Page:Chinese Fables and Folk Stories.djvu/191

Rh He cried in bitterness of spirit. Then he looked up to heaven and said:

"Has our king done a great wrong or have our soldiers done evil? Why should we perish here in a strange land? In the hour that I rest and sleep here, may a spirit show me the path that leads out of this great trouble.

"It may be that if the north kingdom is right, we shall die here and not even go to battle. But if we are right, this thing should not be. When we first came here, there was plenty of water. Why did the earth drink up this water and leave us to die? As I sleep, may a spirit show me the meaning of all this."

Then he slept. And he saw one of the great wilderness ants; and a bird flew down to eat the ant. But the ant spoke and said, "I know that you birds try to eat our family all the time. But it is not right that one creature should eat another. You have power to overcome any ant and eat it if you wish, but man has charge of this world. When the hunter comes you can not escape his arrow or his net.

"It is not right that one creature should be against another creature. Go your way, and I will go my way, so that I may find food for my children.

"I have one hundred and fifty eggs in my nest now and I hope every one will soon hatch. Then my