[9] The wife of Vishnoo, Goddess of beauty and abundance.

[10] The black or Indian cuckoo.

[11] A grove where the Vedas are read and expounded.

THE PARTING OF FRIENDS

Then spake the Royal Princes to Vishnu-Sarman,

“Reverend Sir! we have listened to the ‘Winning of Friends,’ we would now hear how friends are parted.”

“Attend, then,” replied the Sage, “to ‘the Parting of Friends,’ the first couplet of which runs in this wise—­

    ’The Jackal set—­of knavish cunning full—­
    At loggerheads the Lion and the Bull.’

“How was that?” asked the sons of the Rajah.

Vishnu-Sarman proceeded to relate:—­

THE STORY OF THE LION, THE JACKALS, AND THE BULL

“In the Deccan there is a city called Golden-town, and a wealthy merchant lived there named Well-to-do.  He had abundant means, but as many of his relations were even yet richer, his mind was bent:  upon outdoing them by gaining more.  Enough is never what we have—­

    ’Looking down on lives below them, men of little store are great;
    Looking up to higher fortunes, hard to each man seems his fate.’

And is not wealth won by courage and enterprise?—­

    ’As a bride, unwisely wedded, shuns the cold caress of eld,
    So, from coward souls and slothful, Lakshmi’s favors turn repelled.’

    ’Ease, ill-health, home-keeping, sleeping, woman-service, and content—­
    In the path that leads to greatness these be six obstructions sent.’

And wealth that increases not, diminishes—­a little gain is so far good—­

    ’Seeing how the soorma wasteth, seeing how the ant-hill grows,
    Little adding unto little—­live, give, learn, as life-time goes.’

    ’Drops of water falling, falling, falling, brim the chatty o’er;
    Wisdom comes in little lessons—­little gains make largest store.’

Moved by these reflections Well-to-do loaded a cart with wares of all kinds, yoked two bulls to it, named Lusty-life and Roarer, and started for Kashmir to trade.  He had not gone far upon his journey when in passing through a great forest called Bramble-wood, Lusty-life slipped down and broke his foreleg.  At sight of this disaster Well-to-do fell a-thinking, and repeated—­

    ’Men their cunning schemes may spin—­
    God knows who shall lose or win.’

Comforting himself with such philosophy, Well-to-do left Lusty-life there, and went on his way.  The Bull watched him depart, and stood mournfully on three legs, alone in the forest.  ‘Well, well,’ he thought, ’it is all destiny whether I live or die:—­

    ’Shoot a hundred shafts, the quarry lives and flies—­not due to death;
    When his hour is come, a grass-blade hath a point to stop his breath.’