Now this lion was waited upon by a jackal, which means that the jackal waited until the lion had caught an animal and satisfied his hunger and then helped himself to whatever was left of the meat.  Of course, the jackal, being a jackal, pretended that he was useful to the lion by giving him valuable advice for the hunt, and so he had persuaded the lion to appoint him vizier, or chief minister.

Naturally, the jackal did not tolerate the hunger he shared with the lion with equal patience. On the contrary, he thought of a method to obtain food quickly, for he had an impatient nature.  He finally invented a stratagem and suggested that the lion lie in wait and that he, the jackal, would then bring a donkey that he knew was available nearby.

The lion agreed, and the jackal went down to the riverside where a washman came every day with his donkey, loaded with a pile of laundry.  The jackal, who often had observed this pair, waited till the washman had gone to lie down for his siesta.  Then he spoke to the donkey: “My dear friend, I think we have met already.  What are you doing here with all that heavy, wet linen on your back? Why do you go on working everyday when I can give you food for free, as much as you can eat.  All you have to do is follow me now to the place I have in mind for you, where there is a large area of the lushest grass you have ever seen.”

Naturally, the donkey was tempted by the jackal’s offer to exchange heavy duties for a life of eating and drinking.  So he decided to follow the jackal, who led him to the place where the lion waited.

Unfortunately, the lion saw the donkey too late, as he was a little drowsy.  So when he finally jumped, he aimed rather hurriedly.  As a result, he missed the donkey, who, being healthy and terrified, ran away rapidly.  But what to do now? The donkey was born in captivity and did not have any experience of life in the forest.  It ran down the slope toward the river.  There, of course, it was seen by the washman, who knew that donkeys never stray far in the wilderness and are easy to recapture.  With friendly, soothing words he cajoled the donkey until he was close enough to catch and rebridle it, whereupon he loaded all the heavy, wet laundry that he had just washed onto its back.

What to do now? The lion and the jackal still were hungry, and the easy prey was lost.  The jackal had to swallow the mocking remarks that were on his tongue, for he was dependent on the lion for his living and had learned to say only what was useful and pleasing.