Page:Folk-lore of the Telugus.djvu/133

 XLII. THE CAT AND THE MOUSE. There was once a large banyan tree in the midst of an extensive forest, covered with many kinds of creepers, which was the resort of a number of birds and animals. A mouse of great wisdom lived at its foot, having made a hole there with a hundred outlets, and in the branches there lived a cat in great happiness, daily devouring many birds.

Now it happened that a Chandala came into the forest and built a hut for himself, and every evening after sunset he spread his traps, made of leathern strings. Many animals fell into his traps every night, and it so happened that one day the cat, in a moment of heedlessness, was caught.

As soon as his foe the cat was caught, the mouse came out of his hole and began to rove about fearlessly. While trustfully roving through the forest in search of food, the mouse after a little while saw the meat that the Chan-