246 
THE ORIENTAL ANNUAL. 
the house of mendicants and other religious buildings, 
which to this day bear the name of Saniaskotta. 
“ Now it was during the lifetime of this extraordi- 
nary saint that the circumstances of my tale occurred. 
That reverend man was one morning, soon after sun- 
rise, seated upon the earth under the broad spreading 
shade of a superb tamarind tree, around the trunk of 
which he had built his hut ; and while he was rumi- 
nating upon the fruits of his own wisdom, and pre- 
paring spiritual food for his daily disciples, a little 
mouse, mangled and almost dead, fell before him 
from the talons of a kite, who, having earned him into 
the tree, was about to devour him. * Behold,’ cried 
the good man, ‘ even the smallest and poorest of God’s 
creatures are worthy of our sympathy and protection ; 
what shall I do to comfort this poor mouse ? ’ Then 
taking up the miserable little animal, he caressed it, 
and took so much care of it, that in a few minutes it 
began to revive ; then he gave it rice to eat, and soon 
restored it to its full strength and sleekness. In 
gratitude for these fond services, the mouse became 
exceedingly well attached to the Sanias, and felt that, 
in return for so much kindness, he was ready at any 
time to lay down his life for his benefactor; and 
would on no account depart from him, but continued 
daily to partake of his rice, and to receive other marks 
of his favor. 
“ It happened that, upon one occasion, while the 
mouse was playing about his patron’s cottage, a large 
