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77. THE REAL BRINKMANSHIP
The king was furious with the queen and the mahout of his elephant. He ordered that they should be flung down a precipice into a deep gorge. He therefore commanded that the queen should be placed on the elephant which the mahout should drive over the precipice so that all three would meet with their death. He made his guards stand on both the sides of the elephant on the crag of the hill from where they were to fall. This was to prevent any escape. When the elephant was brought to the very brink of it and when he lifted one of his legs to go ahead, the people that had crowded around cried out in anguish. "Why should the dumb animal perish? The human offenders may be killed but spare the animal."
The king's wrath remained undiminished. The elephant lifted his second foot and the people shouted again. When the third foot was lifted, the people demanded "Why are you killing the gem of an elephant ?"
The king asked the mahout if he could manage to turn the elephant back from the brink. The mahout said he could only if the king pardoned both the humans. The king said he certainly would and the mahout turned the elephant back with the skilful use of the goad.
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