Page:Gems of Arabic Literature.djvu/21

 so wilt thou feed me?" It replied, "Yes, take it; it is thine." As the sparrow reached forward with its beak, the snare entrapped its neck. The sparrow said, "Evil is the course of treachery, fraud, and depravity that thou hast chosen for thyself."

The sparrow had scarcely looked round, when the owner of the snare seized it. The sparrow exclaimed to itself, "Rightly have the sages said that he who acts rashly (is sure to) repent, but he who is cautious is safe. Now, how can I escape when it is too late ?" Then the bird suddenly thought of a stratagem which might avail in its sore distress. It turned round to the fowler and said, "O man! listen to my words: I hope that God will turn them to thine advantage; then do with me what thou wilt." The fowler was amazed at these words of the sparrow, and said to it, "Speak out." Then the sparrow said, "No man of wisdom would doubt that I could not fatten (any one), or appease hunger. If thou desireth (counsels of) wisdom, harken then to these three wise sayings which will be of more use to thee than I; and afterwards set me free. The first (I will tell thee) whilst I am in thine hands; the second, whilst I am at the foot of the tree; and the third, when I am on its top."

Now the fowler felt disposed to set it free, and said, "Tell me the first". It replied, "As long as thou liveth, do not repent of what is past". The fowler was pleased with the words, and released the sparrow. When it reached the foot of the tree, it said "The second is, 'As long as thou liveth, do not believe that the impossible is possible". Then it flew to the top of the tree, and the fowler said, "Tell me the third saying". The sparrow answered, "O man! I have never seen a more unfortunate person than thou: thou succeededst in obtaining a fortune that would have enriched thee, thy children and thine kinsmen; but it passed out of