serpent's. What's the reason, I wonder, he seizes us?" Asking this, he spake the following gâtha:—
"This crab doth not for eating sake
The crow or serpent seize.
This do I ask, O long-eyed beast,
Why do you grasp us both."
On hearing this the crab gave him the cause of his being held fast in the two following gâthas:—
"This brâhman my well-wisher is and friend,
Each day he takes me to and from this pond.
Were he to die much grief it would me bring,
Both he and I not two but one are we.
Each man that saw my body grown full large
To kill and eat me would at once desire,
For sweet and fat and soft is all my flesh;
Should crows me spy they would forthwith me slay."
The serpent on hearing this thought to himself:—I must by some artifice outwit this fellow and release the crow and myself. Then in order to take him in he uttered the next gâtha:—
"If for this man we two so fast are held,
Let him arise and I'll the venom draw.
Release at once the crow and me, my friend,
Before the poison strong o'ercome the man."
Having heard this the crab thought to himself: "This serpent, by some artifice, wishes me to release these two creatures and then to make off. He is not aware of my cleverness in artifices. I'll now relax my grasp, so that the serpent shall be able to move about, but I'll not as yet release the crow." Thus thinking he uttered the following gâtha:—
"The serpent I'll release, the crow not yet,
He shall remain a while within my claws;
But when to health I see my friend restored,
E'en as the snake the crow will I set free."
And, moreover, when he had thus spoken he unloosened his claw so as to let the serpent get easily away. The serpent extracted the poison and freed the body of the Bodhisat from the venom.
He rose up, free from injury, and had too his natural appearance. The crab thought to himself, "If these two creatures be allowed to
