The Panchatantra quotes

His feet were made dazzling by the tangle of rays of light from jewels in the diadems of mighty kings who knelt before him. He had reached the far shore of all the arts that embellish life. This king had three sons.

Their names were Rich-Power, Fierce-Power, Endless-Power, and they were supreme blockheads.

Now when the king perceived that they were hostile to education, he summoned his counselors and said: "Gentlemen, it is known to you that these sons of mine, being hostile to education, are lacking in discernment.

And Vishnusharman made answer to the king: "O King, listen. Here is the plain truth.

I am not the man to sell good learning for a hundred land-grants.

But if I do not, in six months' time, make the boys acquainted with the art of intelligent living, I will give up my own name. Let us cut the matter short. Listen to my lion-roar. My boasting arises from no greed for cash.

Riches unearned should be earned. What is earned, should be guarded. What is guarded, should be enlarged and heedfully invested. Money, even if hoarded in commonplace fashion, is likely to go in a flash, the hindrances being many.

Money unemployed when opportunities arise, is the same as money unpossessed.

Therefore, money once acquired should be guarded, increased, employed. As the proverb says:

As he once pondered in the dead of night, his conclusions took this form: "

Even an abundant store of wealth, if pecked at, sinks together like a pile of soot. A very little, if added to, grows like an ant-hill.

Hence, even though money be abundant, it should be increased. Riches unearned should be earned. What is earned, should be guarded. What is guarded, should be enlarged and heedfully invested.

It had no artificial training in the use of weapons, but it did not disappoint expectations. It found satisfactory food and shelter without dependence on servants. It had no timidity about any foreign forest, and no alarms. Its head was high. As the proverb says:

The lion needs, in forest station, No trappings and no education, But lonely power and pride; And all the song his subjects sing, Is in the words: "O King! O King!" No epithet beside.

The lion needs, for his appointing, No ceremony, no anointing; His deeds of heroism bring Him fortune. Nature crowns him king. The elephant is the lion's meat, With drops of trickling ichor sweet;

The jobless man is hired For careful serving; The holder may be fired, If undeserving. No character moves up or down At others' smile or others' frown; But honor or contempt on earth Will follow conduct's inner worth.

It costs an effort still To carry stones uphill; They tumble in a trice: So virtue, and so vice.

"

said Victor. "The saintly poet Vyasa has sung the entry of the Pandu princes into Virata's court. From his poem I learned the whole duty of a functionary. You have heard the proverb:

No burden enervates the strong; To enterprise no road is long; The well-informed all countries range; To flatterers no man is strange.

"

The moon its rise from ocean takes; And gems proceed from hoods of snakes; From cows' bile yellow dyestuffs come; And fire in wood is quite at home:

The worthy, by display of worth, Attain distinction, not by birth.

Kill, although domestic born, Any hurtful mouse: Bribe an alien cat who will Help to clean the house.

So it would be improper if our master abruptly left the forest which was won by his ancestors and has been so long in the family. For they say:

Wisely move one foot; the other Should its vantage hold; Till assured of some new dwelling, Do not leave the old.

"Besides, many kinds of sounds are heard here. Yet they are nothing but noises, not a warning of danger. For example, we hear the sounds made by thunder, wind among the reeds, lutes, drums, tambourines, conch-shells, bells, wagons, banging doors, machines, and other things.

"So I will go elsewhere and wait, in order to learn his purpose. Perhaps Victor might even bring the thing along and try to kill me. As the saying goes:

The trustful strong are caught By weaker foes with ease; The wary weak are safe From strongest enemies.

"

"My dear fellow, you appear to be sympathetic and eloquent. So if you cannot avoid conducting me there, pray cause the master to grant me a gracious safe-conduct." "You are quite right," said Victor. "Your request shows savoir faire. For

The earth has a limit, The mountains, the sea; The deep thoughts of kings are Without boundary.

Do you then remain in this spot. Later, when I have held him to an agreement, I will conduct you to him."

Yet he thought: "After all, why should I grow thin? It does me no good. For I cannot possibly hurt him. And there is sense in the saying:

Indulge no angry, shameless wish To hurt, unless you can: The chick-pea, hopping up and down, Will crack no frying-pan.

"

Whate'er a man desires, sees, does In broad daylight, Still mindful, he will say or do Asleep at night.

Whatever secrets, good or ill, Men in their bosoms keep, Are soon betrayed when they are drunk Or talking in their sleep.

In any case, what doubt can there be where a woman is concerned?

"Friend merchant, I forgive you. You will soon see the reward of the honor shown me in the king's favor and such things." With this he departed in high glee. For there is wisdom in the saying:

A little thing will lift him high, A little make him fall: 'Twixt balance-beam and scamp there is No difference at all.

On the next day Bull entered the palace, and did his sweeping. And while the king lay half awake, he said: "What intelligence! When our king sits at stool, he eats a cucumber."

As a result, he trusted no man, and kept his treasure under his arm by night and day. For there is wisdom in the proverb:

Money causes pain in getting; In the keeping, pain and fretting; Pain in loss and pain in spending: Damn the trouble never ending!

Now a rogue named June, who took other people's money from them, observed the treasure under his arm, and reflected: "How am I to take this treasure from him?

Having thus made up his mind, he drew near to Godly, uttered the words: "Glory to Shiva. Amen," fell flat on his face, and spoke with deference: "O holy sir! All life is vanity.

Youth slips by like a mountain torrent. The days of our life are like a fire in chaff.

Delights of the flesh are as the shadow of a cloud. Union with son, friend, servant, wife, is but a dream. All this I discern clearly. What shall I do that I may safely cross the sea of many lives?"

Shaking, falling to the ground, Mad delirium.

The setting sun and drunken man Are both a fiery red; They sink in naked helplessness; Their dignity is dead.

"

Then the crab looked down and saw a great rock of sacrifice, made horrible by heaps of fish-skeletons. And he thought: "Ah me!

Friends are foes and foes are friends As they mar or serve your ends; Few discern where profit tends.

If you will, with serpents play; Dwell with foemen who betray: Shun your false and foolish friends, Fickle, seeking vicious ends.

Man is bidden to chastise Even elders who devise Devious courses, arrogant, Of their duty ignorant.

Fear fearful things, while yet No fearful thing appears; When danger must be met, Strike, and forget your fears.

So, before he drops me there, I will catch his neck with all four claws."

Even if the rabbit was successful, still a man of feeble powers should not deal fraudulently with the great." And Victor retorted: "Feeble or strong, one must make up his mind to vigorous action. You know the proverb:

Unceasing effort brings success; 'Fate, fate is all,' let dastards wail: Smite fate and prove yourself a man; What fault if bold endeavor fail?

Furthermore, the very gods befriend those who ever strive. As the story goes:

Or does this explain it?

One heart my darling took; One pines as if to die; One throbs with feeling pure: How many hearts have I?

If all the world from virtue draws A blessing and a gain, Why should all virtue in my maid, My fawn-eyed maiden, pain? Each guards his home, they say; Yet in my heart you stay, Burning your home alway, Sweet, heartless one!

Finding him in this condition, he said: "My friend, my friend, why are you in such a state today?" But the poor weaver, though questioned repeatedly, was too embarrassed to say a word. At last the carpenter grew weary and dropped into poetry:

No friend is he whose anger Compels a timid languor, Nor he whom all must anxiously attend; But when you trust another As if he were your mother, He is no mere acquaintance, but a friend.

Then, after examining the weaver's heart and other members with a hand skilled in detecting symptoms, he said: "Comrade, if my diagnosis is correct, your condition is not the result of fever, but of love."

At her birth she steals away her mother's heart; Loving friends, when she is older, fall apart; Even married, she is apt to bring a stain: Having daughters is a business full of pain.

When a poem or daughter comes out, The author is troubled with doubt, With a doubt that his questions betray; Will she reach the right hands? Will she please as she stands? And what will the critics say?

Having thus considered the matter from every point of view, he sought the queen and said: "My dear queen, pray give careful attention to what these chamberlains have to say. Who is this offender whom the death-god seeks today?"

When those appointed to advise Speak wholesome truth, they cause surprise By this remarkable excess Of passionate devotedness.

A man is quickly found, O King, To say the sycophantic thing; But one prepared to hear or speak Unwelcome truth, is far to seek.

"

"My dear fellow," said the lion, "even so, I cannot find it in my heart to turn against him. For

However false and fickle grown, Once dear is always dear: Who does not love his body, though Decrepit, blemished, queer?

His actions may be hard to bear, His speech be harsh to hear; The heart still clings delighted to A person truly dear."

However false and fickle grown, Once dear is always dear: Who does not love his body, though Decrepit, blemished, queer?

His actions may be hard to bear, His speech be harsh to hear; The heart still clings delighted to A person truly dear.

"

"My good fellow," said the lion, "pray do not say such things. For

Never publicly defame Any once commended name: Broken promises are shame.

"Now I formerly gave him a safe-conduct, since he appeared as a suppliant. How then can he prove ungrateful?" But Victor rejoined:

Caress a rascal as you will, He was and is a rascal still: All salve- and sweating-treatments fail To take the kink from doggy's tail.

Slight kindness shown to lofty souls A strange enlargement seeks: The moonbeams gleam with whiter light On Himalaya's peaks.

While, on the other hand:

"No," said she. "For fiery-mouthed stingers like you, it is out of the question. Leave this bed. You know the proverb:

The fool who does not know His own resource, his foe, His duty, time, and place, Who sets a reckless pace, Will by the wayside fall, Will reap no fruit at all.

"

And Lively continued: "Why, our master Rusty was all honey at first, but at the last his purpose turns to poison. Ah, yes!

He compliments you to your face; His whispered slanders never stop: Avoid a friend like that. He is A poison-jug with cream on top.

"Yes, I have learned by experience the truth of the well-known verse:

"Woe is me! How can I, a creature herbivorous, consort with this lion who devours raw flesh? There is wisdom in the saying:

Where wealth is very much the same, And similar the family fame, Marriage or friendship is secure; But not between the rich and poor.

And there is a proverb:

For from the vulture advisers many vices appear in their master, quite sufficient to bring ruin. Of the two, therefore, one should choose the former as king. But a king instigated by evil counsel is incapable of reflection. You know the saying:

Your jackal does not reassure; Your crow's sharp bill offends: You therefore see me up a tree— I do not like your friends.

"

After telling the story, Lively continued: "Somebody must have set Rusty against me. Besides:

Soft water's scars elide The mighty mountain side, And leave it much diminished: By those who have the trick To make a whisper stick Man's gentleness is finished.

"Under these circumstances, what action is opportune? Indeed, there is nothing left save battle. For the proverb says:

How can you fail to appreciate your own strength and weakness? There is a saying:

To know one's self is hard, to know Wise effort, effort vain; But accurate self-critics are Secure in times of strain.

This much of effort brings success; I have the power; I can: So think, then act, and reap the fruit Of your judicious plan.

So Constance laid her eggs, but the ocean, who had listened to the previous conversation, thought: "Well, well! There is sense in the saying:

Of self-conceit all creatures show An adequate supply: The plover lies with claws upstretched To prop the falling sky.

I will just put his power to the test."

"Darling," said his wife, "with a bill that holds one drop how will you dry up the ocean, into which pour without ceasing the Ganges and the Indus, bearing the water of nine times nine hundred tributary streams? Why talk nonsense?" But the plover said:

Success is rooted in the will; And I possess an iron-strong bill; Long days and nights before me lie: Why should not ocean's flood go dry?

The highest glory to attain Asks enterprise and manly strain: The sun must first to Libra climb Before he routs the cloudy time.

For lost and dead and past The wise have no laments: Between the wise and fools Is just this difference.

No life deserves lament; Fools borrow trouble, Add sadness to the sad, So make it double.

Since kinsmen's sticky tears Clog the departed, Bury them decently, Tearless, whole-hearted."

"Madam," said the woodpecker, "your remark is very true. For the proverb says:

A friend in need is a friend indeed, Although of different caste; The whole world is your eager friend So long as riches last.

A friend in need is a friend indeed; Fathers indeed are those who feed; True comrades they, and wives indeed, Whence trust and sweet content proceed.

"What have you accomplished?" And he replied: "I have already set them at odds with each other." "Have you really done it?" said Cheek. And Victor answered: "The outcome will show you." "Indeed," said Cheek, "it is not surprising. For the proverb says:

A well-devised estranging scheme The firmest prudence shocks, As constant floods of water split The mountains' close-piled rocks.

"

"Ah," replied Victor, "you have no comprehension of the devious ways of statesmanship, the basic support of the profession of counselor. On this point there is a verse:

Let your speech like sugar be, Steel your heart remorselessly; Never draw a doubtful breath: Pay for suffered wrongs with death.

And another thing. This Lively, even when killed will provide us with nourishment. For you know,

"Your character, however, is marked by levity. And the proverb says:

The great are firm, though battered, as before; Great ocean is not fouled by caving shore: For petty cause the fickle change and pass; The gentlest breezes ruffle pliant grass.

"When all is said, it is the master's fault.

By whom far-piercing wisdom or Great wealth or power is won To lift the family, in him A mother has a son.

A merely striking beauty Is not so hard to find; A rarer gem is wisdom, Far-reaching power of mind.

"Yes, there is sense in the story:

"Besides, who can trust a creature, whether human or not, that has two tongues in a single mouth? As the proverb says:

Mouths of snake and scamp Bear a savage stamp; Rough and ruthless still, Only good for ill: Where the tongue is double You may look for trouble.

"Consequently, your conduct makes me fearful for my own person. For

"Consequently, your conduct makes me fearful for my own person. For

I would not trust a rascal; His ways I understand: The petted, pampered serpent Will bite the feeding hand.

A fire will burn, though kindled In fragrant sandalwood: A rascal is a rascal, Although his birth is good.

I would not trust a rascal; His ways I understand: The petted, pampered serpent Will bite the feeding hand.

A fire will burn, though kindled In fragrant sandalwood: A rascal is a rascal, Although his birth is good.

"After all, this is the very nature of rascals. As the proverb says:

Each self-advertising traitor, Skilful as calumniator, Fate condemns to ruin all Who within his clutches fall. Oh, any tongue in human mouth That lends itself to slander's cant Yet does not split a hundred times, Is surely made of adamant.

Oh, may no evil e'er befall The lion-man who loves his kind, Who practices a silent vow When others' faults are in his mind.

"Ah, one must use great circumspection in making acquaintances. As the proverb says:

"My dear boy, let me introduce Uncle Naduk, who is going to the river to bathe. You must go with him and carry his bathing things." Ah, there is too much truth in the saying:

There is no purely loving deed Without a pinch of fear or greed Or service of a selfish need.

Wherever there is fond attention That does not seek a service pension, Was there no timid apprehension?

Thereupon the prince said: "It would be unmanly to remain here after being insulted. Let us depart together, all grieved with the same grief, and go somewhere else. For

The truly self-respecting man Discovers what he is, and can, Deserves, and dares, and understands By traveling in foreign lands.

"

The firefly seems a fire, the sky looks flat; Yet sky and fly are neither this nor that.

The true seem often false, the false seem true; Appearances deceive, so think it through.

"Consequently, a master should not implicitly rely on the advice of a servant who lacks the administrative sense, inasmuch as rascally servants, for their personal profit, present matters to the master in a false light, and with bewildering eloquence.

Please inform me." And Gay-Neck answered: "Why, my name is Gay-Neck. I am king of the doves, and a friend of yours. Hasten to me." At this the mouse felt a quiver in his body and a thrill in his soul. He hastened forth, saying:

If daily to his home The friends who love him come, And coming, bring delight To eyes that kindle bright, A man has found the whole Of life within his soul.

Then, observing that Gay-Neck and his retainers were caught in a snare, he sadly said: "My good friend, what is this, and whence? Tell me."

Even though I am of a suspicious temperament, confiding in nobody, even if I am too clever to be overreached by anybody, even so I should win a friend. For the proverb says:

Even the self-sufficient should Get friends, and seek a greater good: The ocean fears no diminution, Yet waits Arcturus' contribution.

"

The beasts and birds as friends are won For cause; plain folks, for service done And silly souls, for greed or fright— But good men are your friends at sight.

Like pots of clay, the wicked friend Is quick to smash and hard to mend: Like pots of gold the righteous flash, As quick to mend, as hard to smash.

Each segment of a sugar-cane Beyond the tip, is sweeter; The friendship of the good is so— The other kind grows bitter.

Like pots of clay, the wicked friend Is quick to smash and hard to mend: Like pots of gold the righteous flash, As quick to mend, as hard to smash.

Each segment of a sugar-cane Beyond the tip, is sweeter; The friendship of the good is so— The other kind grows bitter.

Now I assure you that I am upright. Besides, I will reassure you by taking oaths."

"Friend Slow! Come here! I am your crow friend. After long absence I have come, my heart filled with longing. Come, embrace me. For the saying runs:

Bring sandalwood or camphor? No! Nor even flakes of cooling snow; All are not worth the sixteenth part Of rest upon a friendly heart.

"

At this the Brahman was terrified and he stammered: "My dear, my dear, you should not say such things. You have heard the saying:

You have a mouthful only? Give A half to feed the needy: Will any ever own the wealth For which his soul is greedy?

The poor man can but give a mite; Yet his reward is such— The Scriptures tell us—as is his, From riches giving much. The cloud gives only water, yet The whole world treats him as a pet:

"Now I will eat in such a way as to have sustenance for many days. I will begin with the sinew wrapped round the bow-tip. I will hold it in my paws and eat very slowly. For the saying goes:

Consumption of a treasure earned Should very slowly follow, As wise men sip elixir down, Not bolt it at a swallow.

After these reflections, he took into his mouth the sinew with its end hanging from the bow. And when the gut snapped, the bow-tip pierced the roof of his mouth and came out like a topknot. And the jackal perished from the pain of it.

Empty is the childless home; Hearts that lack a friendship sure; Wide horizons, to the fool; All is empty to the poor.

His passions are entire; his name, Keen wit, and speech are just the same; The man's the same. No! See him change! Cash fails. The life is out! Ah, strange!

"Yet what have folk like me to do with money? Folk whose final fate is such as this? Positively my best course, now that property is gone, is to withdraw to the forest. As the proverb says:

Thereupon that dreadful holy man awoke and struck me on the head with the frazzled bamboo. Yet somehow I escaped death—predestination, you see. As the old rhyme puts it:

What's duly his, a man receives; This law not even God can break; My heart is not surprised, nor grieves; For what is mine, no strangers take.

"How was that?" asked the crow and the turtle. And Gold told the story of

"Therefore, my dear fellow, we must always be energetic. Where will money feel at home, or pleasures? You know the saying:

As frogs will find a drinking-hole, Or birds a brimming lake, So friends and money seek a man Whose vigor does not break.

From another point of view:

Or, put it this way:

The brave, wise, hopeful, and persistent, From tricks, freaks, meanness equidistant— If such there be, And Fortune flee, The joke on Fortune falls, insistent.

While, on the other hand:

The sea not shoreless, if a man Abounding vigor show.

Why, wealthy, puff with pride? Why, poor, in gloom subside? Since, like a stricken ball, Men's fortunes rise and fall.

In any case, remember that youth and wealth are unstable as water-bubbles. As the saying goes:

Bestow, or use your wealth for pleasure; If not, you hoard another's treasure: As in your home, your lovely girl Awaits a stranger—his dear pearl.

The miser for another hoards His bags of needless money: The bees laboriously pack, But others taste the honey.

In any event, fate has the last word. As the proverb puts it:

Now you are healthy and enjoy peace of mind. This is the supreme possession. As the saying goes:

The lord of seven continents Beset by crawling greed, Is but a beggar; he who lives Content, is rich indeed.

No treasure equals charity; Content is perfect wealth; No gem compares with character; No wish fulfilled, with health.

The lord of seven continents Beset by crawling greed, Is but a beggar; he who lives Content, is rich indeed.

No treasure equals charity; Content is perfect wealth; No gem compares with character; No wish fulfilled, with health.

Nor must you think: 'How can I survive, having lost my possessions?' For money passes away, man's character abides. There is a proverb to fit the case:

"You are mistaken, my dear," said he. "No deed comes to fruition without effort. There is a proverb:

You cannot clap a single hand; Nor, effortless, do what you planned.

Although, at meal-time, fate provide A richly loaded plate, No food will reach the mouth, unless The hand co-operate.

Although, at meal-time, fate provide A richly loaded plate, No food will reach the mouth, unless The hand co-operate.

Through work, not wishes, every plan Its full fruition reaps: No deer walk down the lion's throat So long as lion sleeps.

Suppose he gave the best he had, Yet no fruition came, 'Twas fate that blocked his efforts, not The man who was to blame.

and the rest of it. Therefore, my dear friend Gold, recognize the facts and feel no uneasiness in the department of finance. You know the proverb:

A lofty soul, in days of power, Is tender as a lotus-flower But, meeting misadventure's shock Grows hard as Himalayan rock.

The goal desiderating powers at strain, Is reached by listless sleepers with no pain: Though panting life go struggling ceaselessly, The to-be is, is not the not-to-be.

Contentment's nectar-draught supplies The quiet joy that satisfies; How can the money-maddened know That joy in bustlings to and fro?

No penance like forbearance; No pleasure like content; No friend like gifts; no virtue Like hearts on mercy bent.

"But why bore you with a sermon? In this place you are at home. Pray divest yourself of disturbing worries, and spend your time in friendship with me."

"And since you know that one little of body may be of no little consequence, why these self-depreciatory remarks? Yet after all, such speech is becoming to the excellent. I therefore insist that you make friends with me today. There is a good old saying:

Make friends, make friends, however strong Or weak they be: Recall the captive elephants That mice set free.

"

"Ah, me! Ah, me! The loss of my friend is death to me. What care I even for my own people? As the saying goes:

A foe of woe and pain and fear, A cup of trust and feelings dear, A pearl—who made it? Who could blend Six letters in that name of friend?

O joy to which the righteous cling, Machine that answers love's sole string, Pure happiness in every breath, Cut short by one stern exile—Death!

Pleasant riches; friendship's course In familiar ruts; Enmities of men of sense— Death abruptly cuts.

If birth and death did not exist Nor age nor fear of loved ones missed, If all were not so quick to perish, Whose life were not a thing to cherish?

"

Having listened to this view likewise, the king said to Live-Long: "My worthy sir, pray express your opinion also." And Live-Long said: "O King, from among the six possibilities, I recommend alliance. Pray adopt that. For the saying goes:

Though deft and brilliant, what good end Can you attain without a friend? The fire that seems immortal will Die when the fanning wind is still.

"Therefore you should stay at home and seek some competent ally, to make a counterweight against the enemy. But if you leave home and travel, no one will give you so much as a friendly word. For the proverb says:

However, one fine day the partridge, who had grown extremely plump from eating rice, remembered his old home and returned. This, indeed, is not to be wondered at.

No mortal has such joy, although In heaven's fields he roam, As in his city, in his land, And in his humble home.

Now when he saw the rabbit in the hole, he said reproachfully: "Come now, rabbit, you have done a shabby thing in occupying my apartment. Please begone, and lose no time about it."

Then the owl was deeply disappointed, and he said: "You monster! Why have you wronged me by preventing the regal anointing? From this day there is enmity between us. For the proverb says:

When arrows pierce or axes wound A tree, it grows together sound; From cruel, ugly speech you feel A wound that time will never heal.

"

Thereupon he went home with his consort, while the crow reflected: "Dear me! I have burdened myself with a needless enmity by speaking so. I should have remembered:

All spoken words, if harsh and heedless And inappropriate and needless, Are self-condemnatory slips That turn to poison on the lips.

However wise and strong you be, Beware the needless enemy: You would not swallow poison down Because a doctor lives in town. No man of sense vituperates Another, while the public waits; For even truth should be concealed, If causing sorrow when revealed.

Furthermore, one should avoid a quarrel with a crowd, though the individuals be weak. As the verse puts it:

Beware the populace enraged; A crowd's a fearsome thing: The ants devoured the giant snake For all his quivering.

"

"We are certainly uprooted and undone. For the proverb is right in saying:

Shrewd men unmask a foe Who seems a friend, Whose speech is kind, whose acts To hatred tend.

Before fools' counsel flees Prosperity, though won; Its place and time are lost, Like dark before the sun."

The welfare of our king, and his fortress, are things of the past. I have given him such counsel as an ancestral counselor should give. Let us now, for our part, seek another fortress in the mountains. For the saying goes:

Joy comes from knowing what to dread, And sorrow smites the dunderhead: A long life through, the woods I've walked, But never heard a cave that talked.

"

When speed is needful, ne'er permit Delay, but do it pat; Else, wrathful gods are sure to strike The undertaking flat.

Whatever deed you have in mind (Especially when fate is kind), Do quickly. If you wait a bit, Then time will suck the juice of it.

"Later, when your enemies are slain, and you have returned to your home, I will tell the whole story in carefree humor."

And when at last he came to shore, he hopped and jumped farther and farther, climbed up the rose-apple tree, and thought: "Hurrah! My life is saved. Surely, the saying is a good one:

We dare not trust a rogue; nor must We trust in those deserving trust: For danger follows, and we fall Destroyed and ruined, roots and all.

So today is my rebirthday."

With this in mind, he saw a black snake named Handsome crawling out of his hole. And on seeing him, he thought once more: "I will invite that black snake into the well, and clean out all my relatives. For the saying goes:

A sliver draws a sliver out; Just so the wise employ Grim foes to slaughter foes; and thus Turn danger into joy.

"

That is no snake's voice. And I have no alliance with anyone else in the living world. So I will just stay here until I am sure who he may be. For the proverb says:

Until you have full information Of prowess, character, and station, To no man let your trust be given— Such is the current saw in heaven.

Perhaps it is some conjurer or druggist who is calling me in order to put me in a cage. Or a man who bears a grudge and summons me in the interest of his friend."

When the snake heard this, he said: "Why, it is incredible.

Does grass make friends with fire?

You know the proverb:

At this, Theodore was disturbed in spirit, and reflected: "Oh, what was I about when I brought him here? And if I deny him now, he will eat every one. Yes, the proverb is right:

Whoever fraternizes with Too vigorous a foe, Is eating poison, and will soon Perceive it to be so.

"So I will give him one a day, even if it must be a friend. For they say:

Calm with a prudent, petty bribe A foe who may desire To seize your all. So calms the sea Its fierce subaqueous fire.

'Tis wise, when all is threatened, To give a half, and guard The other half to win one's ends; For total loss is hard.

No prudent soul would lose Much good for little use; Prudence implies much gain Acquired with little pain."

So he made up his mind, and assigned a frog a day. And the snake ate this one and another, too, behind the frog-king's back. Ah, it is too true:

As muddied garments dirty All that you sit upon, So, when one virtue tumbles, The rest are quickly gone.

Now one day, while eating frogs, he ate a frog named Theodosius, the son of Theodore. And Theodore, seeing him do it, wailed with piercing shrillness. But his wife said:

So the donkey, persuaded by this reasoning, started off with him once more. Indeed, the proverb is right:

Men, knowing better, oft commit A shabby deed—so strong is fate. But where are they who relish it, When once it is irrevocate?

Thereupon the donkey, deceived by a hundred arguments of the rascal, came again into the presence, and was straightway killed by the lion, who had prepared his spring beforehand.

"Sweetheart," said she, "you did not kill him because you thought: 'He is a baby.' So how can I destroy him for my belly's sake? You know the verse of Scripture:

No man may plead the death-god's might For doing wrong, or shirking right.

So he shall be my third son."

But the jackal-cub said: "Brothers, that is an elephant, an enemy of your race. Don't go near him." With this he ran home. And the other two, seeing their elder brother routed, felt their pluck ooze away. The well-known proverb is right:

One bold and plucky fighter Will give an army pluck: One broken, routed blighter Diffuses evil luck.

This is the very reason why Kings look for sturdy fighters, Heroic, dauntless, stone-wall men, And shun the cowardly blighters.

"You simpleton! You, too, are henpecked just like Joy and Splendor. You tried to find a means of killing me, because your wife asked it. But you were betrayed by your own speech. Yes, the proverb is right:

The parrots and the grackle birds Are caged because they utter words: The stupid herons go scot-free— For silence is a master-key.

However skilful in disguise, However frightful to the eyes, Although in tiger-skin arrayed, The ass was killed—because he brayed."

When the crocodile heard this, he was bewildered in spirit, and lamented: "Oh, what has come upon me, upon hapless me? For the proverb says:

Where a mother does not dwell And a wife who flatters well, Better leave the house, and roam Forests not so wild as home.

Oh, my friend! Forgive my sins toward you. For I have lost her, and I plan to burn myself alive."

But the monkey said: "You ungrateful wretch! Why do you still pursue me, though I asked you not to? You are a fool, therefore I will not even give you good advice. For the proverb says:

Give counsel only when it fits To such as seek the best. The foolish monkey broke to bits The sparrow’s cozy nest.

"

So, though I did you a wrong, I beg you to show forgiveness by giving good advice. You know the proverb:

And is there any saintlihood In recompensing good with good? But worthy men go seeking still The saints returning good for ill.

"

And the jackal thought when he saw him: "Well, I sent one rascal packing by doing obeisance. Now, how shall I dispose of this one? To be sure, he is a hero, and therefore can be managed only by intrigue. For there is a saying:

Where bribes and flattery would fail, Intrigue is certain to avail.

And indeed, all creatures are held in bondage by heart-piercing intrigue. As the saying goes:

And indeed, all creatures are held in bondage by heart-piercing intrigue. As the saying goes:

Even a pearl, so smoothly hard and round, Is fastened by a thread and safely bound, After a way to pierce its heart is found.

"

With this in mind, he said: "Well, nephew, where have you been this long time? And why do you seem so hungry? You come as my guest, according to the proverb:

A guest in need Is a guest indeed.

Now here lies this elephant, killed by a lion who appointed me its guardian. But for all that, you may enjoy a square meal of elephant-meat, provided you cut and run before he gets back."

"No, uncle," said the leopard, "if things stand so, this meat is not healthy for me. You know the saying:

A man to thrive Must keep alive.

Never eat a thing that doesn't sit well on the stomach. So I will be off." "Don't be timid," said the jackal. "Pluck up courage and eat. I will warn you of his coming while he is yet a long way off."

Yes, the proverb is right:

Shun pleasant days that listless pass, The joy that hides In sloth. For deer can eat the grass That fate provides.

Here ends Book IV, called "Loss of Gains." The first verse runs:

The loss of property led to a series of humiliations, so that he sank into utter despondency. And one night he reflected: "A curse, a curse upon this state of poverty! For the proverb says:

Conduct, patience, purity, Manners, loving-kindness, birth, After money disappears, Cease to have the slightest worth. Wisdom, sense, and social charm, Honest pride and self-esteem, After money disappears, All at once become a dream.

To the wisdom of the wise Constant household worries bring Daily diminution, like Winter breathed upon by spring. After money disappears, Keenest wisdom is at fault, Choked by daily fuel and clothes, Oil and butter, rice and salt.

"Let me think. Will this dream prove true or false? I cannot tell. No doubt it will prove false, for I think of nothing but money all day and all night. And the proverb says:

Dreams that do not mean a thing Come to sick and sorrowing, Lovelorn, drunk, and worrying.

"

For their part, in their greed for book-covers and money they passed by their familiar neophytes, even the pious ones, and joyfully flocked behind him. Well, there is sense in the verse:

Behold a wonder! Even he Who lives alone, from kindred free, With hand for spoon, and air for dress, Is overcome by greediness.

Then the barber conducted them well into the house and clubbed them. Under the clubbing some died, others had their heads broken and began to bawl. But when the soldiers in the citadel heard the howling, they said: "Well, well!

The well-served master hates him still; His loving kinsmen with a will Abandon him; woes multiply, While friends and even children fly; His high-born wife grows cool; the flash Of virtue dims; brave efforts crash— For him who has no ready cash

Charm, courage, eloquence, good looks, And thorough mastery of books (If money does not back the same) Are useless in the social game.

"Better be dead than penniless. As the story goes:

"So let us at any cost strive to make money. For the saying goes:

Money gets you anything, Gets it in a flash: Therefore let the prudent get Cash, cash, cash.

"Now this cash comes to men in six ways. They are: (1) begging for charity, (2) flunkeyism at a court, (3) farmwork, (4) the learned professions, (5) usury, (6) trade.

"Now profitable trade has seven branches. They are: (1) false weights and balances, (2) price-boosting, (3) keeping a pawnshop, (4) getting regular customers, (5) a stock company, (6) articles de luxe such as perfumes, (7) foreign trade.

False weights and boosting prices to An overshameless sum And constant cheating of one's friends Are fit for social scum.

Deposits in the house compel The pawnshop man to pray: If you will kill the owner, Lord, I'll give you what you say.

False weights and boosting prices to An overshameless sum And constant cheating of one's friends Are fit for social scum.

Deposits in the house compel The pawnshop man to pray: If you will kill the owner, Lord, I'll give you what you say.

The holder of a stock reflects With glee, though one of many: The wide world's wealth belongs to me; No other gets a penny.

There the magician asked them whence they came, whither they were going, and what was their object. And they replied: "We are pilgrims, seeking magic power. We have resolved to go where we shall find enough money, or death. For the proverb says:

While water is given By fate out of heaven, If men dig a well, It bubbles from hell. Man's effort (sufficiently great) Can equal the wonders of fate.

Success complete In any feat Is sure to bless True manliness. Man's effort (sufficiently great) Is just what a dullard calls fate. There is no toy Called easy joy, But man must strain To body's pain.

"So disclose to us some method of getting money whether crawling into a hole, or placating a witch, or living in a graveyard, or selling human flesh, or anything. You are said to have miraculous magic, while we have boundless daring. You know the saying:

Only the great can aid the great To win their heart's desire: Apart from ocean, who could bear The fierce subaqueous fire?

"

An actual invasion is not to be anticipated. Yet should it take place, I will save you and myself by virtue of my wit. For I know plenty of tricks in the water." And Hundred-Wit added: "Yes, Thousand-Wit is quite right. For

Where wind is checked, and light of day, The wise man's wit soon finds a way.

One cannot, because he has heard a few mere words, abandon his birthplace, the home of his ancestors. You must not go away. I will save you by virtue of my wit."

"See, nephew! The night is marvelously fine. I will contribute a song. What sentiment shall my song express?" "Don't, uncle," said the jackal. "It might make trouble, seeing that we are on thieves' business.

Thieves and lovers should keep very quiet.

As the proverb says:

"Come, come!" said the donkey. "Your remarks prove that you live in the woods and have no musical taste. Did you never hear this?

Oh, bliss if murmurs sweet to hear Of music's nectar woo your ear When darkness flees from moonlight clear In autumn, and your love is near.

"