In lost past times, when the Bodisat remained in an incomplete state of
merit-accumulation, he lived in a certain hill district as a lion, king
of the beasts. In the neighbourhood of the hill there dwelt five
hundred jackals, which followed after him and devoured what he left.
When the lion had killed any animal, and had eaten of its good flesh
and drunk of its good blood, he used to leave it lying on the ground
and go away. This state of things lasted a long time.
Once when the lion, king of beasts, was hunting beasts at night, he
fell into a well, and all the five hundred jackals, with one exception,
dispersed in divers directions. Only one of the jackals paid any
attention to the lion, sitting by the edge of the well, and thinking in
what way he could draw the lion out. While running to and fro in the
neighbourhood of the well, he saw a small lake at no great distance.
Having observed it, he dug a canal on one side, and filled the well
with water from the lake, so that the lion was able to get out. A deity
uttered this verse:—
“The mighty as well as the rest must make themselves friends. See how
the jackal rescued the lion from out of an old well.”