The Lion, the Jackal, and the Donkey

In a vast forest, there lived a mighty but aging lion named Karalakesara. Due to his old age, his strength had diminished, and he found it increasingly difficult to hunt. A cunning jackal named Chaturaka lived with him, surviving on the leftovers of the lion's kills. One day, the lion fell very ill and could not hunt for several days. The jackal, too, began to starve. The lion said to the jackal, 'My friend, I have no strength left. If you can lure an animal here, I will kill it, and we can both eat.'

The jackal went searching for prey and reached the outskirts of a nearby village. There, he saw a donkey named Lambakarna, who looked extremely thin and exhausted. The jackal thought this donkey would be easy prey for the lion. He approached the donkey and asked, 'Uncle, why do you look so weak?' The donkey sighed and replied, 'The washerman makes me work all day but doesn't give me enough grass to eat.'

Seizing the opportunity, the jackal said, 'Why don't you come with me to the forest? There is lush green grass and three or four female donkeys who are looking for a partner like you.' The donkey was fooled by the jackal's sweet words and agreed to follow him. When they reached the lion's cave, the hungry lion acted too quickly and pounced. However, due to his weakness, he missed, and the terrified donkey fled back toward the village.

The lion was furious with himself. The jackal said, 'Your Majesty, you were too hasty. But don't worry, I will bring him back.' The jackal returned to the donkey. The donkey was angry: 'Did you take me there to be killed?' The jackal laughed and said, 'Oh Uncle, that was just a female donkey! She was so happy to see you that she tried to hug you, but you got scared.' The donkey, being foolish, believed the jackal and returned to the cave. This time, the lion made no mistake and killed the donkey.

After the kill, the lion felt exhausted and went to the river to drink water. In the meantime, the clever jackal ate the donkey's ears and brain. When the lion returned, he asked, 'Where are the donkey's ears and brain?' The jackal replied calmly, 'Your Majesty, if this donkey had a brain, would he have ever come back to you a second time after escaping death?' The lion found this logical and proceeded to eat the rest of the meat. Thus, the jackal filled his stomach using his wit.