Page:The Folk-Lore Journal Volume 3 1885.djvu/65

Rh to wash his mouth. But in that pond there lived a certain golden crab, beautiful and amiable. The Bodhisat went down to the pond and cleaned his teeth. While he was washing his mouth the golden crab came up to him; whereupon the farmer lifted it up, and made it lie within his upper garment and took it to the field. When he had transacted what business there was to be done, he went straight to the pond and deposited the crab safely there, and then went home. From that time forth, as soon as he came to the field, he first went to the pond and made the crab lie within his upper garment, and then went about his labours.

In this way there grew up a strong and intimate friendship between these two. The Bodhisat came constantly to the field; but in his eyes fine hues and three very bright circles were visible. There chanced to be at the end of this field, on a certain palm-tree, a crow's nest, wherein was a female crow who had noticed his eyes, and became desirous of eating them. Then she said to her mate, the male crow: "Husband, I have a great longing." "What sort of a longing, I pray?" he asked. "I want to eat the eyes of a certain brâhman," said she. "You have conceived a bad longing. Who can get those for you?"

"I am well aware that you are not able," said she; "but not far off from this palm-tree there is a mound wherein dwells a black serpent; wait upon him (and so secure his good offices). He'll bite and kill the farmer, then do you tear out his eyes and bring them to me." The male crow assented, saying, "Let it be so." Thenceforth he attended upon the black snake.

By the time that the grain sown by the Bodhisat began to sprout the crab had grown to a large size. Then one day the serpent said to the crow, "My friend, you are constantly waiting upon me; what can I do for you?" He replied, "Master, thy slave (the female crow) has conceived a great longing for the eyes of the owner of yonder field. I wait upon you because I think by your power I'll get possession of his eyes." The serpent comforted him and said, "Be it so, you shall have them, though it will not be an easy job." The next day, hidden