PT4-03-StupidDonkey
Panchatantra Stories  
பஞ்சதந்திரம் pañca-tantiram , n. pañcan +. The Tamil version of Pañca-tantra consisting of five books, viz., mittira-pētam, cukirl- lāpam, canti-vikkirakam, artta-nācam, acampirēṭciya-kārittuvam; மித்திரபேதம், சுகிர்ல்லாபம், சந்திவிக்கிரகம், அர்த்தநாசம், அசம்பிரேட்சியகாரித்து வம் என ஐம்பகுதியுடையதாய்த் தமிழில் மொழிபெயர்க் கப்பட்ட நூல்.
1. மித்திரபேதம் = mittira-pētam = Sowing discord among friends.
2. சுகிர்ல்லாபம் = cukir-l-lāpam = the acquisition of friends.
3. சந்திவிக்கிரகம் canti-vikkirakam  = Associating with a foe with a view to ruin him.
4. அர்த்தநாசம் artta-nācam  = Loss of wealth.
5. அசம்பிரேட்சியகாரித்துவம் a-campirēṭciya-kārittuvam , n. a-sam-prēkṣya-kāri-tva. Action without forethought.
Inspiration: N.Natchiyappan

1.      A lion in the forest had a fox as his minister and one day had a stomachache, for which someone advised eating a donkey's liver was curative. The lion asked the fox to bring home the liver. 

 

2.      The fox had to leave the forest to find a donkey. Adjoining a stream, the fox saw a washerman with a donkey in tow. When he reached the stream, he unloaded the dirty laundry bag from its back, tied its hind legs at the ankle, and let it go for grazing. When the donkey was some distance away from him, the fox spoke to the donkey.

 

3.      The fox: "Ayyō! Holy mercy! Why is your body so emaciated?"

 

4.      The donkey: "What am I to do? When the washerman gets angry, he whips me. He never feeds me well. He not only rides on my back but also burdens me heavily with a huge laundry bag. When I do not carry the bags, he ties up one hind leg to the opposite foreleg. It is no wonder I appear emaciated. 

 

5.      Fox: "To hear your story evokes pity. To be free from this joyless life, I have a suggestion. Go with me to the king of the forest, the lion, who will make you a minister. With such a powerful job, you will live well. "

 

6.      The donkey: "A lion! No way. It kills other animals and eats them. I am afraid."

 

7.      The fox: "Your worry is unfounded. Are we not in his employ? Did the lion kill us all? The king does not look at any animal other than a male elephant. I will take responsibility for your well-being and safety. What do you say?"

 

8.      The donkey: "If that is so, I will go."

 

9.      Immediately, the fox bit the leg ties with its teeth and set him free. The fox took the donkey into the forest without the knowledge of the washerman. 

 

10.                         As soon as the donkey came into the sight of the lion, the latter charged towards the donkey. The donkey took off, braying loudly. The lion could not catch up with the donkey because its stomachache slowed it down. 

11.                       The fox: "Dear king! Where is the rush? Let me go and get the donkey back. When you find the donkey in your grasp, kill and eat it." The fox ran after the donkey. 

 

12.                         The fox came close to the donkey and said, "Why did you run away like that?" The donkey said, "Go away. I trusted you. That lion came charging to kill me, even before I came close to him. I escaped and ran. Why are you here again?"

 

13.                         The fox: Ayiyō! Sin, sin! Say nothing sinful about the lion king. So far, he kept the spoken word. Do not speak ill of him. Have you lost your Buddhi, speaking ill of this world-famous upright and praiseworthy lion? 

 

14.                         The fox: "This is no hoax. What sins could you have done in your last birth? Now you took birth as a donkey, suffered so much carrying dirty clothes, and received beatings from the washerman. For you to expunge your sins, I did a good deed. You failed to understand that and ran away in fear from the lion, who, in his joy, ran to embrace you. Would anybody reject a fortune? Should your fate lead you astray? Let us go. Listen to me. Good things will happen to you. 

 

15.                         The donkey trusted the fox entirely and followed the fox, which brought the donkey before the lion. 

 

16.                         As soon the lion saw the donkey, it jumped at the donkey, embraced it, and broke its neck. 

 

17.                         The lion: "I leave to perform Sandhyavanthanam to atone killing the donkey. Once I come back, I eat its liver as remediation for my stomach pain. Until then, keep a watch on the donkey's corpse." 

 

18.                         The fox kept a watch, and the lion went to a water body to perform Sandhyavanthanam. As the lion performed the ritual, the fox ate the ears and the eyes of the dead donkey. 

 

19.                         The returning lion asked the fox, "Where are the ears and eyes of the donkey?"

 

20.                         The fox: "If the fox had its eyes and ears (brains), would the escaped donkey come back to die? 

 

21.                         The lion does not eat a defective animal. Therefore, the lion did not eat the liver and left the donkey's body as it saw it. The fox dragged the body and shared it with its compatriots. 

 

22.                         What are we to say about those who make the same mistake again, having experienced it the first time?