all is well.' The woman could do nothing but take her place again, while the Barber's wife, picking up the severed nose, and at a sad loss how to account for it, went to her house. In the morning, before it was light, the Barber called to her to bring his box of razors, and she bringing one only, he flung it away in a passion. 'Oh, the knave!' she cried out, directly, aloud, 'Neighbors, neighbors! he has cut my nose off!' and so she took him before the officers. The Cowkeeper, meantime, wondering at his wife's patience, made some inquiry about her nose; whereto she replied, 'Cruel wretch! thou canst not harm a virtuous woman. If Yama and the seven guardians of the world know me chaste, then be my face unmaimed!' The herdsman hastened to fetch a light, and finding her features unaltered, he flung himself at her feet, and begged forgiveness. For, 'Never tires the fire of burning, never wearies death of slaying, Nor the sea of drinking rivers, nor the bright-eyed of betraying,' Thereupon the King's officer dismissed Kandarpa-ketu, and did justice by setting the Barber free, shaving the head of the Barber's wife, and punishing the Cowkeeper's. 'That is my story,' concluded Damanaka, 'and thence I said that we had no reason to complain.' 'Well, but we must do something,' said Karataka. 'Yes! How shall we break the friendship of the King with the Bull?' asked the other. 'It is very strong,' observed Karataka. 'But we can do it,' replied the other. 'What force would fail to win, fraud can attain:-- The Crow despatched the Serpent by a chain.' 'How did that occur?' asked Karataka. Damanaka related:-- THE STORY OF THE BLACK SNAKE AND THE GOLDEN CHAIN "A pair of Crows had their abode in a certain tree, the hollow of which was occupied by a black snake, who had often devoured their young. The Hen-bird, finding herself breeding again, thus addressed her mate: 'Husband, we must leave this tree; we shall never rear young ones while this black snake lives here! You know the saw-- 'From false friends that breed thee strife, From a house with serpents rife, Saucy slaves and brawling wife-- Get thee out, to save thy life.' 'My dear,' replied the Crow, 'you need not fear; I have put up with him till I am tired. Now I will put an end to him.' 'How can you fight with a great black snake like that?' said the Hen-bird. 'Doubt nothing,' answered the other-- 'He that hath sense hath strength; the fool is weak:-- The Lion proud died by the Hare so meek,' 'How came that about?' asked the Hen-Crow. 'Thus,' replied her mate:-- 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:--