Page:The Folk-Lore Journal Volume 3 1885.djvu/369

Rh "What sort of a longing?" he asked. "I wish to partake of the king of Benares' viands; but, indeed, I am unable to procure them. I shall therefore give up my life."

The Bodhisat was sitting and pondering over the matter when in came Sumukha and inquired, "Great king, wherefore art thou so sad?" The king told him the reason. The prime-minister replied, "Great king, do not grieve about it." He consoled them both too, saying, "Stay here now to-day, and I'll bring you the food you long for." Then off he went, assembled the crows, and told them the whole affair, saying, "Now, we will go and fetch some of this food." With the crows he entered Benares, and, not far from the kitchen, he formed various companies of crows, and put them in different places to keep guard, but he himself remained with the warrior-crows on the roof of the kitchen. Observing that it was time to carry in the food to the king he said to the crows, "When the food is being taken in to the king I will alight upon the chargers, and when they fall it will be all over with me; but let four of you fill your mouths with the rice, and let four others take the fish and flesh and cause the king and his queen to partake of the food. If he asks, 'Where's the prime-minister?' say, 'He's coming later on.' "

As soon as the cook had got the viands ready he caused the food to be carried by means of a pingo and proceeded to the king's palace.

When he came to the king's courtyard the crow-minister gave the signal to his followers. Flying up himself he alighted on the breast of the "food-carrier," struck him with his claws, and with his beak, as sharp as the point of a spear, he pecked the tip of the carrier's nose. Then standing up he closed his mouth with his two feet (so that he could not cry out).

The king, as he was walking about on the principal floor of his palace, looked out of a large window, saw the act of that crow, and shouted to the food-carrier: "Oh! food-carrier, put down the chargers, and at once take hold of the crow." He put down the chargers and held fast the crow. Then the king said, "Come here!"

At that moment the four crows came, and, having eaten what sufficed them, took a portion of the remainder in the way already mentioned (according to the instructions given by Sumukha) and