Book Title: Jain Stories 01
Author(s): Mahendramuni, K C Lalwani
Publisher: A B Jain Shwetambar Terapanth Samaj

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Page 152
________________ 128 JAINA STORIES in a calm voice, ‘My dear friend' How lucky I deem myself to-day that my body will be in thy service Have no mercy, on me and I beseech, you take my flesh at once But I have only a little submission to make, which is that in the case of the monkeys as a species, their soul resides only in the tail So you will be well-zdvised to start at the tail end This will make my flesh more tasteful to thee and I shall also be. relieved of pain very soon! "The tiger laughed aloud and was about to catch the monkey's tail when she escaped and mounted on a tree. The humiliated and disappointed tiger now left the place. But the monkey was so good that she bore no malice or anger towards the hunter Rather, she told him that the tiger was. gone and she offered to escort him out to a safe place "The monkey brought the man to her own shelter where her offsprings were at play She left the hunter there and herself went out in search of some fruts But the inconsiderate man killed the young ones and put them in his bag When the monkey came back, she did not find her offsprings She placed the fruits before the hunter and moved out in search of them The hunter too started with her Mean-- while, vile thoughts took hold of the man and he put the monkey to death with his club. "A sinful man has no element of mercy in him. With the dead monkey on his shoulder, the hunter was now on his way home Again he came across the same tiger When the tiger saw the dead monkey on the hunter's back, said he, 'Ye wretch ! What did ye do? You did not even hesitate to kill one who had treated you like her own brother It is a sin to look at you even. Get out of my sight at once I intend not to touch you because to touch a man like you is sinful and I do not want to share in your sin and ingratitude "But the hunter's heart was not touched. Perfectly unconcerned and happy at the big catch, he returned

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