egend as bear upon this point.

The hero, Yudhistthira, leaves his home to go to Mount Meru, among the
Himalayas, to find Indra's heaven and the rest he so much desired; and with
him,

"The five brothers set forth, and Draupadi, and the seventh was a
dog that followed them."

On the way the Princess Draupadi perished, and, after her, one brother
after another, until all had died, and the hero reached his journey's end
accompanied only by his dog.

Lo! suddenly, with a sound which rang through heaven and earth,
Indra came riding on his chariot, and he cried to the king, "Ascend!"
_Then_, indeed, did the lord of justice look back to his fallen
brothers,
And thus unto Indra he spoke, with a sorrowful heart:
"Let my brothers, who yonder lie fallen, go with me;
Not even unto thy heaven would I enter, if they were not there.
And yon fair-faced daughter of a king, Draupadi the all-deserving,
Let _her_ too enter with us! O Indra, approve my prayer!"

INDRA.

In heaven thou shalt find thy brothers,--they are already there
before thee;
There are they all, with Draupadi; weep not, then, O son of Bharata!
Thither have they entered, prince, having thrown away their mortal
weeds;
But thou alone shalt enter still wearing thy body of flesh.

YUDHISTTHIRA.

O Indra, and what of this dog? It hath faithfully followed me through;
Let it go with me into heaven, for my soul is full of compassion.

INDRA.

Immortality and fellowship with me, and the height of joy and felicity,
All these hast thou reached to-day; leave, then, the dog behind thee.

YUDHISTTHIRA.

The good may oft act an evil part, but never a part like this;
Away, then, with that felicity whose price is to abandon the faithful!

INDRA.

My heaven hath no place for dogs; they steal away our offerings on
earth:
Leave, then, thy dog behind thee, nor think in thy heart that it is
cruel.

YUDHISTTHIRA.

To abandon the faithful and devoted is an endless crime, like the
murder of a Brahmin;
Never, therefore, come weal or woe, will I abandon yon faithful dog.
_Yon poor creature, in fear and distress, hath trusted in my power
to save it:
Not, therefore, for e'en life itself will I break my plighted word._

INDRA.