’All men scorn the soulless coward who his manhood doth forget:—­
    On a lifeless heap of ashes fearlessly the foot is set,’

’Then Damanaka the Jackal returned to the Lion, and said to him:—­

’If it please your Majesty, the traitor is now coming; let your Majesty be on your guard, with ears pricked and paw upraised.’

’The Bull meanwhile approached, and observing the hostile attitude of King Tawny-hide, he also lowered his horns, and prepared for the combat.  A terrible battle ensued, and at the last King Tawny-hide slew Lusty-life the Bull.  Now when the Bull was dead, the Lion was very sorrowful, and as he sat on his throne lamenting, he said—­

’I repent me of this deed!—­

    ’As when an Elephant’s life-blood is spilt,
    Another hath the spoils—­mine is the guilt.’

‘Sire,’ replied the Jackal, ’a King over-merciful is like a Brahman that eats all things equally.  May all your Majesty’s enemies perish as did this Bull.’

“Thus endeth,” said the Sage Vishnu-Sarman, “the ‘Parting of Friends.’”

“We are gratified exceedingly thereby,” replied the Sons of the King.

“Let me then close it thus,” said their Preceptor—­

      ’So be friendship never parted,
      But among the evil-hearted;
      Time’s sure step drag, soon or later,
      To his judgment, such a Traitor;
      Lady Lukshmi, of her grace,
      Grant good fortune to this place;
    And you, Royal boys! and boys of times to be
    In this fair fable-garden wander free.’

[12] The white umbrella borne above the heads of Indian rajahs.

[13] The deity of prudence.

[14] Regal authority derives its rights from three sources:  Power, Prescription or continuance, and Wisdom.

[15] The lotus resembles the water-lily, but is more varied in form and color.

WAR

When the next day of instruction was come, the King’s sons spake to the Sage, Vishnu-Sarman.

“Master,” said they, “we are Princes, and the sons of Princes, and we earnestly desire to hear thee discourse upon War.”

“I am to speak on what shall please you,” replied Vishnu-Sarman.  “Hear now, therefore, of ‘War,’ whose opening is thus:—­

    ’Between the peoples of Peacock and Swan[16]
    War raged; and evenly the contest ran,
    Until the Swans to trust the Crows began.’

‘And how was all that?’ asked the sons of the Rajah.  Vishnu-Sarman proceeded to relate—­

THE BATTLE OF THE SWANS AND PEACOCKS

“In the Isle of Camphor there is a lake called ‘Lotus-water,’ and therein a Swan-Royal, named ‘Silver-sides,’ had his residence.  The birds of the marsh and the mere had elected him King, in full council of all the fowls—­for a people with no ruler is like a ship that is without a helmsman.  One day King Silver-sides, with his courtiers, was quietly reposing on a couch of well-spread lotus-blossoms, when a Crane, named ‘Long-bill,’ who had just arrived from foreign parts, entered the presence with an obeisance, and sat down.