With that Hiranya whisked away to his hole, pausing at the entrance, when he knew the crow could not get at him, to cry, “You be off to your nest and leave me alone!”

The feelings of the crow were very much hurt at this speech, the more that he knew full well it was not exactly love for the mouse, which had led him to make his offer, but self-interest:  for who could tell what difficulties he himself might some day be in, out of which the mouse might help him?  Instead of obeying Hiranya, and going back to his nest, he hopped to the mouse’s hole, and putting his head on one side in what he thought was a very taking manner, he said: 

“Pray do not misjudge me so.  Never would I harm you!  Even if I did not wish to have you for a friend, I should not dream of gobbling you up, as you say, however hungry I might be.  Surely you are aware that I am a strict vegetarian, and never eat the flesh of other creatures.  At least give me a trial.  Let us share a meal together, and talk the matter over.”

5.  Can a friendship be a true one if the motive for it is self-interest?

6.  Would it have been wise or foolish for the mouse to agree to be friends with the crow?

CHAPTER IV

Hiranya, on hearing the last remark of Laghupatin, hesitated, and in the end he agreed that he would have supper with the crow that very evening.  “There is plenty of rice here,” he said, “which we can eat on the spot.  It would be impossible for you to get into my hole, and I am certainly not disposed to visit you in your nest.”  So the two at once began their meal, and before it was over they had become good friends.  Not a day passed without a meeting, and when all the rice was eaten up, each of the two would bring something to the feast.  This had gone on for some little time, when the crow, who was fond of adventure and change, said one day to the mouse:  “Don’t you think we might go somewhere else for a time?  I am rather tired of this bit of the forest, every inch of which we both know well.  I’ve got another great friend who lives beside a fine river a few miles away, a tortoise named Mandharaka; a thoroughly good, trustworthy fellow he is, though rather slow and cautious in his ways.  I should like to introduce you to him.  There are quantities of food suitable for us both where he lives, for it is a very fruitful land.  What do you say to coming with me to pay him a visit?”

“How in the world should I get there?” answered Hiranya.  “It’s all very well for you, who can fly.  I can’t walk for miles and miles.  For all that I too am sick of this place and would like a change.”

“Oh, there’s no difficulty about that,” replied Laghupatin.  “I will carry you in my beak, and you will get there without any fatigue at all.”  To this Hiranya consented, and very early one morning the two friends started off together.

7.  Is love of change a good or a bad thing?