Numskull and the Rabbit

In a part of a forest was a lion drunk with pride,
and his name was Numskull. He slaughtered the

animals without ceasing. If he saw an animal, he
could not spare him.

So all the natives of the forest — deer, boars
buffaloes* wild oxen, rabbits, and others — came to
gether, and with woe-begone countenances, bowed
heads, and knees clinging to the ground, they under-



took to beseech obsequiously the king of beasts



"Have done, King, with this merciless, meaning
less slaughter of all creatures. It is hostile to hap
piness in the other world. For the Scripture says:

thousand future lives
Will pass in wretchedness




For sins a fool commits
His present life to bless.



Again :



What wisdom in a deed
That brings dishonor fell

That causes loss of trust.



That paves the way to hell ?



And yet again :



The ungrateful body, frail
And rank with filth within

Is such that only fools

For its sake sink in sin.


"Consider these facts, and cease, we pray, to
slaughter our generations. For if the master will re-
main at home, we will of our own motion send him



each day for his daily food one animal of the forest.
In this way neither the royal sustenance nor our
families will be cut short In this way let the king's
duty be performed. For the proverb says;

The king who tastes his kingdom like

Who does not overtax its life
Will fully relish it.


The king who madly butchers men,
Their lives as little reckoned

As lives of goats, has one square meal
But never has a second.


king desiring profit, guards
His world from evil chance
With gifts and honors waters
As florists water plants.


Guard subjects like a cow, nor ask
For milk each passing hour:
vine must first be sprinkled, then

ripens fruit and flower.





The monarch-lamp from subjects draws

Tax-oil to keep it bright:
Has any ever noticed kings

That shone by inner light?





seedling is a tender thing,
And yet, if not neglected,
comes in time to bearing fruit:

So subjects well protected.



Their subjects form the only source

From which accrue to kings
Their gold, grain, gems, and varied drinks

And many other things.

The kings who serve the common weal

Luxuriantly sprout;
The common loss is kingly loss,

Without a shade of doubt."

After listening to this address, Numskull said:
"Well, gentlemen, you are quite convincing. But

an animal does not come to me every day as I sit here





promise you I will eat you all." To this they as-
sented with much relief, and fearlessly roamed the
wood. Each day at noon one of them appeared as his
dinner, each species taking its turn and providing an
individual grown old, or religious, or grief-smitten, or
fearful of the loss of son or wife.

One day a rabbit's turn came, it being rabbit-day.
And when all the thronging animals had given him
directions, he reflected: "How is it possible to kill

this lion — curse him ! Yet after all,

In what can wisdom not prevail ?

In what can resolution fail?
What cannot flattery subdue ?

What cannot enterprise put through ?




can kill even a lion.


So he went very slowly, planning to arrive tardily,
and meditating with troubled spirit on a means of
killing him. Late in the day he came into the pres-
ence of the lion, whose throat was pinched by hunger
in consequence of the delay, and who angrily thought



as he licked his chops: "Aha! I must kill all the ani

mals the first thing in the morning

While he was thinking, the rabbit slowly drew

near, bowed low, and stood before him. But when the
lion saw that he was tardy and too small at that for
a meal, his soul flamed with wrath, and he taunted
the rabbit, saying: "You reprobate! First, you are
too small for a meal. Second, you are tardy. Because



of this wickedness I am going to kill you, and tomor



row morning I shall extirpate every species of am
Then the rabbit bowed low and said with defer-
ence: "Master, the wickedness is not mine, nor the

other animals'. Pray hear the cause of it." And the



lion answered: "Well, tell it quick, before you are

between my fangs."

"Master," said the rabbit, "all the animals recog-
nized today that the rabbits' turn had come, and be-
cause I was quite small, they dispatched me with five
other rabbits. But in mid-journey there issued from
a great hole in the ground a lion who said: 'Where are



you bound? Pray to your favorite god.' Then I said:
'We are traveling as the dinner of lion Numskull,
our master, according to agreement.' 'Is that so?' said
he. 'This forest belongs to me. So all the animals,
without exception, must deal with me—according to
agreement. This Numskull is a sneak thief. Call him
out and bring him here at once. Then whichever of
us proves stronger, shall be king and shall eat all
these animals.' At his command, master, I have come



to you. This is the cause of my tardiness. For the
rest, my master is the sole judge."

After listening to this, Numskull said: "Well
well, my good fellow, show me that sneak thief of i
lion, and be quick about it, I cannot find peace of
mind until I have vented on him my anger against the
animals. He should have remembered the saying:

Land and friends and gold at most
Have been won when battles cease;

If but one of these should fail,
Do not think of breaking peace.



Where no great reward is won
Where defeat is nearly sure,

Never stir a quarrel, but
Find it wiser to endure/'



it



Quite so, master," said the rabbit. "Warriors
fight for their country when they are insulted. But



this fellow skulks in a fortress. You know he came



out of a fortress when he held us up. And an enemy
in a fortress is hard to handle. As the saying goes:

A single royal fortress adds
More military force



Than do a thousand elephants

hundred thousand horse.


A single archer from a wall

hundred foes forfends




And so the military art

fortress recommends.




God Indra used the wit and skill

Of gods in days of old,
When Devil Gold-mat plagued the world

To build a fortress-hold.

And he decreed that any king
Who built a fortress sound,
Should conquer foemen. This is why

Such fortresses abound."



When he heard this, Numskull said: "My good
fellow, show me that thief. Even if he is hiding in a



fortress, I will kill him. For the proverb says:

The strongest man who fails to crush
At birth, disease or foe
Will later be destroyed by that

Which he permits to grow.



And again:



The man who reckons well his power

Nor pride nor vigor lacks,
May single-handed smite his foes



Like Rama-with-the-axe.



Very true," said the rabbit "But after all it was



a mighty lion that I saw. So the master should not
set out without realizing the enemy's capacity. As the
saying runs:

warrior failing to compare
Two hosts, in mad desire
For battle, plunges like a moth




Headforemost into fire.



And again:



The weak who challenge mighty foes




battle to abide

Like elephants with broken tusks
Return with drooping pride."


But Numskull said: "What business is it of yours l
Show him to me, even in his fortress." "Very well/

said the rabbit "Follow me, master/' And he

led the way to a well, where he said to the lion:



"Master, who can endure your majesty? The moment
he saw you, that thief crawled clear into his hole.



Come, I will show him to you." "Be quick about it,
my good fellow," said Numskull.

So the rabbit showed him the well. And the lion,
being a dreadful fool, saw his own reflection in the
water, and gave voice to a great roar. Then from the
well issued a roar twice as loud, because of the echo.



This the lion heard, decided that his rival was very



powerful, hurled himself down, and met his death.
Thereupon the rabbit cheerfully carried the glad news

to all the animals, received their compliments, and

lived there contentedly in the forest.



And that is why I say:



Intelligence is power,



and the rest of it.


But," said Cheek, "that is like a palm-fruit
falling on a crow's head — a quite exceptional case.
Even if the rabbit was successful, still a man of feeble
powers should not deal fraudulently with the great."
And Victor retorted: "Feeble or strong, one must



make up his mind to vigorous action. You know the

proverb :

Unceasing effort brings success;

'Fate, fate is all/ let dastards wail:

Smite fate and prove yourself a man;
What fault if bold endeavor fail ?


Furthermore, the very gods befriend those who ever

strive. As the story goes:

The gods befriend a man who climbs

Determination's height:
So Vishnu, discus, bird sustained
The weaver in the fight.



And further:



Not even Brahma sees the end

Of well-devised deceit:
The weaver, taking Vishnu's form
Embraced the princess sweet."


"How was that?" asked Cheek. "Are undertak-
ings successful even through deceit, resolutely and

well devised?"