A Three-in-One Story

Panchtantra Stories

Once there was a pop

ular king named Nanda, who was respected by his people for his learning and valour. He had a man named Vararuchi, who was well versed in diplomacy and statecraft as his prime minister. One day, Vararuchi's wife got annoyed with her husband and kept away from him. The prime minister was extremely fond of his wife, but even after all his attempts to please her, he could not regain her affection. He pleaded with her, "Tell me what can I do to make you happy."  The wife at last opened her mouth and said, "Shave your head cleanly and prostrate before me if you want to regain my love."  The prime minister complied with her wish and succeeded in winning back her favour.  The king’s wife also played the same drama of shunning his company. Nanda tried every trick he knew to win her affection without success. When everything failed, the king fell on her feet and prayed her, "My darling, I cannot live without you even for a while. Tell me what should I do to win back your love?"  The queen said, "I will be happy if you pretend to be a horse, agree to be bridled and to let me ride you. While racing you must neigh like a horse. Is this acceptable to you?"  "Yes," said the king and did, as his wife demanded.  Next day, the king saw his prime minister with a shaven head and asked him, "Vararuchi, why did you have your head shaved on a day when tonsure is forbidden."  Vararuchi replied, "O king, is there anything that a woman does not demand and a man does not readily concede? He would do anything, shave his head or neigh like a horse."  Raktamukha, the monkey, then told Karalamukha, the croc, "You wicked croc, you are a slave of your wife like Nanda and Vararuchi. You tried to kill me but your chatter gave away your plans."  That’s why the learned have said,  "Parrots sing and betray Their presence to the hunter.The crane eludes the hunter By keeping his beak tightly shut." "See how a donkey despite his disguise in a tiger skin betrayed his origin by braying and got killed. Here is the story if you want to know," said Raktamukha and began telling the story of the donkey.