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diff --git a/36039.txt b/36039.txt new file mode 100644 index 0000000..f1e3ed7 --- /dev/null +++ b/36039.txt @@ -0,0 +1,3154 @@ +The Project Gutenberg EBook of The Giant Crab and Other Tales from Old +India, by W.H.D. Rouse + +This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and with +almost no restrictions whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or +re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included +with this eBook or online at www.gutenberg.org + + +Title: The Giant Crab and Other Tales from Old India + +Author: W.H.D. Rouse + +Illustrator: W. Robinson + +Release Date: May 5, 2011 [EBook #36039] + +Language: English + +Character set encoding: ASCII + +*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK THE GIANT CRAB *** + + + + +Produced by Jeroen Hellingman and the Online Distributed +Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net (This file was +produced from images generously made available by The +Internet Archive/American Libraries and Google Print.) + + + + + + + + + THE GIANT CRAB + And Other Tales from Old India + + + Retold by + W. H. D. ROUSE + + Illustrated by W. Robinson + + + London + David Nutt, 270-271, Strand + 1897 + + + + + + + +WARNING + +To the Studious or Scientific Reader + + +I hope no one will imagine this to be a scientific book. It is meant to +amuse children; and if it succeeds in this, its aim will be hit. Thus +the stories here given, although grounded upon the great Buddhist +collection named below, have been ruthlessly altered wherever this +would better suit them for the purpose in view; and probably some of +them Buddha himself would fail to recognise. + +My thanks are due to the Syndics of the Cambridge University Press +for permitting the use of their translation of the Jataka Book; [1] +from which comes the groundwork of the stories, and occasionally a +phrase or a versicle is borrowed. To this work I refer all scholars, +folk-lorists and scientific persons generally: warning them that if +they plunge deeper into these pages, they will be horribly shocked. + + + + + + + +CONTENTS + + + Page + + The Giant Crab 1 + The Hypocritical Cat 6 + The Crocodile and the Monkey 9 + The Axe, the Drum, the Bowl, and the Diamond 14 + The Wise Parrot and the Foolish Parrot 26 + The Dishonest Friend 30 + The Mouse and the Farmer 34 + The Talkative Tortoise 38 + The Monkeys and the Gardener 41 + The Goblin and the Sneeze 45 + The Grateful Beasts and the Ungrateful Prince 49 + The Goblin in the Pool 56 + The Foolish Farmer and the King 59 + The Pious Wolf 62 + Birds of a Feather 64 + Spend a Pound to Win a Penny 68 + The Cunning Crane and the Crab 70 + Union is Strength 77 + Silence is Golden 80 + The Great Yellow King and his Porter 82 + The Quail and the Falcon 86 + Pride Must Have a Fall 88 + The Bold Beggar 95 + The Jackal Would A-Wooing Go 97 + The Lion and the Boar 102 + The Goblin City 106 + Lacknose 111 + The King's Lesson 114 + + + + + + + +THE GIANT CRAB + + +Once upon a time there was a lake in the mountains, and in that lake +lived a huge Crab. I daresay you have often seen crabs boiled, and +put on a dish for you to eat; and perhaps at the seaside you have +watched them sidling away at the bottom of a pool. Sometimes a boy +or girl bathing in the sea gets a nip from a crab, and then there is +squeaking and squealing. But our Crab was much larger than these; he +was the largest Crab ever heard of; he was bigger than a dining-room +table, and his claws were as big as an armchair. Fancy what it must +be to have a nip from such claws as those! + +Well, this huge Crab lived all alone in the lake. Now the different +animals that lived in the wild mountains used to come to that lake +to drink; deer and antelopes, foxes and wolves, lions and tigers and +elephants. And whenever they came into the water to drink, the great +Crab was on the watch; and one of them at least never went up out of +the water again. The Crab used to nip it with one of his huge claws +and pull it under, and then the poor beast was drowned, and made a +fine dinner for the big Crab. + +This went on for a long time, and the Crab grew bigger and bigger +every day, fattening on the animals that came there to drink. So at +last all the animals were afraid to go near that lake. This was a +pity, because there was very little water in the mountains, and the +creatures did not know what to do when they were thirsty. + +At last a great Elephant made up his mind to put an end to the Crab and +his doings. So he and his wife agreed that they would lead a herd of +elephants there to drink, and while the other elephants were drinking, +they would look out for the Crab. + +They did as they arranged. When the herd of elephants got to the +lake, these two went in first, and kept farthest out in the water, +watching for the Crab; and the others drank, and trumpeted, and washed +themselves close inshore. + +Soon they had had enough, and began to go out of the water; and then, +sure enough, the Elephant felt a tremendous nip on the leg. The Crab +had crawled up under the water and got him fast. He nodded to his wife, +who bravely stayed by his side; and then she began: + +"Dear Mr. Crab!" she said, "please let my husband go!" + +The Crab poked his eyes out of the water. You know a crab's eyes +grow on a kind of little stalk; and this Crab was so big, that his +eyes looked like two thick tree-trunks, with a cannon-ball on the top +of each. Now this Crab was a great flirt, or rather he used to be a +great flirt, but lately he had nobody to flirt with, because he had +eaten up all the creatures that came near him. And Mrs. Elephant was +a beautiful elephant, with a shiny brown skin, and elegant flapping +ears, and a curly trunk, and two white tusks that twinkled when she +smiled. So when the big Crab saw this beautiful elephant, he thought +he would like to have a kiss; and he said in a wheedling tone: + +"Dear little Elephant! Will you give me a kiss?" + +Then Mrs. Elephant pretended to be very pleased, and put her head +on one side, and flapped her tail; and she looked so sweet and so +tempting, that the Crab let go the other elephant, and began to crawl +slowly towards her, waving his eyes about as he went. + +All this while Mr. Elephant had been in great pain from the nip of +the Crab's claw, but he had said nothing, for he was a very brave +Elephant. But he did not mean to let his wife come to any harm; +not he! It was all part of their trick. And as soon as he felt his +leg free, he trumpeted loud and long, and jumped right upon the +Crab's back! + +Crack, crack! went the Crab's shell; for, big as he was, an elephant +was too heavy for him to carry. Crack, crack, crack! The Elephant +jumped up and down on his back, and in a very short time the Crab +was crushed to mincemeat. + +What rejoicing there was among the animals when they saw the Crab +crushed to death! From far and near they came, and passed a vote of +thanks to the Elephant and his wife, and made them King and Queen of +all the animals in the mountains. + +As for the Crab, there was nothing left of him but his claws, which +were so hard that nothing could even crack them; so they were left in +the pool. And in the autumn there came a great flood, and carried the +claws down into the river; and the river carried them hundreds of miles +away, to a great city; where the King's sons found them, and made out +of them two immense drums, which they always beat when they go to war; +and the very sound of these drums is enough to frighten the enemy away. + + + + + + + +THE HYPOCRITICAL CAT + + +Once upon a time there was a troop of Rats that used to live in holes +by a river side. A certain Cat often saw them going to and fro, and +longed to have them to eat. But he was not strong enough to attack +them all together; besides, that would not have suited his purpose, +because most of them would have run away. + +So he used to stand early in the morning, not far from their holes, +with his face towards the sun, snuffing up the air, and standing on +one leg. + +The Rats wondered why he did that, so one day they all trooped up to +him in a body, and asked the reason. + +"What is your name, sir?" they began. + +"Holy is my name," said the Cat. + +"Why do you stand on one leg?" + +"Because if I stood on all four, the earth could not bear my weight." + +"And why do you keep your mouth open?" + +"Because I feed on the air, and never eat anything else." + +"And why do you face the sun?" + +"Because I worship the sun." + +"What a pious Cat!" the Rats all thought. Ever after that, when they +started out in the morning, they did not fail first to make their bow +to the Cat one by one, and to show thus their respect for his piety. + +This was just what our Cat wanted. Every day, as they filed past, +he waited till the tail of the string came up; then like lightning +pounced upon the hindmost, and gobbled him up in a trice; after which +he stood on one leg as before, licking his lips greedily. + +For a while all went well for the Cat's plan; but at last the Chief +of the Rats noticed that the troop seemed to grow smaller. Here and +there he missed some familiar face. He could not make it out; but at +last a thought came into his mind, that perhaps the pious Cat might +know more about it than he chose to tell. + +Next day accordingly, he posted himself at the tail of the troop, +where he could see everything that went on; and as the Rats one by +one bowed before the Cat, he watched the Cat out of the end of his eye. + +As he came up, the Cat prepared for his pounce. But our Rat was ready +for him, and dodged out of the way. + +"Aha!" says the Rat, "so that is your piety! Feeds on the air, does +he! and worships the sun--eh? What a humbug!" And with one spring he +was at the Cat's throat, and his sharp teeth fast. The other Rats +heard the scuffle, and came trooping back; and it was crunch and +munch, till not a vestige remained of the hypocritical Cat. Those +who came first had cat to eat, and those who came last went sniffing +about at the mouths of their friends, and asking what was the taste +of catsmeat. And ever after the Rats lived in peace and happiness. + + + + + + + +THE CROCODILE AND THE MONKEY + + +Once upon a time there was a deep and wide river, and in this +river lived a crocodile. I do not know whether you have ever +seen a crocodile; but if you did see one, I am sure you would be +frightened. They are very long, twice as long as your bed; and they +are covered with hard green or yellow scales; and they have a wide +flat snout, and a huge jaw with hundreds of sharp teeth, so big that +it could hold you all at once inside it. This crocodile used to lie +all day in the mud, half under water, basking in the sun, and never +moving; but if any little animal came near, he would jump up, and open +his big jaws, and snap it up as a dog snaps up a fly. And if you had +gone near him, he would have snapped you up too, just as easily. + +On the bank of this river lived a monkey. He spent the day climbing +about the trees, and eating nuts or wild fruit; but he had been there +so long, that there was hardly any fruit left upon the trees. + +Now it so happened that the crocodile's wife cast a longing eye on this +Monkey. She was very dainty in her eating, was Mrs. Crocodile, and +she liked the tit-bits. So one morning she began to cry. Crocodile's +tears are very big, and as her tears dropped into the water, splash, +splash, splash, Mr. Crocodile woke up from his snooze, and looked +round to see what was the matter. + +"Why, wife," said he, "what are you crying about?" + +"I'm hungry!" whimpered Mrs. Crocodile. + +"All right," said he, "wait a while. I'll soon catch you something." + +"But I want that Monkey's heart!" said Mrs. Crocodile. Splash, splash, +splash, went her tears again. + +"Come, come, cheer up," said Mr. Crocodile. He was very fond of +his wife, and he would have wiped away her tears, only he had no +pocket-handkerchief. "Cheer up!" said he; "I'll see what I can do." + +His wife dried her tears, and Mr. Crocodile lay down again on the +mud, thinking. He thought for a whole hour. You see, though he was +very big, he was very stupid. At last he heaved a sigh of relief, +for he thought he had hit upon a clever plan. + +He wallowed along the bank to a place just underneath a big tree. Up +on the tree our Monkey was swinging by his tail, and chattering +to himself. + +"Monkey!" he called out, in the softest voice he could manage. It +was not very soft, something like a policeman's rattle; but it was +the best he could do, with all those sharp teeth. + +The Monkey stopped swinging, and looked down. The Crocodile had never +spoken to him before, and he felt rather surprised. + +"Monkey, dear!" called the Crocodile, again. + +"Well, what is it?" asked the Monkey. + +"I'm sure you must be hungry," said Mr. Crocodile. "I see you have +eaten all the fruit on these trees; but why don't you try the trees +on the other side of the river? Just look, apples, pears, quinces, +plums, anything you could wish for! And heaps of them!" + +"That is all very well," said the Monkey. "But how can I get across +a wide river like this?" + +"Oh!" said the cunning Crocodile, "that is easily managed. I like +your looks, and I want to do you a good turn. Jump on my back, and +I'll swim across; then you can enjoy yourself!" + +Never had the Monkey had an offer so tempting. He swung round a branch +three times in his joy; his eyes glistened, and without thinking a +moment, down he jumped on the Crocodile's back. + +The Crocodile began to swim slowly across. The Monkey fixed his eyes +on the opposite bank with its glorious fruit trees, and danced for +joy. Suddenly he felt the water about his feet! It rose to his legs, +it rose to his middle. The Crocodile was sinking! + +"Mr. Crocodile! Mr. Crocodile! take care!" said he. "You'll drown me!" + +"Ha, ha, ha!" laughed the Crocodile, snapping his great jaws. "So +you thought I was taking you across out of pure good nature! You are +a green monkey, to be sure. The truth is, my wife has taken a fancy +to you, and wants your heart to eat! If you had seen her crying this +morning, I am sure you would have pitied her." + +"What a good thing you told me!" said the Monkey. (He was a very clever +Monkey, and had his wits about him.) "Wait a bit, and I'll tell you +why. My heart, I think you said? Why, I never carry my heart inside +me; that would be too dangerous. If we Monkeys went jumping about the +trees with our hearts inside, we should knock them to bits in no time." + +The Crocodile rose up to the surface again. He felt very glad he had +not drowned the Monkey, because, as I said, he was a stupid creature, +and did not see that the Monkey was playing him a trick. + +"Oh," said he, "where is your heart, then?" + +"Do you see that cluster of round things up in the tree there, on the +further bank? Those are our hearts, all in a bunch; and pretty safe +too, at that height, I should hope!" It was really a fig-tree, and +certainly the figs did look very much like a bunch of hearts. "Just +you take me across," he went on, "and I'll climb up and drop my heart +down; I can do very well without it." + +"You excellent creature!" said the Crocodile, "so I will!" + +And he swam across the river. The Monkey leapt lightly off the +Crocodile's back, and swung himself up the fig-tree. Then he sat down +on a branch, and began to eat the figs with great enjoyment. + +"Your heart, please!" called out the Crocodile. "Can't you see I'm +waiting?" + +"Well, wait as long as you like!" said the Monkey. "Are you such a +fool as to think that any creature keeps its heart in a tree? Your +body is big, but your wit is little. No, no; here I am, and here I +mean to stay. Many thanks for bringing me over!" + +The Crocodile snapped his jaws in disgust, and went back to his wife, +feeling very foolish, as he was; and the Monkey had such a feast in +the fig-tree as he never had in his life before. + + + + + + + +THE AXE, THE DRUM, THE BOWL, AND THE DIAMOND + + +Once upon a time there was a poor young man who went out into the world +to seek his fortune. He went aboard a ship sailing across the ocean; +and after they had sailed for a year and a day, suddenly a great storm +arose. The rain descended, and the wind blew, and it blew so hard and +so wild, that the ship went miles out of her course, and the skipper +could not tell where they were. And then, in the middle of the night, +a great crash came, and the ship was dashed upon a reef. The waves +beat and battered it, and turned it topsy-turvy, and the end of it +was that every soul was drowned except the poor young man. + +The waves washed him ashore, more dead than alive, and on the shore +he lay till next morning, when the sun warmed him and woke him up +from his faint. He got up and looked about him, and wandered over +the place, which he found was an island. It did not take him long to +walk round it; and then he saw that it was a small island, and far as +the eye could reach not another speck of land was to be seen. There +were plenty of trees growing in the island, with fruit and flowers, +bananas and cocoanuts, and springs of water; but on the trees were +no birds, and no animals ran about on the ground. So he lived on the +fruits and roots, and did the best he could. + +One day, to his great surprise, he saw a black thing in the sky; and, +still more surprising, the black thing had no wings. Yet it was flying, +and flew nearer and nearer, until he saw that it was a large wild +pig. How could a pig fly through the air? He rubbed his eyes and looked +again; yes, a pig it was beyond all doubt; and it flew closer and +closer until it came to the island. He hid behind a bush, and saw the +pig sink slowly to the ground and lie down under a tree. Soon the pig +was fast asleep and snoring. He went up close, and, to his amazement, +by the pig's side, was the most magnificent diamond he ever saw. It +blazed and sparkled in the sun and looked like a ball of fire. He +stepped gingerly up to the pig, and took hold of the diamond; the pig +was very sleepy and snored away heartily. As he turned the diamond +about in his hand and saw it flash, he suddenly thought to himself, +"What if the pig should wake? He looks fierce, he has great sharp +tusks, and I have nothing to defend myself with. If I were only up +in that tree, now----" But what on earth had happened? As the thought +came into his mind, he found himself perched in the tree-top. + +For a little while he was quite dazed and dizzy. Then he began to +wonder if it could be the diamond which had done this miracle. So +just to try, he wished himself down again; and there he was, without +knowing how! He began to understand that this was a magic diamond, +and something which he must take great care of. Then he wished himself +up in the tree again. + +When he was in the tree once more, he picked off a nut that was +growing on the tree, and dropped it upon the pig's nose. The pig +woke up, raised his head, and looked round for the diamond; he was +a very intelligent pig, indeed he was really not a pig at all, but a +great magician, who used to fly about in the shape of a pig because +he was as wicked as could be, and preferred being a pig rather than +a man. There are really a great many people like that, only we see +them in the shape of men and do not know the difference. + +Now when this pig saw that his diamond was gone, he fell in a fury; for +all his power lay in the diamond, and without it he was nothing more +than any other pig. So he glared and snorted, and looked all round, +and down, and up--and then he saw the man who had dropped the nut +upon his snout! Then his fury knew no bounds; he foamed at the mouth, +and ran raging round and round the tree; but the man only laughed, +and dropped more nuts on him. This made him mad indeed, for pigs +cannot climb trees, and he saw that his diamond was lost, and with +it all his magical power; so in his madness he charged straight at +the tree, and ran his tusks right into the trunk. There they stuck, +and tug as he would, he could not get them out. + +The man wished himself down from the tree, and looked about for a large +stone, with which he battered the pig's skull till it was dead. Then he +held the diamond over the pig, so that the sun's rays shone down and +were reflected through it; and so fine and strong was the diamond, +that in a very short time a delicious smell of roast pork rose to +his nostrils, and the whole pig was done to a turn, with rich crisp +crackling. Then he took a sharp shell which he found lying on the +beach, and carved off slices of the pork, which he ate. It was very +nice indeed, and he had the best meal he had enjoyed since the ship had +been wrecked on the reef, and he had been cast ashore on that island. + +By-and-by, when he had finished his dinner, it occurred to him that +as the pig had flown there through the air, so he might fly away. So +holding his diamond in his hand, he wished to fly through the air to +the nearest land. Then he felt himself rising, and he was carried +swiftly through the air, and away, away over the sea; the island +grew smaller, it became a black patch, it dwindled to a speck in the +distance. The sun shone warm upon him, the waves sparkled underneath; +porpoises gambolled about, playing leap-frog in the sea; flying-fish +came out of the water in a flash of light, and dropped into the water +again; still he went on, till, as the sun was setting, he came close +to a sandy beach; and there before long he stood, wondering what he +should do next. + +He looked round, and not far off, behind a clump of bushes, rose a +thin column of smoke. He put the diamond in his pocket, and walked +towards the smoke. Soon he saw a queer little hut, and at the door, +upon the ground, sat a man without any legs. Whether a shark had +bitten off his legs, or whether he never had any, I cannot tell you, +for he never told me; but there he sat, like a chessman. He had a +fur cap, and a fur coat; he did not need any trousers, for he had no +legs to put them on, as I have told you. In front of him was a fire, +and over the fire was a spit, and on the spit was a young kid roasting. + +"Good evening, sir," said the young man. + +"Good evening," said the other. + +"Can you give me a night's shelter?" the young man asked. + +"Whatever I have, you may share," said the old man with no legs. + +So they sat down, and ate a good meal; but the young man was +rather frightened to see that the other man ate skin, and bones, +and everything. And he did not like the way the old man eyed him. In +fact I must tell you, that this old man was another magician, and a +friend of the magician who looked like a pig; and when any travellers +came that way, he used to eat them. He did not eat this traveller, +because the kid was ready roasted; but he meant to do it as soon as +he should be hungry again. + +"How did you get here?" asked the old man. + +"I flew over the sea," said the young man. + +"Indeed!" said the old man. "And how did you manage that?" + +Then the traveller showed his diamond, and told the old man what a +wonderful stone it was, and how it gave any one power to fly through +the air. + +"If you will give me your diamond," said the old man, "I will give you +my axe. You see I have no legs, so you may wonder how I live. This is +the way I live. If I slap this axe on the handle, and say, Wood and +fire! away it flies, and cuts wood and kindles a fire. If I slap the +steel, and say, Heads! away it flies, and chops off the head of a goat +or any animal I want; and then it brings me meat for my dinner. Now +I have lived here for a thousand years by the help of my axe, and I +am rather tired of being in one place. I should like to see the world +before I die, and that is why I want your diamond." + +"All right," said the young man, "it's a bargain." They exchanged the +axe and the diamond; the old man turned it over in his hand, chuckling +greedily. As soon as the young man got grip of the axe, he smacked +the steel, and says he, "Heads!" In a jiffy the axe sliced through +the old man's neck like a turnip, and he had no more head than legs. + +Then the traveller picked up the diamond, and put it in his pocket. So +now he had two magic things instead of one. He blessed his luck, +and fell asleep very happily inside the old magician's hut. + +Next morning, with the diamond in his pocket and the axe on his +shoulder, the young man set out on his travels. All day long he walked +through the forest, until at evening time he saw before him another +hut, like the first, where lived the old man with no legs. Before +this hut, too, there was a fire burning, and beside the fire sat an +old man without any arms. Whether a tiger had bitten off his arms or +whether he never had any, I cannot say, because he never told me; +but there he sat like a pair of compasses. He had the stump of a +tree to sit on, and before him was another stump, and on this stump +was a large bowl of milk, out of which he was drinking. When he saw +our friend, he tipped over this bowl with his chin; instantly a deep +roaring river surrounded him and his hut, and he sat in the middle, +laughing at the young man's surprise. But he did not laugh long, for +the young man instantly wished himself over the river, and there he +was. Now it was his turn to laugh. + +"How on earth did you do that?" asked the old man. He was much too +astonished to think of saying good-day. + +"Oh, that's nothing," said the young man, and showed him his diamond. + +The old man's eyes glistened. He thought how nice it would be to have +that diamond. + +"What do you say to selling me that diamond?" said he. + +"What will you give me for it?" asked the young man. + +"I will give you this bowl. It is a wishing bowl. Whenever you are +hungry all you have to do is to wish for something in it, and there +it is; milk, or soup, or wine; anything that can go in a bowl. And +if you turn it over, as you saw me do just now, a rushing, roaring +river pours out, and surrounds you, or, if you like, it will flood +a whole country and drown every living thing." + +"Dear me!" said the young man, "that is a wonderful bowl. Well, +I agree; I'll give you my diamond for it." So they exchanged the +bowl and the diamond. The old man took the diamond in his hand and +watched it sparkle; but he did not watch long, for the young man +slapped his hatchet and cried, "Heads!" In a jiffy the steel sliced +through the old man's neck like a cucumber, and he had no more head +than arms. Then the young man picked up his diamond and put it away in +his pocket. So now he had three wonderful things instead of two. He +blessed his good luck, wished for some delicious wine in his bowl, +drank it, and went to sleep happily, in the old man's hut. + +Next morning the young man was up betimes; and after taking a meal +out of his wishing-bowl, he set out once more to walk through the +forest. After he had walked for some hours, he heard, far in the +distance, a loud rub-a-dub-dub, rub-a-dub-dub, boom, boom, boom. He +felt as if he could hardly help running away; still, with a great +effort, he began to walk towards the sound, which got louder and +louder every minute, till at last it made a tremendous din. Then, +suddenly, just as he came upon a little open glade in the forest, he +heard a rustle, bustle, jostle, and out of the trees came a great herd +of elephants, lions, tigers, wolves, and all sorts of wild animals, +their hair bristling with fright, and every one of them tearing along +at full speed. They were far too much terrified to notice him, and, +scurrying across the glade, they vanished among the trees. + +By this time the noise had ceased, but it was not long before he came +upon another little glade, and at the end of the glade was a hut, +and in front of that hut sat a big black giant with a drum. + +"Good day to you!" roared the giant, in a great voice. + +"Good day!" said the young man, rather frightened. + +"Come and have something to eat!" roared the giant. + +"Thank you," said the young man. + +They sat down, and the giant offered him some food. But the young +man thought it was safer not to take any of the giant's food, so he +pulled out his bowl, and wished for some soup, and sipped it. + +"What is that?" asked the giant. + +The young man told him it was a wishing bowl, that gave any food +he wanted. The giant was very much delighted with the wishing bowl, +and thought that if he could get that bowl, he would be able to eat +without the trouble of getting things. + +"I'll buy that bowl!" he roared. + +"What will you give me for it?" asked the young man. + +"I will give you this drum," said the giant. "If you beat on one side, +everybody that hears it will run away." + +"Ah, that was why the lions and tigers were running away just +now!" said the young man. + +"Yes," said the giant. "And if you beat on the other side, a splendid +army of soldiers and horses will spring up out of the ground and +defend you." + +"All right, here you are," said the young man, and gave him the bowl. + +The giant took the bowl in great glee, and horrid to tell, wished +out loud for a bowlful of blood! He began to drink it, but he did not +finish; for as he buried his nose in the bowl, the young man slapped +his axe, and said--"Heads!" Down came the axe with a crash on the +giant's head, and cut it clean in two! + +If the young man was glad when he saw the giant's head cleft in two, +he was gladder when he went inside the giant's hut. For there, all +round the wall, were the bodies of travellers who had passed that +way; and they were tied to the uprights of the wall, and their bodies +were dry as dust, and shrivelled like a medlar. For this giant used +to catch all travellers and tie them up in his house, and then he +sucked their blood till they were dry. So when our traveller saw what +a narrow escape he had had, he determined no longer to remain in that +dreadful place. Picking up the bowl and the drum, and feeling to see +that his axe and diamond were safe, he wished himself at the gate of +the nearest city. + +Now the king of this city was a very cruel king. He used to rob and +murder even his own subjects; and as for strangers, he had short +shrift and no mercy for them. So when the king heard that there was a +stranger outside the gates, he made up his mind to have some sport; +and sent out a company of soldiers to fetch him in. The young man +beat his drum, and they all took to their heels! You may imagine +how angry the king was to hear this; he had all their heads chopped +off on the spot, and sent a regiment. The same thing happened to the +regiment. But this only made the king angrier than ever. He ordered +all his army to be marshalled before the gates, and himself riding at +their head, led them forward to capture this audacious stranger. Then +the young man tipped over his wishing bowl. Out poured a roaring +torrent of water that flooded the plain, and drowned every soldier +in the army, all except the king, who had galloped back to the city, +and got up on the wall. Then the young man slapped his axe, and cried, +"Heads! I want the king's head!" Off flew the axe through the air +like a boomerang, and sliced off the king's head, and brought it +back to its master. The people inside the city began to cheer with +joy, when they saw the king with his head off. And when the axe came +back, the young man beat upon the other side of his drum; and lo and +behold! the earth began to tremble, it seemed full of holes, and from +every hole sprouted a warrior fully armed. Surrounded by his army, +he marched into the city, where he became king, and lived happily +ever after. And I hope that we may be half as happy as he was. + + + + + + + +THE WISE PARROT AND THE FOOLISH PARROT + + +Once upon a time there was a man who had two pet parrots that +could talk very nicely; indeed they had more sense than most people +have, and when their master was alone he used to spend the evening +chattering with them. They cracked jokes like any Christian, and told +the funniest tales. + +But this man had a thievish maid-servant. He had to lock everything +up, and even as it was, never turned his back but she was filching +and pilfering. + +One day the man had to go away on a journey. Before he went he took +out the two parrots, and perched one on each fist, and says he to them, +"Now, Beaky and Tweaky, I want you to watch the maid while I am gone; +and if she steals anything, you are to tell me when I come home again." + +They blinked at him, their eyelids coming up over their eyes from +underneath, as you must have noticed in parrots; looking very solemn +as they did so. Then Beaky said, + + + "If she do it + She shall rue it!" + + +But Tweaky said nothing at all; only winked again more solemnly +than ever. + +"Good Beaky!" said the man, "naughty Tweaky!" + +Then he went away. + +As soon as he was out of sight, the maid began her games. She picked +the locks of his cupboards and ate the sugar, she ate the biscuits, +she drank the wine. Beaky hopped into the room, stood on one leg, +and shrieked, + + + "Naughty maid! + Aren't you afraid? + Master shall know, + And you shall go!" + + +The maid jumped as if she had been shot, and looked round. She thought +somebody had caught her unawares; but when she saw it was Beaky she put +on a sweet smile, and held out a lump of sugar, saying in a coaxing +voice, "Pretty Poll! pretty Beaky! I won't do it again! Come, then, +and have a nice lump of sugar." + +This temptation was too strong for poor Beaky. He wanted very much +to do his duty, but he wanted the lump of sugar more. So he put his +head on one side and, looking very wise, sidled up to the maid. This +was very wrong of Beaky, because he knew the sugar was stolen; and in +another minute he was sorry; for as soon as he came within reach and +pecked at the sugar, the maid caught him by the neck with the other +hand. Then her smile changed, and she sneered, + +"So Beaky is going to tell, is he? Tell-tale tit! I'll teach Beaky +to tell tales!" As she said each word, she plucked out a feather from +poor Beaky's head. Beaky shrieked and Beaky struggled, but all in vain; +she did not let him go till he was bald as a bullet. + +Tweaky saw all this, but said nothing, only winked and blinked, and +looked more solemn than ever. The maid looked at him, but thought she, +"That bird is too stupid to tell, and he isn't worth the trouble of +plucking." So she left him alone. + +By-and-by the master came in. The maid went up to him in a great +bustle, and said she had found Beaky stealing sugar, and she had +plucked him as a punishment. + +When the evening came, the master sat in his room with Beaky and +Tweaky. Poor Beaky felt ashamed of himself, and had nothing to say; +he sat on his perch the picture of misery, with his tail drooping, +and his ridiculous bald head. Tweaky said nothing at all. + +Now it happened that the master had a bald head too, and when he took +off his skull-cap, which he generally wore to keep his head warm, +Tweaky noticed it. + +He laughed loud and shrieked out, "Oh-oh-oh! Where's your feathers, +Tell-tale tit? Where's your feathers, Tell-tale tit?" + +Tweaky was only a parrot, you see, and was not always quite correct +in his grammar, as you are. + +"What do you mean?" asked the master. + +But for a long time Tweaky would say nothing but the same words over +and over again, "Where's your feathers, Tell-tale tit?" However, +by-and-by they heard the maid going to bed, tramp, tramp, tramp. Then +Tweaky grew a little braver; and next time the master asked him what +he meant, he replied: + + + "Every parrot has two eyes, + Both the foolish and the wise; + But the wise can shut them tight + When 'tis best to have no sight. + Wisdom has the best of it: + Where's your feathers, Tell-tale tit?" + + +Then the master understood what had happened, for he was a very clever +man; and without any delay he ran upstairs two steps at a time, +and woke the maid, and made her dress herself, and turned her out +of the house then and there. I wonder why he did not do it before, +but that is no business of mine. + +After that, poor Beaky never had the heart to talk again; but Tweaky, +whenever he saw a bald-headed man, or a woman with a high forehead, +shrieked out at the top of his voice-- + +"Ha! ha! ha! Where's your feathers, Tell-tale tit?" + + + + + + + +THE DISHONEST FRIEND + + +There was once a man who went on a journey, and he asked a friend to +take charge of his plough till he should return. The friend promised +to take great care of it. But no sooner was the man gone than he sold +the plough and put the price in his own pocket. Was not that a mean +trick to serve a friend? + +The man came back, and asked his friend for the plough. + +"Oh, I am so sorry," the friend replied; "my house is infested with +rats, and one night a very big rat came and ate it up." + +"Ah well," said the man, "what can't be cured must be endured! It +must have been a very big rat, though." + +"It was," said the other, "very big." + +You must not suppose this man was quite such a fool as he seemed. You +will soon see why he did not make a fuss about his plough. + +Next day he took his friend's son out for a walk. When they had gone +some distance he took the boy to another friend's house, and told +this friend to keep the boy safe, but not to let him go out of the +house till he returned. + +Then he ran back to the boy's father. + +"Where is my boy?" asked the father. + +"Your boy? Oh, I remember--a hawk swooped down and carried him off." + +"Oh, you liar! oh, you murderer!" said the friend. "Come before the +judge, and then we shall see." + +"As you please," said the man. + +So they went to the court. + +"What is your complaint?" asked the judge. + +"My lord, this man took my son out for a walk with him, and came back +alone, and now he says a hawk carried him off. He must have murdered +the boy! Justice, my lord, justice!" + +"What is this?" asked the judge sternly. "Come, my man, tell the +truth." + +"It is the truth, my lord," said the man; "he came with me for a walk, +and was carried away by a hawk." + +"Nonsense!" said the judge. "Who ever heard of a hawk carrying off +a boy?" + +"And who ever heard, my lord, of a rat eating a plough?" + +"What do you mean?" asked the judge. + +The man told his story. Then the judge saw that the man who complained +had cheated his friend, and understood what was the reason of this +little trick. So he said to the man whose son was lost: + +"If you find the plough that was entrusted to you, perhaps your son +may be found too." + +The man was much annoyed at being found out, but, willy nilly, he +had to give the plough back. Then his son was brought back safe to +him again. And he began to see that honesty is the best policy. + + + + + + + +THE MOUSE AND THE FARMER + + +Once upon a time there was a Mouse, who made his hole in a place where +there were thousands and thousands of golden sovereigns buried in the +ground. Now there was a Farmer who owned the land where this treasure +was buried; but he did not know about it, or else of course he would +have dug it up. He often noticed the little Mouse sitting with his +head peeping out of the hole, but as he was a very kind Farmer, he +never hurt the Mouse; and now and then when he was having his own +dinner, he would throw the Mouse a bit of cheese. + +The Mouse was very grateful to the Farmer, and wondered what he could +do to show it. At last he thought of the treasure; for this Mouse was +sensible enough to know that Farmers are very pleased to get a golden +sovereign now and again. So one day, as the Farmer went by the hole, +Mousie ran out with a golden sovereign in his mouth, and dropped it at +the Farmer's feet. You can imagine how glad the Farmer was to see a +golden sovereign. Indeed, it was the first one he had seen since the +Corn Laws were abolished. So he thanked the Mouse, and went down to +the village, and bought him a beautiful piece of meat. After this the +Mouse every day brought the Farmer a golden sovereign, and every day +the Farmer gave him a big chunk of meat. Thus in a few weeks Mousie +grew quite fat. + +But the Farmer had a big black cat that used to prowl about watching +for mice. It used never to notice the Farmer's own favourite Mouse +while the Mouse was thin; but when he grew sleek and fat and shiny, +Grimalkin (which was the Cat's name) lay in wait for him one day and +pounced upon him. Poor little Mousie was terrified. + +"Please don't kill me, Mr. Grimalkin!" said Mousie. + +"Why not? I'm hungry and you are fat!" + +"But, sir, if you eat me now, you'll be hungry to-morrow, won't you?" + +"Of course I shall!" said Grimalkin. + +"Well," said Mousie, who had suddenly thought of a plan; "if you +will only let me go, I'll bring you a beautiful juicy piece of meat +every day!" + +This was a tempting offer for Grimalkin, who was a lazy Cat, and +liked sitting by the fire, and licking himself all over, better than +hunting for mice. + +"All right," said he; "only if you leave out one day, you're a dead +mouse!" Then, with a frightful spit, bristling up all his whiskers +and eyebrows, Grimalkin ran away. + +So next day, when the Farmer gave Mousie his dinner, Mousie carried it +off to the black Cat, and the black Cat spat and swore and ate it up, +and away ran Mousie trembling. But by degrees Mousie grew thinner +and thinner, because Grimalkin always had his dinner; and soon he +was nothing but skin and bone. Then the Farmer noticed how thin his +Mouse had become, so one day he asked the Mouse whether he was ill. + +"No," said Mousie, "I'm not ill." + +"What is the matter, then?" asked the Farmer. + +"I never get any dinner now," said Mousie, with tears running down +over his nose, "because Grimalkin eats it all!" Then he told the +Farmer about the bargain he had made with Grimalkin. + +Now the Farmer had a beautiful piece of glass, with a hole in the +middle. I think it was an inkstand, but I am not sure. So he took +this piece of glass and put Mousie inside it, and turned it upside +down upon the ground in front of Mousie's hole. "Now," said he, +"next time Grimalkin comes for your dinner, tell him you have none +for him, and see what will happen." + +So next day up comes Grimalkin for his dinner, spitting and looking +very fierce. + +"Meat! meat!" says he to the Mouse. + +"Get off, vile thief!" says Mousie, "I've no meat for the likes +of you!" + +At this Grimalkin could hardly believe his ears. He was in a rage, +I can tell you; and, without stopping to think, pounced upon Mousie, +and swallowed him, inkstand and all. You see, as it was all glass, +Grimalkin did not know that there was any inkstand there, because he +saw the Mouse through it. + +Now cats can digest a good deal, but they can't digest a glass +inkstand. So Grimalkin, when he had swallowed the Mouse and the +inkstand, felt a pain inside; and this got worse and worse, until at +last he died. And then Mousie crept out of the inkstand, and crawled +up through Grimalkin's throat, and went back to his hole again. And +there he lived all his life in happiness, every day bringing a golden +sovereign to the Farmer, who gave him every day a beautiful dinner +of meat. + + + + + + + +THE TALKATIVE TORTOISE + + +Once upon a time there was a Tortoise that lived in a pond. He was a +most worthy Tortoise, but he had one fault, he would talk in season +and out of season; all day long it was chatter, chatter, chatter in +that pond, until the fish said that they would rather live on dry +land than put up with it any longer. + +But the Tortoise had two friends, a pair of young Geese, who used to +fly about near the pond in search of food. And when they heard that +things were getting hot for the Tortoise in that pond, because he +talked so much, they flew up to him and cried eagerly: + +"Oh, Tortoise! do come along with us! We have such a beautiful home +away in the mountains, where you may talk all day long, and nobody +shall worry you there!" + +"All very well," grumbled the Tortoise, "but how am I to get there? I +can't fly!" + +"Oh, we'll carry you, if you can only keep your mouth shut for a +little while." + +"Yes, I can do that," says he, "when I like. Let us be off." + +So the Geese picked up a stout stick, and one Goose took one end in +her bill and the other Goose took the other end, and then they told +the Tortoise to get hold in the middle; "only be careful," said they, +"not to talk." + +The Tortoise set his teeth fast on the stick, and held on like grim +death, while the Geese, flapping their strong wings, rose in the air +and flew towards their home. + +All went well for a time. But it so happened that some boys were +looking up in the air, and were highly amused by what they saw. + +"Look there!" cried one to the rest, "two Geese carrying a Tortoise +on a stick!" + +The Tortoise on hearing this was so angry that he forgot all about his +danger, and opened his mouth to cry out: "What's that to you? Mind +your own business!" But he got no farther than the first word; for +when his mouth opened he loosed the stick, down he dropped, and fell +with a crash on the stones. + +The talkative Tortoise lay dead, with his shell cracked in two. + + + + + + + +THE MONKEYS AND THE GARDENER + + +Once upon a time there was a beautiful park, full of all manner of +trees and shrubs, with beds of flowers set here and there, and no end +of fruit-trees. A gardener used to take care of this park; pruning +the trees when they made too much wood, and digging the ground, +and watering the flowers in dry weather. + +It happened that there was a fair to be held away in the city, and the +gardener very much wanted to go. But who would take care of the park +and garden? If his master came in and found all the flowers drooping +or dead, what would he say then! It would never do. + +Meditating thus, and in doubt, he looked up into the branches of the +trees, and a bright thought struck him. I must tell you that in this +park there were not only herds of deer, and plenty of rabbits and other +creatures that usually live in parks, but there were troops of monkeys +in the trees, who climbed and chattered and cracked nuts all day long, +with no lessons to do. And when the gardener cast up his eyes to the +trees, he saw some monkeys that he knew very well indeed. Many a time +he had been kind to them; and now he thought they should do the like +by him, as one good turn deserves another. + +So the gardener called out, "Monkeys, I want you!" + +Down they all clambered, and in a very short time they were sitting +beside him on the grass. + +"Monkeys," said he, "I have been a good friend to you, letting you +eat my nuts and apples. And now I want to take a holiday. Will you +water my garden while I am away?" + +"Oh yes, yes, yes!" cried the Monkeys. They thought it a great joke, +and leaped for joy. + +So the gardener handed over his watering-pots to the monkeys, and +put on his Sunday clothes, and went away to the fair. + +Meanwhile,the Monkeys held a solemn council, sitting in a ring round +the Monkey chief. + +"Brothers," said the Monkey chief, "our good friend, the gardener +has given us charge of this garden and all there is in it. We must +take care not to hurt anything, and, above all, not to waste the +water. There is very little water, and I really don't think it will +go round." + +It was in fact a well, very small at the top, but very deep, and at +the bottom the water was always running. You might have watered till +doomsday out of that well; but monkeys, though they are cunning, +are not wise, and these monkeys thought that a little round hole +could not hold very much water. + +"So you see," the Monkey chief went on, "you must give each plant +just enough water, and no more; and I think the best way will be, +to see how long the roots are." + +So each Monkey took a watering-pot, and they scattered all over +the garden. Every bush and every plant they carefully pulled up, and +measured its roots; and then they gave a great deal of water to plants +with long roots, and only a little when the roots were short. After +that they put the plants and bushes back in the holes they came from. + +After a day or two, back came the gardener from his fair. But what +was his horror to see that nearly all the plants in the garden were +drooping, some of them dead and many dying, while the Monkeys were +busy in every direction pulling up the rest. + +"Oh dear, oh dear, what in the world are you doing? My garden is +ruined, my garden is ruined!" The poor gardener wept for sorrow. + +The Chief Monkey was very much surprised. He thought he had been very +clever to put water according to the size of the roots, and he said so. + +"Clever!" said the gardener. "Clever indeed! Fools you are, there is +no mistake about it." + +"Fools they may be," said his master, who had come up behind him +without being seen, "but, after all, that is their nature. You ought +to have known better than to put monkeys in charge of a garden, +and you are a greater fool than they." + +Then he sent that gardener away and got another. + + + + + + + +THE GOBLIN AND THE SNEEZE + + +Once upon a time there was a very powerful Goblin, who haunted a +little house just outside the gates of a city. Nobody else lived in +this house. There was a big black beam that ran across from one side +to the other, up in the roof; and there this Goblin perched. For +twelve years he had served the King of the Goblins faithfully, and +as a reward he was now permitted to gobble up any man who sneezed +inside that house; and, indeed, that is why these creatures are called +Goblins. But if, when a man sneezed, some one else said, "God bless +you!" as people do say, or "May you live a hundred years!" then the +man who said it was free; and if the other answered, "The same to +you!" he was free too. Everybody but these the Goblin might gobble +up for a single sneeze. + +Now it fell out that one day a father and son were travelling along +the road, and they came to the city gates just as the sun went down. I +must tell you that in those days the people used to shut the city +gates fast at sunset, and nothing would make them open again till the +morning--they were horribly afraid of robbers or wild soldiers, who +might come and damage them in the night. So when these two wayfarers +came up to the gates, and wanted to go in, the porter said no. + +"Now, do we look like robbers?" asked the father. Certainly they +did not, dusty and grimy with their trudge, and a bag of tools over +the shoulder. + +"Robbers or no robbers, orders are orders," said the porter, "and +this gate doesn't open for the King himself." + +"Well, what are we to do?" The poor fellow was in despair. + +"Oh, there's an empty house outside; there it is among the trees. It +is haunted, they say; but I daresay the Goblin won't hurt you." + +"Goblin!--well, we must take our chance, I suppose." Indeed, there was +nothing for it; so to the house they went. They rested, and cooked +a meal for themselves on a fire of sticks, and then prepared to go +to sleep. + +The Goblin, however, was not going to let them off so easily; +he wanted his dinner too. After waiting a long time, with never a +sneeze from one or the other, he raised a cloud of fine dust; that +was rather mean of him, but still he was very hungry, and did not +stick at trifles. Sure enough, the father nearly sneezed his head off. + +The Goblin chuckled, and made ready to pounce from his perch and +devour the pair of them. But the son happened to see him, and, being +a sharp lad, he guessed the truth. "God bless you, father!" says he; +"may you live a hundred years!" + +How the Goblin gnashed his teeth! However, if his pudding was lost, +his meat was left; so he stretched out a great claw to clutch the +father and tear him to pieces. + +Just then the father cried, "Thank you, my son, and the same to you!" + +He was only just in time; the claw was within an inch of his throat; +but the Goblin, baffled, flew up to his perch again, and sat mouthing +and mumbling there. + +Then the son began to talk to this Goblin, and showed him the error of +his ways, and how cruel he was to eat men; and the end of it was, he +persuaded the Goblin to become a vegetarian, and to follow him about, +and be his errand-boy. You will think this was a very soft-hearted +Goblin. Perhaps no one had ever spoken kindly to him before; anyhow, +whatever the reason was, he went out with the two travellers, as tame +as a tabby cat; and for all I know, they may be travelling together +to this very day. + + + + + + + +THE GRATEFUL BEASTS AND THE UNGRATEFUL PRINCE + + +Once upon a time there was a King, and he had a son. And this son was +so cruel and disagreeable, that he took a delight in hurting people, +and never spoke to anybody without an oath or a blow. He was a thorn +in the flesh to everybody he came across; he was like grit in the +porridge, like a fly in the eye, like a stone in the shoon. And they +called him the Wicked Prince. + +One day the Wicked Prince went down to the river to bathe, along with +a number of servants. By-and-by a great storm came on, and the clouds +were so thick that it became pitch-dark. However, this Prince was +obstinate, and would not give up his bathe; and as he was too lazy +even to bathe himself, he swore at his servants, and said: + +"You lazy beasts! Bathe me, and look sharp about it, or I'll tickle +you with a cat-o'-nine-tails!" + +Now the servants had had enough of this young bully; and thought they, +"What if we pitch him into the river, where the current is strong, +and just leave him there! We can easily pretend he was carried away +where we could not reach him; and if the King finds us out, and puts +us to death--anyhow, death is better than his eternal bullying." So +they pitched him head over heels into the water, though he screamed +and struggled, and then they went home and told the King that he +had gone in to bathe, and a flood carried him away. I daresay it was +wicked of them to tell such a lie, but it was more the Prince's fault +than theirs. + +Meanwhile the Prince had got hold of a tree that had been torn up by +the roots, and climbing upon it, went floating down the river. + +Now on the banks of this river lived a Snake. This Snake had once been +a very rich man, and he had buried a vast treasure on the river bank; +and he loved his riches more than he loved his own soul, so when he +died, he was born again as a Snake, and had to live for ever close to +his buried hoard. And a Rat that lived close by had also been a man +once, and buried his money as the Snake had done, instead of using it +in doing good; so he was born as a Rat, and made a hole where his money +lay. These two creatures were caught by the flood, and it so happened +that they saw the tree where the Wicked Prince was, and swimming to +it, each got on one end, while the Prince was in the middle. And a +young Parrot flying through the air, was beaten down by the rain; +for in that country the drops of rain are as big as pigeons' eggs, +and no birds can fly through it. Then it so happened that this Parrot +dropped down upon the same tree where the Snake was, and the Rat, +and the Wicked Prince; and so there were four of them on the tree, +floating down the river. + +As the tree came near to a bend in the river, it was washed close to +the bank. And on the bank a man was sitting. He did not mind the rain +a bit, because he was a Hermit, who thought the world so wicked that +he left it and went to live in the jungle all by himself. He built +himself a little hut by the riverside, and, wet or fine, he cared not +a jot. This man saw the tree, and managed to catch hold of it and pull +it ashore. Then he got the four creatures off it, and took them into +his hut, and dried them and warmed them by the fire. But he began +with the Parrot, because she looked the most miserable of them all; +and then he dried the Rat; and next the Snake; and only attended to +the man when he had comforted the other three. This made the Wicked +Prince very angry. If he abused even those who made much of him, +you may imagine how he cursed and swore in his heart at this man who +left him to the last! But he said nothing, because he was afraid that +if he did the man might turn him out in the storm again. + +In a day or two the rain stopped, and the flood went down; and +the creatures were all right again as they took their leave of the +Hermit. The Snake thanked him for his kindness and said: + +"You have saved my life, good Hermit! What can I do for you? You +seem to be a poor man; I am rich, and if you ever want money +just come to my hole and call 'Snake,' and you shall have all my +treasure. Good-bye!" The Rat said the same. + +The Parrot was very sorry to think that she had no money, so she said: +"Silver and gold have I none; but if you ever are hungry, and want +some rice, come to my tree and call 'Parrot,' and I'll get you as +much rice as ever you like." + +But the Wicked Prince hated this kind Hermit, because he had been +left to the last. However, he pretended to be grateful, and said +to the Hermit: "I hope you will pay me a visit soon. I am a Prince, +and I shall be glad of a chance to repay you for all you have done +for me." Then he went away, chuckling to think how he would torment +the poor Hermit, if ever he got him into his power. + +This Hermit had all his wits about him, and he knew that people often +promise what they never mean to do; so after a while he thought he +would put them all to the test. So first he took his stick, and +journeyed to the city where the Wicked Prince lived. The Prince, +who was King himself now, saw him coming, and thought to himself: +"Aha! here's that rascal that left me to the last. Wants me to pay +him for it, I suppose! Well, I'll pay him! I'll pay him out!" So +he called to his men: "Hi there, brutes! do you see that fellow? He +tried to rob me the other day--just catch him and give him a flogging, +and then stick a stake through his body, and leave him to die!" + +Then the servants caught the Hermit, and flogged him well. But the +Hermit did not cry out or grumble, only kept on saying to himself +quietly: "The proverb's true, the proverb's true!" + +"What proverb do you mean?" they asked him. + +"It's unlucky to save a drowning man," said the Hermit. + +Then he told them the whole story, and very angry they were when +they heard it. They stopped beating the Hermit at once, and seizing +the Wicked King, they beat him instead, and stuck a stake through +his body, and left him to die. + +Then they made the Hermit King instead of the Wicked Prince. And the +Hermit took them a walk into the country, and when they came to the +Snake's hole he called out "Snake!" Out came the Snake, and curled +up against his feet, and showed him the hole where his treasure was; +and the Hermit gave it all to his servants. And then they went to the +Rat's hole, and he called out "Rat!" And the Rat ran up, and rubbed +his nose against the King's hand, and gave him all his treasure, which +the King gave to his servants as well as the other. And last of all +they went to the Parrot's tree, and called "Parrot!" And the Parrot +flew up and gave a call, and instantly all the air was black with +Parrots. And all the Parrots carried a grain of rice in their beaks, +and dropped it on the ground; and there was such a heap of rice, +that it was enough to feed all the people for the rest of their lives. + +So the grateful beasts kept their promise, and the ungrateful Prince +was killed, and the Hermit ruled over his people kindly, and they +all lived happily until they died. And when they died they all went +to heaven; and the Snake and the Rat and the Parrot went there too, +because they had at last overcome their love of money, and given +it away to show how grateful they were to the Hermit for being kind +to them. + + + + + + + +THE GOBLIN IN THE POOL + + +Animals in the forest have no bottles and glasses to drink out of, so +if they are thirsty they have to go down to a pool. Now in a certain +great forest there was a pool, in which lived a horrible Goblin. He +was big and black, like an immense monkey, with an immense mouth, +and four rows of sharp teeth; but he could not come out of the water, +because he had no nose, but only gills like a fish. So if any animal +came down into the water to get a drink, he pounced upon him at once +and gobbled him up; but he could not touch the animals while they +remained on the bank. + +One year there was a great drought, and the sun was so hot that it +dried up all the water in that forest for many miles round, except +the pool where this Goblin was; but this pool was very deep and cool, +under the trees, and therefore it was not dried up. There was a herd +of monkeys who had been wandering about for a long time in search of +water, but found none, until they came to this pool. But the King of +the Monkeys was very clever, and he noticed that there were a great +many footprints going down to the water, and none coming away. So he +warned his Monkeys not to go near that pool. However, one of them +was very thirsty, and ran down into the water; but as soon as he +got into the water, and was having a delicious drink--suddenly he +disappeared! There were some bubbles, and no more was seen of the +Monkey. The other Monkeys watched for a long time, wondering what +had become of their friend; and then another, who was so thirsty +that he could not help it, stepped quietly into the water and began +to drink. In an instant he gave a shriek and threw up his hands, +and the others saw him dragged down below the water! A few bubbles +came up to the top and burst, but the poor Monkey was gone. + +What were they to do? They were dying of thirst, and yet they were +afraid to drink; the banks were high, and they could not reach the +water from the top. So they all sat round the banks, looking at the +water, very unhappy. + +By-and-by a man came down to the side of the pool. He wanted a drink +of water, but he had no glass. So he looked round, and then he saw +the Monkeys sitting on the bank, very unhappy. + +"What's the matter?" said he. + +"Don't go into that pool!" said the King of the Monkeys. "If you do, +you will be drowned, like our two poor friends!" + +Then they told him how their friends had gone into the water to +drink, and how they had both been pulled underneath and drowned, +none of them could tell how. + +The man understood at once that it was a Goblin. So he pulled up a long +reed that was growing on the bank of the pool and cut off the ends, +and then he put down one end of it into the water and sucked at the +other end, and the water came up from the pool into his mouth. At +this the Monkeys were delighted, and they all pulled up reeds from +the bank (for you know a monkey always imitates what he sees men do), +and sucked up the water through them, and so quenched their thirst +without going into the pool. And the Goblin, finding that no more +food was to be got, died of starvation; and a good thing too. + + + + + + + +THE FOOLISH FARMER AND THE KING + + +Once there was a foolish Farmer, who had a son at court, serving the +King. This Farmer was a very poor man, and all he had to plough his +fields with was one pair of oxen. Two oxen was all he had, and one +of them died. + +The poor Farmer was in despair. One ox was not enough to draw the +plough over the heavy land; and he had no money to buy another. So +he sent a message to his son, that he was wanted at home. + +When the son came, his father told him that one of his oxen was dead, +and he had no money to buy another. So he begged his son to ask the +King to give him an ox. + +"No, no," said his son, "I am always asking the King for something. If +you want an ox, you must ask him yourself." + +"I can't do it!" said the poor Farmer. "You know what a muddle-head +I am. If I go to ask the King for another ox, I shall end by giving +him this one!" + +"Well, what must be, must be," said his son. "Anyhow, I cannot ask +the King: but I'll train you to do it." + +So he led his father to a place which was dotted all over with clumps +of grass. The young courtier tied up a number of bundles of this +grass, and arranged them in rows. "Now, look here, father," said he, +"this is the King, that is the Prime Minister, that is the General, +here are the other grandees," pointing to each bundle as he said +the name. "When you come into the King's presence, you must begin by +saying: 'Long live the King!' and then ask your boon." To help him +to remember, the son made up a little verse for his father to say, +and this is the verse: + + + "I had two oxen to my plough, with which my work was done. + Now one is dead: O, mighty king, please give me another one!" + + +"Well," said the Farmer, "I think I can say that." And he repeated +it over and over, bowing and scraping to the bunch of grass that he +called the King. + +Every day for a whole year the Farmer practised; and how the ploughing +got on meanwhile I do not know. Perhaps he lived on the seed-corn, +and did not plough at all. + +At the end of the year he said to his son: + +"Now I know that little verse of yours! Now I can say it before any +man! Take me to the King!" + +So together father and son trudged away to the King's palace. There +on a throne he sat, in gorgeous robes, with his courtiers all around +him, the Prime Minister, the General, and all, just as the young man +had told his father. But the poor Farmer! his head was beginning to +swim already. + +"Who is this?" said the King to the Farmer's son, who, as you know, +was a courtier, so the King knew him. + +"It is my father, Sire," he answered. + +"What does he want?" the King asked. + +All eyes were turned on the Farmer, who by this time was as red +as a turkey-cock, and hardly knew whether he stood on head or +heels. However, he plucked up courage, and out came the verse, as +pat as a pancake: + + + "I had two oxen to my plough, with which my work was done. + Now one is dead: O, mighty king, please take the other one!" + + +The King couldn't help laughing; and he saw there must be a mistake +somewhere. "Plenty of oxen at home, eh!" said he, keeping up the joke. + +"If so, Sire," said the Farmer's son with a bow, "you must have +given them." + +The King thought that rather neat. "If I have not given you any so +far," said he, smiling, "I will do it now." + +And when the pair got home, the Farmer in despair at his blunder, +lo and behold in his cowhouse were half a dozen of the finest oxen +he had ever seen! So the poor old Farmer got his oxen, though he did +make a muddle of the verse. + + + + + + + +THE PIOUS WOLF + + +Once there was a flood, and there was a large rock with a Wolf sleeping +on the top. The water came pouring around the rock, and when the +Wolf awoke he found himself imprisoned, with no way of getting off, +and nothing to eat. + +"H'm!" said he to himself, "here I am, caught fast sure enough, and +here I shall have to stay yet awhile. Nothing to eat, either! Well," +he thought, after a pause, "it is Friday to-day, when people say you +ought to fast. Suppose I keep a holy fast to-day? A capital idea!" So +he crossed his paws, and pretended to pray, and thought himself very +good and pious to be fasting. + +A fairy saw this, and heard what he said; and she thought she would +just see how much was real and how much was sham. So she changed +herself into the shape of a pretty little Kid, and jumped down out +of the air on to the rock. + +The Wolf opened an eye to see what the noise could be, and there was +a tender little Kid, standing on the rock. He forgot his prayers +in a minute. "Aha!" said he. "A Kid! I can keep my Friday fast +to-morrow. Now for the Kid!" He smacked his lips, and jumped at +the Kid. + +But the Kid jumped away, and, try as he would, he could not come +near it. You know it was the fairy, and the fairy did not let herself +be caught. + +After trying to catch the Kid for some time the Wolf lay down +again. "After all," said he, "it is Friday; and perhaps I had best +keep my fast to-day." + +"You humbug!" said the fairy, who had gone back to her proper shape; +"you are a nice creature to pretend that you are keeping fast! You +fast because you can't help it, not because you are really good. As +a punishment, you shall stay on this rock till next Friday, and fast +for a week!" + +So saying, she opened her wings and flew far away. + + + + + + + +BIRDS OF A FEATHER + + +Once upon a time there was a big horse called Chestnut. He was as +fierce as a fury, and bit everybody who came near him; his groom +always had a broken bone, or a bruise at the least; and, as for the +other horses, let Chestnut loose in the herd, and there was a fine +to-do: a kick for one, a bite for another; it was hurry, skurry, +worry, till they took themselves off and left him alone in the clover. + +Now the King wanted to buy some horses, and a dealer had driven down +a couple of hundred of them for the King to buy. But the King was a +skinflint, and wanted to get them cheap; so he dropped a hint to his +groom, that it would not be a bad thing if Chestnut made acquaintance +with these horses; at the same time, he dropped a gold piece in +the groom's hand. So the groom led Chestnut by this new herd, and, +all of a sudden, he quietly flicked Chestnut with his whip; Chestnut +reared and plunged, the groom shouted, and, pretending to find the +horse too strong for him, let go the halter. Off galloped Chestnut, +kicking up his heels in the air, roaring and whinnying; and fine +fun he had among the new horses! By the time he had done with them, +hardly one had a whole skin. + +The poor dealer was in despair. He would be ruined! And next day, when +the King came to see the horses, he turned up his nose. "Pooh! do you +suppose I want bruised old hacks like that? Look at that sore! And +here is a broken jaw! Why, half of them limp!" In vain the dealer +protested that it was Chestnut's fault; the King only laughed, +and asked if he expected him to believe that one horse could do all +that mischief. (And yet, as you know, it was one horse, and at the +King's own bidding too.) However, it was a pity that he should have +to take them back again, the King said; so, if he liked, as a favour, +he would buy the horses, at half price. + +The dealer was not taken in by this, but he pretended to be very +grateful, and went home again, wondering what he could do. He was +afraid to offend the King, and, indeed, very few people were rich +enough to buy his splendid horses. So he knew that he would be +obliged to take some more down to the King another time. Then he +suddenly remembered he had just such another vicious brute at home, +named Strongjaw, that nobody could do anything with. "Aha!" said he; "I +have it! I'll take Strongjaw down with me next time, and if he does not +prove a match for Chestnut I am very much mistaken." He chuckled with +glee as he thought what a fine fight there would be between the two. + +Next time, as he had resolved, he brought Strongjaw with the drove, +and as soon as the King's groom came by with Chestnut, and let +him go as he did before, the dealer's eyes twinkled, and he let out +Strongjaw. Chestnut pricked up his ears, and Strongjaw pricked up his; +then, without taking any notice of the rest, they trotted up to each +other and rubbed noses, and began to lick each other all over. They +did not fight at all, but in a moment they became bosom friends. + +The dealer could not understand this, neither could the King. However, +this time the King had to pay a good price for the horses, and as +he saw his little trick was found out, he felt rather ashamed of +himself, and so he paid the man for the other horses as well. Still, +they kept wondering and wondering what the reason could be that these +two horses, each so fierce and wild, were quiet as a pair of kittens +together. The King asked the wisest man in all his kingdom to explain +it; and the man, who was a minstrel, that is, he used to sing songs +to the King about all that had happened or would happen in the world, +took up his harp and sang: + + + "If the reason you would know, + Like to like will always go; + Here's a pair of vicious horses + Just the same in all their courses; + Both are wild, and bite their tether: + Birds of a feather flock together." + + + + + + + +SPEND A POUND TO WIN A PENNY + + +Some people were steaming peas under a tree, in order to make a meal +for their horses. Up in the branches sat a Monkey, who watched with +his restless eyes what they were doing. + +"Aha!" thought the Monkey. "I spy my dinner!" + +So when they had finished steaming the peas, and turned away for +a moment to look after the horses, gently, gently, the Monkey let +himself down from the tree. He grabbed at the peas, and stuffed +his mouth with them, and both hands as full as they could hold, +then he clambered up to his perch as best he could. There he sat, +his wizened old face happy and cunning, eating the peas. + +Suddenly one pea fell. + +"O dear, O dear! O my pea, my pea!" cried the Monkey, gibbering in +distress. The other peas began to fall out of his mouth, but he did +not notice them. He wrung his hands in despair, and the peas began +to fall out of his hands too, but he took no notice. All he thought +of was this, that one pea was gone. + +So he shinned down the trunk, and scrambled about on the ground, +hunting for his lost pea, but he could not find it anywhere. + +By this time the men had come back, after seeing to their horses. When +they saw a monkey meddling with their cooking-pots they all waved +their arms, and called out, "Shoo! shoo!" Then they picked up stones, +and began to pelt the Monkey with them. This terrified the Monkey so +much that he gave one jump to the nearest branch, and swung himself +up to the top of the tree. + +"After all," said he to himself, "it was only one pea." But he ought +to have thought of that before, for now like a thunderclap, it came +home to him, that somehow or other all the other peas had gone too. + +That day the Monkey had to content himself with the smell of boiled +peas for dinner, and I hope the loss taught him not to be so greedy +in future. + + + + + + + +THE CUNNING CRANE AND THE CRAB + + +Once upon a time a number of fish lived in a little pool. It was +all very well while there was rain; but when summer came, and it +began to be very hot, the water dried up and got lower and lower, +until there was hardly enough to hide the fish. + +Now not far away there was a beautiful lake, always fresh and cool; +for it lay under the shadow of great trees, and it was covered all +over with water-lilies. And a Crane lived on the banks of this lake. + +The Crane used to eat fish, when he could catch any; and one day, +coming to the little pool, he saw all the fish gasping in it, and +thought of a neat trick to get hold of them without trouble. + +"Dear Fish," said the Crane, "I am so sorry to see you cooped up in +this hole. I know a beautiful lake close by, deep and fresh and cool, +and if you like I will carry you there." + +The Fish did not know what to make of this, because never since the +world began had a crane done a good turn to a fish. You see it is +just as absurd to suppose that a crane would help fish, as to think +that a cat would be kind to a mouse. + +So they said to the Crane, "We don't believe you; what you want is +to eat us." + +This was just what the Crane did want, but he did not say so. "No, +no!" said he; "I'm not so cruel as all that. I have eaten a fish now +and then"--he saw it was of no use denying that, because they knew he +had--"but I have plenty of other food, and it goes to my heart to see +you here. In this hot water you will all be boiled fish before long!" + +"That's true enough," said the Fish; "the water is hot." Well, the +end of it was, they persuaded an old Fish with one eye to go and see. + +The Crane took the one-eyed Fish in his beak and put him in the lake; +and when he had seen that what the Crane said was true so far, he +carried the Fish back again to tell the others. + +The old Fish could not say enough to praise the lake. "It's ever so +big," he said, "and deep and cool, just as the Crane said; and there +are trees overshadowing it, and water-lilies are growing in the mud; +and the whole of it is covered with fine fat flies! Ah, what a feast +I have had!" And he rolled up his one eye at the thought of it. + +Then all the Fish were eager to go. And now it was who should be +first; every Fish was anxious to remain no longer in the pool. They +came to the top of the water, all begging the Crane to take them to +this beautiful lake. + +"One at a time!" said the Crane. "I have only one beak, you know!" And +he smiled to himself, for that beak was made to eat fish, not to +carry them. + +However, it was decided that as the one-eyed Fish had been so brave +as to trust himself in the Crane's beak, before he knew what the +truth was, he certainly deserved to go first. + +So the Crane took the one-eyed Fish in his beak, and carried him over +to the lake. But this time he did not drop the Fish in; he laid him +in the cleft of a tree, and pecked his one eye out with his beak; +then he killed him, and ate him up, and dropped his bones at the foot +of the tree. + +By-and-by the Crane came back for another. "Now then, who's +next?" asked the Crane. "Old One-eye is swimming about, as happy as +a king!" He picked up another fish, and served him like the first, +dropping his bones at the foot of the tree. + +And so it went on, until in a few days the pool was empty. The cunning +Crane had eaten every single one of the fish! He stood on the bank, +peering into every hole, to see whether there might not be a little +one left somewhere. There was one, surely! No, it was a Crab. Never +mind, he thought; all's fish that comes to my net! + +So he invited the Crab to come with him to the lake. + +"Why, how are you going to carry me?" asked the Crab. + +"In my beak, to be sure!" replied the Crane. + +"You might drop me," said the Crab, "and then I should split." + +"Oh no, I promise I won't drop you!" said the Crane. But the Crab +had more sense than all the fish put together, and he did not believe +in the Crane's friendship at all. So he still pretended to hesitate, +and at last he said: + +"Well, I'll tell you what. I can hold on tighter with my claws than +you can with your beak. I'll come, but you must let me hold on to +your neck with my claws. Then I shall feel safe." + +The Crane was so hungry that, without stopping to think, he agreed; +and then the Crab got tight hold of his neck with his claws, and the +Crane carried him towards the lake. + +But after a while the Crab saw that he was being carried somewhere +else, indeed to that tree where the Crane used to sit and eat the fish. + +"Crane dear," said he, "aren't you going to put me in the lake?" + +"Crane dear, indeed!" said the Crane, "do you suppose I was born +to carry crabs about? Not I! Just look at that heap of bones under +yon tree! Those are the bones of the fish that used to live in your +pool. I ate them, and I'm going to eat you!" + +"Are you, though!" said the Crab, and gave the Crane's neck a +little nip. + +Then the Crane saw what a fool he had been to let a Crab put a claw +round his neck. He knew that the Crab could kill him if he liked, +and he was frightened to death at the thought. People who try to +deceive others often pay for it themselves; and that is what happened +to the Crane. + +"Dear Crab!" said he, with tears streaming from his eyes, "forgive +me! I won't kill you, only let me go!" + +"Just put me in the lake, then," said the Crab. + +The Crane stepped down to the lakeside, and laid the Crab upon the +mud. And the Crab, as soon as he felt himself safe, nipped off the +Crane's head as clean as if it had been cut with a knife. + +So perished the treacherous Crane, caught by his own trick. And the +Crab lived happily in the beautiful lake for the rest of his life. + + + + + + + +UNION IS STRENGTH + + +There once was a clever Fowler who used to hunt quails. He could +imitate the quail's note exactly; and when he had found a hiding-place, +he used to sit hidden in it, and call out the quail's note, until a +number of quails had come together; then he threw a net over them, +and bagged them all. + +But amongst the quails was one very clever bird, and he hit on the +following device: He told the quails, when they felt the net drop over +them, that each one should pop his head through one of the meshes of +the net, and then at the word, away they should fly together. + +All fell out as he arranged. Next day the Fowler sounded his imitation +of the quail's note, and the birds flocked from far and near; then, +when a good many had gathered in a clump within his reach, he cast the +net, which fell over them and made them all prisoners. They all did +what the wise Quail had told them; each quail put his head through one +of the meshes, then at a word they were all away together, bearing +the net with them. After some little time they saw a large bush, +and dropped upon this bush; then the net was held up by the bush, +while all the birds got away underneath. + +Again and again this happened, until the Fowler began to despair; +he came home every night empty-handed, and besides that he had lost +ever so many nets. + +Why did he keep on trying to catch them, then? Because he thought +that sooner or later they would begin to quarrel, and then the game +would be his. + +And quarrel they soon did. One Quail happened to tread on another's +toe. + +"What are you doing, clumsy?" said the second Quail angrily. + +"I'm very sorry," said the first; "I really did not mean to tread on +your toe." + +"You did!" + +"I tell you I didn't!" + +"What a lie!" + +"A lie, is it? Hoity, toity, how high-and-mighty we are, to be sure! I +suppose it is you lift up the net, all by yourself, when the man +throws it over us!" + +And so they went on, getting angrier and angrier. And the result was, +that next day, when the fowler made his cast, said the first Quail +to the second: + +"Now then, Samson, lift away! They say that last time your feathers +all fell off your head!" + +"Oh, indeed! They say that when you tried to lift, both your wings +moulted! Lift away, and let us see if it is true!" + +But while they were quarrelling, and each telling the other to lift +the net, the Fowler lifted it for them, and crammed them all together +into his basket, and took them home for supper. + + + + + + + +SILENCE IS GOLDEN + + +Once upon a time a Lion had a she-jackal for his mate, and they had +a young one. This Cub was just like his sire to look at, in shape +and colour, mane and claws; but in voice he took after his dam. So +you would fancy he was a lion, so long as he held his tongue. + +This Cub used to play about with the young Lions, and merry times +they had to be sure, tumbling head over heels, and trying to knock +each other down. One day, in the midst of their game, the mongrel +Cub thought he would frighten them; so he opened his mouth wide, +intending to roar, and all that came out was a yelp like the yelp of +a jackal. The other young Lions were quite shocked; they could not +imagine what strange creature this was. One of them went up to the +old Lion, who was watching them, and said: + + + "Lion's claws and lion's paws + Lion's feet to stand upon; + But the bellow of this fellow + Sounds not like a lion's son!" + + +"You are right," said the old Lion; "his dam was a Jackal." And then, +turning to the poor Cub, who was looking very crestfallen, he said: + + + "All will see what kind you be + If you yelp as once before; + So don't try it, but keep quiet, + Yours is not a lion's roar." + + +The poor Cub slunk away with his tail between his legs, while the other +Lions sniffed and turned up their noses at him. Ever after that he took +good care to hold his tongue when he was in the company of his betters. + + + + + + + +THE GREAT YELLOW KING AND HIS PORTER + + +Once upon a time, in a great and rich city, reigned a mighty King, +who was called by the title of the Great Yellow King. This King was +very cruel to his people, and ground them like grist in the mill; +he robbed them of their goods, many he cast into prison, others he +ill-treated, cutting off an arm, or a leg, or blinding them, and some +he put to death without cause. He was just as bad at home; when he +was a boy he did nothing but tease his sisters, pulling their hair +and putting spiders down their necks; and now that he was grown up he +made life a misery to wife and child. He was like a speck of dust that +gets into your eye, or a thorn in the heel, or grit between your teeth. + +But it is a long lane that has no turning; and at last the Great Yellow +King died. When a king or queen dies, people are generally very sorry, +and wear mourning for them; but when the Great Yellow King died there +was such rejoicing and merriment as had not been known for many a +long day. All the shops were shut, and all the schools had a whole +holiday; there were raree-shows and merry-go-rounds, and everybody +high and low was half daft with joy. + +But one man was not joyful. On the steps of the palace sat the Yellow +King's porter, sighing and sobbing, weeping and wailing. No one could +understand it; everybody in the whole town was glad, and here was +this porter crying! At last some one asked him why he cried. + +"What is the matter?" said he. "Was the Great Yellow King so kind to +you as all that? I never heard of his being kind to anybody!" + +"No, it isn't that!" sobbed the man. + +"Well, what is it then?" + +The man looked up and rubbed his eyes. "Well," said he, "I'll tell +you. When his majesty used to come out of his palace, down the steps, +he always gave me a cuff on the head, and another when he came +back. What a fist his majesty had, to be sure! Now if he tries that +game on with the porter who sits by the gates of Death, I am very +much afraid they won't have him there at any price, and then he will +come back to us!" + +But the other man laughed, and said, "Don't be afraid of that, +Porter! He's dead and done for, and however much they wish it, they +can never send him back to us again." + +So the Porter was comforted, and wiped his eyes, and went to get a +glass of beer. + + + + + + + +THE QUAIL AND THE FALCON + + +There once was a young Quail that lived on a farm. When the farmer +ploughed up the land, Quailie used to hop about over the clods and pick +up seeds, or weeds, or worms, or anything that the plough turned up, +and he ate these and lived on them. + +You might think this was very nice for him; he had no trouble to find +food, because the ploughman turned it up; he had only to hop along +after the plough and peck. Not a bit of it; he must needs better +himself, as he said; so one fine day he flew away over the farm, away +to the forest which fringed it; and, alighting on the ground just +where the forest began, he looked about to see if there was anything +good to eat. + +Up in the air, just above the tree-tops, a Falcon was sailing, poised +on outstretched wings; as Quailie searched for worms, so the Falcon +was searching for quails; and lo and behold, he spied one! Down he +came with a swoop and a whirr, and in an instant the Quail was in +his crooked claws. + +What could poor Quailie do now? He twittered and fluttered, and at +last began to cry. + +"Oh dear, oh dear!" whimpered Quailie, the tears running down his +beak, "what a fool I was to poach on other people's preserves! If +I had only stayed at home this Falcon could never have caught me, +not even if he had come and tried!" + +"What's that, Quailie?" asked the Falcon. "Do you think I can't catch +you anywhere?" + +"Not on my own ground!" cried the Quail. + +"What do you mean by that?" + +"A ploughed field full of clods." + +"Oh, nonsense, Quailie, clods won't help you. Just try; off you +go! I'll follow." + +The Quail flew off, feeling as happy now as he was miserable a moment +gone; and when he got back to his farm he picked out a big clod and +perched on the top. "Come on, Falcon!" cried he; "come on!" + +Down came the Falcon with a swoop like a flash of lightning; but just +as he came close the Quail dodged him nimbly and tumbled over the +clod to the other side, leaving the Falcon to come full tilt against +the clod of earth; and so swift was he, that the shock killed him. + +So the Quail found out how much better it is for most people to stick +to what they are used to; and as for the Falcon, he might have thought, +if he had been able to think at all, that a bird in the hand is worth +two in the bush. + + + + + + + +PRIDE MUST HAVE A FALL + + +Once upon a time there was a beautiful wild Goose that lived in the +mountains; he was King of the Geese, and he had a mate and two or +three fine young ones. But it had happened once that this Goose, in +his travels about the world, fell in with a young lady Crow, who was +very pretty; as black as jet, with two eyes like black beads, and she +flirted and flouted so enchantingly that he had married her, like the +goose he was; so he had two wives, the little black Crow and the Goose. + +In course of time this Crow laid a beautiful egg, all white with blue +spots, and twice as big as an ordinary crow's egg. She was very proud +of her egg, and sat on it for a longtime, until one day, pop! went +the egg, and out came a funny little chick. The Crow did not know +what to make of this chick; he was not black, as she was, and he +was not white, like his father, but something betwixt and between, +a dingy grey with brown streaks. So she named him Streaky. + +Be sure that Streaky fancied himself mightily, being so very different +from all the Crows he lived with; he was larger, to begin with, +and then he had a very loud voice, with several different notes in +it; not to mention his brown streaks, which made him a proud bird +indeed. And I think the other Crows took him at his own price, as +foolish creatures are apt to do, and thought him very wonderful, +though he was really only a mongrel. + +Now the Goose, his father, used to pay a visit to the Crow colony now +and again, flying down from the mountains to the dust-heap where they +lived, outside the city gate. But he did not stay long, because the +Crows used to feed on offal and dead bodies, in fact anything dirty +they could find; and King Goose could not get what he liked to eat. + +Well, once as he was talking to his sons, the young Geese, they asked +him why he was always going away for days at a time. + +"Why," said he, "I go to see a son of mine that lives somewhere else." + +"Oh, how nice!" said the Geese. "Then he must be our brother. Do let +us bring him here on a visit! Do, father!" + +At first the father Goose would not let them go, for fear of mischief; +but after a while he was persuaded, and gave them very careful +directions how to fly, and where to go, and how to find the place +where Streaky lived, on the top of a tall palm-tree that grew out of +a dust-heap at the city gate. + +So away they flew, and away they flew, till at last they saw the tall +palm-tree; and on the very top of it, a big nest; and in the nest, +a little black Crow, and our funny friend Streaky. + +They said "How do you do?" and told their errand; because they meant +to go through with it now, although they did not much like the look +of this ugly bird Streaky, with his airs and graces. Mrs. Crow was +very much pleased, but Streaky looked bored, and said: + +"Aw, caw, I don't think I can fly all that way. It is really too +much trouble. Why did not the Governor come to see me instead, as +usual--aw?" This rude bird called his father the Governor; you see, +as he had been brought up among carrion crows, his manners were none +of the best. + +The young Geese began to like him less than ever. However, they put +a good face on it, and answered him: + +"Well, Streaky, if you are as weak as all that, we will carry you on +a stick." + +These Geese were very big, strong birds, and they thought nothing of +carrying Streaky. So they looked about until they found a strong stick, +and then each of them took an end in his mouth, and Streaky perched +in the middle. They could not say good-bye to Mrs. Crow, because +their mouths were full of the stick, but they made her a nice bow, +like polite little Geese, and flew off. + +As for Streaky, he was far too full of his own importance to say +good-bye to his mother, or even so much as "Thank you" to the two +birds who were so kindly carrying him. There he sat, on the middle +of the stick, as proud as Punch, pluming his feathers, and feeling +that now all the world would see what a splendid bird he was. + +As they flew over the city Streaky looked down, and saw the king of +the city, in a beautiful carriage drawn by four white thoroughbreds, +driving round the city in great state and grandeur. "Aha!" thought he, +"that's as it should be! But I'm every bit as good as he!" and in +his joy he began to sing a little song which he made up on the spur +of the moment, and here is his song: + + + "As yonder king goes galloping with his milk-white four-in-hand, + Streaky has these, his pair of Geese, to carry him over the land!" + + +The Geese were very angry when they heard Streaky sing this song. But +they were very well-bred Geese, as you must have seen already; +so they said nothing at all to him then, but carried him safely to +their home, and then they told their father what Streaky had said, +so that he might do as he thought best. + +Old King Goose was more angry than they were, and was very sorry he +had left his son to be brought up by a Crow who knew no manners. So +he called Streaky, and this is what he said: + +"Streaky, you have been very rude to your brothers, who are at least +as good as you; and if you think they are like a pair of horses, +to be driven about for your pleasure, you make a great mistake. So +the best thing you can do is to fly back to your mother; for your +manners suit the dust-heap better than the mountains." + +I don't know whether Streaky was ashamed of what he had said; creatures +like Streaky are very thick-skinned, and it takes a great deal to +make them ashamed; but anyhow he had to go back, and this time he +must fly by himself, for it was hardly likely that his brothers would +carry him when he had been so rude. He got back a few days later, +tired and hungry, and spent the rest of his days on the dust-heap, +eating carrion. What his mother thought of it all I don't know; +but King Goose never went to see them any more. + + + + + + + +THE BOLD BEGGAR + + +There was once a King who was so fond of good eating and drinking that +they called him King Dainty. He often spent as much as a thousand +pounds on a single dish; which is great wastefulness, when you can +dine heartily for a shilling. He thought that if people could not +eat things so nice as his, yet they must greatly enjoy seeing him +eat them. So he fitted up a beautiful tent outside his own door, +and there he took his meals, sitting on a golden throne, under a +white silk umbrella. Anybody who liked could see him eat his dinner +without charge. This was very generous, wasn't it? + +A man who had often seen him eat thought he would like a taste of +the King's choice food. And this is what he did. + +He came running towards the crowd who, as usual, were watching the +King eat his dinner, and shouted: "News! news! news!" Now at that time +there were no newspapers, and no posts, and no telegraphs; so any one +who brought news was sure of instant hearing. Accordingly the crowd +made way for him at once, and he ran up to the King, looking very +much excited, and shouting "News!" Then he fell down before the King, +as if he were faint with hunger, and gasped. + +"Poor fellow!" said the King. "Give him something to eat." So they +propped him up on a chair, and the King fed him out of his own dish, +and gave him delicious wine to drink. The man made a hearty meal, +I can tell you. They thought he never would finish; but he did finish +at last, after an hour or two. + +Then the King said to him: "Now, my good fellow, let us hear your +news." + +"The news is, your Majesty," said the man, "that an hour ago I was +hungry, and now I am not!" + +All the people looked shocked at his impertinence. But the King only +laughed, and said: "That news is true of most of us every day of +our lives. Well, you are a bold fellow; this time you may go free, +but I advise you not to try it again." + +The man bowed low, and went away happy in the success of his trick. I +don't know whether the King spent less money upon his dinner after +that, but I am quite sure that no one else got a meal at his table +in the same way. + + + + + + + +THE JACKAL WOULD A-WOOING GO + + +Once upon a time there was a family of Lions that lived in the +Himalaya Mountains in a Golden Cave. They were three brothers and +one sister. Near by was a silver mountain with a Crystal Cave, and +in this Crystal Cave lived a Jackal. + +The young Lions used to be out all day, hunting, while their sister +kept everything neat and tidy at home. When they caught anything +they used to keep a bit for her, because they were not greedy Lions, +and they thought that if she did the work at home she deserved some +of the game they got abroad. + +Now this Jackal fell violently in love with the young Lioness. She +was very beautiful, with soft brown fur, and large soft eyes, and +fine whiskers; and he did not stop to think what a mongrel cur a +Jackal looks beside a Lion, how small, and sneaking, and snarling; +so that it was the height of impertinence even to think of such a +thing. He did think of it, and more, he actually proposed to the +Lioness! You shall hear how he did it. + +He had the sense to wait until the three brothers had gone out hunting +for food; and then he came and tapped on the rock at the mouth of +the Golden Cave. The Lioness looked out, and very much surprised +was the Lioness to see the Jackal there. She knew him by sight, +of course, as a neighbour; and, indeed, when he was in his Crystal +Cave you could always see him, perched up in the air as it might be; +for you can see through crystal like glass, and it looked just as +if there were nothing there. But they were not on visiting terms, +so the Lioness was surprised to see him come tapping at her door. She +gave him a distant bow, and waited. + +"Beautiful Lioness!" said he, "I love you! see how much we are +alike! You have four feet, and so have I; clearly we are made for +one another. Will you marry me? We shall be so happy together!" + +This offer so astonished the Lioness that she could say nothing. She +hated the vile creature, vilest of all creatures; that he should dare +to address himself to a royal lioness! a scavenger to a queen! The very +thought of the insult made her furious. She resolved that, after such +a thing as that had spoken to her, she might just as well die, either +by holding her breath or by starving herself. As these thoughts passed +through her mind the Jackal was waiting for his answer; but no answer +he got. This seemed a pretty broad hint that he was not wanted there; +so he went home again, very woebegone, with his tail between his legs, +and lay down in his Crystal Cave in much misery. + +By-and-by the eldest brother of the Lioness came home again, with +a fine fat deer which he had killed. "Here, sister," he called out, +"have a bit!" + +She put on a very gloomy air. "No," she said, "I think I shall have +to die." + +"Why, what on earth is the matter?" asked he. + +"A nasty, dirty Jackal came, and wanted to marry me!" + +"The brute!" said her brother. "Where is he?" + +"Can't you see him, lying up in the sky?" You know the crystal was +transparent, and as she had never been there she could not tell he +was really in a cave. + +Off galloped the young Lion, furious with rage, and when he got near +the place where the Jackal was lying in his Crystal Cave, he leaped +at him, when--crack! went his skull against the wall of crystal, +and down fell the Lion--dead! + +Just as the Lioness was getting anxious about her eldest brother, +the second came in. She told him the same tale, though she was +beginning to be sorry that she was going to die. He had not hurt +her, after all; and how nice the meat smelt! But the second Lion +did not give her much time to think; he growled, and off he went, +leaped into the air, cracked his crown against the wall of crystal, +and fell down dead beside his brother. + +Now when the third brother came in, the Lioness was quite sure she +didn't mean to die. However, she looked as gloomy as ever, and told +her brother what had happened; he had better go out and see what +was become of the other two. Surely two Lions were a match for any +Jackal! Still, there he was, as before, up in the air. + +"Up in the air?" said the youngest brother, who was cleverer than all +the rest put together. "Stuff and nonsense! Now let me think. There +must be something for him to lie upon; and yet you can see through +it." He scratched his head with one paw and looked wise. "I have +it! Crystal, of course, or glass--that's what it is!" So up he jumped, +and when he got near the Crystal Cave, there were his two brothers, +dead, with their skulls cracked right across like a teacup. + +He sat down again, and scratched his head with the other paw. "H'm! it +looks as though it may be difficult to get at this Jackal. However, +I'll try kindness first. Jackie, Jackie dear!" he called out. + +Now you must know that Lions have a very loud voice, and, if you +have heard them talking in the Zoo, you will know that even when +they want to coax and purr they are enough to frighten you. And so +the poor Jackal, who, after all, was not so bad as the proud Lioness +made out, when he heard the Lion coaxing him down, thought "What an +awful roar!" His heart was beating very hard before, but this time it +gave such a leap that something went snap! And the Jackal was dead too. + +Then the Lion looked up, and saw that the Jackal was dead. So he +buried his brothers, and went and told his sister all about it. You +might expect her to be sorry that her two brave brothers were dead, +all because she held her nose so high in the air; but not a bit of +it; she was quite satisfied so long as one was left to catch food +for her. So she lived all the rest of her life in the Golden Cave, +but I never heard that any other animal asked her to marry him. + + + + + + + +THE LION AND THE BOAR + + +Once upon a time there was a Lion who lived in the mountains, and +he used to drink water out of a beautiful lake. It so happened that, +as he was drinking there one day, he saw a Boar feeding over on the +opposite bank. Now he had just eaten a leg of elephant, and was not +hungry; but he made a note of that Boar, thinking to himself what +a nice meal the Boar would make some other day. So, after drinking +his fill, he crawled quietly away through the bushes, hoping that +the Boar could not see him. But the Boar had sharp eyes, and did see +him. "Hullo!" said he to himself, "yon Lion is afraid of me, that's +clear! Ah well, he need not think to get off so easy. If he wants +to go, he must fight me first!" He puffed his chest out very big, +and rubbed his tusks against a tree, then he called out: + + + "Stay, stay, runaway! + Let us have a fight to-day! + You have four feet, so have I! + If you fail, you can but try!" + + +The Lion could hardly believe his ears. What! a Boar challenge him +to fight! He could break a Boar's back with a tap of his paw. Still, +he hid his astonishment at this impertinent Boar and only said: + +"Please, Mr. Boar, let me off to-day, as I'm rather tired; I have +just been wrestling with a fox. But, if you like, I will meet you +here this day week, and then we can fight it out between us." + +He said this so humbly that the Boar became haughtier than ever. "Oh, +very well," said he, "it shall never be said I took a mean advantage +of any one. This day week, then! Good-day to you." + +When he got home, his friends hardly knew him. Every bristle on his +back was standing up straight; his little greedy eyes were gleaming; +he ran into the house, knocking over the pots and pans, snarling +at his wife, and making himself very disagreeable indeed. At last +the other Boars protested, and said they would not stand it any +longer. "Oho!" says he, "you defy a Boar that has killed a Lion! Come +on, then!" and very fierce indeed he looked. + +Killed a Lion! They did open their eyes. "Where is the Lion you have +killed?" asked a pretty little sow, full of curiosity. + +"Well, I haven't exactly killed him yet," said the Boar rather +unwillingly. "He is coming to be killed this day week." + +"What on earth do you mean?" his friends asked. He told them the story, +but he did not feel quite so bold now as he had felt before. And +when he finished, he felt worse than ever; for one and all they set +up such a weeping and wailing that the whole forest resounded with +it! "Oh dear, oh dear!" they cried, "you'll be the death of us! Kill a +Lion? Why, he will crunch you up in a trice, and then he'll come here, +and we are all dead Boars!" + +By this time the poor Boar had lost all his conceit; you see he was +an ignorant Boar, and did not know at all what the strength of a Lion +is. So his heart was down in his toes, and all he wanted now was some +way out of the mischief. Nobody could think of a way, until one very +old and wise Boar advised him to roll in the mud till he was very +dirty, because Lions are clean beasts and do not like dirt. + +So every day he rolled and wallowed in the dirtiest places he could +find; and by the appointed time he was like a big cake of dirt. So +when he came to the lake where he was to meet the Lion, the wind took +a whiff of him to the Lion, and the Lion gave a jump, and snuffed, +and sneezed, and swished his tail, and cried out, "Get to leeward, +get to leeward! Here's a pretty trick! Well, you have saved your life; +I would not touch you with a pair of tongs now!" and, in great disgust +he went away, saying, as he went, this little rhyme: + + + "Dirty Boar, I want no more, + You're saved from being eaten; + If you would fight, I yield me quite, + And own that I am beaten!" + + +You may be sure that our friend the Boar did not wait any longer, but +scampered off home. But when he got there, I am sorry to say he told +all his friends he had beaten the Lion, and the Lion had run away! He +certainly had beaten the Lion in one way, but not in fair fight, so +it was rather mean to pretend he had. However, nobody believed him, +and the colony of Boars thought the best thing they could do was to get +away from that place as fast as their four legs could carry them. "If +he is beaten," said they with a wink, "still, after all, he is a Lion." + + + + + + + +THE GOBLIN CITY + + +Long, long ago, in the island of Ceylon, there was a large city full +of nothing but Goblins. They were all She-goblins, too; and if they +wanted husbands, they used to get hold of travellers and force them +to marry; and afterwards, when they were tired of their husbands, +they gobbled them up. + +One day a ship was wrecked upon the coast near the goblin city, +and five hundred sailors were cast ashore. The She-goblins came down +to the seashore, and brought food and dry clothes for the sailors, +and invited them to come into the city. There was nobody else there +at all; but for fear that the sailors should be frightened away, +the Goblins, by their magic power, made shapes of people appear all +around, so that there seemed to be men ploughing in the fields, or +shepherds tending their sheep, and huntsmen with hounds, and all the +sights of the quiet country life. So, when the sailors looked round, +and saw everything as usual, they felt quite secure; although, as +you know, it was all a sham. + +The end of it was, that they persuaded the sailors to marry them, +telling them that their own husbands had gone to sea in a ship, and +had been gone these three years, so that they must be drowned and lost +for ever. But really, as you know, they had served others in just +the same way, and their last batch of husbands were then in prison, +waiting to be eaten. + +In the middle of the night, when the men were all asleep, the +She-goblins rose up, put on their hats, and hurried down to the prison; +there they killed a few men, and gnawed their flesh, and ate them up; +and after this orgie they went home again. It so happened that the +captain of the sailors woke up before his wife came home, and not +seeing her there, he watched. By-and-by in she came; he pretended +to be asleep, and looked out of the tail of his eye. She was still +munching and crunching, and as she munched she muttered: + + + "Man's meat, man's meat, + That's what Goblins like to eat!" + + +She said it over and over again, then lay down; and soon she was +snoring loudly. + +The captain was horribly frightened to find he had married a +Goblin. What was he to do? They could not fight with Goblins, and +they were in the Goblins' power. If they had a ship they might have +sailed away, because Goblins hate the water worse than a cat; but +their ship was gone. He could think of nothing. + +However, next morning, he found a chance of telling his mates what +he had discovered. Some of them believed him, and some said he must +have been dreaming; they were sure their wives would not do such a +thing. Those who believed him agreed that they would look out for a +chance of escape. + +But there was a kind fairy who hated those Goblins; and she determined +to save the men. So she told her flying horse to go and carry them +away. And accordingly, as the men were out for a walk next day, +the captain saw in the air a beautiful horse with large white and +gold wings. The horse fluttered down, and hovered just above them, +crying out, in a human voice: + +"Who wants to go home? who wants to go home? who wants to go home?" + +"I do, I do!" called out the sailors. + +"Climb up, then!" said the horse, dropping within reach. So one +climbed up, and then another, and another; and, although the horse +looked no bigger than any other horse, there was room for everybody +on his back. I think that somehow, when they got up, the fairy made +them shrink small, till they were no bigger than so many ants, and thus +there was plenty of room for all. When all who wanted to go had got up +on his back, away flew the beautiful horse and took them safely home. + +As for those who remained behind, that very night the Goblins set +upon them and mangled them, and munched them to mincemeat. + + + + + + + +LACKNOSE + + +There was once a Gardener who had no nose, and he had a very nice +garden full of beautiful flowers: roses, and pinks, and lilies, +and violets, and all the prettiest flowers you can imagine. + +Three little boys thought they would like a bunch of flowers, but +they did not know how to get it. So one of them went into the garden +and said: + +"Good morning, Mr. Lacknose!" + +"Good morning, boy," said the Gardener. + +The boy thought the best thing he could do was to flatter the old +fellow, so he had made up a verse of poetry that he thought very +pretty, and so he said to the Gardener: + + + "Cut, and cut, and cut again, + Hair and whiskers grow amain: + And your nose will grow like these: + Give me a little posy, please!" + + +The Gardener knew very well that his nose would not grow again like +his whiskers, and he thought the little boy rather rude to mention it; +so he became angry. + +"Go away!" said he, "and get your posy somewhere else!" + +The boy went away disappointed; but the second boy thought he would +try his luck too. Perhaps the first boy had not spoken nicely; and +he had made a verse of poetry too, which he thought would just suit +the old Gardener. So in he came with "Good morning, Mr. Lacknose!" + +"Good morning, boy," said the old man. "And what do you want?" + +Then the boy put on a coaxing smile, and said: + + + "In the autumn seeds are sown, + And ere long they're fully grown; + May your nose sprout up like these! + Give me a little posy, please!" + + +"There!" he thought, "the old fellow will like that, because he is a +Gardener." But not a bit of it! The Gardener saw through his trick, +and was angrier than ever. + +"Be off!" said he, "or I'll be after you with a stick! Plant a nose, +indeed! You had better go somewhere and learn manners before you ask +for my flowers!" + +So the second boy went away faster than the first. + +But the third boy was an honest little boy, and knew that there is +nothing like the truth; so he determined to try what truth could +do. He walked modestly into the garden and said: + +"Good morning, sir!" + +"What, another of 'em!" growled the Gardener to himself. "Another pack +of lies, I suppose!" He would hardly look at the boy. But the boy, +nothing daunted, repeated his verse: + + + "Babbling fools! to think that they + Can get a posy in this way! + Say they yes, or say they no, + Noses cut no more will grow. + See, I ask you honestly: + Give a posy, sir, to me!" + + +The Gardener was so pleased to find a straightforward and honest +little boy, that he took his scissors and cut a most beautiful bunch +of flowers, which he gave the boy with a smile. The boy said, "Thank +you, sir, very much!" and went away delighted. + + + + + + + +THE KING'S LESSON + + +Once upon a time there lived a very good King, whose name was +Godfrey. Of course, when a man is King, everybody is ready to call him +good; but this King really was good. He used to hold courts of justice +for people to come to when they had a quarrel; and he decided all the +cases so wisely that nobody durst bring an unjust cause before him. So +after a while the result was, that the courts became empty; all the +rustle and bustle was quiet, the wigs and gowns were hung up on pegs, +and as dusty as dusty could be; and nobody had any quarrels at all. + +"What a blessing!" thought King Godfrey to himself. "Now we have a +little peace. And they say it's all my doing! I wonder if I am really +as good as people make me out. Suppose I try to see?" No sooner said +than done with this King. He asked one and he asked another; he begged +and prayed them to tell him of his faults, so that he might mend them; +but no, they said they really could not tell him of his faults, when he +had none to tell of. He tried in the palace, he tried in the city; high +and low, to and fro, it was just the same: all praise and no blame. + +"Well, upon my word," thought the King, "I had no idea I was such a +good fellow. Still, who knows what they say behind my back? Happy +thought! I'll disguise myself, and that will soon show me the +truth." So he dressed himself like a traveller, and got a carriage +and pair, and drove all over the country, asking everybody what they +thought of the King. Wonder of wonders! they said the same behind +his back as they did to his face! That must have been a very nice +country to live in, but I am sure I cannot tell where it is. + +Now in such a strange country as that, strange things will happen; +and so it turned out that, as our King was driving along, he came to +a narrow lane sunk between two steep banks, with only just room for +the carriage; and right in the middle of this lane another carriage +met him. There they stood, both of them, and neither would budge. Our +King did not know who was in that carriage, but I will tell you who +it was. This was the King of the next country, who was also a good +king as kings go, though not so good as the first; and he had got +the same idea into his head, that he would wander about in disguise, +and find out what people thought of him. Everybody had a good word +for him too, it seems; but if he found no one to pick faults in him +before, here was one now, as you shall see. + +"Get out of the way!" said the driver of the other carriage. + +"Get out of the way yourself!" said King Godfrey's man. "I have a King +inside," said he; you see, he knew who the disguised traveller was, +and he thought there was no need to hide it now, when it might save +him trouble. + +"If you have one King, I have another!" said the other man; and +imagine how astonished King Godfrey's coachman was to hear that. + +"Oh dear, oh dear," he said, "what is to be done? Both Kings! How old +is your King?" he added suddenly, hoping, you see, that the younger +might be willing to give way. + +"Fifty." + +"Fifty! So is mine! And how rich is he? " + +But it turned out they were just the same in that point; and though +he cudgelled his brains to find out some difference, there seemed +to be none; their kingdoms were exactly the same size, with exactly +the same number of people in them, and their ancestors had been just +as brave and glorious in peace or war. In fact, they were as like as +two peas in a pod. + +All this time the horses were champing their bits and pawing the +ground, as if they would like to jump over each other's heads; and I +daresay the Kings were getting impatient too, though they were much +too dignified to say anything. And there they might have stayed till +doomsday, but that King Godfrey's coachman hit on a fine idea. He +suggested that perhaps one of them was a better King than the other; +what were his master's virtues, would the other coachman kindly +tell him? + +The other coachman had his answer all ready, in poetry too, and this +it was: + + +"Rough to the rough, my mighty King the mild with mildness sways, +Masters the good by goodness, and the bad with badness pays: +Give place, give place, O driver! such are this monarch's ways!" + + +"H'm," said King Godfrey's driver, "tit for tat is all very well, +but I shouldn't call it virtue to pay out a bad man in his own coin." + +"Oh, well," says the other in a huff, "you can call it vice if you +like; and I should be very glad to hear all your King's virtues, +if you laugh at mine!" + +"Certainly," said King Godfrey's coachman; and, not to be beaten, +he did his answer into poetry, like the other: + + +"He conquers wrath by mildness, the bad with goodness sways, +By gifts the miser vanquishes and lies with truth repays. +Give place, give place, O driver! such are this monarch's ways!" + + +Then the other man felt he had met his match. "I can't cap that," +said he; "your master is better than mine." And the new King, who +had not said a word all this time, thought it was time to be moving; +perhaps he had been asleep; anyhow, he was not at all angry with his +coachman, but out he got, and they let the horses loose, and pulled +the carriage up on the slope to let King Godfrey pass by. But King +Godfrey, before he went on, gave the other King a little good advice, +which the King promised to take; for in that strange country people +used to follow good advice sometimes. And then they said "Good-bye," +and both went back home again, and both of them ruled their countries +well until they died. The other King, we may be sure, was all the +better for that lesson; and I hope Godfrey did not become conceited in +that strange country, as he would have been if he lived here with us. + + + + + FINIS + + + + + + + +NOTE + + +[1] The Jataka; or Stories of the Buddha's former +Births. Translated from the Pali by various hands, under the +editorship of Professor E. B. Cowell. Vol. I., translated by +R. Chalmers, B.A. (1895). Vol. II., translated by W. H. D. Rouse, +M.A. (1895). Vol. III., translated by H. T. Francis, M.A., and +R. A. Neil, M.A. (1897). Vol. IV., in preparation. All the stories +but two come from the second volume of this work. + + + + + + +End of the Project Gutenberg EBook of The Giant Crab and Other Tales from +Old India, by W.H.D. 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