There was once a lion in a part of a forest, and his name was Rough-Claw. One day he found nothing whatever to eat in his wanderings, and his throat was pinched by hunger. At sunset he came to a great mountain cave and went in, for he thought: “Surely, some animal will come into this cave during the night. I will hide and wait.”

Presently the owner of the cave, a jackal named Curd-Face, came to the door and began to sing: “Cave ahoy! Cave aho-oy!” Then after a moment’s silence, he continued in the same tone: “Hello! Don’t you remember how you and I made an agreement that I was to speak to you when I came back from the world outside, and that you were to sing out to me? But you won’t speak to me today. So I am going off to that other cave, which will return my greeting.”

Now when he heard this, the lion thought: “I see. This cave always calls out a greeting when the fellow returns. But today, from fear of me it doesn’t say a word. This is natural enough. For

The feet and hands refuse to act

When peril terrifies;

A trembling seizes every limb;

And speech unuttered dies.

“I will myself call out a greeting, which he will follow to its source, so providing me with a dinner.”

The lion thereupon called out a greeting. But the cave so magnified the roar that its echo filled the circuit of the horizon, thus terrifying other forest creatures as well, even those far distant. Meanwhile the jackal made off repeating the stanza:

Joy comes from knowing what to dread,

And sorrow smites the dunderhead:

A long life through, the woods I’ve walked,

But never heard a cave that talked.

“Take this to heart and come with me.” And Red-Eye, having made his decision, departed for another fortress, accompanied by a retinue of followers.

At Red-Eye’s departure, Live-Strong was overjoyed. And he reflected: “Very good, indeed. Red-Eye’S flight is a blessing to us. For he was farsighted, while the rest are numskulls. I can easily destroy them now. For the proverb says:

If no farsighted counselors,

Long-tried, secure,

Aid him, the downfall of a king

Is swift and sure.

And there is sound reasoning in this:

The shrewd discover enemies

Disguised as friends

In senseless counselors whose speech

To evil tends.”

After these reflections, he dropped each day one fagot from the forest into his own nest, with the ultimate purpose of setting the cave afire. Nor did the owls, poor fools, perceive that he was building up his nest in order to burn them alive. Well, there is sense in the saying:

Cause your friends no bitter woes;

Do not fraternize with foes;

Friends, when lost, are friends no more;

Enemies were lost before.

Thus, pretending to build a nest, Live-Strong constructed a woodpile at the fortress gate. Then at sunrise, when the owls became blind, he hastened away and reported to Cloudy: “My lord and king, I have prepared the enemy’s cave for burning. Come with your retainers, each bringing a lighted fagot from the forest, to throw on my nest at the gate of the cave. Thus all your foes will die in torments like those in Pot-baking Hell.”

At this Cloudy was delighted and said: “Father, tell me your adventures. It is long since we .met.” “No, my son,” said Live-Strong. “This is no time for talk. Some enemy spy might possibly report my journey hither. And our blind enemy, thus informed, might make his escape. Make haste, make haste. For the proverb says:

When speed is needful, ne’er permit

Delay, but do it pat;

Else, wrathful gods are sure to strike

The undertaking flat.

And again:

Whatever deed you have in mind

(Especially when fate is kind),

Do quickly. If you wait a bit,

Then time will suck the juice of it.

“Later, when your enemies are slain, and you have returned to your home, I will tell the whole story in carefree humor.”

So Cloudy and his followers, taking Live-Strong’s advice, seized one lighted fagot apiece in their bills, flew to the gate of the cave, and threw their fagots upon Live-Strong’s nest. Then all the owls (being blind in the daytime) remembered Red-Eye’s counsels as they suffered the torments of Pot-baking Hell. In this fashion Cloudy exterminated his foes and returned to his old fortress in the banyan tree.

There he mounted the lion-throne and, his heart overflowing with joy, he questioned Live-Strong in full session of his court: “Father, how did you pass the time in the midst of the enemy? For the proverb says:

Better a plunge in blazing fire

(The righteous know)

Than momentary contact with

A wicked foe.”

And Live-Strong said: “My lord and king!

Whatever path provides escape

When danger’s face is seen,

With clear decision follow, if

It noble seem, or mean:

Two arms like trunks of elephants,

Fight-calloused, skilled to wield

The bow of heaven, Arjun felt

To woman’s bracelets yield.

The wise and strong, awaiting days

More prosperous, must grant

Obedience to wicked lords

Whose speech is adamant:

Gigantic Bhima, smoke-begrimed,

Puffing at labor, and

A ladle flourished in his fist,

Was cook in Mastya land.

“ The prudent, hopeful man should act

As suits an evil case,

Should steel his heart to carry through

A holy deed, or base;

Great Arjun with a calloused arm

From twanging bow divine

Effeminately danced, and saw

His tinkling girdle shine.

The wise, alert, ambitious man,

If he expect success,

Must wait on fortune, watch his step,

And curb his stateliness:

Yudhishthir King, with pilgrim’s staff,

Long drew his painful breath,

Though worshiped by his brothers, great

As War, and Wealth, and Death.

So Kunti’s handsome, powerful twins,

High birth writ on their brows,

Were menials at Virata’s court,

And lived by counting cows.

So queenly Draupadi, with youth’s

And matchless beauty’s seal,

In charm most like a goddess,