WHEN the sun descended into the west, and the moon rose in the east, Khojisteh went to the parrot to ask leave. Seeing the parrot sitting pensive, she said, “Why are you thoughtful?” The parrot re­plied, “You are of a great family, I know not whether your lover is also of noble descent. If his family is found to be great, like yours, there can be no harm in forming a friendship with him, nay it is desirable; but otherwise it should be avoided.” Khojisteh answered, “Alas! guardian of my secret, you say true; how can I learn his character?” The parrot answered, “A man's virtues and vices are discovered by his conversation; but have you not heard the story of the jackal?” Khojisteh desired to hear it.

The parrot said, “A jackal had made a practice of going to a city, where he thrust his muzzle into vessels belonging to different people. One night, according to custom, he went to the house of an indigo-maker, and having thrust his head into a jar of indigo, it happened that he fell in bodily, and found great difficulty in getting out again: his whole body was dyed blue. When he went to the desert, all the beasts, seeing such a wonder-ful figure, conceived him to be some mighty ani-mal. The corps of jackals made him their leader, and obeyed his commands. The jackal, in order that nobody might discover him by his voice, made other weak animals stand near him. Thus, during the levee, the jackals formed the first rank, the foxes the second, the deer and the monkeys the third; wolves made up the fourth rank, lions the fifth, and elephants the sixth rank. Whenever the jackals barked, the leader also made a noise along with them, and no one found him out. But after some days, this leader becoming ashamed of the other jackals, removed them to a distance, and placed the lions and elephants near himself: at night the jackals began to howl, when the leader joined in their noise. The beasts who stood near him, discovered who he was: they were ashamed of themselves, and falling on the leader, ripped up his belly.”

The parrot, having finished the story, said to Kho-jisteh, “My mistress, the vices and virtues of every individual may be discovered by his conversation. Go now to your lover, and talk with him, in order to learn his character.” Khojisteh wanted to go; immediately the cock crowed, and morning appearing, her visit was deferred.