by Visnu Sarma
As time passed, one day, a certain king ordered his elephant-keepers to go out and trap some elephants. They went into the forest, constructed a decoy water-tank in which the King of Elephants with his herd was trapped. After three days the trappers captured the elephant-king by means of a sturdy tackle of stout ropes, dragged him with his herd forcibly to the very forest where Mouse Town was located and bound them all to the strong trunks of great trees. When the trappers had left, the king-elephant reflected in sorrow, ‘By what means can we be delivered from bondage? Who will come to our aid now?’ Then remembering the little mice he thought to himself, except these little fellows, I see no one who can effect our release.’
Then he ordered one of his attendants, a cow-elephant that had not walked into the trap with the others, and who knew the whereabouts of Mouse Town from previous talk among the elephants, to go and inform the mice of his grave predicament and that of his herd. No sooner had the mice heard the sad tidings than they gathered in thousands; and prompted by the desire to repay the favour done to them, came running to the spot where the Lord of Elephants stood bound with his herd. Seeing him in this state they began gnawing at once at the holding ropes. Then they clambered up the branches of the trees and gnawed away and broke the ropes that bound the animals to the trees. Soon, all were set free.
‘Therefore, I told you, “Make friends with the strong, make friends with the weak…” and the rest of it,’ concluded Speckle, the deer.
When Slowcoach had listened to it all, he observed, ‘Well, my friend; let it be so; don’t be afraid. This is your home. Live in it in a happy frame of mind, free from worries.’
So, the four friends lived there, each choosing his own meal-hours and diversions, as it suited their convenience. Each day they met at the noon hour beside the lake, under the trees, in the thick shade, where they entertained one another in talk and discussion on various texts on the Law, on economics and other related subjects. So the days passed in mutual affection. And this is quite natural:
(170) For the wise, poetry and science suffice
to keep the mind occupied.
It is only for fools that time passes
in sleep, squabbling and hatching mischief.
Moreover:
(171) Their skin tingles, their limbs thrill, relishing
the savour of witty, well-turned phrases;
men of intellect experience pleasure
though they lack the company of women.
One day when Speckle failed to appear at the usual place at the usual time the others became worried. Fear gnawed at their hearts, especially when just that instant an ill omen appeared. The friends concluded that the deer was in some sort of danger; peace of mind eluded them until Slowcoach and Goldy turned to Lightwing and said, Friend Lightwing, you know very well that we two are creatures of slow gait, and for that reason it is hard for us to go in search of our dear friend. Speckle. So it is up to you to go in search of him and find out what has happened. Perhaps he has been killed and eaten by some lion or the other; or he has been consumed in a forest fire; or he might have fallen prey to hunters and the like. How aptly the saying puts it:
(172) One’s loved ones might only be strolling
in a pleasure garden—yet,
all on a sudden one fears for them.
What if they are marooned in the midst
of a wilderness
Savage, filled with perils?
‘So, go wherever you think best; look for precise details of Speckle’s whereabouts and return as quick as you can.’
Lightwing did so. He had not flown too far when he noticed Speckle at the edge of a pool. He had fallen into a sturdy trap held securely by strong pegs of acacia wood. Seeing him in such misery, Lightwing spoke sorrowfully, ‘Ah! My dearest friend, how ever did you fall into this misfortune?’
And Speckle answered, ‘Alas, my friend, there is no time to lose; so listen to what I have to say.
(173) When life is Hearing its end
the sight of a dear friend
twofold happiness does bring:
to the living and to the dying.
‘Forgive me, my friend, if at any time when we sat together, I uttered something in anger springing from affection.62 And likewise speak to Slowcoach and Goldy on my behalf; say to them;
(174) If ever I uttered a harsh word,
knowingly, or, unknowingly,
forgive me, my friends, I beg you;
remember only the affection.’
Lightwing was quick to comfort the deer. ‘O, my friend, you should not be afraid; not while you have friends like us. I shall fetch Goldy to cut your bonds: I shall return with him in no time.’
With a heavy heart, Lightwing flew back to Slowcoach and Goldy and described exactly how Speckle lay in captivity. Then he returned to Speckle carrying Goldy in his beak.
Goldy saw Speckle in this miserable plight and spoke sadly to him, ‘Dear, dear, friend, you who ever had a cautious mind and a sharp eye, how did you fall into such a calamity as to be bound and fettered?’ And Speckle replied, ‘Why put such questions? Fate is all-powerful. Is it not said:
(175) The wisest, most perspicacious
can do nothing face to face with Death
—that great Ocean of Calamity—
Unseen, he strikes, by night, or by day
or any other time he wills:
Who dares oppose Him?
‘So, my noble friend, as you are well aware of Fate’s capricious tricks and turas, please cut through my bonds quickly, before those pitiless hunters arrive on the scene.’
‘Now, now, don’t panic, my friend, not while I am here by your side,’ responded Goldy. ‘But great anguish fills my heart; assuage that pain by recounting the events of your life, Your Honour. You possess the eye of wisdom. How did you allow yourself to be made captive?’
Speckle then rejoined, ‘If you really wish to know, then listen to my story; how I have fallen into captivity once again, through Fate’s power, although I have endured the pains of bondage once before.’
Goldy exclaimed, ‘What? Do you mean to tell me that Your Honour found yourself once before bound in captivity? I am eager to know the whole story in all its detail.’ And, the deer began the tale of Speckle’s Captivity.
In the past when I was but six months old, out of childish exuberance, I used to go bounding off in advance of the rest of the herd. And going some distance ahead in playful spirits, I used to stop and wait for the herd to catch up with me. We deer follow two kinds of gait; one is the jump-up, the other is the straight-ahead. Of these two I was familiar with the straight-ahead, not with the jump-up.
While I was having fun one day, gambolling, I suddenly noticed that I had lost contact with the herd. I was terribly worried, wondering where they had all gone. Looking in all directions, I saw them standing at a distance ahead of me. They had all obviously gone ahead, avoiding a net by using the jump-up gait and were now waiting, looking fixedly at me. Unacquainted as I was with the jump-up gait I fell into the hunter’s net and got all entangled in it. While I tried to drag the net along towards the waiting herd, the hunter came and bound my legs together. I fell on the ground, face down. The herd, seeing there was no hope of saving me, fled and vanished.
Now the hunter came close and said, ‘Oh, but this is just a little fawn, fit only to play with.’ And out of compassion he did not kill me, but took me home instead and then presented me to the prince for a pet. The prince was so delighted that he made the hunter a generous gift. The prince treated me with great affection, having me bathed and rubbed with oils and balms, brushed and massaged and perfumed with sweet-smelling creams, fed with fine food and adorned with beautiful garlands of pearls. But at the same time I was petted so much, passed from hand to hand by the women in the royal apartments and by eager young princes, that I was greatly vexed, even hurt somewhat, for they fondled and pulled my ears, stroked and scratched my neck and paws, even touched my eyes.
One day, du
ring the rains, the prince lay reclining on a couch. I heard the clouds thundering: I saw the lightning flash; and I remembered my own people. My heart was deeply stirred by a longing to see them, to be with the herd. And I recited this verse:
(176) ‘O, to run with the coursing herd of deer,
swiftly, with the wind in my face!
When, O, when will that be?’
‘Who said that?’ cried the prince, with fear clutching at his heart; and he looked all around. Then he saw me, ‘Ah! These words were not spoken by a human, but by a deer; so this creature must be some sort of prodigy. I am undone—wholly undone.’ Thinking thus, the prince ran out of the palace, tottering, like one possessed by a demon. Convinced that he was demon-ridden, he summoned various sorcerers and magicians and tempted them with great rewards, saying, ‘Whoever rids me of this torment, I shall honour him no end.’ I, too, on my part, was being hit and struck with sticks, bricks and cudgels by ignorant individuals. But being destined to live longer, I was rescued by a kind holy man who said, ‘Why kill this poor creature?’ He saved my life. Furthermore, understanding my state of mind, he advised the prince, explaining, ‘Friend, now that it is the season of rains, this poor creature was only wistfully remembering his herd, and in longing recited this verse:
(177) O, to run with the coursing herd of deer
swiftly, with the wind in my face!
When, O, when will that be?
‘So, why does Your Honour distress yourself needlessly?’ The prince, hearing this, was cured of his brain-fever and returned to his normal state of health. He then ordered his men to release me. Douse this deer profusely on the head with cool water; take him to the forest where he was captured and leave him there.’ And his men did so. Having suffered captivity once, I suffered the same fate a second time because of Destiny’s Will.
In the meantime, Slowcoach, urged by affection for his friend arrived on the scene, having trudged the whole way leaving reeds, grass and shrubs crushed in his wake. Seeing him, the friends became even more distressed. Goldy now addressed the tortoise, observing, ‘Dear friend; you have not acted wisely by leaving your fortress and coming here, because you cannot protect yourself from the hunter if he should happen to arrive on the scene. Once his bonds are cut, in case the hunter is close by, Speckle can easily take one quick leap and flee. And Lightwing can fly up into a tree, while I, being tiny, can with ease slip into some little crevice or cranny. But what will you do if the hunter sees you?’
Slowcoach listened and then replied, ‘No, no, do not say such things; for:
(178) Parting from loved ones, loss of wealth—
Who can endure these
if reunion with dear friends is not there?
A veritable panacea?
‘And again:
(179) Days spent in constant company
of men cherished for their learning,
refinement, and discipline, are like clear paths
opening out in life’s wilderness.
(180) To speak of one’s sorrows to a virtuous wife,
a dear friend of like mind, or a master
who truly understands all one’s troubles
is to build your heart a resting-place.
‘Therefore, my dear friend,
(181) The heart swells with longing,
the eyes wildly wander,
the mind bewildered goes somewhere,
one does not know where—
because of the absence of a person
of undiminished worth and affection.
‘Oh! My friend!
(182) It’s far better to give up one’s life
than be parted from friends like yourself;
life is regained when we are born again;
but friends like you are never found again.’
At that moment the hunter arrived, bow and arrow in hand. Right before his eyes, Goldy cut Speckle’s bonds and as mentioned before immediately disappeared into a small cranny. Lightwing flew up into the sky and instantly disappeared while Speckle swiftly bounded away. The hunter, when he saw that the deer’s bonds had been cut, cried out in amazement, ‘Never have deer been known to cut their own bonds; it must surely be Fate’s doing that severed his bonds.’
Then he noticed the tortoise in the most unlikely of places for a tortoise to be. And he reacted predictably. ‘Ah, well,’ he told himself, ‘It is true that with Fate’s help the deer burst his bonds and got away. But I sure have this tortoise right here; as it is admirably put:
(183) Whatever flies in the air,
whatever walks on the ground,
whatever courses over this earth—
nothing comes within your reach
unless Fate wills it to be yours.’
Ruminating in this manner, the hunter drew out his knife, cut some spear-grass, wove it into a stout rope and securely tied the legs of the tortoise together. He then slung the loop of the rope round one end of his bow and started for home. Seeing his friend being carried away in this manner, Goldy was woebegone and cried out, ‘Alas, alas, what a calamity!
(184) No sooner was one great sorrow ended
—it seemed I had crossed over the ocean—
than another looms ahead of me:
misfortunes are massed at the weakest points.
(185) Fresh blows sharply fall on a wound;
lack of food stokes the fires in the belly;
enmities spring up in the wake of woes:
misfortunes are massed at the weakest points.
(186) As long as you do not trip
it’s easy going on even ground;
but once you begin to stumble,
each step you take is full of pain.
‘And again:
(187) A bow, a wife, a friend,
of good stock, fine quality,
strong, straight, yet supple,
not sinking, giving way
in times of trouble…
these are indeed hard to find.
(188) Friendship is that which springs spontaneous,
a blessing only good fortune can bring.
False friends who put on the mask of friendship
why… they are a dime a dozen.
(189) Not in a mother, not in a wife,
not in a brother, or in a son,
can that unalloyed trust be placed
unquestioningly, as in a true friend.
(190) Not diminished by constant enjoyment,
not ravished by ignoble men,
but embellished by uprightness,
friendship is set at naught by death,
and by death alone.
‘Why, O, why does fate hurl its blows at me ceaselessly? First, it was the loss of resources, followed by humiliation at the hands of my people as a result of my poverty; then the depression arising from that led to the abandonment of my country. And now, Fate afflicts me with the loss of a friend. It has been said before:
(191) In truth, the loss of wealth causes no great grief;
for wealth returns.
It is this that burns me up—bereft
of the support of wealth, good friends grow cold.
‘And further:
(192) Though my succession of actions good and bad
already played out have gained the other world;
yet I see them right here and now in action…
life’s vicissitudes seeming my former lives.
‘Ah! How wisely it is said:
(193) The body teeters on danger’s edge;
Where fortune is, misfortune creeps in;
meetings end in parting;
everything that is born is fragile.
‘Oh! Utter misery! I am undone by the loss of my friend. What does mine own matter now? What do my kinsfolk matter? As the saying goes:
(194) A chalice of trust and affection,
a sanctuary from sorrow, anxiety and fear—
Who created this priceless gem, a friend?
A word of just two syllables—MITR
A!63
‘And further:
(195) Pure blessedness uninterrupted—
a loom that weaves affection’s single thread—
sole companionship of noble minds—
Then—Death’s sentence of banishment,
unbearable, breaks it all!
‘And again:
(196) Close-knit companionship,
mind-delighting treasures,
and enmities as well—
Death cuts short all at one single stroke.
‘Once again:
(197) Were there no birth, or old age, or death;
were there no separation from loved ones;
were there not the transience of all things:
who would not take delight in life in this world?’
As Goldy, grief-stricken, was crying out aloud and lamenting in this manner, Lightwing, the crow, and Speckle, the deer, came and joined him.
‘Listen, friends,’ said Goldy to them, ‘as long as our friend Slowcoach is within sight, there is some hope of saving him. Therefore, dear Speckle, run; step past the hunter without being noticed and fall down somewhere close to water; pretend to be dead. And you, dear Lightwing, alight on Speckle’s branching antlers, get your claws into their interstices and pretend to peck his eyes out. Then that wicked hunter, seized by greed, thinking to himself that it was great good fortune to have chanced upon a dead deer is sure to let go of the tortoise and grab the deer. At that point when his back is turned, I shall quickly step in and cut Slowcoach loose of his bonds so that he would be able to take refuge in the water. I, for my own part, will slide quickly into a clump of reeds. And take note, Speckle, you better plan to make a speedy escape when that wicked hunter is about to grab hold of you.’
The three friends then carried out the details of this plan. No sooner did the hunter notice a deer lying dead at the water’s edge and a crow sitting on its antlers pecking his eyes out than he immediately threw the tortoise on the ground, and, raising his club high above his head ran towards the deer.
As soon as Speckle could tell from the tramp of the hunter’s feet that he was very close, he rose up quickly and with a supreme burst of speed vanished into the dense forest. Lightwing at once flew up and settled on the branch of a tree. And Slowcoach, whose fetters had been cut hastily by Goldy’s sharp claws, slid into the water. Goldy too scurried into a clump of reeds.