Kathakoca or Treasury of Stories

Author(s): C H Tawney
Publisher: Oriental Books Reprint Corporation New Delhi

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in the river, had let go the hawk in the hope of catching the fish. But the fox did not succeed in catching the fish, and lost its first prize (the hawk). The woman said to the fox : “ You must be very stupid ; in your eagerness to get two things you have lost both.” “I confess," said the fox, “that I have been stupid, but your stupidity far exceeds
mine." **
This story is said by the translator to be extracted from a purely Buddhist encyclopedia, entitled 'Fa-youen-tehoulin.' It is well known that the Chinese borrowed from the Northern Buddhists, but this story is also found in the 'Pali Játakas,' edited by Fausböll. There we find a story called the Chulladhanuggaha Játaka.' The Chulladhanuggaha, who is the hero of this story, after killing with his arrows an elephant and forty-nine robbers, is, owing to his wife's treachery, killed by the chief of the robbers. The chief of the robbers deserts her. Then Sakka (Indra) assumes the form of a jackal with a piece of flesh, while Mátali, by his order, assumes the form of a fish, and Panchasikha that of a hawk. Precisely the same drama is enacted as in the Jaina form of the story, with the result that the woman becomes ashamed and repents.
Whatever theory may eventually prevail, I trust that folklorists will welcome, as a contribution to their science, these Jain tales, which are, as far as I can see, absolutely free from any suspicion of European influence. This appears to be not always the case with tales collected by missionaries and travellers among savage tribes. It is, of course, far from my intention to attempt to disparage the labours of painstaking collectors. It is only by careful industry that abiding results are won in any science, and it is not likely that the science of fairy-tales' will prove an exception to the general rule. Collections like that of Somadevai are no doubt liable to falsification by literary embellishment. I think that little of that corruption will be found in the * Les Avadánas,'traduits par Stanislas Julien, vol. ii., p. 11.
Vol. ii., p. 222. | The compiler of the 'Katha Sarit Ságara.'