Long ages ago there lived in a country in the north of India, namely
Nepaul, on the banks of a river named the Hiranjâvati (1), an old
man and his old wife, who had no sons, but only one daughter. But
this one daughter was all in all to them; and they had only one care
in life, and that care was, how to establish her safely and well,
that she might not be left alone in the world when they were on it no
more. Nevertheless, though the maiden was fair to see, and wise and
prudent in her ways, and though her parents had laid by a rich dowry
for her portion, it so chanced that no one offered to marry her. Yet
the years went by, and the man and his wife were both growing old,
and they said, "If we marry her not now, soon will she be left all
alone in the world."
In a hut at some distance lived another aged couple, who were very
poor; but they had one only son. Then said the father of the maiden
to her mother, "We must give our daughter to the son of this poor
couple for a wife, otherwise she will be left alone in the world."
So they married the maiden to the son of this poor old couple, and
they took him into their house, and he lived together with them.
After a time, the husband felt a desire to return and see his parents;
so he took his wife with him, and they went to seek his parents. At
home, however, they were not, for they led a Bhixu life, and were
gone on a begging expedition through all the tribes; therefore they
went on, seeking them. About this time, a mighty Khan had given orders
for a great distribution of alms (2). All that any one asked for, it
was given him, whatsoever it might be. Only concerning the measure of
rice-brandy distributed to any one person was there any restriction;
but of all the rest there was no stint.
The man and his wife therefore came with the rest of the people,
and obtained their portion, according to their desire. When all
had been well served, and had returned every one to his home, the
man said to his wife, "If we would really be rich, and enjoy life,
the way to do it is to go round through all the tribes, living on
alms. So living, we have all we need desire. Moreover we need stand
in no fear of thieves and robbers; our strength will not be brought
down by labour by day, nor our sleep disturbed with anxiety by night;
in drought and murrain we shall have no loss to suffer, for the herds
of which we shall live will not be our own. To travel about ever among
new people is itself no small pleasure. Moreover we shall never be
vexed with paying tribute of that we have earned with the toil of our
arms. If even we go back and take to us the inheritance thy parents
promised to us, in how many days would it be all spent, and we become
again even as now! But by going from tribe to tribe, living on alms,
our store is never diminished, and there is nothing we shall lack (3)."
Thus they lived many months, begging alms and lacking nothing, even
as the man had said. Nevertheless, in the midst of their wanderings,
a son was born to them. Then said the woman, "These wild tribes among
whom we now are, give us nothing but rice-brandy, which is no food for
me; neither have I strength to carry the child as he gets older." And
as she knew her husband loved a vagabond life, and could not hear
of going to live at home with her parents, she added, "Let us now
go see my parents, and beg of them that they give us of their herds
an ass, on which the infant may ride withal when we go round among
the tribes seeking alms." To this proposition the man did not say
"Nay," and they journeyed towards the house of the woman's parents,
along the bank of the river Hiranjâvati.
When they arrived at home, they found that the woman's parents were
dead, nor was there the least remnant left of all their possessions:
the herds were dispersed, and the flocks had fallen a prey to the
wolves and the jackals; nothing remained but a few tufts of wool, which
had got caught on the ant-heaps (4). The wife picked up the tufts,
saying, "We will collect all these, and weave a piece of stuff out of
them." But her husband pointed out that, at no great distance, was a
plain with many tents, where, by asking alms, they could have plenty
of barley and rice, without the trouble of weaving. They continued
their way therefore towards the tents; but the woman continued saying,
"When we have woven our piece of stuff, we will sell it, and buy a
bigger piece, and then we will sell that and buy a bigger; and so on,
till we have enough to buy an ass, then we will set our little one
on it instead of carrying him. Then perhaps our ass will have a foal,
and then we shall have two asses." "Certainly," answered her husband,
"if our ass has a foal we shall have two asses." But the child said,
"If our ass has a foal, I will take the foal, and will ride him, going
about among the tribes, I also, asking alms even as you (5)." When
his mother heard him speak thus, she was angry, and bid him hold
his peace; she also went to correct him by hitting him with a stick,
but the boy tried to escape from her, and the blow fell upon his head
and killed him. Thus their child died.
At the time that the woman's parents died, and the herds were
dispersed, and the flocks devoured by wolves and jackals, one only
lamb had escaped from the destruction, and had taken refuge in a
hole in the ground, where it remained hid all day, and only came out
at night to graze (6). One day a hare came by, and as the lamb was
not afraid of the hare, she did not hide herself from him; therefore
the hare said to her, "O lamb, who art thou?" And the lamb answered,
"I belong to a flock whose master died of grief because his children
went away and forsook him; and when he died, the wolves and the
jackals came and devoured all his flock, and I, even I only, escaped
of them all, and I have hid myself in this hole. Thou, O hare, then,
be my protector." Thus spoke the lamb.
But the hare answered, "Must not a lamb live in a flock? How shall
a lamb live in a hole all alone? Behold, I will even bring thee to
a place where are flocks of sheep, with whom thou mayest live as
becometh a lamb."
"It were better we stayed here," replied the lamb trembling; "for if
we meet the wolf in the open country, how shall we escape him?" "For
that will I provide," answered the hare; "only come thou with me." So
they set out, the lamb and the hare together, for to seek a place
where grazed flocks in goodly company.
As they went along, they saw on the ground a hand-loom, which some
one sitting out there to weave had left behind. The hare bid the lamb
put it on her back, and bring it along with her. The lamb did as she
was bid. A little farther they saw a piece of yellow stuff lying on
the ground: this also the hare bid the lamb pick up and bring with
her. The lamb did as she was bid. And a little farther on they saw a
piece of paper, with something written on it, blown along by the wind;
this likewise the hare bid the lamb bring with her. And the lamb did
as she was bid.
A little farther on they saw a wolf coming. As he drew near them,
the hare said to the lamb, "Bring me now my throne." Then the lamb
understood that he meant the hand-loom, and she set it in the way. Then
the hare continued, "Spread abroad over me my gold-coloured royal
mantle." Then the lamb understood that he meant the piece of yellow
stuff he had bid her pick up, and she spread it over him as he sat
on the hand-loom for a throne. Then said the hare again "Reach me the
document which the moon sent down to me on the fifteenth of the month
(7)." So the lamb understood that he meant the piece of written paper
he had bid her pick up, and she gave it into his hand.
By this time the wolf had come up with them, and when he saw the
hare seated so majestically on the hand-loom for a throne, and with
the royal mantle of yellow stuff about him, and the written document
in his hand, the lamb moreover standing quietly by his side, he said
within himself, "These must be very extraordinary beasts, who do not
run away at my approach, after the manner of common beasts." Therefore
he stood still, and said to the hare, "Who and whence art thou?" But
the hare, still holding the piece of written paper in his hand, made
as though he were reading from it as follows:--"This is the all high
command of the god Churmusta (8) unto the most noble and honourable
hare, delivered unto him by the hands of the moon, on the fifteenth
of the month. On the same most noble and honourable hare I lay this
charge, that he do bring me, before the fifteenth of the next moon,
the skins of a thousand rapacious, flock-scattering wolves." And as
the hare read these words, he erected his ears with great importance
and determination of manner, and made as though he would have come
down from his throne to attack the wolf.
The wolf, still more alarmed at this proceeding, took flight, nor so
much as looked back to see whether the hare was really pursuing him.
As soon as he was well on his way, the hare and the lamb set out once
more on their journey, taking another direction from the wolf, and
arrived happily at one of the most fertile pastures in the kingdom
of Nepaul.
"The prudence of that hare was equal to his good feeling," exclaimed
the Khan.
And as he let these words escape him, the Siddhî-kür replied,
"Forgetting his health, the Well-and-wise-walking Khan hath opened
his lips." And with the cry, "To escape out of this world is good!" he
sped him through the air, swift out of sight.