Ellen C. Babbitt

“ Then the demon drove on. But the men who were with the merchant said, "Sir! those men told us that yonder was the beginning of a great forest, and from there onwards it was always raining. Their clothes and hair were dripping with water. Let us throw away the water-jars and go on faster with lighter carts!"
Stopping all the carts the wise merchant asked the men, "Have you ever heard any one say that there was a lake or pond in this desert? You have lived near here always."
"We never heard of a pond or lake," they said.
[50] "Does any man feel a wind laden with dampness blowing against him?" ”

“ Once upon a time, the people who lived together when the world was young took a certain man for their king. The four-footed animals also took one of their number for their king. The fish in the ocean chose a king to rule over them. Then the birds gathered together on a great flat rock, crying:
"Among men there is a king, and among the beasts, and the fish have one, too; but we birds have none. We ought to have a king. Let us choose one now."
And so the birds talked the matter over and at last they all said, "Let us have the Owl for our king."
[91] ”

“ I know of a pond in the deep woods where there is plenty of water."
"I declare," said the little Fish, "you are the first Crane that ever offered to help a Fish."
"That may be," said the Crane, "but the water is so low in your pond. I could easily carry you one by [85] one on my back to that other pond where there is plenty of water and food and cool shade."
"I don't believe there is any such pond," said the little Fish. "What you wish to do is to eat us, one by one."
"If you don't believe me," said the Crane, "send with me one of the Fishes whom you can believe. ”

“ A king once had a lake made in the courtyard for the young princes to play in. They swam about in it, and sailed their boats and rafts on it. One day the king told them he had asked the men to put some fishes into the lake.
Off the boys ran to see the fishes. Now, along with the fishes, there was a Turtle. The boys were delighted with the fishes, but they had never seen a Turtle, and they were afraid of it, thinking it was a demon. They ran back to their father, crying, "There is a demon on the bank of the lake."
The king ordered his men to catch the demon, and to bring it to the palace. ”

“ The oxen must have turned about while I slept."
They unyoked the oxen, but there was no water for them to drink. They had thrown away the water that was left the night before. So the men spread the awning over the carts, and the oxen lay down, tired and thirsty. The men, too, lay down saying, "The wood and water are gone—we are lost."
But the merchant said to himself, "This is no time [28] for me to sleep. I must find water. The oxen cannot go on if they do not have water to drink. The men must have water. They cannot cook the rice unless they have water. If I give up, we shall all be lost!" ”

“ THE KING'S WHITE ELEPHANT
Once upon a time a number of carpenters lived on a river bank near a large forest. Every day the carpenters went in boats to the forest to cut down the trees and make them into lumber.
One day while they were at work an Elephant came limping on three feet to them. He held up one foot and the carpenters saw that it was swollen and sore. Then the Elephant lay down and the men saw that there was a great splinter in the sore foot. ”

“ One day the king came down the river and saw this beautiful white Elephant working for the carpenters. The king at once wanted the Elephant for his own and paid the carpenters a great price for him. Then with a last look at his playmates, the children, the beautiful white Elephant went on with the king. ”

“ As the demons neared the foolish merchant they turned their carriage to one side of the way, saying pleasantly, "Where are you going?"
The merchant replied, "We have come from the great city back there and are going across the desert to the villages beyond. You come dripping with mud and carrying water-lilies and grasses. Does it rain on the road you have come by? Did you come through a stream?"
[47]
He put mud on the carriage wheels, hung water-lilies and wet grasses upon the oxen and the carriage. ”

“ The wise leader saw the plan of the fowler for catching the quails. He called the birds to him and said, "This fowler is carrying away so many of us, we must put a stop to it. I have thought of a plan; it is this: The next time the fowler throws a net [31] over you, each of you must put your head through one of the little holes in the net. Then all of you together must fly away to the nearest thorn-bush. You can leave the net on the thorn-bush and be free yourselves."
The quails said that was a very good plan and they would try it the next time the fowler threw the net over them. ”

“ Then the peasant began to set the prices on horses [35] and elephants, upon gold and jewels. He did not know their value, so he would say anything he chose. As the king had made him Valuer, the people had to sell their goods for the price he set.
So they went before the king.
By and by a horse-dealer brought five hundred horses to the court of this king. The Valuer came and said they were worth a mere measure of rice. So the king ordered the horse-dealer to be given the measure of rice, and the horses to be put in the palace stables. ”

“ As the two Geese flew on, they heard the people say, when they came to see the poor Turtle, "That fellow could not keep his mouth shut. He had to talk, and so lost his life."
"Oh, see the Turtle up in the air."
[21]
V.
THE OX WHO WON THE FORFEIT
Long ago a man owned a very strong Ox. The owner was so proud of his Ox, that he boasted to every man he met about how strong his Ox was.
One day the owner went into a village, and said to the men there: "I will pay a forfeit of a thousand pieces of silver if my strong Ox cannot draw a line of one hundred wagons." ”

“ This answer pleased the thrifty merchant. He said to himself, "Those who go before will make the rough places smooth. The old rank grass will have been eaten by the oxen that have gone before, while my oxen will eat the freshly grown tender shoots. Those who go before will dig wells from which we shall drink. ”

“ The obvious lessons are many of them suitable for little people, and beneath the obvious there are depths and depths of meaning which they may learn to fathom later on. The Oriental setting lends an additional fascination. ”

“ The King of the Banyan Deer sent for the King of the Monkey Deer and said, "Friend, many of the Deer are being killed. Many are wounded besides those who are killed. After this suppose one from my herd goes up to be killed one day, and the next day let one from your herd go up. Fewer Deer will be lost this way."
[60]
The King of the Banyan Deer sent for the King of the Monkey Deer. ”

“ He must never be good, even for a moment."
Girly-face said to himself, "Those men are teaching me how I should act. I will be cruel. I will show no pity. I will not be good—not even for a moment."
[53]
The talk of the robbers awoke Girly-face. ”

“ GRANNY'S BLACKIE
Once upon a time a rich man gave a baby Elephant to a woman.
She took the best of care of this great baby and soon became very fond of him.
The children in the village called her Granny, and they called the Elephant "Granny's Blackie." ”

“ They went on and on and by and by they reached the forest. There they sat down to rest in the shade of a pond. Then the eldest brother said to Sun Prince, "Go down to the pond and bathe and drink. Then bring us a drink while we rest here."
Now the King of the Fairies had given this pond to a water-sprite. The Fairy King had said to the water-sprite, "You are to have in your power all who go down into the water except those who give the [65] right answer to one question. Those who give the right answer will not be in your power. ”

“ Then the crowd shouted, and they paid back the forfeit the man had lost, saying: "Your Ox is the strongest Ox we ever saw."
And the Ox and the man went home, happy.
[25]
VI.
THE SANDY ROAD
Once upon a time a merchant, with his goods packed in many carts, came to a desert. He was on his way to the country on the other side of the desert.
The sun shone on the fine sand, making it as hot as the top of a stove. No man could walk on it in the sunlight. But at night, after the sun went down, the sand cooled, and then men could travel upon it. ”

“ So he reached the city on the other side of the river, and lived well for a time on the money the bowl brought him.
[18]
IV.
THE TURTLE WHO COULDN'T STOP TALKING
A turtle lived in a pond at the foot of a hill. Two young wild Geese, looking for food, saw the Turtle, and talked with him. The next day the Geese came again to visit the Turtle and they became very well acquainted. Soon they were great friends.
"Friend Turtle," the Geese said one day, "we have a beautiful home far away. We are going to fly back to it to-morrow. It will be a long but pleasant journey. Will you go with us?" ”

“ And the Crane put his head down near the ground so that the Crab could get off easily.
But the Crab pinched the Crane's neck so that his head fell off.
"Not my shell, but your bones are left to dry with the bones of the Fishes," said the Crab.
[90]
XVIII.
WHY THE OWL IS NOT KING OF THE BIRDS
Why is it that Crows torment the Owls as they sleep in the daytime? For the same reason that the Owls try to kill the Crows while they sleep at night. ”