Puranic Encyclopaedia: A Comprehensive Dictionary with Special Reference to the Epic and Puranic Literature c8.1802
Purāṇic Encyclopaedia: A Comprehensive Dictionary with Special Reference to the Epic and Purāṇic Literature c8.1802
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c8.1802.1
4) Labdhanāśa.. (Losing what you got). Once a monkey named Balimukha separated himself from his group and came to a fig tree on the banks of a river. When he jumped from branch to branch on the tree a great many ripe figs fell into the river. Seeing this a crocodile named Śimśumāra came to the foot of the tree and started eating the fruits. This went on for a few days and then the crocodile and the monkey became good friends. One day the crocodile sat chatting with the monkey and eating fruits and did not go home. The wife of the crocodile got worried on not seeing her husband back at home and sent a maid of hers to go and enquire what happened to her husband. The maid came and reported that the crocodile was spending his time with a she-monkey. The wife of the crocodile was very sad and angry to hear this and she sent word through her maid that she was seriously ill and if he wanted to see her alive he must return to her immediately. The crocodile returned home immediately and he called a doctor to examine her. The doctor who had been previously bribed by the crocodile's wife said that she should be given the heart of a monkey if she were to be saved from her present ailment. The crocodile was in a fix. Weighed in his mind the lives of his wife and friend and then decided to take the life of his friend to save the life of his wife. The crocodile went to its place near the fig tree as usual and the monkey made enquiries about his family.
c8.1802.2
Then Śimśumāra said that his wife wanted to see the monkey-friend and had asked him to take him home that day. The monkey believed the story and started for the house of Śimśumāra on its back. When they reached half way in the river Śimśumāra told Balimukha "My wife is seriously ill. The doctor has prescribed the heart of a monkey as the only medicine for it." The monkey went pale-white with fright but instantly he hit upon a plan. Balimukha said "Simśumāra, what a fool you are. Why did you not tell me this at least at the time of our departure? I kept my heart on the tree before starting, for I never knew you were in need of it. Let us go back and take it." The poor crocodile believed the story and went back with the monkey to the fig tree. As soon as they reached the shore the monkey jumped from the back of the crocodile and ran to the tree. The crocodile asked the monkey to bring his heart soon but the monkey laughed from the top of the fig tree and said thus:—"Dull-witted crocodile, I am not an ass like you. Have you not heard the story of the foolish ass?" The monkey then narrated the story of the ass thus:— "Once a lion calling his minister, the fox, to his side said that he wanted to eat the flesh of an ass as a remedy for the stomach trouble he was having by drinking too much of elephant's blood. The minister started in search of an ass and found one in the house of a washerman.
c8.1802.3
The fox said that he was surprised that the ass was doing such heavy work daily with a washerman when a happy life in the palace of the lion was easily available. The ass was tempted and it went to the den of the lion. When it reached there it got frightened and taking the opportunity of the absence of the lion for his evening worship left the place in a hurry. The lion sent the fox again to fetch the ass. The fox came and laughed at the timidity of the ass. He said that the lion was of a loving nature and last time when it approached the ass to embrace him out of affection he ran away like a fool. The lion knew that the asses were as a class good musicians and the lion himself a great lover of music was anxious to hear the ass sing. The poor ass believed the story and went to the lion along with the fox When the ass reached the lion's den the lion was waiting for him and the ass in all simplicity bowed before the lion. The lion with one stroke killed the poor beast and leaving the carcass to the care of the fox went for his Sandhyāvandana. When the lion returned the fox had already eaten the heart of the ass. The King of the beasts not finding the heart in its place questioned the fox and the fox replied that the asses do not possess either a heart or neck :