113 ‘

NINTH EVENING.

THE TRANSMIGRATIONS OF INDUR.

At the timc when Fairies and Genii possessed the
powers which they have now lost, there lived in the
country of the Brachmans aman named Indur, who was
distinguished, not only for that gentleness of cispo-
sition and humanity towards all living creatures, which
are so much cultivated among those people, but for an
insatiable curiosity respecting the nature and way of
life of all animals. In pursuit of knowledge of this
kind, he would frequently spend the night among lonely
rocks, or in the midst of thick forests; and there,
under shelter of a hanging cliff, or mounted upon a
high tree, he would watch the motions and actions of
all the animals that seek their prey in the night; and,
remaining in the same spot till the break of day, he
would observe this tribe of creatures retiring to their
dens, and all others coming forth to enjoy the beams
of the rising sun. On these occasions, if he saw any
opportunity of exercising his bencvolence towards
animals in distress, he never failed to make use of it ;
aud many times rescued the small bird from the piti-
less hawk, and the lamb or kid from the gripe of the
wolf andlynx. One day, as he was sitting on a tree m
the forest, a little frolicksome monkey, in taking a great
leap from one bough to another, chanced to miss its
hold, and fell from a great height to the ground. As
it lay there, unable to move, Indur espied a large
venomous serpent advancing to make the poor de-
fenceless creature his prey. He immediately descended
from his post, and taking the little monkey in his arms,
ran with it to the tree, and gently placed it upon a
bough. In the mean time, the enraged serpent pur-
geuing jm, overtook him before he could mount the

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