eat ye also,” she said. The boys having gone to the corn store, all four ate the cakes.
After they had eaten them, the Gamarāla, having gone to the watch-hut, came back. After he came the boys said, “Father, we ate cakes.” When the Gamarāla asked, “Where are [some] for me?” “Mother puts them in the corn store,” they said.
When the Gamarāla went to the corn store for the cakes to eat, there were no cakes. “Where, Bolan, are the cakes?” he asked.