I said
unto him. 'O king of hawks, because thou art flying away with our enemy,
the mouse, in thy claws, mayest thou, without a foe, live in heaven with a
golden body.' Afterwards when that hawk devoured the mouse, I came away,
obtaining his leave. Therefore, ye children, enter this hole trustfully.
Ye have nothing to fear. The mouse that was its inmate was seized and
taken away by the hawk in my sight.' The young ones again said, 'O mother,
we do not by any means know that the mouse hath been carried away by the
hawk. We cannot enter this hole in the ground without being certain of the
fact.' Their mother said, 'I know to a certainty that the mouse hath been
carried away by the hawk. Therefore, ye children, ye have nothing to fear;
do what I say.' The young ones again said, 'We do not, O mother, say that
thou art dispelling our fears with a false story. For whatever is done by
a person when his reason hath been disturbed can scarcely be said to be
that person's deliberate act. Thou hast not been benefited by us, nor dost
thou know who we are. Why dost thou, therefore, strive to protect us at so
much cost to thyself? Who are we to thee? Thou art young and handsome, and
capable of seeking out thy husband. Go unto thy husband. Thou shalt obtain
good children again. Let us by entering the fire attain to regions of
felicity. If, however, the fire consume us not, thou mayest come back and
obtain us again.'
"Vaisampayana said, 'The parent bird then, thus addressed by her sons,
left them in Khandava and hastily went to the spot where there was no fire
and there was safety.
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