and ran quickly up. The Great Being repeated the ninth stanza as he saw him coming:

"The furious hunter, arms in hand, see him approaching near!
And he will slay us here to-day with arrow or with spear."

[417] Citta did not flee, though he saw the man. But Sutana, not being strong enough to stand still, ran a little way for fear of death. Then with the thought--"Where shall I flee if I desert my two brothers?" she returned again, renouncing her own life , with death on her brow, and stood by the left side of her brother.

To explain this, the Master recited the tenth stanza:

"The tender doe in panic fear a little way did fly,
Then did a thing most hard to do, for she returned to die."

When the hunter came up, he saw these three creatures standing together. A pitiful thought arose in his heart, as he guessed they were brothers and sister born of one womb. "Only the king of the herd," thought he, "is caught in the snare; the other two are bound with the ties of honour. What kin can they be to him?" which question he asked thus:

"What are these deer that wait upon the prisoner, though free,
Nor for the sake of very life will leave him here, and flee?"

Then the Bodhisatta answered:

"My brother and my sister these, of one same mother born:
Nor for the sake of very life will leave me here forlorn."

These words made his heart more exceedingly soft. Citta, that royal stag, perceiving that his heart grew soft, said, "Friend hunter, do not imagine that this creature is a deer and no more. He is king of fourscore thousand deer, one of virtuous life, tenderhearted to all creatures, of great wisdom; he supports his sire and dam, now blind and old. If you slay a righteous being like this, in slaying him you slay dam and sire, my sister and me, all five; but if you grant my brother his life, you bestow life on the five of us." [418] Then he repeated a stanza:

"Grown blind, with none to care for them, they both will perish so:
O grant thou life to all the five, and let my brother go!"

When the hunter heard this pious discourse, he was glad at heart. "Fear not, my lord," said he, and repeated the next stanza:

"So be it: see I now set free the parent-fostering deer:
His parents when they find him safe shall make a merry cheer."