'Is such my answer?' asked the attendant.

'It is,' said Lávanyavati.

Upon the messenger reporting her reply to the Prince, he was in despair.

'The God of the five shafts has hit me,' he exclaimed, 'and only her
presence will cure my wound.'

'We must make her husband bring her, then,' said the messenger.

'That can never be,' replied the Prince.

'It can,' replied the messenger--

'Fraud may achieve what force would never try:--
The Jackal killed the Elephant thereby.'

'How was that?' asked the Prince. The Slave related:--


THE STORY OF THE OLD JACKAL AND THE ELEPHANT

"In the forest of Brahma[11] lived an Elephant, whose name was
'White-front.' The Jackals knew him, and said among themselves, 'If this
great brute would but die, there would be four months' food for us, and
plenty, out of his carcase.' With that an old Jackal stood up, and
pledged himself to compass the death of the Elephant by his own wit.
Accordingly, he sought for 'White-front,' and, going up to him, he made