Hitopadesha 1.69

1.69

śṛṇu punaḥ-
svacchanda-vana-jātena śākenāpi prapūryate |
asya dagdhodarasyārthe kaḥ kuryāt pātakaṃ mahat //

Listen further: / "Even with herbs growing wild in the forest it is filled; / for the sake of this wretched belly, who would commit a great sin?"

1.69.p1

evaṃ viśvāsya sa mārjāras taru-koṭare sthitaḥ | tato dineṣu gacchatsu asau pakṣi-śāvakān ākramya sva-koṭaram ānīya pratyahaṃ khādati | atha yeṣām apatyāni khāditāni | taiḥ śokārtair vilapadbhir itas tato jijñāsā samārabdhā | tat parijñāya mārjāraḥ koṭarān niḥsṛtya bahiḥ palāyitaḥ | paścāt pakṣibhir itas tato nirūpayadbhis tatra taru-koṭare śāvakāḥ khāditā iti sarvaiḥ pakṣibhir niścitya ca gṛdhro vyāpāditaḥ | ato 'haṃ bravīmi-ajñāta-kula-śīlasya ity ādi |

Having thus inspired trust, that cat stayed in the hollow of the tree. Then, as the days went by, he seized bird fledglings, brought them into his hollow, and ate them every day. Then, by those whose offspring had been eaten, stricken with grief and lamenting, an inquiry was begun here and there. Realising that, the cat slipped out of the hollow and fled outside. Afterwards, by the birds searching here and there, when it was established that 'the fledglings were eaten in that tree hollow', the vulture was killed by all the birds together. Therefore I say: 'One whose family and character are unknown...', and so forth.

"And so, winning the old Vulture's confidence, Long-ear, the Cat, entered the hollow tree and lived there. And day after day he stole away some of the nestlings, and brought them down to the hollow to devour. Meantime the parent birds, whose little ones were being eaten, made an inquiry after them in all quarters; and the Cat, discovering this fact, slipped out from the hollow, and made his escape. Afterwards, when the birds came to look closely, they found the bones of their young ones in the hollow of the tree where Grey-pate lived; and the birds at once concluded that their nestlings had been killed and eaten by the old Vulture, whom they accordingly executed. That is my story, and why I warned you against unknown acquaintances."

1.69.p2

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1.69.p3

ity ākarṇya sa jambukaḥ sa-kopam āha-mṛgasya prathama-darśana-dine bhavān api ajñāta-kula-śīla eva āsīt | tat kathaṃ bhavatā saha etasya snehānuvṛttir uttarottaraṃ vardhate ? athavā-

Hearing this, that jackal said angrily: 'On the day of your first sight of the deer, you too were of unknown family and character. How then does his flow of affection with you grow increasingly? Or rather—

"Sir," said the Jackal, with some warmth, "on the first day of your encountering the Deer you also were of unknown family and character: how is it, then, that your friendship with him grows daily greater? True, I am only Small-wit, the Jackal, but what says the saw?—