Page:The Folk-Lore Journal Volume 4 1886.djvu/182

 174 ' FOLK-TALES OF INDIA.

On a time there was a fire in the forest, and a certain jackal, unable to escape, remained in a tree up to his neck. The hair all over his body was burnt. And, as he stood up to his neck in the tree, the short hairs on his head appeared like a tuft of hair (i. e., like the top- knot on the shorn head of an ascetic).

One day, as he was drinking water in a pool, he beheld his shadow, and saw the top-knot on his head. Then he thought, *' Now I've got the means of getting a living." * While wandering about in the forest he saw the rat-cave, and thought, *' I must cajole and eat these rats," so he stood not far off (the cave) in the manner already described.! It came to pass that the Bodhisat, going on his rounds for food, saw him, and deemed him to be *' religious." So he drew near to him, and asked, "Who may you be?" The jackal replied, "I am Aggika-Bharadvaja." J "Why do you come here?" inquired the rat-king. " To take care of you," replied the jackal. " What will you do to protect us ?" **I am acquainted," said the jackal, "with ' arith- metic'; § so early in the morning, when you start out in search of food, and again on your return in the evening, I'll count how many there are of you. And thus, by counting you every morning and evening, I'll take care of you."

" Well, then, uncle," said the rat-king, "look after us." " Good ! " said he, as he consented.

When they were leaving the cave he counted "one, two, three," &c., and so, also, in the evening, on their return he counted them, taking and eating always the one that came last of all. The rest of the rats he ate just in the same way as has been already described. ||

But, in this instance, the rat-king, turning back, stood still, and said : " 0, Aggika-Bharadvaja, this top-knot of hair has not been

pretend that he was an ascetic.
 * i.e. the top-knot on his head would be a source of profit by enabling to

t With his head up and the top-knot visible.

I One of the seven sages (rishis^. § Literally " thumb counting."

II This may refer to the description of how the rats were eaten by the jackal in the Bilara Jataka.