The King and His Hawk

by James Baldwin

　　Genghis Khan was a great king and warrior.He led his army into China and Persia, and he conquered many lands.In every country, men told about his daring deeds; and they said thatsince Alexander the Great there had been no king like him.One morning when he was home from the wars, he rode out into the woodsto have a day's sport. Many of his friends were with him. They rodeout gayly, carrying their bows and arrows. Behind them came theservants with the hounds.It was a merry hunting party. The woods rang with their shouts andlaughter. They expected to carry much game home in the evening.On the king's wrist sat his favorite hawk; for in those days hawkswere trained to hunt. At a word from their masters they would fly highup into the air, and look around for prey. If they chanced to see adeer or a rabbit, they would swoop down upon it swift as any arrow.All day long Genghis Khan and his huntsmen rode through the woods.But they did not find as much game as they expected.Toward evening they started for home. The king had often riddenthrough the woods, and he knew all the paths. So while the rest of theparty took the nearest way, he went by a longer road through a valleybetween two mountains.The day had been warm, and the king was very thirsty. His pet hawk hadleft his wrist and flown away. It would be sure to find its way home.The king rode slowly along. He had once seen a spring of clear waternear this path-way. If he could only find it now! But the hot days ofsummer had dried up all the mountain brooks.At last, to his joy, he saw some water trickling down over the edgeof a rock. He knew that there was a spring farther up. In the wetseason, a swift stream of water always poured down here; but now itcame only one drop at a time.The king leaped from his horse. He took a little silver cup from hishunting bag. He held it so as to catch the slowly falling drops.It took a long time to fill the cup; and the king was so thirsty thathe could hardly wait. At last it was nearly full. He put the cup tohis lips, and was about to drink.All at once there was a whirring sound in the air, and the cup wasknocked from his hands. The water was all spilled upon the ground.The king looked up to see who had done this thing. It was his pethawk.The hawk flew back and forth a few times, and then alighted among therocks by the spring.The king picked up the cup, and again held it to catch the tricklingdrops.This time he did not wait so long. When the cup was half full, helifted it toward his mouth. But before it had touched his lips, thehawk swooped down again, and knocked it from his hands.And now the king began to grow angry. He tried again; and for thethird time the hawk kept him from drinking.The king was now very angry indeed."How do you dare to act so?" he cried. "If I had you in my hands, Iwould wring your neck!"Then he filled the cup again. But before he tried to drink, he drewhis sword."Now, Sir Hawk," he said, "this is the last time."He had hardly spoken, before the hawk swooped down and knocked the cupfrom his hand. But the king was looking for this. With a quick sweepof the sword he struck the bird as it passed.The next moment the poor hawk lay bleeding and dying at its master'sfeet."That is what you get for your pains," said Genghis Khan.But when he looked for his cup, he found that it had fallen betweentwo rocks, where he could not reach it."At any rate, I will have a drink from that spring," he said tohimself.With that he began to climb the steep bank to the place from which thewater trickled. It was hard work, and the higher he climbed, thethirstier he became.At last he reached the place. There indeed was a pool of water; butwhat was that lying in the pool, and almost filling it? It was a huge,dead snake of the most poisonous kind.The king stopped. He forgot his thirst. He thought only of the poordead bird lying on the ground below him."The hawk saved my life!" he cried; "and how did I repay him? He wasmy best friend, and I have killed him."He clambered down the bank. He took the bird up gently, and laid itin his hunting bag. Then he mounted his horse and rode swiftly home.He said to himself,--"I have learned a sad lesson today; and that is, never to doanything in anger."