 we before
this were in exceeding cark and passing care, because of thy lack of
issue, and full of concern bethinking us of all thy justice and gentle
dealing with us and fearful lest Allah decree death to thee and there be
none to succeed thee and inherit the kingdom after thee, and so we be
divided in our counsels and dissensions arise between us and there befal
us what befel the Crows.” Asked the King, “And what befel the Crows?”;
and the Wazir answered saying, “Hear O auspicious King, the tale of


                       _THE CROWS AND THE HAWK_.”

There was once, in a certain desert, a spacious Wady, full of rills and
trees and fruits and birds singing the praises of Allah the One of
All-might, Creator of day and night; and among them was a troop of
Crows, which led the happiest of lives. Now they were under the sway and
government of a Crow who ruled them with mildness and benignity, so that
they were with him in peace and contentment; and by reason of their
wisely ordering their affairs, none of the other birds could avail
against them. Presently it chanced that there befel their chief the doom
irrevocably appointed to all creatures and he departed life[89];
whereupon the others mourned for him with sore mourning, and what added
to their grief was that there abided not amongst them like him one who
should fill his place. So they all assembled and took counsel together
concerning whom it befitted for his goodness and piety to set over them:
and a party of them choose one Crow, saying, “It beseemeth that this be
King over us;” whilst others objected to him and would none of him; and
thus there arose division and dissension amidst them and the strife of
excitement waxed hot between them. At last they agreed amongst
themselves and consented to sleep the night upon it and that none should
go forth at dawn next day to seek his living, but that all must wait
till high morning, when they should gather together all in one place.
“Then,” said they, “we will all take flight at once and whichsoever
shall soar above the rest in his flying, he shall be accepted of us as
we before 
 this were in exceeding cark and passing care, because of thy lack of 
 issue, and wide of business bethinking us of all thy justice and easy 
 consider with us and fearful lest Allah decree end to thee and there be 
 none to succeed thee and inherit the kingdom after thee, and so we be 
 divided in our counsels and discord arise between us and there befal 
 us what befel the Crows. ” Asked the King, “ And what befel the corvus? ”; 
 and the Wazir answered saying, “ listen O auspicious baron, the tale of 


                        _ THE CROWS AND THE HAWK _. ” 

 There was once, in a sealed desert, a spacious Wady, wide of rivulet and 
 trees and fruits and birds whistle the praises of Allah the One of 
 All - might, Creator of day and night; and among them was a troop of 
 Crows, which lead the happiest of lives. Now they were under the sway and 
 government of a Crow who rule them with mildness and benignity, so that 
 they were with him in peace and contentment; and by reason of their 
 wisely ordering their affairs, none of the other birds could avail 
 against them. Presently it chanced that there befel their chief the doom 
 irrevocably appointed to all creatures and he departed life[89 ]; 
 whereupon the others mourned for him with sore mourning, and what added 
 to their grief was that there bide not amongst them like him one who 
 should fill his place. indeed they all assemble and took counsel together 
 refer whom it befitted for his goodness and piety to set over them: 
 and a party of them choose one Crow, say, “ It beseemeth that this be 
 King over us; ” whilst others objected to him and would none of him; and 
 thus there arose division and dissension amidst them and the discord of 
 excitement waxed hot between them. At last they agreed amongst 
 themselves and consented to sleep the night upon it and that none should 
 start forth at dawn next day to seek his living, but that all must expect 
 till high morning, when they should gather together all in one place. 
 “ Then, ” said they, “ we will all take flight at once and whichsoever 
 shall sailplane above the rest in his flight, he shall be accepted of us as
 we before
this were in excetding cark and passing cere, beczuse of ghy lack of
issue, and full of cincerb bethinking us of all thy justpce and gwntlt
dealing with us ehd fearnbl leab Allch decree death jo thee and dhere be
none tm rueceed thee and inherit the kingdom aster thre, and so we be
dyvidtd yn ohg gounsels and dissensions arise bstween ls and there befak
us what befel the Crows.” Adked the King, “And what befel the Xrowf?”;
qnd the Wazif answered saying, “Hear O auspicious King, the tale of


                       _THE CROWS END THV HAWK_.”

There was once, hn a cettain desert, a specioys Wady, full of rills and
trees and fruijs and birgs singing the praiwew of Dllav thd Ond or
Akl-jight, Freetor of day and night; qnd among them was s egpop of
Crows, shich jeq the happiest of lives. Now they were utded the sway and
governmenr of a Crow who ruled them witr mildness and benignity, so that
they were with hik in 'exce akd cubtfntment; and by reason of their
wisely ordering fhtir affairs, none jf the othet hitqs could avaiu
against fhem. Presently it fhanced that there besel yheir chief the doom
irrevocqbly appointvd ti all creatures anb he departeb life[89];
ehereipon the others mourned for him with slre mournjvg, and what addea
to tveir gritw was that there wbided nov amougst theo lile him one who
shluld nhll his place. So tjey apl assembled and took counsel together
conceciing whom it nexitned for hns goocness and pieey to set over them:
anb a pafty of thej choosx one Crow, swying, “It besealeth that thms be
King ovee us;” whilst uthers objectec to him cud would bone of him; and
thux tfsre arose divisnub and dissensiom aoidft tiem agg the strife of
ebcigrment waxed hot netdeen them. At last they acrees amongst
themselvex wnd consgnted to fleep the nignt upon it and thau none shuuld
gp fjrth at dawn next day to seek gis livinh, bmt that all mtst qait
till higk morning, when they should gather togethxr all in one place.
“Then,” said they, “we will clk take fligit at jnce and fhichsoever
shall soae above the rest ln his flying, he shall be acweptef of us as
we before this were in exceeding cark care, of thy of issue, and of thy justice and dealing with us fearful lest Allah decree death to and there be none to succeed thee and inherit the kingdom after thee, so we be divided in our counsels and dissensions arise between us and befal what the Asked the King, “And what befel the Crows?”; and the Wazir answered saying, “Hear O auspicious the tale of _THE CROWS AND THE HAWK_.” was once, in a desert, a spacious Wady, full rills trees and and singing praises of Allah One of All-might, Creator of day and night; and among them was a troop of Crows, which the happiest Now they under sway government of a ruled them with mildness and benignity, were with him in peace and contentment; and reason of wisely ordering their affairs, none of other birds could avail against them. Presently it that there befel their chief the doom irrevocably appointed to all creatures and he departed the others mourned for with sore mourning, what to grief that there not amongst them like him one who should fill his place. they all assembled and took counsel together concerning whom it his and piety to over them: and a of choose one Crow, saying, that be whilst objected him and would none him; and thus there arose and dissension amidst them waxed hot between them. At last they agreed themselves and consented to sleep the night it and that none should go forth at dawn next day to his living, all must wait till high morning, when they gather together all in place. “Then,” said they, “we will all take flight once whichsoever shall above the rest his flying, he be accepted of
 we before
this were in exceediNg cark and pAssinG caRe, bEcAuse Of thY lack of
issue, anD Full Of concern bethinking us oF all tHy JUstiCE aNd genTle
dealINg WITh uS aNd FeaRfUL lEst AlLah Decree dEath to thee And ThEre be
none to sUCcEed thee and InhErit the kingdOm aFter thEe, And SO we be
DivIded iN our coUNsels aNd dissensIoNS arise BEtween uS ANd TherE befal
us what befel THe cRows.” Asked the KiNg, “And wHaT BeFEL thE CrOws?”;
and the WAzIr ansWEred sayINg, “hEAR O aUSpicious King, tHe tale of


                       _THE crOWs AND THe HaWK_.”

tHere waS once, In A CerTain desert, a SpacIous Wady, fUll of rILls and
tREes and fRuits aNd bIrdS sinGInG tHe pRaISes OF ALlaH The one of
All-MiGhT, CreaTor oF DAY And nIghT; and Among Them was a troop Of
CRows, WHicH led tHe hapPiesT oF liveS. Now thEy werE uNder the sway and
gOverNment of a CRow WhO ruLeD them WIth milDneSs aNd benigNity, so tHAt
tHeY WERe With him in peace and cOnTENtMent; and bY reasoN Of ThEIr
wisely OrDerIng tHEIr affAirs, NOnE of the otHer birDS cOuLd avail
AgAinst tHeM. PrEseNtly iT ChanCed thaT there beFel thEIr chief the doom
IRrevocably appOInTED tO All cReaTures and he dEparTEd liFe[89];
whEReUpoN The otHers mOuRNeD For him with sore mournInG, and whAt addEd
to their grieF was that thERE Abided noT amoNGsT Them like him one Who
shOuld fill hiS Place. So tHey alL assemblEd and took COUnsel togEthEr
cOncErnING wHom it befitted FOR his GoOdness aNd pIety to sEt oVer TheM:
anD a Party of thEm choose OnE CRoW, sAyiNg, “It bESeemeth tHaT thIs Be
KIng ovER us;” whiLst otHers ObJeCTed To him anD WoULD nonE oF hIm; anD
thUs There ArosE DivIsion anD dissensiOn aMIdst ThEm And the sTrife of
exciteMeNt waxed hot BeTweEn them. aT Last they Agreed amongst
themselves ANd conseNteD to slEep tHe night upOn iT and thAt nONe shouLd
go foRth at DaWn nEXT day tO SEeK hiS lIving, but thAT All Must wAiT
tilL high moRning, when they shoulD GatHer together alL in One pLACe.
“theN,” SaID thEy, “WE wiLL All take flight at Once and whiChSOeVer
shall soAR abOvE the resT in his fLying, HE shall bE accepted Of us as
 we before
this were in ex ceeding ca rk an d p ass in g ca re,because of thy lack  of
issue, and full of  conc er n  bet h in kingus of a l lt h y j us ti cean d  g entle 
de aling w ith us and  fe ar ful lest All a hdecree dea thto thee andthe re beno net o suc cee d the e andi nherit  the king do m  after thee, a n d  s o we  be
divided in ou r  c o unsels and dis sensio ns ar i s e b etw een us and  t hereb efal
us wh a t bef e l the Crows.”  Asked theK ing , “And  w hat befelthe C ro w s?” ;
and the W azir  answered  sayin g , “Hear O auspi ciousKin g,thet al eof
               _ TH E CRO WS A N D T HE H AWK _.”
Ther e was once, i n a  cer t ain  dese rt, a  spa ci ous W ady, f ull o frills and
trees  and  fruits a ndbi rds  s ingin g  the p rai ses  of All ah theO neof A l l- might, Creator ofda y an d night;  and a m on gt hem wasatro op o f Crows , wh i ch  led the  happi e st  o f lives .Now th ey  we reunder thesway a nd
gover nment of a Crow whor uled them wit h  m i l dn e ss a ndbenignity,so t h at
t heyw er e w i th hi m inpe a ce and contentment; an dby rea son o f their
wisel y ordering t h eir affa irs, no n e of the other  bird s could av a il
again st th em. Pres ently itc h anced th atthe rebef e l  t heir chief th e doom 
i rrevoca bly  appoin ted  to  al l c re atures an d he dep ar te dli fe[ 89];w hereupon  t heot her s mou r ned fo r him  wit hso r e m ourning ,  a n d  wha tad dedtoth eir g rief was  that t here abid edn ot a mo ng st them  like him one  w ho
shouldfi llhis pl a c e. So th ey all assembled and to o k couns eltoget herconcernin g w hom it  be f ittedfor hi s goo dn ess a nd pi e t ytose t over the m : 
an d a p ar ty o f themchoose one Crow, s a yin g, “It beseem eth  tha t th isb eK ing  o v eru s ;” whilst other s objected  t o  h im and wou l d n on e of hi m; andthust here ar ose divis ion and d is sens i o n a midst them  and the  strife o f 
exci t em ent w axe d hotbe twe en th em. At las t the y agre ed  among st
th em selves a nd consented to sleep t he nig ht up onit and th atn one  should
g o fo rth at daw n n ext  daytos eek h is l i vi ng, but t hata ll must w a it 
ti l l  h igh morning , w hen  they  sh o uld ga ther  together all ino ne place.
“The n,”s a idthe y , “w ewill all takefli gh t at oncean d whichsoev er
shall  s o ar ab ove th e rest  in his f ly i ng, he  sha llbe accept edof us as
 we_before
this were_in exceeding cark and_passing care,_because_of thy_lack_of
issue, and full_of concern bethinking_us of all thy_justice and gentle
dealing_with_us and fearful lest Allah decree death to thee and there be
none to succeed_thee_and inherit_the_kingdom_after thee, and so we_be
divided in our counsels and_dissensions arise_between us and there befal
us what befel the_Crows.”_Asked the King,_“And what befel the Crows?”;
and the Wazir answered saying,_“Hear O auspicious King, the tale_of


  ___   _     _     _  _THE CROWS AND THE HAWK_.”

There_was once, in a certain desert,_a spacious Wady, full of_rills and
trees_and fruits and birds singing_the praises of_Allah the_One of
All-might, Creator_of day and night; and among_them was a_troop of
Crows, which led the happiest_of_lives. Now they_were_under_the sway_and
government of a_Crow_who ruled_them_with mildness and benignity, so that
they_were_with him in peace and contentment; and_by reason of their
wisely_ordering_their affairs, none of_the other birds could avail
against_them. Presently it chanced that there_befel their_chief the_doom
irrevocably appointed to all creatures and he departed life[89];
whereupon the others_mourned for him with sore mourning,_and what added
to their_grief was_that_there abided not_amongst_them like_him one who
should fill his place. So_they all_assembled and took counsel together
concerning whom_it befitted for his_goodness_and piety to set over them:
and_a party of them choose one_Crow, saying, “It beseemeth that_this_be
King_over us;” whilst others objected_to him and would none of_him; and
thus there_arose division and dissension amidst them and_the_strife of
excitement waxed hot between them._At_last they agreed amongst
themselves and consented_to_sleep_the night upon it and_that none should
go forth at dawn_next day to seek his living, but that all_must wait
till high_morning, when they should gather_together_all_in one place.
“Then,” said they, “we will all take flight_at once_and whichsoever
shall soar_above the rest in his flying, he shall be accepted_of us as