Page:The Fables of Æsop (Jacobs).djvu/229

 Rh II.—WOLF AND LAMB (Ro. i. 2).

Phædrus, i. i. Probably Indian, occurring as the Dipi Jataka, in Tibet and in Madagascar. In the Jātaka a Panther meets a Kid and complains that his tail has been trodden upon. The Kid gently points out that the Panther's face was towards him.

Panther. "My tail covers the earth."

Kid. "But I came through the air."

Panther. "I saw you frightening the beasts by coming through the air. You prevented my getting any prey."—Warra, Warra, Warra.

The Jātaka occurs in Tibet, told of the Wolf and the Sheep. It is referred to by Shakespeare, Henry IV. Act I. scene viii.

III. DOG AND SHADOW (Ro. i. 5).

Phædrus, i. 4. Probably Indian, from the Calladhanuggaha Jataka (Folklore Journal ii. 371 seq.). An unfaithful wife eloping with her lover arrives at the bank of a stream. There the lover persuades her to strip herself so that he may carry her clothes across the stream, which he proceeds to do, but never returns. Indra, seeing her plight, changes himself into a jackal bearing a piece of flesh and goes down to the bank of the stream. In its waters fish are disporting, and the Indra-jackal, laying aside his meat, plunges in after one of them. A vulture hovering near seizes hold of the meat and bears it aloft, and the jackal, returning unsuccessful from his fishing, is taunted by the woman. In the imitation of the Jataka which occurs in the Panchatantra (v. 8) her taunt is:


 * "The fish swims in the waters still, the vulture is off with the meat.