'Whoso hath the gift of giving wisely, equitably, well; Whoso, learning all men's secrets, unto none his own will tell; Whoso, ever cold and courtly, utters nothing that offends, Such a one may rule his fellows unto Earth's extremest ends.' 'Then King Jewel-plume would be a good ally,' observed the Swan-king. 'Doubtless!' said the Goose, 'but elated with victory, he will hardly listen to the Vulture's counsel; we must make him do it.' 'How?' asked the King. 'We will cause our dependent, the King of Ceylon, Strong-bill the Stork, to raise an insurrection in Jambudwipa.' 'It is well-conceived,' said the King. And forthwith a Crane, named Pied-body, was dismissed with a secret message to that Rajah. 'In course of time the first Crane, who had been sent as a spy, came back, and made his report. He related that the Vulture had advised his Sovereign to summon Night-cloud, the Crow, and learn from him regarding King Silver-sides' intentions. Night-cloud attended accordingly. 'Crow!' asked King Jewel-plume, 'what sort of a Monarch is the Rajah Silver-sides?' 'Truthful, may it please you,' replied the Crow; 'and therewithal noble as Yudisthira himself.' 'And his Minister, the Goose?' 'Is a Minister unrivalled, my Liege,' said the Crow-king. 'But how then didst thou so easily deceive them?' 'Ah! your Majesty,' said the Crow, 'there was little credit in that. Is it not said?-- 'Cheating them that truly trust you, 'tis a clumsy villainy! Any knave may slay the child who climbs and slumbers on his knee.' Besides, the Minister detected me immediately. It was the King whose innate goodness forbade him to suspect evil in another:-- 'Believe a knave, thyself scorning a lie, And rue it, like the Brahman, by and by.' 'What Brahman was that?' asked the King. Night-cloud replied:-- THE STORY OF THE BRAHMAN AND THE GOAT "A Brahman that lived in the forest of Gautama, your Majesty. He had purveyed a goat to make pooja, and was returning home with it on life shoulder when he was descried by three knaves. 'If we could but obtain that goat,' said they, 'it would be a rare trick'; and they ran on, and seated themselves at the foot of three different trees upon the Brahman's road. Presently he came up with the first of them, who addressed him thus: 'Master! why do you carry that dog on your shoulder?' 'Dog!' said the Brahman, 'it is a goat for sacrifice!' With that he went on a coss, and came to the second knave; who called out--'What doest thou with that dog, Master?' The Brahman laid his goat upon the ground, looked it all over, took it up again upon his back, and walked on with his mind in a whirl; for-- 'The good think evil slowly, and they pay A price for faith--as witness "Crop-ear" may.' 'Who was Crop-ear?' asked the King of the Peacocks. THE STORY OF THE CAMEL, THE LION, AND HIS COURT