"On the banks of the Ganges there is a cliff called Vulture-Crag, and thereupon grew a great fig-tree. It was hollow, and within its shelter lived an old Vulture, named Grey-pate, whose hard fortune it was to have lost both eyes and talons. The birds that roosted in the tree made subscriptions from their own store, out of sheer pity for the poor fellow, and by that means he managed to live. One day, when the old birds were gone, Long-ear, the Cat, came there to get a meal of the nestlings; and they, alarmed at perceiving him, set up a chirruping that roused Grey-pate. 'Who comes there?' croaked Grey-pate. "Now Long-ear, on espying the Vulture, thought himself undone; but as flight was impossible, he resolved to trust his destiny and approach. 'My lord,' said he, 'I have the honor to salute thee.' 'Who is it?' said the Vulture. 'I am a Cat,' 'Be off, Cat, or I shall slay thee,' said the Vulture. 'I am ready to die if I deserve death,' answered the Cat; 'but let what I have to say be heard,' 'Wherefore, then, comest thou?' said the Vulture. 'I live,' began Long-ear, 'on the Ganges, bathing, and eating no flesh, practising the moon-penance,[8] like a Bramacharya. The birds that resort thither constantly praise your worship to me as one wholly given to the study of morality, and worthy of all trust; and so I came here to learn law from thee, Sir, who art so deep gone in learning and in years. Dost thou, then, so read the law of strangers as to be ready to slay a guest? What say the books about the householder?-- 'Bar thy door not to the stranger, be he friend or be he foe, For the tree will shade the woodman while his axe doth lay it low,' And if means fail, what there is should be given with kind words, as-- 'Greeting fair, and room to rest in; fire, and water from the well-- Simple gifts--are given freely in the house where good men dwell,'-- and without respect of person-- 'Young, or bent with many winters; rich, or poor, whate'er thy guest, Honor him for thine own honor--better is he than the best,' Else comes the rebuke-- 'Pity them that ask thy pity: who art thou to stint thy hoard, When the holy moon shines equal on the leper and the lord!' And that other, too, 'When thy gate is roughly fastened, and the asker turns away, Thence he bears thy good deeds with him, and his sins on thee doth lay For verily, 'In the house the husband ruleth, men the Brahmans "master" call; Agni is the Twice-born Master--but the guest is lord of all,' "To these weighty words Grey-pate answered, 'Yes! but cats like meat, and there are young birds here, and therefore I said, go,'