When the Elephant died in the swamp the Jackals came and ate him up. THE HERON, THE FISHES, AND THE CRAB A Heron was living near a pond. She grew old, and had no strength left with which to catch the fish. She began to contrive how to live by cunning. So she said to the Fishes: "You Fishes do not know that a calamity is in store for you: I have heard the people say that they are going to let off the pond, and catch every one of you. I know of a nice little pond back of the mountain. I should like to help you, but I am old, and it is hard for me to fly." The Fishes begged the Heron to help them. So the Heron said: "All right, I will do what I can for you, and will carry you over: only I cannot do it at once,--I will take you there one after another." And the Fishes were happy; they kept begging her: "Carry me over! Carry me over!" And the Heron started carrying them. She would take one up, would carry her into the field, and would eat her up. And thus she ate a large number of Fishes. In the pond there lived an old Crab. When the Heron began to take out the Fishes, he saw what was up, and said: "Now, Heron, take me to the new abode!" The Heron took the Crab and carried him off. When she flew out on the field, she wanted to throw the Crab down. But the Crab saw the fish-bones on the ground, and so squeezed the Heron's neck with his claws, and choked her to death. Then he crawled back to the pond, and told the Fishes. THE WATER-SPRITE AND THE PEARL A Man was rowing in a boat, and dropped a costly pearl into the sea. The Man returned to the shore, took a pail, and began to draw up the water and to pour it out on the land. He drew the water and poured it out for three days without stopping. On the fourth day the Water-sprite came out of the sea, and asked: "Why are you drawing the water?" The Man said: "I am drawing it because I have dropped a pearl into it." The Water-sprite asked him: "Will you stop soon?" The Man said: "I will stop when I dry up the sea." Then the Water-sprite returned to the sea, brought back that pearl, and gave it to the Man. THE BLIND MAN AND THE MILK A Man born blind asked a Seeing Man: "Of what colour is milk?" The Seeing Man said: "The colour of milk is the same as that of white paper." The Blind Man asked: "Well, does that colour rustle in your hands like paper?" The Seeing Man said: "No, it is as white as white flour." The Blind Man asked: "Well, is it as soft and as powdery as flour?" The Seeing Man said: "No, it is simply as white as a white hare." The Blind Man asked: "Well, is it as fluffy and soft as a hare?" The Seeing Man said: "No, it is as white as snow." The Blind Man asked: "Well, is it as cold as snow?" And no matter how many examples the Seeing Man gave, the Blind Man was unable to understand what the white colour of milk was like. THE WOLF AND THE BOW