No. 95
The Story of the Two Liars
There are two Liars called the Eastern Liar and the Western Liar, it is said. The Eastern Liar was minded to go to seek the Western Liar, it is said.[1] Should you say, “What was that for?” it was for telling lies in competition (i.e., a lying match), it is said.
Tying up the packet of cooked rice from one and a half amuṇas[2] of uncooked rice, and the flesh of twelve goats, and bringing it for the [mid] day food, he went to the house of the Western Liar. At the time when he was going there, the Liar was not at home; a daughter of his was there. He gave her the packet of cooked rice to put away. She took the packet of cooked rice with the point of the needle with which she was sewing and sewing, and put it away.
The Eastern Liar [asked] the female child, “Where is thy father? In the forest?”
Thereupon the child [said], “Our father [in order] to cover up the thundering went to skin a mosquito, and come back.”
Thereupon this very Liar, having become afraid, thinks, “At the time when this very child told lies to this degree, when her father has come to what extent will he tell lies?” Thinking it, and asking for the packet of cooked rice again, he went off back again. Because it was not yet day[3] [enough] for eating in the daytime,[3] having hung the bundle of cooked rice on a large Banyan tree he went to sleep.
After that, at the time when the Western Liar, cutting sticks and creepers for a house and placing them under his armpits, was coming, the little female child who was at the house having gone in front [of him], says, “A man came to seek you,” she said.
Thereupon the man asked, “Where?”
“Look; he went there,” she said.