A jackal had the habit of visiting the kitchens of several people at
night and eating whatever it could find.
One day, in visiting the house of a dyer, it put its head into a
deep vessel containing blue dye, and, finding the mixture was not
good to eat, tried to get its head out again, but could not do so
for some time. When at last it managed to escape, its head was dyed
a beautiful dark blue colour.
He ran away into the jungles, glad to escape, and unconscious of his
strange appearance; but the other animals in the jungle thought some
new animal had come, and were quite charmed, so that they created
him their King.
They divided up all the wild creatures, and put their new King next
to the jackals, so that when they cried out at nights, he cried too,
and nobody found out that he was only a jackal.
But one day some young jackals made him angry, so he turned them out
and ordered the wolves and foxes to remain nearest to him.
That night, when he began to cry and howl, it was at once discovered
that he was only a jackal; so all the animals ran at him, bit him,
and turned him out.