Grimm, 105; Woycicki, Poln. Mähr. 105; Gering, Islensk. Ævent. 59, possibly derived from La Fontaine, x. 12.
Remarks.—Benfey has proved most ingeniously and conclusively (Einl. i 359) that the Indian fable is the source of both Latin and Greek fables. I may borrow from my Æsop, p. 93, parallel abstracts of the three versions, putting Benfey's results in a graphic form, series of bars indicating the passages where the classical fables have failed to preserve the original.
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Bidpai. A Brahmin once observed a snake in his field, and thinking it the tutelary spirit of the field, he offered it a libation of milk in a bowl. Next day he finds a piece of gold in the bowl, and he receives this each day after offering the libation. One day he had to go elsewhere, and he sent his son with the libation. The son sees the gold, and thinking the serpent's hole full of treasure determines to slay the snake. He strikes at its head with a cudgel, and the enraged serpent stings him to death. The Brahmin mourns his son's death, but next morning as usual brings the libation of milk (in the hope of getting the gold as before). The serpent appears after a long delay at the mouth of its lair, and declares their friendship at an end, as it could not forget the blow of the Brahmin's son, nor the Brahmin his son's death from the bite of the snake. Pants. III. v. (Benf. 244—7). |
Phædrine. - - - A good man had become friendly with the snake, who came into his house and brought luck with it, so that the man became rich through it. - - - One day he struck the serpent, which disappeared, and with it the man's riches. The good man tries to make it up, but the serpent declares their friendship at an end, as it could not forget the blow. - - - - Phæd. Dressl. VII. 28 (Rom. II. xi.) Babrian. --------- A serpent stung a farmer's son to death. The father pursued the serpent with an axe, and struck off part of its tail. Afterwards fearing its vengeance he brought food and honey to its lair, and begged reconciliation. The serpent, however, declares friendship impossible, as it could not forget the blow - - - nor the farmer his son's death from the bite of the snake. Æsop, Halm 96 |
In the Indian fable every step of the action is thoroughly justified, whereas the Latin form does not explain why the snake was friendly in the first instance, or why the good man was enraged afterwards; and the Greek form starts abruptly, without explaining why serpent had killed the farmer's bon. Make a composite of the Phædrine and Babrian forms, and you get the Indian one, which is thus shown to be the original of both.
