More Tricksters 323 351 1 The Monkey s Heart The Jakata Tales Brahmadatta was still king of Benares the Bodhisatta came to life at a foot of mountains as a monkey he grew strong and lived by the river of Ganges in the forest there was a crocodile living in the Ganges the crocodile s mate wanted to eat the monkey s heart he didn t know how to get him since he lived on land the wife said she must get the heart or she will die the crocodile asked him why he lived on bad fruits when he could go to the other side of the river where fruit was rich and plentiful crocodile said he could sit on his back and he would take him across he swam a little then began to try to drown him and told him his wife wanted to eat his heart the monkey told him his heart was in a fig tree and the crocodile told him to show him the monkey climbed up the tree and said the crocodile was very stupid crocodile went sadly back home 2 The Lion and the Hare Bidpai there was a mischievous lion in a meadow that killed innocent creatures for him creatures approached him and said that since he was such a high rank he shouldn t have to hunt for himself that they would do it for him and bring him food lion was flattered and accepted the group would decide every day whose turn it was to sacrifice themselves to the lion it was the hare s turn the hare was bitter and said he had a better idea they told him to go on his way the hare went to the lion s place and said that he was out and a lion came and hunted his friends and said that he was the only king the hare said he would show the lion where the stranger lion was they came to a well the hare said that s where the other lion is hiding but not to attack until he sees him the lion attacked and fell in never to get out again 3 The Cat and the Mice Tibet cat lived in a farm house where there were many mice that she caught easily but as she got older it was harder for her to catch them she called all the mice together and promised not to touch them and said that she would leave them alone but that they had to file past her every day and give her thanks for her kindness she caught the last mouse in the line every day so the rest of the mice would not notice two mice friends Rambe and Ambe noticed the number in mice going down They decided one would be in the front and one at the back and call to each other so the cat would not eat them this happened again the cat got angry the mice scattered and did not trust her anymore and the cat died of starvation the mice lived on in honor 4 The Wolf in Sheep s Clothing Aesop wolf found difficulty in getting to the sheep because they were well guarded he found a sheep s skin and put it on a lamb came over and followed him he ate the lamb and succeeded in deceiving the sheep for a long time moral appearances are deceptive 5 The Reward of Good Deeds Denmark man went into the woods to cut firewood he went to a tree that seemed good for nothing and started to cut it down when a viper asked him to free him from the tree the man said no the viper promised not to hurt him if he would let him free so he did then the viper tried to strike him saying good is always rewarded with evil the man disagreed so they decided to go ask someone they came to an old horse and asked the horse agreed with the snake they asked a fox the man told him to say good deeds are rewarded with good and he would give him 2 geese so the fox said this then killed the viper as the viper was dying it said it was true that good is rewarded with evil the man told the fox to come get his geese the fox said no because the dogs would get him in town so the man went home and told his wife to put 2 geese in a bag but she put dogs in the bag and they attacked and killed the fox who said that good is rewarded with evil 6 The Camel Driver and the Adder Bidpai a camel driver was going across the plains and stopped to rest where there was a caravan that had built a fire the night before they moved on before the fire died out the wind set all the brush on fire in the brushwood lay an adder asleep he awoke only after completely encircled by fire he called the camel driver for help the camel driver hesitated because he was afraid the adder would sting him but he finally tied a bag to a spear and told the adder to climb in and he saved him he told the adder to go on his way the adder said he would first sting him and his camel because it is in men s nature to return good with evil the man disagreed and said they must ask two witnesses then he could sting him if they agreed a cow and a tree both agreed with the adder then a fox ran by and the man told him what had happened the fox said he didn t believe the adder could fit in the bag and if he could then he would answer the question the adder crawled in and they tied the string so that he would die in the bag 7 Of Nature and the Returns of Ingratitude Gesta Romanorum emperor went out to hunt passed woods heard a serpent who was stuck in a tree pitied him and freed him the snake bit the man man asked why he returned evil for good they went to a philosopher who told the snake to be tied to the tree again and told him to free himself if he could he could not so the philosopher told him to die because it was in his nature to do wrong to man anyway 8 The Hedgehog and the Hare Leo Tolstoy hare was making fun of hedgehog for being slow and lacking grace saying it was because of his short and crooked legs hedgehog angrily said his legs were just as good and challenged him to a race hedgehog told his wife about the race and that he would make up for his lack of speed with wit and that he needed her help at the start of the race he ducked into a burrow and his wife appeared at the finish line from her burrow and did the same every time even after the hare called for a …