Are all alike cool in the summer,
And warm in the winter—all.'
'What made thee alarmed, friend Deer?' began Slow-toes. 'Do hunters ever come to this unfrequented forest?'
'I have heard,' replied Dapple-back, 'that the Prince of the Kalinga country, Rukmangada, is coming here. He is even now encamped on the Cheenab River, on his march to subjugate the borders; and the hunters have been heard to say that he will halt to-morrow by this very lake of "Camphor-water." Don't you think, as it is dangerous to stay, that we ought to resolve on something?'
'I shall certainly go to another pool,' exclaimed Slow-toes.
'It would be better,' answered the Crow and Deer together.
'Yes!' remarked the King of the Mice, after a minute's thought; 'but how is Slow-toes to get across the country in time? Animals like our amphibious host are best in the water; on land he might suffer from his own design, like the merchant's son—
'The merchant's son laid plans for gains,
And saw his wife kissed for his pains.'
'How came that about?' asked all. "I'll tell you," answered Golden-skin.
The Prince and the Wife of the Merchant's Son
"In the country of Kanouj there was a King named Virasena, and he made his son viceroy of a city called Virapoora. The Prince was rich, handsome, and in the bloom of youth. Passing through the streets of his city one day, he observed a very lovely woman, whose name was Lávanyavati—i.e., the Beautiful—the wife of a merchant's son. On reaching his palace, full of her charms and of passionate admiration for them, he despatched a message to her, and a letter, by a female attendant:—who wonders at it?—
'Ah! the gleaming, glancing arrows of a lovely woman's eye!
Feathered with her jetty lashes, perilous they pass us by:—
Loosed at venture from the black bows of her arching brow they part,
All too penetrant and deadly for an undefended heart.'
Now Lávanyavati, from the moment she saw the Prince, was hit with the same weapon of love that wounded him; but upon hearing the message of the attendant, she refused with dignity to receive his letter.
'I am my husband's,' she said,'and that is my honor; for—
'Beautiful the Koíl[10] seemeth for the sweetness of his song, Beautiful the world esteemeth pious souls for patience strong; Homely features lack not favor when true wisdom they reveal, And a wife is fair and honored while her heart is firm and leal.'
What the lord of my life enjoins, that I do.'
'Is such my answer?' asked the attendant.
'It is,' said Lávanyavati.
Upon the messenger reporting her reply to the Prince, he was in despair.
'The God of the five shafts has hit me,' he exclaimed, 'and only her presence will cure my wound.'
'We must make her husband bring her, then,' said the messenger.
'That can never be,' replied the Prince.
'It can,' replied the messenger—
'Fraud may achieve what force would never try:—
The Jackal killed the Elephant thereby.'
'How was that?' asked the Prince. The Slave related:—
The Story of the Old Jackal and the Elephant
"In the forest of Brahma[11] lived an Elephant, whose name was 'White-front.' The Jackals knew him, and said among themselves, 'If this great brute would but die, there would be four months' food for us, and plenty, out of his carcase.' With that an old Jackal stood up, and pledged himself to compass the death of the Elephant by his own wit. Accordingly, he sought for 'White-front,' and, going up to him, he made the reverential prostration of the eight members, gravely saluting him.
'Divine creature,' said he, 'vouchsafe me the regard of one look.'
'Who art thou?' grunted the Elephant,'and whence comest thou?'
'I am only a Jackal,' said the other; 'but the beasts of the forest are convinced that it is not expedient to live without a king, and they have met in full council, and despatched me to acquaint your Royal Highness that on you, endowed with so many lordly qualities, their choice has fallen for a sovereign over the forest here; for—
'Who is just, and strong, and wise?
Who is true to social ties?
He is formed for Emperies.
Let your Majesty, therefore, repair thither at once, that the moment of fortunate conjunction may not escape us.' So saying he led the way, followed at a great pace by White-front, who was eager to commence his reign.
"Presently the Jackal brought him upon a deep slough, into which he plunged heavily before he could stop himself.
'Good master Jackal,' cried the Elephant,'what's to do now? I am up to my belly in this quagmire.'
'Perhaps your Majesty,' said the Jackal, with an impudent laugh, 'will condescend to take hold of the tip of my brush with your trunk, and so get out.'
'Then White-front, the Elephant, knew that he had been deceived; and thus he sank in the slime, and was devoured by the Jackals. Hence,' continued the attendant, 'is why I suggested stratagem to your Highness,'
Shortly afterwards, by the Slave's advice, the Prince sent for the merchant's son (whose name was Charudatta), and appointed him to be near his person; and one day, with the same design, when he was just come from the bath, and had on his jewels, he summoned Charudatta, and said—
"I have a vow to keep to Gauri—bring hither to me every evening for a month some lady of good family, that I may do honor to her, according to my vow; and begin to-day."
Charudatta in due course brought a lady of quality, and, having introduced her, retired to watch the interview. The Prince, without even approaching his fair visitor, made her the most respectful obeisances, and dismissed her with gifts of ornaments, sandal-wood, and perfumes, under the protection of a guard. This made Charudatta confident, and longing to get some of these princely presents he brought his own wife next evening. When the Prince recognized the charming Lávanyavati—the joy of his soul—he sprang to meet her, and kissed and caressed her without the least restraint. At sight of this the miserable Charudatta stood transfixed with despair—the very picture of wretchedness'——
'And you too, Slow-toes—but where is he gone?' abruptly asked King Golden-skin.
Now Slow-toes had not chosen to wait the end of the story, but was gone before, and Golden-skin and the others followed him up in some anxiety. The Tortoise had been painfully travelling along, until a hunter, who was beating the wood for game, had overtaken him. The fellow, who was very hungry, picked him up, fastened him on his bow-stick, and set off for home; while the Deer, the Crow, and the Mouse, who had witnessed the capture, followed them in terrible concern. 'Alas!' cried the Mouse-king, 'he is gone!—and such a friend!
'Friend! gracious word!—the heart to tell is ill able
Whence came to men this jewel of a syllable.'
'Let us,' continued he to his companions, 'let us make one attempt, at least, to rescue Slow-toes before the hunter is out of the wood!'
'Only