ruits. If thou be freed at an improper time, I shall
have to stand in great fear of thee. Therefore, do thou wait for the
proper time. Do not be impatient, O friend! When I shall see the hunter
approach towards this spot armed with weapons, I shall cut the strings at
that moment of fear to both of us. Freed then, thou wilt ascend the tree.
At that time thou wilt not think of anything else save the safety of thy
life. And when thou, O Lomasa, wilt fly away in fear, I shall enter my
hole and thou wilt get upon the tree.' Thus addressed by the mouse in
words that were beneficial to him, the cat, possessed of intelligence and
eloquence, and impatient of saving his life, replied unto the mouse in
the following words. Indeed, the cat, who had quickly and properly done
his own part of the covenant, addressing the mouse who was not
expeditious in discharging his part, said, 'I rescued thee from a great
danger with considerable promptness. Alas! honest persons never do the
business of their friends in this way. Filled with delight while doing
it, they do it otherwise. Thou shouldst do what is for my good with
greater expedition. O thou of great wisdom, do thou exert a little so
that good may be done to both of us. If, on the other hand, remembering
our former hostility thou art only suffering the time to slip away, know,
O wicked wight, that the consequence of this act of thine will surely be
to lessen the duration of thy own life![410] If I have ever, before this,
unconsciously done thee any wrong, thou shouldst not bear it in
remembrance. I beg thy forgiveness. Be gratified with me.' After the cat
had said these words, the mouse, possessed of intelligence and wisdom and
knowledge of the scriptures, said these excellent words unto him: 'I
have, O cat, heard what thou hast said in furtherance of thy own object.
Listen, however, to me as I tell thee what is consistent with my own
objects. That friendship in which there is fear and which cannot be kept
up without fear, should be maintained with great caution like the hand
(of the snake-charmer) from the snake's fangs. The person that does not
protect himself after having made a covenant with a stronger individual,
finds that covenant to be productive of injury instead of benefit. Nobody
is anybody's friend; nobody is anybody's well-wisher; persons become
friends or foes only from motives of interest. Interest enlists interest
even as tame elephants catch wild individuals of their spe