“Golden clouds are passing over our city!”, one day shouted the people of Benares, for the sky was covered with gold. It was neither a cloud nor the gold that a star may leave on its way; the gold was flowing from the wings of a goose, a beautiful goose, flying slowly and majestically through the air.
The King looked up from the tower of his palace. “Great bird”, he exclaimed in amazement, “of those who fly through space you are certainly the king.” And he called his courtiers, music was played, garlands of flowers and perfumes were brought, and thus the King honoured the beautiful visitor. The goose looked down, and seeing the King and his courtiers, and the garlands of flowers, and hearing the sweet music, he turned to the flock of geese that followed him: “Why does the King honour me in this way?”, he asked. “Lord, surely he wishes to be your friend”, replied the geese. At this the golden bird descended to the earth and greeted the King; he then returned to his companions in the sky.
On the following day the King was walking through the gardens near the lake of Anokkatta when the great bird came again to him, carrying water on one wing, and powder of sandalwood on the other. His visit was no longer than before, for after sprinkling the water upon the King, and dusting the powder over him, he immediately rejoined his companions and flew away to his kingdom at Cittakutta.
As time passed the King of Benares longed more and more to see the golden bird again. Every day he walked near the lake Anokkatta, and every day, looking into the far horizon, he sighed: “Will my friend return once again?” But the golden one was far away, in the mountains at Cittakutta, with his flock of ninety thousand geese. All loved their King and were very, very happy.
But one day the two youngest of the flock went to the King, and after bowing very low, they said: “We come to take leave of you, O King! We are going to run a race with the sun.” “My little ones”, the King replied, “your small wings are too weak to fly with the sun; you would perish on the way; therefore be wise and do not go”. But the young geese persisted. They asked a second time, and a third time, when, hearing none but the same answer from their King, they decided to leave without his permission. So before sunrise they stole away to Mount Yughandara and waited till the sun appeared.
But the King knew that the foolish little geese had left, and that they stood waiting on Yughandara. He flew swiftly to the mountain and when the great red sun appeared in the sky, and the two small geese spread their wings, he followed them. When the smallest one had flown for a few hours his wings beat feebly and they could carry him no further. But the King was flying at his side, and when he saw that the young one was about to fall to the ground he went up to him and soothed him, and bore him on his wings to Cittakutta. Then the golden one flew back to the other little goose, and, flying faster than the sun, he reached him and flew at his side. Lord”, cried the young goose, “I can fly no longer”. The great bird took him gently on his wings and him too he bore to Cittakutta.
“What if I should outrace the sun, which stands just now at its zenith?”, thought the great bird. And piercing the clouds, piercing the space, he overran the sun a thousand times. But after a while he thought: “What is the sun to me? Why should I race with him? A far greater mission awaits me. I will go to my friend the King of Benares and speak wisely to him, and he and his people will be happy.” He then flew over the whole world, from one end to the other, till at last he reached Benares. Once again the city was illumined with a golden haze. And descending slowly, the golden one alighted before a window of the palace.
“My friend has come!”, cried the King joyfully. And cheers resounded through the palace. The King himself brought a golden throne for the bird, and bade him: “Come in and sit with me.” And after refreshing his wings with perfume and giving him sweet water to drink, the King sat at his side that they might converse together. “Wherefrom do you come, O beautiful bird? Ever since you flew over Benares, I have longed to see you again”, said the King. “I come from Cittakutta, from the silent mountains,” the great goose replied.
He then told the King the story of his race with the sun. The eyes of the King glistened as he listened. “Is it possible that I may see you race with the sun?”, he humbly asked the bird. “Nay”, replied the goose, “That can never be seen. But it is possible that I may show you in another way, O King, the speed of my flight.” “In what way, beautiful bird?”, asked the King. “Call forth four archers,” said the bird, “and order them to shoot their arrows into a wall, all at once, and before they touch the wall I will catch them in my beak.” The King did as the bird asked, and as the four archers shot their arrows, the great one caught them. Not one arrow touched the wall.
“Marvelous!”, exclaimed the King. “Can any speed be compared to yours, O miraculous one?” “Yes,” replied the bird, “there is a speed greater than mine. A hundred times faster, a thousand times, a hundred thousand times faster is the speed of Time. Pleasure, riches, palaces! Time takes them away faster than my fastest flight!” The King, hearing these words, trembled with fright. But the bird consoled him and spoke to him gently: “O King”, he said, “fear not. If you love your people and try to make them happy, what matters it if time goes on?”
Tears filled the eyes of the King. “Great one,” he said, “leave me not alone to rule. Stay always at my side in the palace and speak to me, that I may be happy, and make my people happy.” “Nay”, said the golden one, “I will not remain. One day, after drinking wine, you might say: 'Kill that bird, that we may feast on him'.” “Never would I taste of wine while you are here!”, exclaimed the King. “The cries of lions and birds are clear and true”, said the goose, “but the words of men are not as true as these. Nay, I will return to my kingdom and if you love me we shall be friends, though far away.”
“Shall I never see you again?” exclaimed the King. “One day perhaps I shall return”, said the goose, “and then we shall see each other again.” With these words he unfolded his wings and soared into the air; the sky became golden again, and the kingdom was happy ever after.
