In a certain town lived a Brahmin named Drona. He gave up wearing fine clothes, using perfumes, and all the other luxuries of life. His hair and nails grew long, and his body became lean due to rigorous discipline in the cold, hot, and rainy seasons.
A certain devotee of his, out of sheer pity, presented him with a pair of young calves. Right from the beginning, he fed them on butter, oil, and grain, and they grew fat.
A thief saw these two calves and he thought to himself, “This very day, I shall steal away these two calves belonging to the Brahmin.” So he took a rope to tie them up and started off.
On the way, he met a Rakshasa of hideous appearance. His teeth stuck out of his mouth, his nose was long, his eyes burned frighteningly with fire, he had knotty muscles, and a glowing red beard.
When the thief saw him, he got frightened and said, “Who are you?”
“I am a Rakshasa called Satyavachana,” replied the Rakshasa. “Now you too introduce yourself.”
“I’m a thief called Krurakarma,” replied the thief, “and I am on my way to steal two calves from a poor Brahmin.”
Because both spoke the truth, the two of them developed faith in each other. The Rakshasa said to the thief, “I’m extremely hungry today. I think I shall eat that Brahmin. As you are going to steal his calves, it’s a very good thing, for our work will be accomplished at the same place.” And so they started off together.
When they reached the Brahmin’s home, they slipped inside and hid themselves, waiting for an opportune moment.
When the Brahmin fell asleep, the Rakshasa got ready to eat him but the thief restrained him and said, “That’s not fair! You have to wait until I have taken the calves! Otherwise, if he wakes up when you are about to eat him, my objective will be defeated.”
“On the contrary,” retorted the Rakshasa, “if the calves cry out when you are leading them away and the Brahmin wakes up, I shall be the loser!”
Because of the hot argument that developed between the two, the Brahmin did wake up. Then, the thief said to the Brahmin, “Brahmin, this Rakshasa wants to eat you.”
And the Rakshasa said, “Brahmin, this thief wants to steal your calves.”
Now, the Brahmin became very wide awake and prayed to his chosen deity, whereupon the Rakshasa ran off. The Brahmin picked up a stick and chased the thief away.
“And so,” continued Vakranasa, “that’s why I said, ‘If discord arises between your enemies, you stand to benefit: In the same way, the thief and the Rakshasa quarreled, and the Brahmin saved his life and his calves as well.'”
When Arimaradana heard what Vakranasa had to say, he turned to Prakarakarna and asked him, “Tell me, what is your point of view?”
“My Lord,” he replied, “this crow should not be killed. Perhaps a friendship will develop between him and us, and we shall live very happily together, for they say: ‘Those who refuse to cooperate shall be destroyed like the two snakes.'”
“How was that?” asked Arimaradana.
And Prakarakarna told: THE STORY OF THE SNAKE IN THE ANT-HILL AND THE SNAKE IN THE BELLY OF THE PRINCE
