Beholding him succumbing, and
about to sink, and desirous of rescuing him in remembrance of the
practices of good folks, the swan addressed him in these words, 'Thou
hadst repeatedly spoken of many kinds of flight while speaking on the
subject. Thou wouldst not speak of this (thy present motion) because of
its having been a mystery to us? What is the name of this kind of flight,
O crow, that thou hast now adopted? Thou touchest the waters with thy
wings and beak repeatedly. Which amongst those diverse kinds of flight is
this, O crow, that thou art now practising? Come, come, quickly, O crow,
for I am waiting for thee.''"
"'Shalya continued, "Exceedingly afflicted, and touching the water with
his wings and beak, O thou of wicked soul, the crow, beheld in that state
by the swan, addressed the latter. Indeed, not seeing the limit of that
watery expanse and sinking down in fatigue, and exhausted with the effort
of his flight the crow said unto the swan, 'We are crows, we wander
hither and thither, crying-caw, caw. 'O swan, I seek thy protection,
placing my life-breaths at thy hands. Oh, take me to the shores of the
ocean with the wings and beak.' The crow, very much fatigued, suddenly
fell down. Beholding him fallen upon the waters of the ocean with a
melancholy heart, the swan, addressing the crow who was on the point of
death, said these words, 'Remember, O crow, what thou hadst said in
praise of thyself. The words even were that thou wouldst course through
the sky in a hundred and one different kinds of flight.
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