________________
[ 46 ] Decided with his pliant Free undefeated trunk, To coil and twine and twist and tease, The banyan tree, the Tree of trees, And pull it down with royal ease, Yea! from its very root! Then, without hesitation, crush the pigmy
underfoot ! The man looked down and saw a well; and
in the well he saw A serpent of tremendous length, A serpent of stupendous strength. And saw saliva slip and drip out of its open jaw. It seemed to him, from where it hung, That it was not so very young, He saw the flickers of its tongue And shook with dreadful awe! Death seemed to say : your time has come to
pay the final price!You hardly guessed that all your life I followed on your track !"
Lo! when he turned an upward gaze He fell into a sort of daze, Upon the branch, on which he hung, he saw a
pair of mice.
Jain Education International
For Private & Personal Use Only
www.jainelibrary.org
