se myth to typify,
is accomplished in a little more than _twenty-seven_ days. Neither
is much weight due to the fanciful comparison of Gubernatis: "The
moon is the watcher of the sky, that is to say, she sleeps with her
eyes open; so also does the hare, whence the _somnus leporinus_
became a proverb." [89] The same author says on another page, and
here we follow him: "The mythical hare is undoubtedly the moon.
In the first story of the third book of the _Pancatantram_, the hares
dwell upon the shore of the lake Candrasaras, or lake of the moon,
and their king has for his palace the lunar disk." [90] It is this story,
which Mr. Baring-Gould relates in outline; and which we are
compelled still further to condense. In a certain forest there once
lived a herd of elephants. Long drought having dried up the lakes
and swamps, an exploring party was sent out in search of a fresh
supply of water. An extensive lake was discovered, called the moon
lake. The elephants with their king eagerly marched to the spot, and
found their thirsty hopes fully realized. All round the lake were in
numerable hare warrens, which the tread of the mighty monsters
crushed unmercifully, maiming and mangling the helpless
inhabitants. When the elephants had withdrawn, the poor hares met
together in terrible plight, to consult upon the course which they
should take when their enemies returned. One wise hare undertook
the task of driving the ponderous herd away. This he did by going
alone to the elephant king, and representing himself as the hare
which lived in the moon. He stated that he was deputed by his
excellency the moon to say that if the elephants came any more to
the lake, the beams of night would be withheld, and their bodies
would be burned up with perpetual sunshine. The king of the
elephants thinking that "the better part of valour is discretion,"
decided to offer an apology for his offence. He was conducted to the
lake, where the moon was reflected in the water, apparently
meditating his revenge. The elephant thrust his proboscis into the
lake, which disturbed the reflection. Whereupon the elephant,
judging the moon to be enraged, hurried with his apology, and then
went off vowing never to return. The wise hare had proven that
"wisdom is better than strength"; and the hares suffered no more
molestation. "We may also remark, in this event, the truth of that
saying of Euripides, 'that one wise counsel is better than the strength
of many'" (_P