Tibetan Folk Tales | Page 7

and thinking of their plight, wondering how they could
get out, or what they could do to keep from starving, when a traveler
coming along reached the broken road and looked down and saw them.
They all at one time began to clamor and beg to be helped out, so he
threw a long rope down to them and drew them all out one after the
other. They all professed great gratitude and said they would never
forget him and never forget the help he had given them, and that some
time they'd help him. The traveler, in his heart, rather scorned the
professions of friendship from the crow, the rat and the snake, and
really didn't believe they could do anything for him, but thought
possibly the man might be able to aid him some time.
A long time after this had taken place, in the palace of the king, in this
far away country, the queen was on the top of the flat roof washing her
hair. She took off her jeweled necklace and laid it down near her on a
low bench, and when her hair was dry went downstairs and forgot her
jewels. Near by in the top of a tree sat the crow who had been rescued
by the man a long time ago. He saw the necklace and said, "This will
be a good present to give to that man who saved me from the chasm,"
so he flew down, picked it up in his bill, flew away with it and took it

to the man and told him where he got it.
The next day the traveler with the necklace met the man he had rescued
and said, "Look here. I didn't think that crow would be much of a friend,
but see, he has brought me these magnificent jewels that belong to the
queen."
The rescued man, hearing this, went at once to the king and said to him,
"The queen's necklace you will find in the house of such a man," and
gave the name of his rescuer. The king at once sent his men, arrested
the traveler and cast him into prison. In that dark old dungeon, with no
bed to lie on, the walls dripping moisture, no food to eat, and no friend
to bring him any, he was about to starve to death, when the rat he had
rescued and who lived there came and asked him how he happened to
be in that place. He related the story of his arrest and the ingratitude of
the man he had saved and said he was about to starve and would surely
die unless help came very soon. The rat went away, entered into the
king's palace, stole the food from his table, carried it to the man in the
dungeon and saved him.
Another day the snake came in to see him and asked how it was that he
happened to be in the prison. He told him the story again and the snake
said, "Never mind, I'll get you free."
Now this snake was a magic snake, and making himself into a ghost
wound around and around the king's neck and almost choked him to
death. He could be felt but not seen. The king wildly called for his great
men, his wise men and his lamas who cast lots and told him that this
ghost that was choking him was one of the patron saints of the man in
the prison, and if he would loose the prisoner and treat him kindly, his
troubles would cease. So he called for the prisoner to be brought before
him, gave him much money and many jewels and sent him away
speedily.
The king's misery stopped and the traveler was made happy by the
friendship of the three whom he had doubted and scorned.
***

EIGHT
Covetousness
As hail leads rain--so a quarrel leads relatives apart.
Tibetan Proverb.
LONG ago, hidden in a deep valley in the mountains, was a pool where
all the animals went to drink. Near the pool was a road, and across the
road a hunter had set a big bow that would shoot a long spear into
whatever animal loosed the taut string. A bear coming along tripped
over the string, the spear was loosed and it killed him instantly. A fox
came along and said, "Ah, here is enough meat to last me a year, but I
guess I had better cut the string that holds the bow, for fear the hunter
will return and set it again for me."
So he chewed it and the bow sprang, striking him on the head and
killing him instantly. Near the place where the two lay dead was a gully,
and in it lay an elephant asleep.