A certain King let his favourite Falcon loose on a hare, and galloped
after him.
The Falcon caught the hare. The King took him away, and began to look
for some water to drink. The King found it on a knoll, but it came only
drop by drop. The King fetched his cup from the saddle, and placed it
under the water. The Water flowed in drops, and when the cup was filled,
the King raised it to his mouth and wanted to drink it. Suddenly the
Falcon fluttered on the King's arm and spilled the water. The King
placed the cup once more under the drops. He waited for a long time for
the cup to be filled even with the brim, and again, as he carried it to
his mouth, the Falcon flapped his wings and spilled the water.
When the King filled his cup for the third time and began to carry it to
his mouth, the Falcon again spilled it. The King flew into a rage and
killed him by flinging him against a stone with all his force. Just then
the King's servants rode up, and one of them ran up-hill to the spring,
to find as much water as possible, and to fill the cup. But the servant
did not bring the water; he returned with the empty cup, and said:
"You cannot drink that water; there is a snake in the spring, and she
has let her venom into the water. It is fortunate that the Falcon has
spilled the water. If you had drunk it, you would have died."
The King said:
"How badly I have repaid the Falcon! He has saved my life, and I killed
him."