The Musical Donkey

Panchtantra Stories

In a village there once lived a donkey named Uddhata, who carried clothes and other burdens for his master. After nightfall, he would trespass into the nearby farms and return back at dawn. One day Uddhata met a jackal and they became friends. Every night they would go together to the cucumber farms and sumptuously feed on cucumber. At dawn, they would go home after they had their fill. One day, in a happy mood, the donkey told the jackal, "My son, look, how pleasantly serene the night is. It inspires me to sing. Tell me what raaga would you like me to begin with?"  The jackal said, "Uncle, why do you unnecessarily invite a peril? We have come here to stealthily rampage cucumber crop. Pimps and thieves must always observe silence. Haven’t the learned said:  "He who cannot control cough Or cannot keep sleep at bay Or cannot resist good food Should not burgle a house."  "Your music has no melody. One can hear it like a trumpet from a mile. The watchmen here are asleep. If your music wakes them, they will either impound us or kill us. So, give up that bright idea and let us eat these sweet cucumbers."  "You stupid child, you live in the wilderness. That’s why you don’t know to enjoy music. It is only the very lucky people who are destined to listen to music sung in moonlight," said Uddhata.  The jackal replied, "True. But you do not know what is music. You know only to bray loudly. So, please give up your foolish idea."  The donkey was angry and retorted, "You are an idiot to say that I don’t know music. Sage Bharata was the author of music, which is regarded as the fifth Veda with hundred and eighty-five notational patterns. To Gods, nothing is dearer than music. It is through music that Ravana won favours from Lord Shiva. " The jackal said, "All right uncle, let me first get out of this farm and keep a watch outside to alert you if anyone comes this way. You can then leisurely sing to your heart’s content." The jackal then left the scene quietly.  The moment the donkey began singing, one of the watchmen woke up and struck it with a stick till he dropped to the ground. The watchman then brought an old millstone and hung it to the donkey’s neck. The donkey soon recovered from the blows the watchman showered on him and managed to run with the millstone around his neck.  The jackal saw his plight and said, "You haven’t paid heed to my advice. See how you have got a millstone around your neck."  After he finished this story, Suvarnasiddhi said, "Friend, you haven’t cared to listen to me."  Chakradhara agreed with him and said, "What you say is true. The learned have said:  "He who has no wits of his own Or does not heed advice of friends Perishes like the weaver, Mandhara."  On Suvarnasiddhi showing interest, Chakradhara began Mandharaka’s story.