Hindu Literature | Page 5

pursuit. Perceiving this, the Pigeons said,

"What is the next thing to be done, O King?"
"A friend of mine," said Speckle-neck, "lives near in a beautiful forest
on the Gundaki. Golden-skin is his name--the King of the Mice--he is
the one to cut these bonds."
Resolving to have recourse to him, they directed their flight to the hole
of Golden-skin--a prudent monarch, who dreaded danger so much that
he had made himself a palace with a hundred outlets, and lived always
in it. Sitting there he heard the descent of the pigeons, and remained
silent and alarmed.
"Friend Golden-skin," cried the King, "have you no welcome for us?"
"Ah, my friend!" said the Mouse-king, rushing out on recognizing the
voice, "is it thou art come, Speckle-neck! how delightful!--But what is
this?" exclaimed he, regarding the entangled net.
"That," said King Speckle-neck, "is the effect of some wrong-doing in
a former life--
'Sickness, anguish, bonds, and woe Spring from wrongs wrought long
ago,'[5]
Golden-skin, without replying, ran at once to the net, and began to
gnaw the strings that held Speckle-neck.
"Nay! friend, not so," said the King, "cut me first these meshes from
my followers, and afterwards thou shalt sever mine."
"I am little," answered Golden-skin, "and my teeth are weak--how can I
gnaw so much? No! no! I will nibble your strings as long as my teeth
last, and afterwards do my best for the others. To preserve dependents
by sacrificing oneself is nowhere enjoined by wise moralists; on the
contrary--
'Keep wealth for want, but spend-it for thy wife, And wife, and wealth,
and all to guard thy life,'

"Friend," replied King Speckle-neck, "that may be the rule of policy,
but I am one that can by no means bear to witness the distress of those
who depend on me, for--
'Death, that must come, comes nobly when we give Our wealth, and
life, and all, to make men live,'
And you know the verse,
'Friend, art thou faithful? guard mine honor so! And let the earthy
rotting body go,'"
When King Golden-skin heard this answer his heart was charmed, and
his fur bristled up for pure pleasure. "Nobly spoken, friend," said he,
"nobly spoken! with such a tenderness for those that look to thee, the
Sovereignty of the Three Worlds might be fitly thine." So saying he set
himself to cut all their bonds. This done, and the pigeons extricated, the
King of the Mice[6] gave them his formal welcome. "But, your
Majesty," he said, "this capture in the net was a work of destiny; you
must not blame yourself as you did, and suspect a former fault. Is it not
written--
'Floating on his fearless pinions, lost amid the noon-day skies, Even
thence the Eagle's vision kens the carcase where it lies; But the hour
that comes to all things comes unto the Lord of Air, And he rushes,
madly blinded, to his ruin in the snare,'"
With this correction Golden-skin proceeded to perform the duties of
hospitality, and afterwards, embracing and dismissing them, the
pigeons left for such destination as they fancied, and the King of the
Mice retired again into his hole.
Now Light o' Leap, the Crow, had been a spectator of the whole
transaction, and wondered at it so much that at last he called out, "Ho!
Golden-skin, thou very laudable Prince, let me too be a friend of thine,
and give me thy friendship."
"Who art thou?" said Golden-skin, who heard him, but would not come

out of his hole.
"I am the Crow Light o' Leap," replied the other.
"How can I possibly be on good terms with thee?" answered
Golden-skin with a laugh; "have you never read--
'When Food is friends with Feeder, look for Woe, The Jackal ate the
Deer, but for the Crow,'
"No! how was that?"
"I will tell thee," replied Golden-skin:--
THE STORY OF THE JACKAL, DEER, AND CROW
"Far away in Behar there is a forest called Champak-Grove,[7] and in it
had long lived in much affection a Deer and a Crow. The Deer,
roaming unrestrained, happy and fat of carcase, was one day descried
by a Jackal. 'Ho! ho!' thought the Jackal on observing him, 'if I could
but get this soft meat for a meal! It might be--if I can only win his
confidence,' Thus reflecting he approached, and saluted him.
'Health be to thee, friend Deer!'
'Who art thou?' said the Deer.
'I'm Small-wit, the Jackal,' replied the other. 'I live in the wood here, as
the dead do, without a friend; but now that I have met with such a
friend as thou, I feel as if I were beginning life again with plenty of
relations. Consider me your faithful servant.'
'Very well,' said the Deer; and then, as the glorious King