and has also taken his rest in the nest."
When the male Sparrow heard this story, his frame was wrung with anguish; and
the fire of regret for the loss of his offspring fell on his soul. At that moment the
master of the house was engaged in lighting his lamp; and holding in his hand a
match, dipped in grease and lighted, was about to put it into the lamp-holder.
The Sparrow flew and snatched the match from his hand and threw it into the
nest. The master of the house, through fear that the fire would catch to the roof,
and that the consequences would be most pernicious, immediately ran up on the
terrace and began clearing away the nest from beneath, in order to put out the
fire. The Snake beheld in front the danger of the fire, and heard above the sound
of the pickaxe. It put out its head from a hole which it had near the roof, and no
sooner did it do so than it received a blow of death from the pickaxe.
And the moral of this fable is, that the Snake despised its enemy, and made no
account of him, until in the end that enemy pounded his head with the stone of
vengeance.
The Geese and the Tortoise
It is related that in a pool whose pure water reflected every image like a clear
mirror, once resided two Geese and a Tortoise, and in consequence of their being
neighbours, the thread of their circumstances had been drawn out into sincere
friendship, and they passed their lives contentedly.
In that water which was the source of their life and the support of their existence,
however, a complete failure began to manifest itself, and a glaring alteration
became evident. When the Geese perceived that state of things they withdrew
their hearts from the home to which they were accustomed and determined on
emigrating. Therefore with hearts full of sorrow and eyes full of tears, they
approached the Tortoise, and introduced the subject of parting.
The Tortoise wept at the intelligence and piteously exclaimed, "What words are
these, and how can existence be supported without sympathizing friends? And
since that I have not power even to take leave, how can I endure the load of
separation?"
The Geese replied: "Our hearts, too, are wounded by the sharp points of absence,