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No. 28. — 1884.] first fifty jAtakas. 165 



longing to eat this fish ! Come, men's food is bad for you ; don't 

 do such a thing ; go with me and feed !" "Master, I cannot." 

 14 Then your own deeds will discover you : don't let greediness get 

 the better of you ; be careful (don't give way)!" Thus the 

 Bodhisat warned him, and went to pasture. The cook, after 

 making a mixed dish of a variety of fish, opened the vessels for to 

 little while to let out the steam, then put the strainer on the top 

 of each vessel, and went and stood outside, wiping off the perspi- 

 ration.* At that moment the crow put his head out of the basket, 

 and looking round the cooking-house, saw that the cook was gone. 

 "Now," he thought, "is my time to eat fish to my heart's content. 

 How, now : shall I eat slices or mince ?" Deciding that it is im- 

 possible to fill the stomach quickly with minced meat, he said a 

 himself, " I will take a large slice and put it in the basket, and 

 eat it as I sit there." So saying, he flew out of the basket and 

 alighted on the strainer. It gave a "ting,"f The cook heard it, 

 and, corning in to find out what it was, saw the crow. " This 

 mischievous crow," thought he, " wants to eat my lord's cooked 

 meat. My living depends on my lord (I am my lord's servant), 

 not on this stupid animal % what is it to me ?" So he shut the 

 door and caught the crow. He then plucked the feathers from 

 its whole body, pounded up some green ginger with salt and 

 cummin, and mixed it with some buttermilk ; with this he smeared 

 the crow all over, and flung it into the basket. There it lay 

 quivering in the utmost agony. When the Bodhisat returned in 

 the evening, he saw the crow come to calamity, and said : G-reedy 

 crow, by not taking my advice and by your own greediness you 

 are come to great misery ;" and then he uttered this stanza : — • 



" He who no attention lends 

 To the warnings of his friends, 

 Like the disobedient crow 

 Falls a victim to the foe." 



The Bodhisat having uttered this stanza, felt he also could no 

 longer stay in that place, and went elsewhere. The crow died on 

 the spot, and the cook took him and threw him away, basket and 

 all, on the rubbish heap. 



The teacher having related this religious discourse on the words, 

 u This is not the first time, mendicant, you have been greedy ; 

 formerly you were greedy too, and on account of you and your 

 greediness the wise were obliged to leave their abode, " preached 

 the truths. When the truths were concluded, that mendicant 



* Muncamdno: read Puncamdno, with B.'s MS. 



f Killi. 



E 2 



