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MUNIPATI
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"Who was the hunter you speak of, my good friend ?' Kunchika started,
“King Haripala of the city of Harikanta was the keeper of a thousand monkeys In the same city, there lived a hunter who was cruel, ruthless and ungrateful, Every day, he killed many animals in the forest One day, he encountered a fierce tiger who chased after him, and to save his own life, he got up on a trec There was seated on the trec a female monkey with her mouth wide agape, and the hunter was between a frying pan and a fire The monkey at once read into his mind and assured him safety Slowly, she came near him and sat beside lum So much affection from an animal moved the hunter, who now stretched himself against a branch and placed his head on the monkey's lap
"The tiger on the ground was helpless He tried to create a rift between the monkey and the man Said the. tiger to the monkey, 'Good lady! You have extended your protection to the man but how many in this world give price for it? Man is particularly known for his ingratitude May I tell you a story about it In a certain village, there lived a brahmın named Siva. Once on a pilgrimage he reached a dense forest While searching. for water, he saw a dilapidated well He prepared a rope with grass and sought to draw water with its help At the first chance came out a monkey He tried again. and this time came out a tiger and a snake They bowed before the brahmin and expressed their gratitude for taking. them cut The monkey said that all of them, himself, the tiger and the snake, were residents of Mathura, and if. the brahmin ever visited that city, they would be happy to host him But he cautioned the brahmin that there was a human being inside the well, and he would be ill-advised to take him out The fellow was not sinful, but he was. ungrateful, he said, and then the three departed