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67. HOW THE JACKAL GOT A DEAD
ELEPHANT FOR HIMSELF
A jackal once saw a dead elephant in a jungle. He wanted to pounce upon it when a lion came over. The jackal had to humour him. The lion asked, "How are you, nephew?" "I am fine, uncle" replied the jackal. The lion then asked what carcass was lying there. The jackal said it was an elephant and the lion wanted to know who had killed it. The jackal said it must have been a tiger. The lion considered it below his dignity to eat an animal killed by a lower species, and so he went away. Then came a tiger who also asked who had killed the elephant. The jackal's reply this time was that it was a lion. The tiger quietly went away.
Then came a crow. The jackal thought that if he did not give him his share, the crow would caw and caw and other crows would also come and all of them would create such a din that other animals, even jackals, would come, and it would be difficult to ward them off. So the jackal cut out a piece of flesh and gave it to the crow. The crow flew off. Then came a jackal. The first jackal decided to drive him away with force. So he rushed at him with a terrific noise and put him to flight.
It is rightly said that one should treat a superior with respect, a brave one with treachery, a lowly one with bribe and an equal with courage and bravery.
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