“In a certain pond, there lived two fishes. Their names were Shatabudhi and Sahasrabuddhi. They had made friends with a frog by the name of Ekabuddhi. The three of them used to spend their time together, on the bank of the pond, conversing about philosophy.
One evening, while they were thus engaged in conversation, some fishermen passed by, carrying baskets of fish on their heads and nets in their hands. When they came to the pond, they said to one another, ‘This pond seems to be full of fishes and, besides, the water is not very deep. Let’s come here tomorrow morning and throw our nets.’ With these words, they continued on their way home.
When the fishes and the frog heard this, they were very depressed and held a discussion together.
‘Friends,’ said the frog, ‘did you hear what the fishermen said? What shall we do? Should we run away or stay on?’
Sahasrabuddhi laughed and said, ‘My dear fellow, don’t be frightened by mere talk! They say: “If the wishes of snakes, rogues and wicked people Were fulfilled, The world would come to an end.” To begin with, I don’t expect they will come. But even if they do, I shall protect you with my thousand talents, for I know innumerable tricks of movement in the water.’
‘Friend,’ said Shatabuddhi, ‘you have spoken very convincingly. I know you have a thousand talents. I myself have a hundred talents. As they say: “Nothing in life is impossible, For talented people, Chanakya* killed the heavily armed members of the Nanda* family, Without the use of any weapons” So, we should not abandon our place of birth, the home of our ancestors, for the sake of mere talk.’
When he heard this, the frog said, ‘Well, my friends, I have only one talent, the ability to foresee, and it counsels me to go away. I am leaving with my wife for some other pond this very night.’
Accordingly, the frog left the pond. Next morning, the fishermen arrived, cast their nets and caught all types of water-dwellers, large and small fishes, tortoises, frogs and crabs. Shatabuddhi, Sahasrabuddhi and their wives tried to escape, by making use of their talents in manoeuvre, but all in vain. They were caught in the net and died.
At midday, the fishermen started off joyously for home. As Sahasrabuddhi was heavy, he was carried on a fisherman’s head, whilst Shatabuddhi was hanging from his hand.
The frog had taken shelter in a well. He came to the surface and saw the fishes being carried by the fishermen. He turned to his wife and said, ‘My dear, look! The fisherman is carrying Sahasrabuddhi, with his thousand talents, on his head, and Shatabuddhi, with his hundred talents, is hanging from his hand, whilst I, Ekabuddhi, with my single talent, am swimming happily in this water.’
“And so,” continued Chakradhara, “that’s why I said, that even clever people are helpless when fate is against them.”
“But you should not have turned a deaf ear to a friend’s advice,” said Suvarnasiddhi. “As the jackal said to the donkey: ‘Uncle! What a song! I asked you not to sing But you refused to listen. This exquisite necklace is your reward for singing!'”
“How was that?” said Chakradhara.
And Suvarnasiddhi told: THE STORY OF THE SINGING DONKEY
