XIII + 

The Talkative Tortoise + 

Source.⁠—The “Kacchapa Jātaka,” Fausböll, No. 215; also in his “Five Jātakas,” pp. 16, 41, tr. Rhys-Davids, pp. VIII⁠–⁠X. + 

Parallels.⁠—It occurs also in the Bidpai literature, in nearly all its multitudinous offshoots. See Benfey, “Einleitung,” §84; also my Bidpai, E, 4 a; and North’s text, pp. 170⁠–⁠5, where it is the taunts of the other birds that cause the catastrophe: “O here is a brave sight, looke, here is a goodly ieast, what bugge haue we here,” said some. “See, see, she hangeth by the throte, and therefor she speaketh not,” saide others; “and the beast flieth not like a beast;” so she opened her mouth and “pashte hir all to pieces.” + 

Remarks.⁠—I have reproduced in my edition the original illustration of the first English Bidpai, itself derived from the Italian block. A replica of it here may serve to show that it could be used equally well to illustrate the Pali original as its English great-great-great-great-great-great grandchild. + 