The Hawks and their Friends

Once upon a time, when Brahmadatta was king of
Benares, certain men of the marches used to make a
settlement, wheresoever they could best find much meat,
dwelling in the forest, and killing for meat for themselves
and their families the game which abounded there. Not
far from their village was a large natural lake, and upon
its southward shore lived a Hawk, on the west a she-hawk ;
on the north a Lion, king of the beasts ; on the east an
Osprey, king of the birds ; in the middle dwelt a Tortoise
on a small island. The Hawk asked the she-hawk to
become his wife. She asked him, " Have you any friend ? "
" No, madam," he replied. " We must have some one who
can defend us against any danger or trouble that may
arise, and you must find some friends." "Whom shall
I make friends with ? " " Why, with king Osprey who lives
on the eastern shore, and with the Lion on the north, and
with the Tortoise who dwells in the middle of this lake."
He took her advice and did so. Then the two lived
together (it should be said that on a little islet in the
same lake grew a kadamba tree, surrounded by the water
on all sides) in a nest which they made.

Afterwards there were given to them two sons. One
day, while the wings of the younglings were yet callow,
some of the country folk went foraging through the woods
all day and found nothing. Not wishing to return home
empty-handed, they went down to the lake to catch a fish
or a tortoise. They got on the island, and lay down
beneath the kadamba tree; and there being tormented
by the bites of gnats and mosquitoes, to drive these away,
they kindled a fire by rubbing sticks together, and made
a smoke. The smoke rising annoyed the birds, and the
young ones uttered a cry. " 'Tis the cry of birds ! " said
the country folk. " Up, make up the fire : we cannot lie
here hungry, but before we lie down we will have a meal
of fowls' flesh." They made the fire blaze, and built it up.
But the mother bird hearing the sound, thought, " These
men wish to eat our young ones. We made friends to
save us from that danger. I will send my mate to the
great Osprey." Then she said, " Go, my husband, tell
the Osprey of the danger which threatens our young"
repeating this stanza:

The country churls build fires upon the isle,
To eat my young ones in a little while :
Hawk! to friend and comrade give the word,
My children's danger tell to every bird!

The cock-bird flew at all speed to the place, and gave
a cry to announce his arrival. Leave given, he came near
to the Osprey, and made his greeting. " Why have you
come?" asked the Osprey. Then the cock repeated the
second stanza:

winged fowl! chiefest of birds art thou:
So, Osprey king, I seek thy shelter now.
Some country-folk a-hunting now are fain
To eat my young: be thou my joy again!

"Fear not," said the Osprey to the Hawk, and consoling
him he repeated the third stanza :

In season, out of season, wise men make
Both friends and comrades for protection's sake :
For thee, Hawk! I will perform this deed;
The good must help each other at their need.

Then he went on to ask, " Have the churls climbed up
the tree, my friend ? " " They are not climbing yet ; they
are just piling wood on the fire." "Then you had better
go quickly and comfort my friend your mate, and say
I am coming." He did so. The Osprey went also, and
from a place near to the kadamba tree he watched for
the men to climb, sitting upon a tree-top. Just as one
of the boors who was climbing the tree had come near
to the nest, the Osprey dived into the lake, and from
wings and beak sprinkled water over the burning brands,
so that they were put out. Down came the men, and
made another fire to cook the bird and its young ; when
they climbed again, once more the Osprey demolished the
fire. So whenever a fire was made, the bird put it out,
and midnight came. The bird was much distressed : the
skin under his stomach had become quite thin, his eyes
were blood-shot. Seeing him, the hen-bird said to her
mate, " My lord, the Osprey is tired out ; go and tell the
Tortoise, that he may have a rest." When he heard
this, the bird approaching the Osprey, addressed him in
a stanza:

Good help the good: the necessary deed
Thou hast in pity done for us at need.
Our young are safe, thou living: have a care
Of thy own self, nor all thy strength outwear.

On hearing these words, loud as a lion's roar he
repeated the fifth stanza :

While I am keeping guard about this tree,
I care not if I lose my life for thee:
So use the good: thus friend will do for friend:
Yea, even if he perish at the end.

Then the Hawk said, "Rest awhile, friend Osprey,"
and then away to the Tortoise, whom he aroused. " What
is your errand, friend ? " asked the Tortoise. " Such and
such a danger has come upon us, and the royal Osprey
has been labouring hard ever since the first watch, and is
very weary ; that is why I have come to you." With these
words he repeated the seventh stanza :

Even they who fall through sin or evil deed
May rise if friends will help them in their need.
My young in danger, straight I fly to thee:
dweller in the lake, come, succour me!

On hearing this the Tortoise repeated another stanza :

The wise man to a man who is his friend,
Both food and goods, even life itself, will lend.
For thee, Hawk! I will perform this deed:
The good must help each other at their need.

His son, who lay not far off, hearing the words of his
father, thought, "I would not have my father troubled,
but I will do my father's part," and therefore he repeated
the ninth stanza :

Here at thy ease remain, father mine,
And I thy son will do this task of thine.
A son should serve a father, so 'tis best;
I'll save the Hawk his young- ones in the nest.

The father Tortoise addressed his son in a stanza :

So do the good, niy son, and it is true

That son for father service ought to do.

Yet they may leave the Hawk's young' brood alone,

Perchance, if they see me so fully grown.

With these words the Tortoise sent the Hawk away,
adding, "Fear not, my friend, but go you before and
I will come presently after." He dived into the water,
collected some mud, and went to the island, quenched the
flame, and lay still. Then the countrymen cried, " Why
should we trouble about the young hawks? Let us roll
over this one-eyed Tortoise, and kill him! He will be
enough for all." So they plucked some creepers and
got some strings, but when they had made them fast in
this place or that, and torn their clothes to strips for the
purpose, they could not roll the Tortoise over. The
Tortoise lugged them along with him and plunged in
deep water. The men were so eager to get him that in
they fell after: splashed about, and scrambled out with
a bellyful of water. " Just look," said they : " half the
night one Osprey kept putting out our fire, and now this
Tortoise has made us fall into the water, and swallow it,
to our great discomfort. Well, we will light another fire,
and at sunrise we will eat those young hawks." Then
they began to make a fire. The hen-bird heard the
noise they were making, and said, "My husband, sooner
or later these men will devour our young and depart :
you go and tell our friend the Lion." At once he went
to the Lion, who asked him why he came at such an
unseasonable hour. The bird told him all from the be-
ginning, and repeated the eleventh stanza:

Mightiest of all the beasts, both beasts and men
Fly to the strongest when beset with fear.

My young ones are in danger; help ine then:
Thou art our king, and therefore I am here.

This said, the Lion repeated a stanza :

Yes, I will do this service, Hawk, for thee:
Come, let us go and slay this gang of foes!
Surely the prudent, he who wisdom knows,

Protector of a friend must try to be.

Having thus spoken, he dismissed him, saying, "Now
go, and comfort your young ones." Then he went
forward, churning up the crystal water. When the
churls perceived him approaching, they were frightened
to death: "The Osprey," they cried, "put out our fire-
brands; the Tortoise made us lose the clothes we had
on: but now we are done for. This Lion will destroy
us at once." They ran this way and that : when the Lion
came to the foot of the tree, nothing could he see. Then
the Osprey, the Hawk, and the Tortoise came up, and
accosted him. He told them the profitableness of friend-
ship, and said, "From this time forth be careful never
to break the bonds of friendship." With this advice he
departed : and they also went each to his own place.
The hen-hawk looking upon her young, thought" Ah,
through friends have my young been given back to me !"
and as she rejoiced, she spoke to her mate, and recited
six stanzas declaring the effect of friendship :

Get friends, a houseful of them without fail,
Get a great friend: a blessing he'll be found:

Vain strike the arrows on a coat of mail.
And we rejoice, our younglings safe and sound.

Through the kind help of their own friend, who stayed to take

their part,
The old birds chirp, the young- reply, with notes that charm the
heart.

The wise asks help at friend's or comrade's hand,
Lives happy with his goods and brood of kind:

So I, my mate, and young, together stand,
Because our friend to pity was inclined.

A man needs king and warriors for protection:
And these are his whose friendship is perfection:
Thou cravest happiness : he is famed and strong ;
He surely prospers to whom friends belong.

Even by the poor and weak, Hawk, good friends must needs

be found:
By a friend's kindness we and ours, behold, are safe and sound.

The bird who wins a hero strong to play a friendly part,
As thou and I are happy, Hawk, is happy in his heart.

So she declared the quality of friendship in six stanzas.
And all this company of friends lived all their lives long
without breaking the bond of friendship, and then passed
away according to their deeds.