The wise, alert, ambitious man,
If he expect success,
Must wait on fortune, watch his step
And curb his stateliness:
Yudhishthir King, with pilgrim's staff,
Long drew his painful breath,
Though worshiped by his brothers, great
As War, and Wealth, and Death.
So Kunti's handsome, powerful twins,
High birth writ on their brows,
Were menials at Virata's court,
And lived by counting cows.
So queenly Draupadi, with youth's
And matchless beauty's seal,
In charm most like a goddess, fell
By turn of fortune's wheel;
And haughty maidens called her slave
And sneered at her for sport,
What time she powdered sandalwood
In Matsya's royal court."
"Father," said Cloudy, "this dwelling with an enemy seems to me like the sword-blade ordeal." "So it is," said Live-Strong. "But I never saw such a pack of fools anywhere. Not one was sensible except Red-Eye. He, indeed, has great capacity, an intelligence not blunted by his extensive scientific attainments. He discovered my exact purpose. But as for the other counselors, they were great fools, making a living by a mere pretense of giving good counsel, with no flair for verity. They were not even aware of this:
