"All hail! O host of hogs assembled here.
Your friendship rare and strange to-day I've seen,
And now aloud proclaim what has been done.
The hogs, I see, have slain a tiger fierce;
By concord firm that bound them one and all
They killed their foe and rid themselves of fear."
The Dabbhapuppha Jâtaka.[1]
In times long since past, when Brahmadatta reigned at Benares, the Bodhisat was reborn as a tree sprite.
At that time a jackal named Sly (Mâyâvî), along with its mate, lived in a certain place near the bank of the river. It came to pass one day that the female jackal thus addressed her spouse: "Husband, a longing has seized me. I wish to eat a rohita-fish." The male jackal replied: "Don't worry about it. I'll bring it you."
Going to the bank of the river he muffled his feet with some jungle-grass and went straight along the bank.
At that time two otters, named Diver (Gambhîracârî) and Lander (Anatîvacârî), stood on the bank of the river looking out for fish. One of them, Diver, catching sight of a big rohita-fish, dived into the water, and caught it by the tail; but the fish was strong, and went along, dragging the otter with it.
So he called out to Lander, "Here's a big fish that's quite enough for both of us. Come, and be my partner."
While talking with the other he spake the following gâthâ:—
"I greet thee well, my friend,
O hasten to my aid,
A big fish have I caught
That drags me here and there."
The other, on hearing this, spake the following gâthâ:—
<poem>"Good luck to thee, my friend. Tight hold keep on that fish. I'll draw it quickly up. Like Garala[2] does snakes."
