The god who dwelt in the tree bearing this, thought to himself: "These builders are determined to cut down this tree, and to destroy my place of dwelling. Now my life only lasts as long as this my abiding place. And all the young sal trees that stand around this, where dwell the deities my kinsfolk, and they are many, will be destroyed. My own destruction does not touch me so near as the destruction of my children: therefore I must protect their lives." Accordingly at the hour of midnight, adorned in divine splendour, he entered into the magnificent chamber of the king, and filling the whole chamber with a bright radiance, stood weeping beside the king's pillow. At sight of him the king, overcome by terror, uttered the first stanza:

"Who art thou, standing high in air, with heavenly vesture swathed:
Whence come thy fears, why flow the tears in which thine eyes are bathed?"

On hearing which the king of the gods repeated two stanzas:

"Within thy realm, O King, they know me as the Lucky Tree:
For sixty thousand years I stood, and all have worshipt me.

"Though many a town and house they made, and many a king's dwelling,
Yet me they never did molest, to me no harm did bring:
Then even as they did worship pay, so worship thou, O King!"

[155] Then the king repeated two stanzas:

"But such another mighty trunk I never yet did see,
So fine a kind in girth and height, so thick and strong a tree.

"A lovely palace I will build, one column for support:
There I will place thee to abide--thy life shall not be short."

On hearing this the king of the gods repeated two stanzas:

"Since thou art bent to tear my body from me, cut me small,
And cut me piecemeal limb from limb, O King, or not at all.

[156] "Cut first the top, the middle next, then last the root of me:
And if thou cut me so, O King, death will not painful be."

Then the king repeated two stanzas:

"First hands and feet, then nose and ears, while yet the victim lives,
And last of all the head let fall--a painful death this gives.

"O Lucky Tree! O woodland king! what pleasure couldst thou feel,
Why, for what reason dost thou wish to be cut up piecemeal?"

Then the Lucky Tree answered by repeating two stanzas:

"The reason (and a reason 'tis full noble) why piecemeal
I would be cut, O mighty king! come listen while I tell.

"My kith and kin all prospering round me well-sheltered grow:
These I should crush by one huge fall,--and great would be their woe."