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.
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