In long-past times, there lived in a certain hill-town a householder,
who possessed an ox marked with signs. Śramaṇas, Brahmans, kinsmen, the
poor, the helpless, the needy, and the sick provided it with
sustenance, and it could wander about at its pleasure. One day, as it
was roaming about, it got into a certain swamp. Towards sunset came the
householder, who had heard of this, and was looking for it. As he could
not get it out at the moment, he determined to do so next morning. But
the ox said, “Fling me a noose, and then go away. If a jackal comes, I
will pick up the noose with my horns and throw it over him.” The
householder flung a noose in front of the ox and went away.
In the course of the night up came a jackal, and said, “Who is it that
is tearing up these lotus roots and white lotuses?”
The ox replied, “It is I. Here I am, stuck fast in the swamp.”
The jackal thought it had found a feast, and prepared to do the ox an
injury. The ox said, “Get away from here; harm and disgrace might come
upon you.” But as there was no driving away the jackal, and he was
still bent upon injuring as before, the ox uttered this verse—
“No lotus roots do I tear up, nor white lotuses either. If thou wishest
for food mount upon my back, there wilt thou find food.”
Full of gluttony, the jackal got on the back of the ox. But the ox
flung the noose with its horn, caught the jackal round the neck, and
let him hang in the air. The ox uttered this verse—
“Art thou Jakara the dancing-master, or art thou one who is learning to
dance? In the forest are no fees paid; arts are taught in cities.”