The Tale of King Sindba-d and the Falcon

  The Tale of King Sindba-d and the Falcon

THEY say that there was a king among the Kings of F&rs who was a great lover of sport, of riding through the great gardens, and of all kinds of hunting. He had a falcon which he had trained himself and which never left him by day or night; for even during the night he carried it upon his fist and when he went hunting and coursing took it with him. He had also a little cup of gold hung from her neck at which she used to drink. One day, as he was sitting in his palace, his chief falconer approached him,

 saying: ‘King of the ages, the weather is just right for hunting.’ The King made ready and, taking his falcon, set out with a great company and came at length to a valley where they spread the hunting nets. Suddenly a gazelle fell into the nets, and the King said: ‘I will kill him who lets her pass.’ Then they began to narrow the hunting net about the gazelle so that she came near the King and, standing on her hind legs, brought her forelegs close to her chest, as if she wished to salute him. On this the King clapped his hands to frighten the gazelle and she leapt over his head and fled far away over the plain. Turning to his huntsmen, the King saw them winking at each other, so he asked his waz(r why they were winking and the other answered: ‘I think they are reminding each other of what you said, that yo

u would put anyone to death who let the gazelle pass.’ Then the King cried out: ‘By my life, we must follow this gazelle and bring her back!’ So he galloped at full speed on her track, and when he came up to her, the falcon struck her above the eyes with his beak, blinding and bewildering her, and the King took his mace and rolled her over with one blow. Then he dismounted to disembowel and flay the

 animal, and afterwards hung the carcase on his saddle-bow. By this time, both the King and his horse had become faint from thirst, the day being very hot and the place a dry waterless desert; but, chancing to look round, the King saw a tree, down whose trunk water was falling as thick as butter. The King,

 who had his hands covered with leather gloves, took the cup from the falcon’s neck, filled it with this water and placed it before the bird. But the falcon hit the cup with his claw and knocked it over. Again the King filled it and, still thinking that the bird was thirsty, placed it before him, but the falcon knocked it over a second time. Then the King became angry with the bird and, filling the cup a third time, held it out to his horse, but the falcon fluttered forward and knocked it over with his wing. ‘All&h entomb you, you ill-omened bird!’ cried the King. ‘You have prevented me from drinking and the horse also, to say nothing of your silly self!’ So he struck at the falcon with his sword, and cut both her wings.

 Then the falcon lifted her head up, as she were saying by signs: ‘Look into the tree!’ The King looked up and saw in the tree a knot of serpents, dripping their venom-like water down the trunk. Seeing this, he was sorrowful for what he had done and, mounting his horse, rode back to his palace. Arrived there, he threw the carcase of the gazelle to the cook, telling him to prepare it. Then he sat down, still with the falcon on his hand: but no sooner had he done so than the bird gave a sob and fell dead. At this sight,

 the King uttered cries of lamentation and repentance that he had killed the bird who had saved him from a frightful death. This is the tale of King Sindb&d. When the waz(r heard the tale of King Y*n&n, ‘Great King, dignified Majesty,’ he said, ‘what evil have I ever done that had so sad an ending? Only out of love for my King have I spoken as I have; later you shall see the truth of my words. Hear me, and you are saved; regard me not, and I fear that you will perish as perished a certain treacherous waz(r who harmed the son of a king.’ 

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