| Summary: | This book in excellent condition starts with a very sensible introduction by Lionel Barnett. The T of C then includes all the fables by title and page number. The quoted verses here are all done in italics. Fables begin only at the top of a page. This edition uses footnotes, so that one does not have to page back and forth to notes in the back of the book. This version is more explicit than some about the sexual exploitation of the young merchant's wife by the prince (60). The merchant has brought her after supplying only one other woman for the prince's month of religious one-nighters. Likewise, this version is clear about the monkey's dangling testicles and his death in the story of his imitating the carpenter and removing the wedge (70). It is clear here that only one mouse bothered the lion in Damanaka's cunning story about keeping rulers worried and so shaping a place for oneself as minister to that worry. The lion fed a cat whenever he heard the mouse make noise. After the cat finally killed the mouse, the lion forgot about feeding the cat (83). The point: A master ought never to be made free from cares. Here it is a bawd that solves the problem of the bell rung by the monkeys (86). Sajivaka the bull's appointment to oversee provisions leads to a remissness in serving out provisions to the underlings (90) and so motivates the cruel plotting of Damanaka and Karataka. The ploy of the herdsman's wife is clear here (97). Making love with the magistrate's son, she is interrupted by the arrival of the magistrate, another lover of hers, and so she sends the son into a cupboard. When her husband brings a new interruption, she urges the magistrate to leave quickly while pretending anger. She explains to her husband that the magistrate came seeking his runaway son, whom she had hidden so that he would be safe from his father's anger. Thus she got one of her problems to solve the other. It takes Damanaka only one visit to each antagonist to set them at odds with one another. He needs then only one line to prepare the lion for the bull's visit (112). Damanaka sets the lion at ease from his remorse after killing the bull, but the version goes no further into the future, e.g., to describe Damanaka's role. In War, the third chapter, the two kingdoms set against each other feature Flamingo as king of the water-birds living on Karpura, with a crane as messenger or scout and a goose or duck Chakravaka as prime minister. The crane reports on the enemy, led by the peacock Chitra-varna with his prime minister the vulture and a parrot who serves as ambassador to the water-birds. Here the wheelwright raises on his head the couch with his wife and her lover and dances about with the couch on his head (129-30)! Chakravakra thinks that the crane has caused an unnecessary disturbance by shooting off his mouth; he thus wants to send someone to deal with the peacock. Strangely, he recommends the erring crane with another crane as ambassadors or spies. Chakravakra further counsels patient entry into war and preparation in the meantime of the fortress by Sarasa the Indian crane. The suspected spy, the crow, shows up at the water-bird court and is admitted. Chitra-varna attacks soon, against the vulture's advice. The water-birds attack them en route and win a battle. The peacock repents not listening to his vulture minister and pledges to listen to him now. In a tough battle, the crows burn the water-birds' fortress. The flamingo can escape with some injuries only because Sarasa protects him with his own life against the opposing general cock, whom Sarasa kills before dying himself. Peace, the fourth chapter, can be the toughest to follow in the Hitopadesa, but it is clearly presented here. The flamingo learns through his minister the goose that the crows were responsible for burning the city. In the meantime, the peacock thinks of putting the traitorous crow in charge of the newly acquired water-bird island of Karpura. His advisor the vulture speaks strongly against that plan. The vulture advises instead that they withdraw back to their own country. They should make peace and retire, since the enemy's castle is demolished, and the peacock's realm has won fame. The peacock is not quite ready to accept this advice, so the water-birds stir up secession in a third territory, Ceylon. At last the vulture can prevail upon the peacock king to make peace, and the vulture himself comes to the water-birds to forge the agreement. The presentation helps to confirm that the Hitopadesa is well read as a guide for ministers, who are the real players here. Kings are stupid, petty, and easy to manipulate. The frontispiece, the only illustration, is a white-on-black collection of animals. A Translation from the original Sanskrit by Francis Johnson, revised and in part re-written by Lionel D. Barnett This is a hardbound book (hard cover) This book has a dust jacket (book cover) Original language: san
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