In a certain town, there lived a potter, by the name of Yudhisthira. One day he was drunk, and, stumbling on the broken pots, fell down. The sharp edges caused a wound in his head and blood began to ooze out. With great difficulty, he got up. Owing to improper care, the wound got worse and even when, in the end, it was cured, it left a big scar on his forehead.
After some time, there was famine in the country and the potter became very thin. Accompanied by some servants of the royal family, he went off to another part of the country, where he got himself employed in the king’s service.
When the king noticed the big scar on the potter’s forehead, he thought, “No doubt this wound on his forehead was caused when he was fighting face to face with an enemy. He is a very brave man.”
So, the potter was placed amongst the princes with great honour. When they saw that he was being favoured by the king, undeservedly, they became jealous but could not say anything because they feared the king.
One day, a battle was impending. The king invited all the warriors so that he could bestow honour on them and thus encourage them. While the elephants and the horses were being equipped and the soldiers inspected, the king took this potter aside and said, “Prince! What is your name? What is your caste? And in which battle did you get this wound on your forehead?”
“Your Majesty!” replied the potter. “This wound wasn’t caused by a sword! I am a potter by profession. And in my house there used to be many pots lying around. One day, I got drunk and tripped over some broken ones and that’s what caused this scar on my forehead.”
When the king heard this, he was very embarrassed and said to his soldiers, “This potter has deceived me by pretending to be a prince. Drive him away quickly.”
When they began to drive the potter away from the palace, he cried out, “Stop! Please don’t do that. Put me to the test in a battle.”
The king replied, “No doubt you have some excellent qualities but you would do better to go home for, as the lioness said to the young jackal:
‘My son, it’s true you are brave,
Good looking, intelligent and well educated,
But no elephants are killed in the family
You were born in.'”
“How was that?” asked the potter.
And the king told: THE STORY OF THE LIONESS AND THE YOUNG JACKAL
