A dung-beetle drank some liquor dropped by merchants staying in a rest-house and returned to his dung-heap intoxicated. An elephant who came up smelt the dung and went away in disgust. The beetle, thinking the elephant was frightened of him, called after him and challenged him to a fight. The elephant returned, dropped some dung on him and, making water over him, killed him on the spot.
The story was told in reference to a monk who quelled the pride of a rowdy; the latter used to molest monks who went for alms to a village near Jetavana, asking them questions and insulting them so much that the monks were reluctant to go there. One day a monk, stronger than the rest, enticed the man out of the village, felled him with one blow, and threatened to teach him another lesson if he did not cease pestering the monks. After that the man decamped at the sight of a monk. J.ii.209ff.