Part 2 — The Cat who guarded the Precepts

A Cat having seen that a sun-dried fish was in a bag of rice, at the time when he was going to it to eat it, a rosary [hanging there] fell on his neck.

Having gone to a rock cave [as a pansala or monk’s residence], while they were there the Cat said, “Tokkā the Devil-dancer, Tummal Kittī having scratched [the ground] in the pansala has defiled it. I must kill this one,” he said.

When the Hare said, “It is good,” he killed her.

After the Cat had said, “It is not a fault to eat a dead one, is it?” when the Hare replied, “No, there is not any fault in it,” he ate her.

Afterwards the Cat said, “Tokkā the Devil-dancer, this ‘Bug-bug’-singing Kāccalē has been drinking arrack (palm spirit) until his eyes have become red.” When he said, “I must kill this one,” he killed it. Then saying, “There is no fault in eating a dead one,” he ate it.

“Yes, perform them,” the Cat said.

Then the Hare having run round [the cave], “There! The small gallop,” he said. Again having gone running round, and [then] having jumped over the Cat’s head, while he was running away he said, “There! The great gallop,” and ran off.

Durayā. North-western Province.

At a certain time, at the house of a Gamarāla, milk having been taken and placed on the shelf by him [to curdle], the Gamarāla went to the chena.

There is a Cat at the house. The Cat having looked [to see] when the Gamarāla was not there, went to the shelf to eat the curds by stealth. Having gone there and eaten them by stealth, as he was coming away the Gamarāla came home from the chena, and the Cat, becoming afraid, sprang down.

The Gamarāla’s rosary was hanging on the shelf. As the Cat deceitfully was springing down, the rosary fell on the Cat’s neck. Then while the rosary was on its neck it goes away. Why? Should the Gamarāla get to know about its eating the curds he would thrash it inordinately.

“I am going to guard the Precepts,” he said. “You also come and go along with me,” he said.

“We are going to guard the Precepts. You also come and go with us,” he said. The Squirrel having said, “Hā. I will come,” the three went along [together].

As they were going they met with the Ground Cuckoo called Bum-bum the Tom-tom Beater. “Where, Upāsakarāla, are you going?” he asked.

“We are going to guard the Precepts. You also come,” he said.

The Ground Cuckoo having said, “Hā. If so, I also will come,” the four went together.

At the time when they were going they met with the Hare called Tokkan the Devil-dancer. “Upāsakarālas, where are you going?” he asked.

“We are going to guard the Precepts. You also come and go with us,” he said.

Well then, the five went to the jungle. Having gone on and on, there was a rock cave. Having said, “Look there! Our pansala,” he told the people to creep inside. “In order that I may go and rehearse the Precepts, let no single other person besides cause any disturbance,” he said.

At the daybreak watch the Ground Cuckoo crowed [as usual]. After it had crowed, the Cat said, “While the Three-lined Chief stays there [quietly], while Tokkan the Devil-dancer stays there [quietly], because this one is making noises, and as I am on guard over it, I must put it out of the way,” and seizing that one also he ate it.

As it became light in the morning, at the time when the Squirrels were singing, “Tin̥-Tin̥,” the Three-lined Chief also sang, “Tin̥-Tin̥.”

Then the Cat said, “While Tokkan the Devil-dancer stays there quietly, and I stay here [quietly], this one having said it through arrogance, and as I am on guard over it, I must put it out of the way.” Having said this he ate that one also.

Now then, the Hare called Tokkan the Devil-dancer ascertaining that he was eating it, began to cry in the morning.

“What, Tokkan the Devil-dancer, are you crying for?” he asked.

“I know thoroughly how to dance dances. Because there is no one to look at the dances I was sorry,” he said.

After he had said, “If so, dance a little for me to look at it,” the Hare said, “Upāsakarāla, open the doorway so that a little light may fall into the cave. Having seen my dance you must eat me also,” the Hare said.

When he moved from the door, out of the way, for a little light to fall inside, the Hare, having jumped to the four corners of the cave, springing over the head of the Cat went away.

P. B. Madahapola, Raṭēmahatmayā. North-western Province.

How the Cat performed Bell Worship. (Variant.)

After that, the Cat, without going that day into the village, went away along the path. As it was going along it met with a Rat. The Rat asked the Cat, “Where, O Cat-Lord, are you going?”

Then the Cat said, “I am going for Bell Worship.”

The Rat asked, “Shall I come too?”

The Cat said, “It is good.”

The Rat also having set off, as the two were going away they met with a Squirrel. The Squirrel asked the Cat, “Where, O Cat-Lord, are you going?”

Then the Cat said, “I am going for Bell Worship.”

The Squirrel asked, “Shall I come too?”

After that, the Cat said, “It is good.”

Now then, the Squirrel having set off, as the three were going away they met with a Jungle-cock. The Jungle-cock asked the Cat, “Where, O Cat-Lord, are you going?”

Then the Cat said, “I am going for Bell Worship.”

The Jungle-cock said, “I shall come too.”

To that the Cat said, “It is good.”

The Jungle-cock having set off, the four persons went to a great rock cave in the jungle. Having made those three remain in the direction of the corner, the Cat stayed at the doorway.

Then the Rat said, “Let it be according to the wish of the Cat-Lord.” After that, the Cat, seizing the Rat, ate it.

At that time the Squirrel also said, “Let it be according to the wish of the Cat-Lord.”

So the Cat having seized the Squirrel also, ate it.

At that time the Jungle-cock said falsely, “Let it be according to the wish of the Cat-Lord.”

Afterwards, when the Cat was approaching very near the Jungle-cock, having sprung at the Cat’s face and with his spurs having plucked out both his eyes, the Jungle-cock flew away. The Cat there and then died.

Cultivating Caste. North-western Province.

The Precepts of Buddha to which reference is made in the first two stories, are the Aṭa-sil, or Eight Precepts, the keeping of which by lay devotees, called Upāsakās, is a necessary obligation. The first one prohibits the taking of life. The others are against theft, immorality, lying, drinking intoxicants, eating after noon, attendance at theatrical amusements, dancing, singing, etc., and personal adornment.

In the Jātaka story No. 128 (vol. i, p. 281) there is an account of a Jackal who pretended to lead a saintly life, standing on one leg because the earth could not support his weight if he stood on all four, he said. He ate the rats which came to pay their respects to him, always seizing the hindmost as they left. The King of the Rats waited till the others had gone, and then sprang at the Jackal’s throat and killed him. The next story, No. 129, is similar.

In No. 384 (vol. iii, p. 170) a Crow pretended to be a saint, and also stood on one leg for the same reason, saying that it fed only on wind. When the other birds left it in charge of their young ones it ate them. At last it was killed by the other birds.

In the Mahā Bhārata (Udyoga Parva) a Cat which pretended to be an ascetic killed the mice that placed themselves under its protection.

In the Hitōpadesa a Cat which gained the confidence of the birds by its pious demeanour ate their young ones.

In the Kathā Sarit Sāgara (Tawney), vol. ii, p. 67, a pious Cat killed a hare and a bird.