inflicted defeat (upon their opponents), they plundered all their wealth, and carrying off all their cattle, bullocks, camels, asses, and mules, they became very rich. They gave entertainments to each other, and had many kinds of food cooked. Slaughtering animals, they caused their heads and feet to be thrown everywhere round about their cities and villages. When the cats and dogs saw this abundance of flesh, and this plenty of victuals and drink, having abandoned their own species, they entered with avidity into their villages and became their helpers and coadjutors. Up to the present time they continue in alliance."

When the lion heard this story he became very pensive, and said, "There is no power nor strength but in God the great and glorious, from whom we came, and to whom we must return," and several times he reiterated this formula. The bear asked the king, "What ground of sorrow is there to your majesty (in the fact of) the alienation of the cats and dogs from their own species." The lion said, “I have no sorrow for their departure, but I am brooding over this word which has been spoken by the wise. There is no greater mischief or detriment to kings in their government and administration than this, that the allies of their army.should secede and go to join the enemy, because when they go they make him acquainted with times of negligence, with all things good and bad, and with all secrets. Informing him of all things, they make known the secret ways, and all his various contrivances. All this is an exceedingly great evil for kings and armies. May God never grant a blessing to those cats and dogs!"

The bear said, "All that which the king, has desired, God has already done to those dogs, and the prayer of the king has been heard: having taken from their race his favour and blessing, He has bestowed it upon the goats." The king asked how this happened, and told him to relate it. The

bear said, "In this way many dogs having consorted with one bitch, get her in pup, and when she brings forth, she with great affliction and labour gives birth to eight, ten, and sometimes to even more young ones; still no one has ever seen in the town or in the forest a very large pack of dogs, notwithstanding that no one ever slaughters1 them. But the goats, notwithstanding that they bring forth only one or two young ones in a whole year, and are always being slaughtered, still flocks upon flocks of them are to be seen in the towns and forests, so that the computation thereof is impossible. The reason of it is this: very many evils come upon the young of dogs and cats through their food. Through the unfitness of their food they are subject to divers diseases from which wild beasts are exempt, and through their own vice and the cruelty of men the lives of themselves and of their offspring are short; thus they are abject and wretched." After that the lion said to the jackal, "Now do you depart-go there into the presence of the King of the Jins, and accomplish that matter for which you have been appointed."

1 Zabh.-lawful slaughter for sacrifice or food.

CHAPTER XII.

In descripion of the Second Messenger.

HEN the second messenger went to the Shah-murgh,1

WHEN

the king of the birds, and stated the facts, he having heard the position of the animals, gave orders that all birds should come and present themselves. Accordingly birds of every sort and kind, of the forests, of the mountains, and of the waters, in compliance with his command, came and assembled in such exceeding great abundance that no one but God could know their number. The Shah-murgh said, "The men have set up a pretension that all animals are slaves, and they are their masters; on this account many animals are disputing with the men before the King of the Jins." After this he said to the peacock, his minister, "Who among the birds is most fluent and eloquent; who is fit to be sent there, so that he may go and contend with the men ?" The peacock said, "The whole society of birds is present; let him go whom thou pleasest to command." The Shah-murgh said, "Tell me the names of all of them, so that I may know them." The peacock said, "The hoopoe, cock, pigeon, partridge, bulbul, kabak partridge,2 surkháb,3 swallow, crow, crane, sang-khwára,1 sparrow, dove, turtle-dove, wagtail, goose, heron, wild-duck, nightingale, ostrich, and others; these all are here present."

The Shah-murgh said to the peacock, "Show them to me one by one, that I may behold them, and ascertain the

virtues and qualities of each, whether any one is fit for this duty. The peacock said, “The hoopoe, the spy, companion of Solomon, the son of David, is he who is sitting (here) wearing garments of many colours. When he speaks he bends in the same way as if he were making bows1 and prostrations; he inculcates virtue and prohibits vice. He brought the news of the city of Sabá to Solomon, the son of David, and said this, 'The wonders and miracles of the world which I have seen, your Majesty has not seen ; and so I have brought a piece of intelligence from the city of Sabá in which no falsehood at all is mingled. There is a woman there in the description of whose dignity and splendour2 the tongue is deficient. The sovereignty of that country is in her power, and there is a very large throne upon which she sits. In fine, all the good things of the world are to be found at her abode; there is no want of anything. But she and the people of her tribe are terrible perverts; they do not acknowledge God; they pay adoration3 to the sun. Inasmuch as Satan has perverted those people, they consider vice to be the very essence of devotion. Having cast off that beneficent Creator who made earth, sky, and heaven, and who knows everything, whether open or concealed, they acknowledge as their god the sun, who is but a particle of His light; whereas there is no one worthy of worship besides that true and only God.

"The cock, the crier of the summons to prayer, is he who, with a crown placed upon his head, is standing on the wall. His eyes are red, his wings outspread, his tail cocked up; he is exceedingly proud and generous, and is always engaged in magnifying3 and praising God. He knows the time of prayer, and reminds and admonishes his neighbours. In the 1 Ruku', bending the body forward, and resting a hand on each knee. 2 Hasham-retinue, suite. Sijda-prostration, homage.

3

Takbir-repeating the doxology, "God is great," &c.

morn, in his summons to prayer, he says this, 'O dwellers in my vicinity, remember God. You have been sleeping for a very long time; you do not think upon death and destruction; you feel no terror of the fire of hell; you are not desirous of paradise, and you show no gratitude for the favours of God. Call to remembrance that person who will annihilate all pleasures. Make provision for your journey to the next world. If you desire to be preserved from the fires of hell, then practise devotion and temperance."

"And the partridge, the inviter to prayer, is he who is standing on the hillock, with a pale face and variegated wings. From the frequency of his bows and prostrations, he is bent in form. At the time of invitation to prayer he reminds the heedless and gives glad tidings; and after that he says, 'Be thankful for the mercies of God, so that his blessings may increase; and show no mistrust of God.' And frequently in his prayers he offers up this petition, 'O God, place me in safety from the malignity of birds of prey, jackals, and men; and preserve me also from physicians, who declare that benefit arises to sick people from eating my flesh, for in this there is no safety1 for me. I am always thinking upon God: in the morning I make the proper invitation to prayer, that all men may hear and act upon the good counsel.'

"The pigeon, the guide of the way, is he who, taking letters, travels to far distant cities, and ever when he flies away he says, with great pathos, 'There is horror in separation from one's brethren, and longing for meeting with friends. O God, show me the way to my native country, that I may find happiness in reunion with my friends.'

"And the kabak2 is he who is always walking gracefully about among the flowers and the trees in the garden, and is engaged in singing with exceedingly sweet voice. With

1 Lit. "life."

2 A kind of partridge or quail.