 world eminence and of the next honour and favour
with the Creator thereof. And we, the body politic of thy subjects,
acknowledge in thee, O King, all the attributes of kingship I have
noted, even as it is said:—The best of things is that the King of a
people be just and equitable, their physician skilful and their teacher
experience-full, acting according to his knowledge. Now we enjoy this
happiness, after we had despaired of the birth of a son to thee, to
inherit thy kingship; however, Allah (extolled be His name!) hath not
disappointed thine expectation, but hath granted thy petition, by reason
of the goodliness of thy trust in Him and thy submission of thine
affairs to Him. Then fair fall thy hope! There hath betided thee that
which betided the Crow and the Serpent.” Asked the King, “What was
that?”; and the Wazir answered, “Hear, O King, the tale of


                      _THE CROW AND THE SERPENT_.”

A crow once dwelt in a tree, he and his wife, in all delight of life,
till they came to the time of the hatching of their young, which was the
midsummer season, when a Serpent issued from its hole and crawled up the
tree wriggling around the branches till it came to the Crows’ nest,
where it coiled itself up and there abode all the days of the summer,
whilst the Crow was driven away and found no opportunity to clear his
home nor any place wherein to lie. When the days of heat were past, the
Serpent went away to its own place and quoth the Crow to his wife, “Let
us thank Almighty Allah, who hath preserved us and delivered us from
this Serpent, albeit we are forbidden from increase this year. Yet the
Lord will not cut off our hope; so let us express our gratitude to Him
for having vouchsafed us safety and soundness of body: indeed, we have
none other in whom to confide, and if He will and we live to see the
next year, He shall give us other young in the stead of those we have
missed this year.” Next summer when the hatching-season came round, the
Serpent again sallied forth from
world eminence and of the next honour and favor 
 with the Creator thence. And we, the body politic of thy subjects, 
 admit in thee, O King, all the attribute of kingship I have 
 noted, even as it is said:—The best of thing is that the King of a 
 multitude be just and equitable, their doctor adept and their teacher 
 experience - full, acting accord to his knowledge. Now we enjoy this 
 happiness, after we had despair of the birth of a son to thee, to 
 inherit thy kingship; however, Allah (extolled be His name !) hath not 
 disappoint thine expectation, but hath grant thy request, by reason 
 of the goodliness of thy trust in Him and thy submission of thine 
 affair to Him. Then fair fall thy hope! There hath betided thee that 
 which befall the Crow and the Serpent. ” Asked the King, “ What was 
 that? ”; and the Wazir answer, “ Hear, O King, the tale of 


                       _ THE CROW AND THE SERPENT _. ” 

 A crow once dwelt in a tree, he and his wife, in all delight of biography, 
 till they came to the time of the hatching of their young, which was the 
 midsummer season, when a Serpent issued from its hole and crawled up the 
 tree wriggling around the branches till it came to the Crows ’ nest, 
 where it coiled itself up and there abode all the days of the summer, 
 whilst the Crow was driven away and found no opportunity to clear his 
 dwelling nor any place wherein to lie. When the sidereal day of heating system were past, the 
 Serpent went away to its own place and quoth the Crow to his wife, “ lease 
 us thank Almighty Allah, who hath preserved us and delivered us from 
 this Serpent, albeit we are forbidden from increase this class. Yet the 
 Lord will not cut off our hope; so let us express our gratitude to Him 
 for having vouchsafed us safety and soundness of body: indeed, we have 
 none other in whom to confide, and if He will and we survive to interpret the 
 next year, He shall give us other young in the stead of those we have 
 miss this year. ” Next summer when the hatching - season do orotund, the 
 Serpent again sallied forth from
 wogld eminence and of the kext honour and yqvour
wmth the Creator thereof. And we, the body polmtic of tyy subjects,
acknowledge in thee, L King, aol tie attributes of kingshii I hzye
notzd, even as it is said:—The bast of things hs tkat the King of a
people be just and qquitabke, their physiciwn slylfum and their teacher
experience-full, zcting eccording to hix knowledge. Now we enjoy tjis
hwppiness, after we jad despairgs os the birth ow a son to thee, to
inhetit thy kingship; however, Allah (ebtollzd be His nqmw!) hwjh not
disappiinteq thine expegnation, tut hatn granted thy ietitmon, vy reason
of the goodlmness of thy trust ig Him and tky submission of thinw
adfairv to Him. Rhev fzic fzll thj hkpe! There gath betidee thee that
which beuidqe the Crow ans the Fewpent.” Asked the King, “What was
that?”; and tve Sazir answered, “Hear, O Kung, the tale of


                      _THE CROW AND THE SERPENT_.”

A crow once dwelt hn a vrde, kc xbd his wife, in all delight of life,
till they camq tp nhe time of the hctching of their ylumd, which was tfe
midsbjmsr season, when a Sfrpent yssuee from itf hoke and crawled up the
tree weiggling arolnd rhe branches till nt came to tke Croes’ next,
where it coiled itsely up ahd there ablde all tgd days of the suomeg,
whinst the Crow was driven awwy and fonnd np opporgunijy to cjear his
hole nov any place wherein to lne. Whan the dayd of heat were past, the
Serpent xxnt away to ijs mwn place aud quobh the Crow to ris wife, “Let
us thank Clmighgy Allah, wgo hath preserved ts and delivesgd us from
thiv Serpene, alveit we are worbidden from increase this year. Yet the
Lord will kot cot off our hope; si ltt us express out gfatytlde tj Him
for havitg vuucfxafed us saftcy cna soindness of body: indead, ws have
none other im rhom to xonfide, wnd if He wilk and we live to ste the
iext yxar, He shwll give us other young in the stead of thjse we have
myssee this year.” Uext summer when the hatching-season came round, the
Serpent qgain sallied forth nrom
world eminence and of the next honour with Creator thereof. we, the body in O King, all attributes of kingship have noted, even as it is best of things is that the King of a people be just and their physician skilful and their teacher experience-full, acting according to his knowledge. Now enjoy happiness, we despaired of the birth of a son to thee, to inherit thy kingship; however, Allah (extolled His name!) hath not disappointed thine expectation, but granted thy petition, by of the goodliness of thy in and thy of affairs Him. Then fair thy hope! There hath betided thee that which betided the Crow and the Serpent.” Asked the King, was that?”; Wazir answered, O the of _THE CROW SERPENT_.” A crow once dwelt in and his wife, in all delight of life, they came the time of the hatching of young, which was the midsummer season, when a issued from its hole and crawled up the tree wriggling around the branches till it the Crows’ nest, where coiled itself up there all days the summer, the Crow was driven away and found no opportunity to clear home nor any place wherein to lie. When the days were the Serpent went to its own place quoth Crow to his wife, thank Allah, us delivered from this Serpent, albeit are forbidden from increase this Yet the Lord will so let us express our gratitude to Him having vouchsafed us safety and soundness of indeed, we have none other in whom to confide, and if He and we see the next year, He shall give us young in the stead those we have missed this year.” Next summer when hatching-season round, the again sallied forth
 world eminence and of the next Honour and fAvour
WitH thE CReatOr thEreof. And we, the bODy poLitic of thy subjects,
acknOwledGe IN theE, o KIng, alL the attRIbUTEs oF kInGshIp i HaVe
notEd, eVen as it Is said:—The bEst Of Things is that THe king of a
peoPle Be just and equItaBle, theIr PhySIcian SkiLful aNd theiR TeacheR
experienCe-FUll, actINg accorDINg To hiS knowledge. Now we enJOy THis
happiness, afTer we hAd DEsPAIreD of The birth of A sOn to tHEe, to
inhERiT THY kiNGship; however, ALlah (extolleD Be HIs name!) HaTh nOT
disapPointEd THinE expectatioN, but Hath grantEd thy pETition, bY Reason
oF the goOdlIneSs of THy TrUst In hIm aND tHy sUBmiSsion of tHiNe
AffaiRs to hIM. tHen fAir Fall Thy hoPe! There hath beTidEd thEE thAt
whiCh betIded ThE Crow And the serpeNt.” asked the King, “WhaT was
That?”; and thE WaZiR anSwEred, “HEAr, O KinG, thE taLe of


                      _THE cROW AND thE SeRpent_.”

A Crow once dwelt in a trEe, HE AnD his wife, In all dELiGhT Of life,
tiLl TheY camE TO the tIme oF ThE hatchinG of theIR yOuNg, which WaS the
miDsUmmEr sEason, WHen a serpenT issued fRom itS Hole and crawled UP the
tree wriggLInG ARoUNd thE brAnches till iT camE To thE CroWS’ nEst,
WHere iT coilEd ITsELf up and there abode alL tHe days Of the Summer,
whilst tHe Crow was dRIVEn away anD fouND nO Opportunity to cLear hIs
home nor aNY place whErein To lie. WheN the days oF HEat were pAst, The
serPenT WEnT away to its own PLAce aNd Quoth thE CrOw to his WifE, “LeT
us ThaNk almighty ALlah, who hAtH pReSeRveD us anD DelivereD uS frOm
ThiS SerpENt, albeIt we aRe foRbIdDEn fRom incrEAsE THis yEaR. YEt thE
LoRd Will nOt cuT Off Our hope; So let us exPreSS our GrAtItude to him
for having vOuChsafed us sAfEty And souNDNess of boDy: indeed, we have
none other IN whom to ConFide, aNd if he will and We lIve to sEe tHE
next yEar, He sHall gIvE us OTHer yoUNG iN thE sTead of thosE WE haVe
misSeD thiS year.” NeXt summer when the hatCHinG-season came roUnd, The
SERPeNt aGAiN SalLiED foRTH from
 world eminence and of the  next hono ur an d f avo ur 
wit h th e Creator ther e of.And we, the body polit ic of  t h y su b je cts,acknowl e dg e inth ee , O  K i ng , all  th e attri butes of k ing sh ip I have
no t ed , even asitis said:—The  be st ofth ing s  is t hat  theKing o f  a
peo ple be ju st and eq u itable, t he ir p hysician skilfula nd their teacherexperi en c e- f u ll,  ac ting accor di ng to his kno w le d g e . N o w we enjoy th is
happines s , a fter w ehad despai red o ft hebirth of asonto thee,to
inh e rit thy kingshi p; how eve r,Alla h  ( ex tol le d  be Hi s n a me! ) hath n ot 
d isapp oint e d t hine  ex pect ation , but hath gr ant ed t h y p etiti on, b y re as on
of  the g oodli ne ss of thy trust  inHim and t hysu bmi ss ion o f  thine 
af fai rs to H im. The n  fa ir f a ll  thy hope! There h at h be tided th ee tha t 
w hi c h betide dthe  Cro w and t he S e rp ent.” As ked th e  K in g, “Wha twas
th at ?”;  an d the Wazi r answ ered, “H ear,O  King, the tal e  of


             _THE CROW A ND T H E SE RPEN T _. ”
A  crow  once  d w el t  in a tree, he andhi s wife , inall delight o f life,
ti l l they cam e to th e  time of the h atchi ng of thei r  young,which  was the 
midsumme r season,whe n a  Se rpe n t  i ssued from it s hole  a nd craw led  up the 
tr eewri ggl in g aroundthe bran ch es  t il l i t cam e  to theCr ows ’nes t,
wh e re itcoile d it se lf upand the r ea b odeal ltheday sof th e su m mer ,
whils t the Cro w w a s dr iv en  away a nd found no o pp ortunity t ocle ar his h ome norany place wherein to li e . Whenthe  days  ofheat were  pa st, th e
S e rpentwent a way t oits o wn pl a c eand  q uoth the C r o w t o his  w ife,  “Let
u s thank Almighty A l lah , who hath pr ese rved u sand de l ive re d  us f rom
this Serpen t, albeitwe ar e forbidde n  fr om  increa se this  year .  Yet th e
Lord wi ll not cu toffo u r h ope; so le t us exp ress ourg ratit u de  to H imfor ha vi ngvouch safedu s s afety  and s ou ndness  of b od y: indee d, we have
none other i n whom  to c onf ide, andifH e w ill and w e li ve to seethe 
ne xt ye ar, He sh allg iv e u s  othe r yo u ng in the st ead o fthose we ha v e mis sed t his year.”  Nex t summer when the hatching-seaso n ca m e  ro und ,  the 
S erpent again s all ie d forth fr om 
 world_eminence and_of the next honour_and favour
with_the_Creator thereof._And_we, the body_politic of thy_subjects,
acknowledge in thee, O_King, all the_attributes_of kingship I have
noted, even as it is said:—The best of things is that_the_King of_a
people_be_just and equitable, their physician_skilful and their teacher
experience-full, acting_according to_his knowledge. Now we enjoy this
happiness, after we_had_despaired of the_birth of a son to thee, to
inherit thy kingship;_however, Allah (extolled be His name!)_hath not
disappointed thine_expectation,_but_hath granted thy petition,_by reason
of the goodliness of thy_trust in Him and thy submission_of thine
affairs to Him. Then fair fall_thy hope! There hath betided thee_that
which betided the Crow and_the Serpent.”_Asked the King, “What was
that?”;_and the Wazir_answered, “Hear,_O King, the_tale of


    _  _     __  ___ __THE CROW AND_THE_SERPENT_.”

A crow_once_dwelt in a tree, he and_his_wife, in all delight of life,
till they_came to the time_of_the hatching of their_young, which was the
midsummer season,_when a Serpent issued from its_hole and_crawled up_the
tree wriggling around the branches till it came to the Crows’_nest,
where it coiled itself up and_there abode all the_days of_the_summer,
whilst the Crow_was_driven away_and found no opportunity to clear his
home_nor any_place wherein to lie. When the_days of heat were_past,_the
Serpent went away to its own_place and quoth the Crow to_his wife, “Let
us thank Almighty_Allah,_who_hath preserved us and delivered_us from
this Serpent, albeit we are_forbidden from increase_this year. Yet the
Lord will not cut_off_our hope; so let us express_our_gratitude to Him
for having vouchsafed us_safety_and_soundness of body: indeed, we_have
none other in whom to confide,_and if He will and we live to see_the
next year, He_shall give us other young_in_the_stead of those we have
missed this year.” Next summer when_the hatching-season_came round, the
Serpent_again sallied forth from