There was once a lion named Fierce-Mane, who lived in a part of a forest. And for servant he had a jackal, a faithful drudge named Dusty.

Now one day the lion fought with an elephant, and took such cruel wounds on his body that he could not stir a foot. And since the master could not sir, Dusty grew feeble, for his throat was pinched by hunger. Then he said to the lion: “O King, I am tortured with hunger until I cannot drag one foot after another. So how can I serve you?” “My good Dusty,” said the lion, “hunt out some animal that I can kill even in my present state.”

So the jackal went hunting, and dragging himself to a nearby village, he saw beside a tank a donkey named Flop-Ear who was choking over the thin and prickly grass. And he drew near and said: “Uncle, my respects to you. It is long since we met. How have you grown so feeble?”

And Flop-Ear answered: “What am I to do, nephew? The laundryman is merciless, and tortures me with dreadful burdens. And he never gives me a handful of fodder. I eat nothing but this prickly grass flavored with dust, and I do not thrive.”

“Well, uncle,” said the jackal, “I know a lovely spot by a river, all covered with emerald grass. Come there and live with me. I promise you the pleasure of witty conversation.”

“Very well said, nephew,” answered Flop-Ear, “but village beasts are likely to be killed by forest animals. So what good is your charming spot to me?”

“No, no,” said the jackal. “My paws form a cage to protect the spot, and no stranger has entrance there. Besides, there are three unmarried she-donkeys who were tormented just like you by laundrymen. They have now grown plump; they are young and frisky; they said to me: ‘Uncle dear, go to some village and bring us a proper husband.’ That is why I came to fetch you.”

Now when he heard the jackal’s words, Flop-Ear felt his limbs quiver with love, and he said: “In that case, my dear sir, lead the way. We will hurry there.” For the poet hits the mark when he says:

You are our only nectar; you,

Woman, are our poison, too.

For union with you is the breath

Of life; and absence from you, death.

So the poor creature went with the jackal into the lion’s presence. But the lion was dreadfully foolish. When he saw the donkey actually within range of his spring, he was so overjoyed that he jumped over him and landed on the other side. And the donkey wondered: “What, oh, what can this be?” For to him it seemed like the fall of a thunderbolt. Yet somehow—for fate was kind to him-he escaped quite unhurt. But when he looked back, he saw the egregious creature, cruel, horrifying, with bloodshot eyes, and he beat a hasty, terrified retreat to his own