In long past times King Brahmadatta came to the throne in Vārāṇasī. A
man, who had gone with his axe and wood-basket into the forest to fetch
wood, was frightened by a lion while looking for wood, and in running
away fell into a pit. Into it fell likewise the lion which was
intending to devour him. A mouse, which had been frightened by a snake,
ran away from it, and a falcon pursued the mouse, in order to devour
it. They all four fell into the pit, and they all entertained the evil
design of putting each other to death. But the lion said, “O honoured
ones, ye are all comrades of mine. As things are so, and we are
suffering intolerable pain from woe, it is now no time for us to expose
one another to danger. Therefore sit quietly without disturbing
yourselves.”
By the dispensation of destiny a hunter, who was looking for gazelles,
came to that spot, and while he was looking at that pit, all those
creatures exclaimed in confused words, “Ho, friend, rescue us!”
Understanding what they said, the hunter drew out first of all the
lion. It touched his feet and said, “I shall prove grateful to you. But
do not draw out that black-headed one who forgets accepted benefits.”
Having thus spoken, the lion departed. The hunter then proceeded to
extricate them all by degrees from the pit.
One day the hunter came again to that spot when the lion had killed a
gazelle. The lion recognised the man, and touched his feet, and gave
him the gazelle. At another time King Brahmadatta had gone into the
park with his spouse, and, after enjoying himself there, had lain down
to sleep. Left at their ease, the women took off their clothes and
exposed them to the air. And they laid aside their ornaments in divers
places and roamed about, or sat, reposed, and slept in the grove. When
one of the wives had laid aside her ornaments at a certain spot, and
had gone to sleep, the falcon carried them off, and gratefully
presented them to the hunter. When the king awoke from his sleep he
went swiftly to Vārāṇasī. And away went quickly also the wives,
princes, ministers, towns-people, and country-folk. The wife, who
looked for her ornaments but could not find them, said to the king, “O
king, my ornaments are lost in the park.” The king gave orders to his
ministers, saying, “O honoured ones, as the ornaments are lost, find
out who has carried them off.”
When they began to make inquiries, the black-headed man, who had
visited the hunter from time to time and knew that he was in possession
of the ornaments, came with ungrateful heart and told the king. Then
the king was very angry. And the king’s men summoned the hunter, and
said to him, “Ho, friend, you stole the ornaments out of the park.” The
hunter was terrified and related what had taken place. The ornaments
were restored to the king. But the hunter was bound and cast into
prison.
Then the mouse went to the snake and said, “By the contrivance of the
black-headed sinner has our benefactor been bound and cast into
prison.” The snake said, “O hunter, I will bite the king to-day. Then
do you heal him with this spell and this remedy. If that is done, no
doubt the king will set you at liberty, and will confer upon you gifts
and good things.” The hunter said, “Good, so be it!” The snake bit the
king, and the hunter came and healed him with the spell and the remedy.
Then the king joyfully released him from the prison, and bestowed upon
him gifts and good things.