"And this is the sang-khwára (stone-eater), the inhabitant of dry land. He always dwells in woods and deserts. Morning and evening he repeats this form (of prayer)—' Holy is He who created the sky and the earth. He is the Maker of the heavens, of the constellations and of the stars, and these all revolve by His command. The falling of the rain, the movement of the air, the manifestation of the thunder and lightning, all is His work. He alone upraises from the earth the vapours by means of which the economy of the world is (maintained). A wonderful Creator is He who after death gives life (again) to old rotten bones. Gracious God! what a Creator He is! The tongue of man is incompetent for His praise and eulogy; how is it possible that the understanding should arrive at (a knowledge of) His nature?'

"The nightingale of sweet voice is he that is seated on a branch of a tree. In body he is small, in motion swift, and in voice sweet. After this fashion he melodiously pours forth his strain in praise of God—' Praise be to that Creator who is the Lord of power and beneficence. He alone is (God), for He has no equal; the bestower of boons, the giver of all blessings, private and public. Like unto the sea, he ungrudgingly dignifies every man with the bounties of His favour.' And sometimes with deep sorrow she speaks in this way'How happy was that time when I roamed about among the flowers of the garden, and all the trees were laden with fruits of many kinds.'"

Hereupon the Shah-murgh said to the peacock, "Of all these, who in your opinion is the most fitting person to send there, that he may go and contend with the men, and be the ally of his own species." The peacock said, “All these have ability for the duty, because they are poetical and eloquent, but the nightingale is the most eloquent and melodious of them all." The Shah-murgh directed him (the nightingale) to take his departure, and go there, putting his trust in God, who is a help and support in every emergency.

CHAPTER XIII.

On the matters of the Third Messenger.

THE
HE third messenger went to the king-bee, chief of all

the flies, and recounted to him all the affairs of the animals. He, the king of all insects, as soon as he heard it, gave orders for all the insects to come before him. In consequence of the command, flies, mosquitoes, gadflies, gnats, fleas, wasps, moths, and, in fine, all creatures who are small in body and fly with wings, and do not live more than one year, came and attended. The king set forth to them all the information he had heard from the tongue of the messenger, and said, "Who is there among you who will go there, and dispute with the men on behalf of the animals." They all inquired upon what point the men were boasting over them. The messenger said, "They boast upon this point and say, 'We are larger in size and stature, we have greater strength, and in every point we are superior to the animals." The chief of the wasps said, "I will go there and dispute with the men." The chief of the flies said, "I will go there, aud act as the deputy of my tribe." The chief of the mosquitoes said, “I will go there." The chief of the locusts said, "I will go there, and, being the ally of my own species, I will discuss (the matter) with the men." In this way every one was ready for the business.

The

The king said, "How is this that ye all, without consideration and thought, form the project of going there?" congregation of gnats said, "O king, there is reliance upon

the help of God, and certain it is that by His aid we shall gain the victory over them, because in former times there have been very tyrannical kings, but by the help of God we have always prevailed over them. Ofttimes there has been proof of this." The king said, "State the circumstances." The chief of the mosquitoes said, "Among men Nimrod was a king of the highest dignity." He was exceedingly arrogant and perverse, and in his pomp and dignity and splendour took thought of no man. But a gnat of our race, who was very small and frail of body, destroyed this king so great. Notwithstanding his dignity and might, his power did not avail him anything." The king replied, "You speak truly.”"

The wasp said, "At the time when a man fully furnished with arms, with sword, javelin, spear, knife, and arrow in hand, is accoutred (for battle)—if at that time a wasp belonging to us goes and stings him, and pierces him with a sting (only) equal to the point of a needle, then how wretched does his state beeome. His body swells up, his hands and feet grow languid; he cannot move, nor does he even take any heed of his shield and sword." The king said, "It is true.”

The fly said, "When a king of men sits upon his throne in great pomp and splendour, and his doorkeepers and guards are standing all around him with the utmost devotion and willingness, so that no pain or annoyance may reach him—if at that time a fly comes out of his kitchen, or his necessary, and, with its body all covered with filth, goes and sits upon his person or clothes and teases him, he can never find the power to escape from it." The king said, "It is true."

The mosquito said, "If any man is seated in society or (in private) behind his screen, or with the mosquito-curtains hung up, and one of our tribe goes and gets into his clothes and bites him, then how restless does he become, and what a rage he gets into! But he can do nothing to us; he can only thump his own head, and give slaps to his own cheeks.”

The king said, "You all speak truly; but in the presence of the King of the, Jins there is no mention of these things. There the dispute is about justice and equity, and manners, and morals, and discretion, and eloquence, and fluency. Is there any one among you who has ability in these matters ?" On hearing this speech of the king, they were all silent, and, hanging down their heads, said nothing.

After that a sage among the flies came out from the congregation, and, standing before the king, said, "With the help of God, I will go upon this business, and there, acting as ally of the animals, I will dispute with the men." The king and all the assembly said, "May God aid you in the matter you have undertaken, and make you victorious over the enemy." In fine, having given to him all provisions for the journey, he dismissed him. This sage having departed thence, attended in the presence of the King of the Jins, where animals of all sorts and kinds were present.

CHAPTER XIV.

On the matters of the Fourth Messenger.

WHEN

HEN the fourth messenger went into the presence of the phoenix, the king of the birds of prey, and made known the circumstances, he also gave orders for all the birds of his species to attend. In accordance with the order, vultures, phoenices, hawks, falcons, kites, owls, parrots, and, in fine, all carnivorous birds having claws and beaks instantly presented themselves. The phoenix related to them the facts of the animals' dispute. After that he said to his wazír, the shunkár, (black-eyed falcon,) "Is there any one of these birds who is fit for this business, whom we may send there, that he may go and confront the men, and be an ally of his own race in this conflict?" The wazír said, "There is no one but the owl who has ability for this business." The king asked what the reason was that no one besides him was fit for the business.

The wazír said, “Because all birds of prey are afraid of men, and fly from them; and besides, they do not understand their language. But the owl dwells near their villages, and often, indeed, in their old houses which have become ruinous. His continence and contentment are such as no other animal possesses. By day he fasts and weeps in fear of God, and at night also he is absorbed in devotion and in arousing the heedless. He laments over former kings who are dead, and repeats this verse, appropriate to their condition, (Arabic,) 'We have left behind the gardens and foun