As soon as the lion saw the tiger-king and the man he had brought with him, by way of inquiry he spake the following gâtha:—
"What means, my good friend, thy hurried return?
Say who is this man that follows thee here?
Is aught to be done that's urgent of need?
O tell me, I pray, the matter in hand."
On hearing this the tiger replied in the following gâtha:—
"Your bird-friend, I fear, to-day has been slain,
This fellow you see the truth will not tell.
His doings of old, most servile and base,
Do make me suspect the bird is now dead."
Then the lion, inquiring, spake the next gâtha:—
"Pray tell me, dear friend, the deeds of this man.
With whom has he mixed? what life has he led?
Oh! what has he said thy fears to arouse
And force thee to think he's murder'd our friend?"
Then the tiger made answer in the following gâthas:—
"Through the land of Kâlinga with wares has be gone,
Through the woods has he wander'd in search of dry sticks.[1]
At the dance has he tripped, and snares has he set,[2]
At the fray has he fought with cudgels and clubs.[3]
Little birds has be trapp'd, and meted the grain,[4]
With thee dice has he played, fake monk has he turned.[5]
Round about there is blood, not dry is it yet
And his hands are all burnt with broiling his meat."
"Of the deeds of this man, the life has led,
Of his habits so vile enough I have heard.
- ↑ "Sticks." The original impliees that he dug up stumps of trees, killing of course numerous insects, &c.
- ↑ The luddo or trapper was often accompanied by a dog, and snared all sorts of animals. His pursuits, involving the destruction of life, were reckoned low.
- ↑ At the fray. There seems to have been a kind of sport forbidden to Buddhist priests called dandaka-yuddha. (See Brâhmanjâla-sutta, p. 9.)
- ↑ Meted the grain. This is the pattâlhaka, a game in which guesses were made as to the number of grains contained in a nâlika, a patta, or a âlhaka.
- ↑ False monk has he turned. The original merely says "(every) obligation (has been) broken through." This low-bred fellow had adopted the life of a recluse merely for the sake of a livelihood. Having tried all sorts of menial and low pursuits he became a mendicant, but kept none of the vows that were binding on all persons who gave themselves up to a religious life.
