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TRANSLATION
141
79. rejecting food, without possessions, his garment wet and productive of extreme discomfort, suffering pain, with ill-filled belly, without money or gold, sleepless, in poverty.
80. It is a similar cold that is referred to in the following well-known popular tale. In a certain forest there dwelt both a lion and a tiger.
81. Their conversation turned on whether the cold occurs in the month of paușa or the month of magha. The tiger said: 'In pausa.'
82. But the lion said:
'The extreme cold occurs in magha." So they both decided: Let us ask some very expert person.'
83. Not far away from them an aged cat was just going into his lair; he was versed in parables and learned lore and had brought about the destruction of many mice and other creatures.
84. They went to the entrance to his lair and shouted: 'Old man'. He came up saying: 'What is it, my boys?'
85. He said: 'Now I have protectors, now I realise my own good fortune that at midday two persons have come to my house.
86. Welcome, my boys, for what reason have you come here ? '. They replied: There is a discussion going on between
us
87. whether the great cold occurs in pausa or in magha: so you must decide.' Hearing this the cat was afraid and began to think :
88. He whose viewpoint I do not advocate will certainly kill me.' Then at this juncture he remembered a story of Muladeva,
89. how two pisacas dwelling in the great forest met. Contentious speeches were made between them and one said:
(
90. My wife is beautiful.' The other replied: 'Not yours but mine.' Whilst they were thus wrangling, by the intervention of fate
