As the bambu, in the bambus safely sheltered, scorns the axe.'
'My counsel then is that peace be concluded with him,' said the Vulture.
'All this King Silver-sides and his Minister the Goose heard attentively from the Crane.
'Go again!' said the Goose to Long-bill, 'and bring us news of how the Vulture's advice is received.'
'Minister!' began the King, upon the departure of the Crane, 'tell me as to this peace, who are they with whom it should not be concluded?'
'They be twenty, namely——'
'Tarry not to name them,' said the King; 'and what be the qualities of a good ally?'
'Such should be learned in Peace and War,' replied the Goose, 'in marching and pitching, and seasonably placing an army in the field; for it is said—
'He who sets his battle wisely, conquers the unwary foe;
As the Owl, awaiting night-time, slew the overweening Crow.'
Counsel, my Liege, is quintuple—Commencing, providing, dividing, repelling, and completing,'
'Good!' said the King.
'Power is triple,' continued the Goose, 'being of Kings, of counsels, and of constant effort.'
'It is so!' said the King.
'And expedients, my Liege,' continued the Goose, 'are quadruple, and consist of conciliation, of gifts, of strife-stirring, and of force of arms; for thus it is written—
'Whoso hath the gift of giving wisely, equitably, well;
Whoso, learning all men's secrets, unto none his own will tell;
Whoso, ever cold and courtly, utters nothing that offends,
Such a one may rule his fellows unto Earth's extremest ends.'
'Then King Jewel-plume would be a good ally,' observed the Swan-king.
'Doubtless!' said the Goose, 'but elated with victory, he will hardly listen to the Vulture's counsel; we must make him do it.'
'How?' asked the King.
'We will cause our dependent, the King of Ceylon, Strong-bill the Stork, to raise an insurrection in Jambudwipa.'
'It is well-conceived,' said the King. And forthwith a Crane, named Pied-body, was dismissed with a secret message to that Rajah.
'In course of time the first Crane, who had been sent as a spy, came back, and made his report. He related that the Vulture had advised his Sovereign to summon Night-cloud, the Crow, and learn from him regarding King Silver-sides' intentions. Night-cloud attended accordingly.
'Crow!' asked King Jewel-plume, 'what sort of a Monarch is the Rajah Silver-sides?'
'Truthful, may it please you,' replied the Crow; 'and therewithal noble as Yudisthira himself.'
'And his Minister, the Goose?'
'Is a Minister unrivalled, my Liege,' said the Crow-king.
'But how then didst thou so easily deceive them?'
'Ah! your Majesty,' said the Crow, 'there was little credit in that. Is it not said?—
'Cheating them that truly trust you, 'tis a clumsy villainy!
Any knave may slay the child who climbs and slumbers on his knee.'
Besides, the Minister detected me immediately. It was the King whose innate goodness forbade him to suspect evil in another:—
'Believe a knave, thyself scorning a lie,
And rue it, like the Brahman, by and by.'
'What Brahman was that?' asked the King. Night-cloud replied:—
The Story of the Brahman and the Goat
"A Brahman that lived in the forest of Gautama, your Majesty. He had purveyed a goat to make pooja, and was returning home with it on life shoulder when he was descried by three knaves. 'If we could but obtain that goat,' said they, 'it would be a rare trick'; and they ran on, and seated themselves at the foot of three different trees upon the Brahman's road. Presently he came up with the first of them, who addressed him thus: 'Master! why do you carry that dog on your shoulder?' 'Dog!' said the Brahman, 'it is a goat for sacrifice!' With that he went on a coss, and came to the second knave; who called out—'What doest thou with that dog, Master?' The Brahman laid his goat upon the ground, looked it all over, took it up again upon his back, and walked on with his mind in a whirl; for—
'The good think evil slowly, and they pay
A price for faith—as witness "Crop-ear" may.'
'Who was Crop-ear?' asked the King of the Peacocks.
The Story of the Camel, the Lion, and His Court
"A Camel, may it please you," replied Night-cloud, "who strayed away from a kafila, and wandered into the forest. A Lion, named 'Fierce-fangs,' lived in that forest; and his three courtiers, a Tiger, a Jackal, and a Crow, met the Camel, and conducted him to their King. His account of himself was satisfactory, and the Lion took him into his service under the name of Crop-ear. Now it happened that the rainy season was very severe, and the Lion became indisposed, so that there was much difficulty in obtaining food for the Court. The courtiers resolved accordingly to prevail on the Lion to kill the Camel; 'for what interest have we,' they said, 'in this browser of thistles?'
'What, indeed!' observed the Tiger; 'but will the Rajah kill him after his promise of protection, think you?'
'Being famished he will,' said the Crow. 'Know you not?—
'Hunger hears not, cares not, spares not; no boon of the starving beg;
When the snake is pinched with craving, verily she eats her egg.'
Accordingly they repaired to the Lion.
'Hast brought me food, fellow?' growled the Rajah.
'None, may it please you,' said the Crow.
'Must we starve, then?' asked his Majesty.
'Not unless you reject the food before you, Sire,' rejoined the Crow.
'Before me! how mean you?'
'I mean,' replied the Crow (and he whispered it in the Lion's ear), 'Crop-ear, the Camel!'
'Now!' said the Lion, and he touched the ground, and afterwards both ears, as he spoke, 'I have given him my pledge for his safety, and how should I slay him?'
'Nay, Sire! I said not slay,' replied the Crow; 'it may be that he will offer himself for food. To that your Majesty would not object?'
'I am parlous hungry,' muttered the Lion.
'Then the Crow went to find the Camel, and, bringing all together before the King under some pretence or other, he thus addressed him:—
'Sire! our pains are come to nothing: we can get no food, and we behold our Lord falling away,
'Of the Tree of State the root
Kings are—feed what brings the fruit.'
Take me, therefore, your Majesty, and break your fast upon me."
'Good Crow,' said the Lion, 'I had liefer die than do so.'
'Will your Majesty deign to make a repast upon me?' asked the Jackal.