When the Vaedda is going back near the Deer, again the Crow tears the packet of cooked rice. The Vaedda, having become angry at it, threw the axe to strike the Crow. The Crow flew away. The axe having struck the Jackal, the Jackal died. Then the Deer, breaking the deer-hide cord, bounded off. Well then, the friends having joined together went away.

The Vaedda saying and saying, "Ane! Was it the Deer that I got, or the packet of cooked rice I got?" [5] went away.

THE DEER, THE JACKAL, AND THE CROW. (Variant a.)

In a certain country, when a Deer and a Crow were friends while a long time was going, one day the Deer met with a Jackal. The Jackal, having seen the Deer, says, "I also should be pleased to be friendly with you. Because of it, are you willing or not?" he asked.

Then the Deer says, "I indeed am willing. I don’t know if the Crow which has become my friend is willing or not."

Then the Jackal asked the Crow. The Crow says, "I am not willing, but if the Deer is willing, remain," he said. After that the whole three were friendly. The Crow’s dwelling was in a tree; the dwelling of the other two was under the tree.

One day when the Jackal is going to seek food, having seen a rice field and come back, he says to the Deer, "Friend, let us two go for food. I have seen a good rice field to-day. You eat the rice there; I will eat crabs there," he said.

The Deer says, "I will not. It is not good to go there; should we go there we shall come into danger," he said.

The Jackal, on the following day having gone [there] and come back, says to the Deer, "Nothing having been done [to me] there, let us very two go to-morrow." This Jackal says thus with the intention that having killed the Deer he may eat the flesh.

The Deer, trusting the word of the Jackal, went. Having gone, when he looked there is a paddy field. Having seen it and eaten the paddy (growing rice) that day, he came back. On the following day, too, the Jackal said, "Let us go." And because the Deer could not break the Jackal’s word, on that day, also, he went.

That day, the man whose field it is, the owner of the field, having come, when he looked saw that deer had eaten it; and having come home, and gone back taking a noose which was twisted from hides, he set it at the gap [in the fence] through which the Deer came.

Thereupon, in order to eat the paddy the Jackal and Deer came to the field. While they were coming [through the fence] the Deer was caught in the noose which had been set. Then the Deer says, "Friend, to-day having come they will kill me. Because of it bite this noose," he said.

Thereupon the Jackal says, "I cannot. This is Sunday; [6] how shall I bite hides to-day?" Having said this, the Jackal got hid and waited.

The Crow, also, having seen that the Deer does not come for a long time, the Crow also came to seek the Deer. Having come, when he looked he saw that the Deer had been caught in the noose, and asked, "Friend, what is [the reason of] it?"

And the Deer says, "This indeed is the Jackal’s contrivance. To-day how shall I get free?" he asked the Crow.

The Crow says, "I will tell you a stratagem. At the time when the rice-field owner is coming I will peck at your eye [as though you were dead]. I will caw at a [certain] time. At that time spring up and run away," he said.

Thereupon the rice-field owner came, taking a cudgel. Having come, when he looked he saw that the Deer, having been caught in the noose, is dead. Then he began the folding up of the noose. When the Crow was cawing the Deer sprang up and ran away.

Having seen the running Deer and thrown the cudgel that was in his hand, [it struck the Jackal, and] at the blow which was struck the Jackal died.

(This is the story as it is found in the Hitopadesa, with an antelope in place of the deer.)

North-western Province.

THE RAT AND THE TURTLE THAT KEPT THE PRECEPTS. (Variant b.)

In a certain country there is a river. At the river there is a Rat; in that river there is a Turtle. Every day when this Turtle rises to the surface this Rat is here. The Turtle said, "Friend, what are you [doing] there?" he said.

"I am keeping the Precepts" (of Buddha).

"Is it good for me also to come?" the Turtle said.