Afterwards, when the Cat was approaching very near the Jungle-cock, having sprung at the Cat’s face and with his spurs having plucked out both his eyes, the Jungle-cock flew away. The Cat there and then died.
Cultivating Caste. North-western Province.
The Precepts of Buddha to which reference is made in the first two stories, are the Aṭa-sil, or Eight Precepts, the keeping of which by lay devotees, called Upāsakās, is a necessary obligation. The first one prohibits the taking of life. The others are against theft, immorality, lying, drinking intoxicants, eating after noon, attendance at theatrical amusements, dancing, singing, etc., and personal adornment.
In the Jātaka story No. 128 (vol. i, p. 281) there is an account of a Jackal who pretended to lead a saintly life, standing on one leg because the earth could not support his weight if he stood on all four, he said. He ate the rats which came to pay their respects to him, always seizing the hindmost as they left. The King of the Rats waited till the others had gone, and then sprang at the Jackal’s throat and killed him. The next story, No. 129, is similar.
In No. 384 (vol. iii, p. 170) a Crow pretended to be a saint, and also stood on one leg for the same reason, saying that it fed only on wind. When the other birds left it in charge of their young ones it ate them. At last it was killed by the other birds.
In the Mahā Bhārata (Udyoga Parva) a Cat which pretended to be an ascetic killed the mice that placed themselves under its protection.
In the Hitōpadesa a Cat which gained the confidence of the birds by its pious demeanour ate their young ones.
In the Kathā Sarit Sāgara (Tawney), vol. ii, p. 67, a pious Cat killed a hare and a bird.