Page:Folk-lore of the Telugus.djvu/118

110 Hiranayaka! I desire your friendship. Have mercy on me and fulfil my desire." Hearing this Hiranayaka from inside the hole, said:—"Who are you?" To which the crow replied:—"I am a crow. My name is Laghupathanaka.' Hiranayaka laughed at this, and said:—"I am your lawful prey. How can we two be friends? It will be with us as with the deer who was caught in the trap and owed his life to the crow." "How was that?" enquired Laghupathanaka. So Hiranayaka went on to say:—

"A deer and a crow once lived in the forest of Mantharavati in the land of Magadha, and were close friends. The deer throve and grew fat until a jackal saw him and thought to himself what a dainty meal he could make of him. So thinking the jackal came to the deer and said: —'Let us be friends.' 'Who are you?' asked the deer. 'I am Subuddhi, the jackal, and I desire your friendship.' So the deer took the jackal to his lair and when the crow who was perched on a tree close by saw them he said to the deer:—'Who is your friend'? 'This is my dear