'O mother, relinquishing thy affection for us, go
thou to a place where there is no fire. If we are killed here, thou mayest
have other children born to thee. If thou, O mother be killed, we can have
no more children in our race. Reflecting upon both these calamities, the
time hath come for thee, O mother, to do that which is beneficial to our
race. Do not be influenced by affection for thy offspring, which promises
to destroy both us and thee. If thou savest thyself, our father, who is
even desirous of winning regions of felicity, may have his wishes
gratified.'
"Hearing what the infants said. Jarita replied, 'There is a hole here in
the ground near to this tree, belonging to a mouse. Enter this hole
without loss of time. You shall have then no fear of fire. After ye have
entered it, I shall, ye children, cover its mouth with dust. This is the
only means of escape that I see from the blazing fire. Then when the fire
will be put out, I shall return hither to remove the dust. Follow my
advice if you are to escape from the conflagration.'
"The infant birds replied, 'Without feathers we are but so many balls of
flesh. If we enter the hole, certain it is that the carnivorous mouse will
destroy us all. Beholding this danger before us, we cannot enter this hole.
Alas, we do not see any means by which we may escape from the fire or from
the mouse. We do not see how our father's act of procreation may be
prevented from becoming futile, and how also our mother may be saved.
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