ory of the Hawk and the spilling of
the water in the cup, said: "I grieve for the death of the Hawk, and
bemoan my own deed in that without inquiry I have deprived a creature,
so dear to me, of life." The attendant replied: "This Hawk protected
thee from a great peril, and has established a claim to the gratitude
of all the people of this country. It would have been better if the
King had not been precipitate in slaying it, and had quenched the fire
of wrath with the water of mildness."

The King replied; "I repent of this unseemly action; but my repentance
is now unavailing, and the wound of this sorrow cannot be healed by any
salve"; and this story is related in order that it may be known that
many such incidents have occurred where, through the disastrous results
of precipitation, men have fallen into the whirlpool of repentance.

The Mouse and the Frog

It is related that a Mouse had taken up its abode on the brink of a
fountain and had fixed its residence at the foot of a tree.

A Frog, too, passed his time in the water there, and sometimes came to
the margin of the pool to take the air. One day, coming to the edge of
the water, he continued uttering his voice in a heart-rending cadence
and assumed himself to be a nightingale of a thousand melodies.

At that time the Mouse was engaged in chanting in a corner of his cell.
Directly he heard the uproarious yelling of the Frog he was astounded,
and came out with the intention of taking a look at the reciter; and
while occupied with listening to him, kept smiting his hands together
and shaking his head. These gestures, which seemed to display
approbation, pleased the Frog and he made advances toward acquaintance
with him. In short, being mutually pleased with each other, they
became inseparable companions, and used to narrate to each other
entertaining stories and tales.

One day the Mouse said to the Frog: "I am oftentimes desirous of
disclosing to thee a secret and recounting to thee a grief which I have
at heart, and at that moment thou art abiding under the water. However
much I shout thou nearest me not, owing to the noise of the water, and
in spite of my crying to thee, the sound cannot reach thee, because of
the clamour of the other frogs. We must devise some means by which
thou mayest know when I come to the brink of the water, and thus mayest
be informed of my arrival without my shouting to thee."

The Frog said: "Thou speakest the truth. I,