Page:Gems of Arabic Literature.djvu/23

 bark out, threatening to climb to her, whereupon she threw her young to him.

One day, when two of her young were fully fledged, behold! a heron came and alighted on the date-palm. Seeing the pigeon very sad and very anxious, it said to her, "How is it, O pigeon! I see thee so gloomy, and in such a miserable mood? "The pigeon replied, "O heron! verily, I am pestered with a fox. Whenever I have two young ones, he comes to me, threatening and shouting at the foot of the date-palm. I become alarmed and throw my young to him." The heron said to her, "Next time he comes to you for that purpose, say, I will not throw down my young ones; climb up yourself and risk a fall". Now, when the heron had taught her this plan, it flew away and alighted upon the bank of a river.

The fox came at the time which he judged (so well), and, standing beneath the pigeon, shouted to her as was his wont. She replied to him in the words the heron had taught her. The fox then said to her, "Tell me who has taught thee this." And she told him. The fox went on until he came to the heron, which he found standing on the bank of the river, and said to it, "O heron! if the wind is blowing from the right, where wilt thou put thy head?" The heron replied, "On my left." He said, "If it comes from the left? "The heron replied, "I shall put my head on my right, or behind me." The fox went on to say, "If the wind comes from all sides, where wilt thou put it then?" The heron replied, "Under my wings." "But how canst thou put it under thy wings? I do not think it is possible for thee to do so," said the fox. The heron replied, "Certainly I can." "Show me", replied the fox, "how wouldst thou do it, for, I swear by my life, O bird! God has, indeed, favoured thee above others : thou learnest in an hour what we learn