“But in this royal family the offspring are royal-minded, and in six moons I will engage to make your Majesty’s sons comprehend Policy.”

The Raja replied, with condescension:—­

    “On the eastern mountains lying, common things shine in the sun,
    And by learned minds enlightened, lower minds may show as one.”

“And you, worshipful sir, are competent to teach my children the rules of Policy.”

So saying, with much graciousness, he gave the Princes into the charge of Vishnu-Sarman; and that sage, by way of introduction, spake to the Princes, as they sat at ease on the balcony of the palace, in this wise:—­

“Hear now, my Princes! for the delectation of your Highnesses, I purpose to tell the tale of the Crow, the Tortoise, the Deer, and the Mouse.”

“Pray, sir,” said the King’s sons, “let us hear it.”

Vishnu-Sarman answered—­

“It begins with the Winning of Friends; and this is the first verse of it:—­

    “Sans way or wealth, wise friends their purpose gain—­
    The Mouse, Crow, Deer, and Tortoise make this plain.”

[2] The Vedas are the holy books of India.  They are four in number:  The Rig-Veda, Yajur-Veda, Sama-Veda, and Atharva-Veda.

THE WINNING OF FRIENDS

    Sans way or wealth, wise friends their purpose gain—­
    The Mouse, Crow, Deer, and Tortoise make this plain.”

“However was that?” asked the Princes.

Vishnu-Sarman replied:—­

“On the banks of the Godavery there stood a large silk-cotton-tree, and thither at night, from all quarters and regions, the birds came to roost.  Now once, when the night was just spent, and his Radiance the Moon, Lover of the white lotus, was about to retire behind the western hills, a Crow who perched there, ‘Light o’ Leap’ by name, upon awakening, saw to his great wonder a fowler approaching—­a second God of Death.  The sight set him reflecting, as he flew off uneasily to follow up the man’s movements, and he began to think what mischief this ill-omened apparition foretold.

    “For a thousand thoughts of sorrow, and a hundred things of dread,
    By the wise unheeded, trouble day by day the foolish head.”

And yet in this life it must be that

    “Of the day’s impending dangers, Sickness, Death, and Misery,
    One will be; the wise man waking, ponders which that one will be.”

Presently the fowler fixed a net, scattered grains of rice about, and withdrew to hide.  At this moment “Speckle-neck,” King of the Pigeons, chanced to be passing through the sky with his Court, and caught sight of the rice-grains.  Thereupon the King of the Pigeons asked of his rice-loving followers, ’How can there possibly be rice-grains lying here in an unfrequented forest?  We will see into it, of course, but We like not the look of it—­love of rice may ruin us, as the Traveller was ruined.