Long ages ago there lived in the east part of India a Khan whose
possessions were so large that he had ten thousand cities, and for
the administration of the affairs of the same he had not less than
thirty ministers. He had also a gold frog that could dance, and a
parrot that spoke wisely. A tamer was also appointed to have care of
them, and every day this keeper brought them before the Khan to divert
him. The frog danced every day a new dance, and the parrot now gave
wise answers to the questions he proposed, now sang melodious songs
with accomplished art.
One day there came to the court of this King a minstrel from a strange
land, in whose playing and singing the Khan took so great pleasure
that he gave him many rich presents, and the man went about saying,
"In all his dominions the King has no favourite in whom he takes so
great delight as in me who am a stranger; neither is there any other
who knows how to please him as I." When the keeper of the gold frog
and the parrot heard him make this boast, he answered him saying,
"Nay, much greater pleasure hath the Khan in his gold frog and his
parrot, of whom I am keeper." And they strove together. In the end the
minstrel said, "To-morrow we will both go up to the Khan together, and
while your gold frog dances his most elaborate dance, and your parrot
sings his most melodious songs, I also will play and sing my sagas to
the Khan; and behold! to whichever the Khan gives ear while he regards
not the other, he shall be accounted to have most pleased the Khan."
The next day they did even as the minstrel had said, and when the
minstrel began to sing the Khan paid no more heed at all to the frog
or the parrot, but listened only to the strange minstrel's words.
Then the tamer who had charge of the frog and the parrot, when he
saw that the strange minstrel was preferred, lost heart and came no
more before the Khan, but went and let fly the parrot, and threw the
gold frog out of a window of the palace. As he threw the gold frog
out of the window of the palace a crow was flying by, and seeing the
frog thrown out, and that it knew not which way to turn, he caught
it in his beak and flew away to a ledge of a rock. As he was about
to devour her, the frog said,--
"O crow! if thou art minded to devour me, first wash me in water,
and then come and devour me."