by selling me: do not slay him, endowed as he is with wisdom and such like virtues. If you shall kill him, you will never escape from hell and similar states of suffering." After thus terrifying the fowler with the fear of hell and making him give ear to his sweet discourse, Sumukha once more drew near and took his stand by the Bodhisatta, comforting him. The fowler, hearing his words, thought, "Being a mere bird, as he is, he can do what for men is impossible. For they cannot remain constant in friendship. Oh! what a wise, eloquent, and holy creature is this!" His whole body thrilling with joy and ecstasy, and his hair standing erect with wonder, he dropped his stick and raising his joined hands to his forehead, like one worshipping the sun, he stood proclaiming the virtues of Sumukha.

The Master, to make the matter clear, said:

The fowler hearing what the bird so eloquently said,
With hair erect and folded hands his homage duly paid.

Ne'er was it heard or seen before that, using human speech,
To man in his own tongue a goose sublimest truth should preach.

What is this bird to thee, that when the rest are fled and gone,
Though free, beside the captive bird thou here art left alone?

[363] Sumukha, on being asked this question by the evil-minded fowler, thought, "He is relenting: to soften his heart still more I will now show him my quality," and he said:

He is my king, O foe to birds, his captain chief am I;
I cannot leave him to his fate, while I to safety fly.

Let not this lord of mighty hosts here perish all alone;
Near him my happiness I find: him as my lord I own.

On hearing this sweet discourse of his treating of duty, the fowler, overjoyed and with hair erect in wonder, thought, " If I should kill this royal goose endowed with virtue and the like good qualities, I shall never escape from the four states of suffering: let the king of Benares do what he will with me; I shall make over this captive as a free gift to Sumukha and let him go," and he spake this stanza:

Noble art thou, to honour one through whom thou still dost live;
Fly where ye list: to thy good lord his freedom now I give.

[364] So saying, the fowler with kindly purpose drew nigh to the Great Being and bending the stick he laid the bird on the mud, and pulling up the stick he set it free from the noose. Then he drew forth the bird from the lake and laying him on some young kus'a grass he gently loosed the snare that bound his foot. Conceiving a strong affection for the