Page:The Folk-Lore Journal Volume 4 1886.djvu/59

Rh The hogs were not quite pleased about it.

The carpenter's hog, on noticing their looks, said: "Why, I pray are you dissatisfied?" "Master," they replied, "on account of this one tiger that false hermit will be quite able to bring ten tigers.'" [sic] "Who may that be?" he inquired. "An immoral ascetic," they replied.

"The tiger was in truth killed by me. Will he prove a match for me?" So saying he went forth with his troop of hogs for the purpose of capturing the hermit.

As the tiger tarried (and did not return) that false ascetic went in the direction the hogs were advancing, thinking that the hogs had surely captured the tiger. On seeing them marching along he fled, taking with him his eight requisites, which, on being pursued, he threw away, and with great haste got up an Udambara-tree.

"Master!" said the hogs; "we are now done for: the ascetic has run away and got up a tree." "What sort of a tree?" he asked. "An Udambara-tree," they replied.

The commanding hog issued the following directions: "Let the sows bring water, let the hoglings dig up the ground, let the long-tuskers grub up the roots, and let the rest surround the tree and keep guard!"

While they were thus occupied the leader himself struck a single blow at the thick tapering root of the Udambara ('twas like striking with an axe), and at once caused the tree to fall. The hogs surrounding the tree brought the false ascetic to the ground, and rent him piecemeal until they had eaten all the flesh from the bone.

Then they made the carpenter's hog sit down on the trunk of the Udambara-tree, and with water brought in a shell (belonging to the false ascetic) they consecrated him as king.

From that time forward—it is said—until this day they made kings sit in a fine chair made of Udambara-wood and consecrated him with three shells.

A sprite that dwelt in this dense wood beheld that wonderful sight as he stood in a hole in the trunk facing the hogs, and uttered the following gâthâ:—