The King and his Hawk

Genghis Khan was a great king and warrior. He led his army into China and Persia and conquered many lands. In every country, men told about his daring deeds; they said that since Alexander the Great, there had been no king like him.

One summer morning, he went out hunting with his friends. On his wrist sat his favorite bird, a fast and beautiful hawk.

The day had been warm. By the time the hunt was over, the king was very thirsty. His pet hawk had flown away. It would go home; hawks are very smart animals.

As the king rode slowly along, he saw some water dripping from a rock. He was delighted. "There must be a spring farther up!"

The king took a little silver cup from his hunting bag. He held it to catch the slowly falling drops. At last it was nearly full. He was about to drink.

All of a sudden, with a sound in the air, the cup was knocked from his hand. The water spilled on the ground. The king looked up to see who had done this thing. It was his pet hawk. "I understand you are being playful, Sir Hawk," said the king, "but I'm very thirsty. Let me have a drink!"

He picked up the cup and again held it to fill it. When the cup was half full, he lifted it toward his mouth. Just then, the hawk flew down and knocked the cup away again!

Now the king was getting angry. He tried once more; for the third time the hawk kept his master from drinking.

The king got furious. "Stupid bird!" he shouted. "If you were here, I would strangle you!"

Then he filled the cup again. This time he slowly drew his sword before he tried to drink. "Now, Sir Hawk, this is the last time," he said.

Scarcely had he spoken, before the hawk swooped down and knocked the cup from his hand. The king was ready. He slashed the bird with his sword as it passed. The poor hawk lay bleeding and dying at its master's feet. "That is what you get for your pains," said the king.

The king looked for his cup but couldn't find it anywhere. "Then I will have a drink from that spring," he said to himself and began to climb the steep rock.

As he reached the spring, he noticed something floating in the water, almost filling it. It was a huge, dead snake of the most poisonous kind. Its blood and venom were oozing into the water.

The king stopped. He forgot his thirst. He thought only of his poor hawk lying dead on the ground below him. "The hawk saved my life!" he cried, "and how did I repay him? He was my best friend, and I have killed him."

He took the bird up gently and laid it in his hunting bag. As he rode home, he said to himself, "I have learned a sad lesson today: Never do anything in anger."