had long lived in the enjoyment of their perquisites.  Now, however, being ruled by the jackal, they were unable to appropriate anything belonging to others.  Desirous of advancement and prosperity, they began to tempt him with sweet speeches.  Indeed, large bribes even were offered to allure his heart.  Possessed of great wisdom, the jackal showed no signs of yielding to those temptations.  Then some amongst them, making a compact amongst themselves for effecting his destruction, took away the well-dressed meat that was intended for and much desired by the king of beasts, and placed it secretly in the house of the jackal.  The jackal knew who had stolen the meat and who had conspired to do it.  But though he knew everything, he tolerated it for a particular object.  He had made a compact with the king at the time of his accepting the ministership, saying, ’Thou desirest my friendship, but thou shalt not, O monarch, mistrust me without cause.’

“Bhishma continued, ’When the king of beasts, feeling hungry, came to eat, he saw not the meat that was to have been kept ready for his dinner.  The king then ordered, ‘Let the thief be found out.’  His deceitful ministers represented unto him that the meat kept for him had been stolen away by his learned minister, the jackal, that was so proud of his own wisdom.  Rearing Of this injudicious act on the part of the jackal, the tiger became filled with rage.  Indeed, the king, giving way to his wrath, ordered his minister to be slain.  Beholding the opportunity, the former ministers addressed the king, saying, ’The jackal is ever ready to take away from all of us the means of sustenance.’  Having represented this they once more spoke of the jackal’s act of robbing the king of his food.  And they said, ’Such then is his act!  What is there that he would not venture to do?  He is not as thou hadst heard.  He is righteous in speech but his real disposition is sinful.  A wretch in reality, he has disguised himself by putting on a garb of virtue.  His behaviour is really sinful.  For serving his own ends he had practised austerities in the matter of diet and of vows.  If thou disbelievest this, we will give thee ocular proof.’  Having said this, they immediately caused that meat to be discovered by entering the jackal’s abode.  Ascertaining that the meat was brought back from the jackal’s house and hearing all those representations of his old servants, the king ordered, saying, ’Let the jackal be slain.’  Hearing these words of the tiger, his mother came to that spot for awakening son’s good sense with beneficial counsels.  The venerable dame said, ’O son, thou shouldst not accept this accusation fraught with deceit.  Wicked individuals impute faults to even an honest person, moved by envy and rivalry.  Enemies desirous of a quarrel cannot endure the elevation of an enemy brought about by his high feats.  Faults are ascribed to even a person of pure soul engaged in penances.  With respect to even an ascetic living in the woods