The Cunning Jackal

Once on a time when Brahmadatta was reigning in
Benares, the Bodhisatta was born a jackal, and dwelt in a
charnel-grove with a great following of jackals of whom he
was king. And at that time there was a festival held at
Rajagaha, and a very wet festival it was, with everybody
drinking hard. Now a parcel of rogues got hold of victual
and drink in abundance, and putting on their best clothes
sang and made merry over their fare. By midnight the
meat was all gone, though the liquor still held out. Then
on one asking for more meat and being told there was
none left, said the fellow, " Victuals never lack while I am
about. I'll off to the charnel-grove, kill a jackal prowling
about to eat the corpses, and bring back some meat." So
saying he snatched up a club and made his way out of the
city by the sewer to the place, where he lay down, club in
hand, feigning to be dead. Just then, followed by the
other jackals, the Bodhisatta came up and marked the
pretended corpse. Suspecting the fraud, he determined
to sift the matter. So he went round to the lee side and
knew by the scent that the man was not really dead.
Resolving to make the man look foolish before leaving
him, the Bodhisatta stole near and took hold of the club
with his teeth and tugged at it. The rascal did not leave
go : not perceiving the Bodhisatta's approach, he took
a tighter grip. Hereon the Bodhisatta stepped back a
pace or two and said, " My good man, if you had been dead,
you would not have tightened your grip on your club when
I was tugging at it, and so have betrayed yourself." So
saying, he uttered this stanza :

Thy tightening grip upon thy club doth shew
Thy rank imposture thou'rt no corpse, I trow.

Finding that he was discovered, the rogue sprang to
his feet and flung his club at the Bodhisatta, but missed
his aim. "Be off, you brute," said he, "I've missed you
this time." Turning round, the Bodhisatta said, "True
you have missed me, but be assured you will not miss the
torments of the Great Hell and the sixteen Lesser Hells."

Empty-handed, the rogue left the cemetery and, after
bathing in a ditch, went back into the city by the way he
had come.