The Bullock's Balls
In a certain place there lived a
large bullock by the name of Tîkschnabrischana, which means "having
substantial balls." Because of his excessive pride, he left his herd and
wandered about in the forest, tearing up the banks as he pleased and devouring
the emerald-colored grass.
In this same forest there lived a
jackal by the name of Pralobhaka, which means "the greedy one." One
day he was sitting pleasantly with his wife on an island in the river.
Tîkschnabrischana came up to this island to have a drink of water. When the
jackal's wife saw the balls, she said to her husband, "Master, just look!
This bullock has two pieces of meat hanging down. They will be falling off
immediately, at the least in a few hours. Take heed of this, and follow
him."
The jackal answered, "Loved
one, there is nothing certain about their falling off. Why do you ask me to set
forth on such a futile task? Let me stay here with you, and together we can eat
the mice that come here to drink. This is their pathway. If I leave you to
follow the bullock, then someone else will come here and take over this spot.
It is not a good idea, for it is said: He
who gives up a sure thing for an uncertainty will lose the sure thing, and the
uncertainty will remain just that."
The jackal's wife said, "Oh,
you are a low-spirited creature. You are satisfied with the worst things that
you can find. They also say:It is easy to fill a little brook and also the
paws of a little mouse. Ordinary people are easily satisfied. They are pleased
with the smallest things. For
this reason a good man must always be active. They also say: With every beginning there is a
will to act. Avoid idleness, and join the community of the intelligent and the
powerful. Think not that fate alone rules. Cease not to work. Without effort
the sesame seed will not give up its oil. And
further: A foolish man is
happy with little. His heart is satisfied just thinking of wealth. It is thus not appropriate for you to
say, 'It is uncertain, whether or not they will fall off.' It is also said: Active people deserve praise. Those
with pride will be praised. What sort of scoundrel will wait until Indra brings
him water? Furthermore, I am
mightily tired of eating mouse meat. These two pieces of meat look as though
they will soon fall off. You must follow him. Nothing else will do!"
After hearing all this, the
jackal left his mouse catching, and followed after Tîkschnabrischana. They
rightly say: A man is master
in all things, until he lets his will be turned by a woman's words. And further: The impossible seems possible, the
unachievable easily achieved, and the inedible edible to the man who is spurred
on by a woman's words.
Thus, together with his wife, he
followed the bullock a long time, but the two balls did not fall off.
In the fifteenth year, the jackal
finally said wearily to his wife, "Fifteen years, my love, I have kept my
eyes on those hanging things to see whether or not they are going to fall off,
but they still hold fast. Nor will they fall off in the future. Let us return
to catching mice!"