Almost all the Hindus’ books are story-books, for they are filled with accounts of the adventures of the gods and legends and myths. But there is one book called the Hitopadesa, which has been called the “Father of all Fables.” Its stories have been translated into Persian, Arabic, Hebrew, Greek and later into German, French and English. This book is very old and is exceedingly popular in India. We have selected four of its stories, and the reader will probably wonder that such narratives should ever gain a national popularity. THE STORY OF THE TERRIBLE BELL. “A thief had stolen a bell from the city of Brahmapoora, and was making off with that plunder, and more, into the Sei-parrata hills, when he was killed by a tiger. The bell lay in the jungle until some monkeys picked it up, and amused themselves by constantly ringing it. The towns-people found the bones of the man, and heard the noise of the bell all about the hills; so they gave out that there was a terrible devil there, whose ears rang like bells as he swung them about, and whose delight was to devour men. Every one, accordingly, was leaving the town, when a peasant woman named Karála, who, liked belief the better for a little proof, came to the Rajah. “‘Highness!’ she observed, ‘for a consideration I could settle this Swing-ear.’ “‘You could!’ exclaimed the Rajah. “‘I think so!’ repeated the woman. “‘Give her a consideration forthwith,’ said the Rajah. “Karála, who had her own ideas about the matter, took the present and set out. Being come to the hills, she made a circle, and did homage to Ganesha, without whom nothing prospers. Then, taking some fruit she had brought, such as monkeys love extremely, she scattered it up and down in the wood, and withdrew to watch. Very soon the monkeys finding the fruit, put down the bell, to do justice to it, and the woman picking it up, bore it back to the town, where she became an object of uncommon veneration.” THE STORY OF THE LION AND THE OLD HARE. “On the Mandara Mountain there lived a Lion named Fierce-of-heart, and he was perpetually making massacre of all the wild animals. The thing grew so bad that the beasts held a public meeting, and drew up a respectful remonstrance to the Lion in these words: ‘Wherefore should your Majesty make carnage of us all? If it may please you, we ourselves will daily furnish a beast for your Majesty’s meal.’ The Lion responded, ‘If that arrangement is more agreeable to you, be it so;’ and from that time a beast was allotted to him daily, and daily devoured. One day it came to the turn of an old hare to supply the royal table, who reflected to himself as he walked along, ‘I can but die, and I will go to my death leisurely.’ “Now Fierce-of-heart, the lion, was pinched with hunger, and seeing the Hare so approaching he roared out, ‘How darest thou thus delay in coming?’