precept and counsel he cries continually, 'O destroyers of life and constitution, planters of trees in gardens, builders of houses in towns, sitters in high places, why are you regardless of the peril of the time? Be temperate; do not for an instant forget God; think upon that day when you will leave this luxury at home, and will descend into the grave among snakes and scorpions. If from this time forward, before leaving your native home, you are mindful of this, then so much the better, for you will there come into a pleasant dwelling-place; if not, you will fall into perdition.'

"And this is the surkh-áb. Like as a preacher mounts into his pulpit, so does he also at noon rise in the air, and going on to the stacks of corn, he sings various strains with exceedingly sweet voice. And in his discourse he says, 'Where are those lords of commerce and men of agriculture, who by the mercy of God derive very large profit from the sowing of a single grain. Oh, my masters, in the fear of God take warning; thinking upon your dying day,1 before your decease discharge the duty of worshipping him, and show kindness and benevolence to his creatures. Through stinginess do not take this idea into your mind—“To-day no poor or needy person will come to my house;" for whoever now plants the tree of kindness will to-morrow realise the fruit and relish of it. This world is the harvest-field of futurity; whosoever shall practise in it the cultivation of good works, shall find the benefit of it in the life to come. If any one shall pursue an evil course, he will burn like dry litter in the fire of hell. Think upon that day when God, having separated the infidels from the faithful, will cast these into hell-fire, but will bring the faithful into paradise.'

"The bulbul, the story-teller, is she who is sitting on a branch of a tree. Her body is very small, in flight she is swift, her face is white, and she is constantly looking to the 1 Zira'at-cultivation, agriculture, crop. 2 Lit. "death."

right hand and to the left. With exceeding eloquence and sweet voice she composes her strains, and stays in the gardens in close intimacy with men-she even goes into their houses and talks with them. When they, unmindful of thought about God, engage in pleasure and dissipation, with admonition and counsel she exclaims, 'Gracious God! how heedless ye are deceived by this existence of a few days' length, ye show negligence in thinking upon God. Why are ye not absorbed in the remembrance of him? Do ye not know that ye were all born to die, nourished to moulder away, brought together to perish? Ye are building this house that it may fall to ruin. How long, deceived by the delights of this world, will ye continue occupied in pleasure and dissipation? In the end, to-morrow, ye must die and be buried in the earth. Be wise even now; do ye not know what God Almighty did to the "lord of the elephants?" Abrah, who was chief of that band, sought, by stratagem and craft, to raze the house of God. Mounting many men upon elephants, he advanced towards the temple of God. But in the end God made vain his cunning and craft; he sent2 swarms upon swarms of birds against them. The birds, taking up pebbles, poured down such a shower of stones that all of them, together with their elephants, were riddled like worm-eaten leaves.' After that she exclaims, 'O God, preserve me from the hankering of boys, and against danger from all animals!'

"This is the crow, the soothsayer, who reveals hidden matters. He is black in colour, and temperate. He gives information about everything which has not as yet transpired. He is at all times occupied in meditation upon God, and ever passes his days in travel and wayfaring. Going into every country, he gets information about ancient annals. He threatens the heedless with the evils of neglect, and with admonition and counsel he cries, 'Observe temperance, and beware of 1 i.e., very soon. Musallat-appointed, set over: governor, ruler.

2

In flight she is

She dwells for

that day when you will rot in the grave, when from the disgrace of your deeds your skin will be torn off. Now through delusion you give the preference to the life in this world over that of the next. Having fled from the commands of God, there is no resting-place or deliverance for you. If you wish for salvation, engage in supplication and prayer; perhaps God, taking compassion, will preserve you from harm.’ "Here is the swallow, the rover in the air. light; her feet are small, and her wings large. the most part in the houses of men, and there brings up her young. Always at dawn and at eve she utters prayers and supplications for mercy. In her journeys she proceeds to great distances. In the days of heat she chooses her abode in cool places, and during the cold in warm places. In her praises and prayers she repeats this formula- 'He is holy who made the sea and land, who established the mountains, and formed the currents of the streams-who according to one's deserts predestines sustenance and death, from which there is never any deviation. He is the helper of travellers in their journeys, and is Lord of all the face of the earth and of all creatures.' After this praise and prayer she says, 'I have travelled into every country, have seen all the servants (of God), and have come back to my own country. He is holy, who having brought male and female together, bestowed upon them abundant offspring; and, having brought them out from the corner of nonentity, clothed them with the garments of existence. Praise is due to Him who is the creator of all creatures, and the bestower of all blessings.'

66 The crane, the watchman, is he who stands upon the field. His neck is long, his feet short, and in flight he reaches half way to heaven. Twice in the night he keeps vigils, and in praise of God offers his thanksgiving, and says, 'Holy is that God who of his power created a pair of every (species of) animal, so that, consorting together, they might propagate and beget offspring, and might remember their Creator.'

66

And this is the sang-khwára (stone-eater), the inhabitant of dry land. He always dwells in woods and deserts. Morning and evening he repeats this form (of prayer)—“ Holy is He who created the sky and the earth. He is the Maker of the heavens, of the constellations and of the stars, and these all revolve by His command. The falling of the rain, the movement of the air, the manifestation of the thunder and lightning, all is His work. He alone upraises from the earth the vapours by means of which the economy of the world is (maintained). A wonderful Creator is He who after death gives life (again) to old rotten bones. Gracious God! what a Creator He is! The tongue of man is incompetent for His praise and eulogy; how is it possible that the understanding should arrive at (a knowledge of) His nature?'

"The nightingale of sweet voice is he that is seated on a branch of a tree. In body he is small, in motion swift, and in voice sweet. After this fashion he melodiously pours forth his strain in praise of God-Praise be to that Creator who is the Lord of power and beneficence. He alone is (God), for He has no equal; the bestower of boons, the giver of all blessings, private and public. Like unto the sea, he ungrudgingly dignifies every man with the bounties of His favour.' And sometimes with deep sorrow she speaks in this way'How happy was that time when I roamed about among the flowers of the garden, and all the trees were laden with fruits of many kinds.'"

Hereupon the Shah-murgh said to the peacock, “Of all these, who in your opinion is the most fitting person to send there, that he may go and contend with the men, and be the ally of his own species." The peacock said, “All these have ability for the duty, because they are poetical and eloquent, but the nightingale is the most eloquent and melodious of them all." The Shah-murgh directed him (the nightingale) to take his departure, and go there, putting his trust in God, who is a help and support in every emergency.

CHAPTER XIII.

On the matters of the Third Messenger.

THE HE third messenger went to the king-bee, chief of all the flies, and recounted to him all the affairs of the animals. He, the king of all insects, as soon as he heard it, gave orders for all the insects to come before him. In consequence of the command, flies, mosquitoes, gadflies, gnats, fleas, wasps, moths, and, in fine, all creatures who are small in body and fly with wings, and do not live more than one year, came and attended. The king set forth to them all the information he had heard from the tongue of the messenger, and said, "Who is there among you who will go there, and dispute with the men on behalf of the animals." They all inquired upon what point the men were boasting over them. The messenger said, “They boast upon this point and say, 'We are larger in size and stature, we have greater strength, and in every point we are superior to the animals.'" The chief of the wasps said, "I will go there and dispute with the men." The chief of the flies said, "I will go there, aud act as the deputy of my tribe." The chief of the mosquitoes said, “I will go there." The chief of the locusts said, "I will go there, and, being the ally of my own species, I will discuss (the matter) with the men." In this way every one was ready for the business.

The

The king said, "How is this that ye all, without consideration and thought, form the project of going there?" congregation of gnats said, "O king, there is reliance upon