Then those two together brought out the rohita-fish, set it upon the land and killed it. On coming to divide it a quarrel arose, and they sat down, with the fish alongside them, unable to apportion the prey.
At that moment the jackal came up to that place, and, on seeing him, both of them went forth at once to welcome him, saying, "This fish, friend Tawny, was captured by both of us together; but a quarrel has arisen between us, because we are unable to divide it in such a way as to satisfy each of us. Do you divide it, and give each his just share." Thereupon they spake the following gâthâ:—
"A bickering here you'll find.
Pray listen, friend, to us;
Come end our quarrel now,
And stop this fierce dispute."
On hearing this the jackal, in explanation of his own power (as a settler of disputes), spoke the following gâthâ:—
"A just judge once was I,
And weighty cases tried.
Your quarrel soon I'll end.
And this contention stop."
And as he was making the division he uttered the next gâthâ:—
"Let Lander take the tail,
The head may Diver have;
The judge the rest will take,
The middle is his share."
Having thus apportioned the fish the jackal said to the others: "Don't quarrel, but eat both head and tail." Then, with the middle of the fish in his mouth, he went off under their very eyes. They, like one who had lost a law-suit of a thousand pence, sat down chap-fallen and spake the following gâthâ:—
"For some long time much food there would have been
If we to-day no quarrel had begun;
But now the jackal sly has us deceived
And carried off the middle of our fish."
The jackal went home to his wife, delighted that she should get such a fine white fish to eat.
