These tales are not only of a kind to enchain the attention of
children. They also illustrate well the close affinity between the two
chief branches of the great Aryan race, and are of considerable ethical
value, reflecting, as they do, the philosophy of self-realisation
which lies at the root of Hindu culture. They have been used from
time immemorial by the best teachers of India as a means of building
up the personalities of the young and maintaining the efficiency of
the adult. They serve in fact as text-books of the unique system of
Mind-Training which has been in use in India from remote Vedic times,
the root principle of which is as simple as it is effective.

Hindu children become familiar at their mothers' knees with these
stories, and are trained to answer questions on them, subtly chosen to
suit their ages and call into action their mental faculties. Appealing
to them as an amusing game, in which they vie with each other in
trying to solve the problems presented for their consideration,
the boys and girls, who are educated together till they are ten or
twelve years old, early learn to concentrate their attention; whilst
the simultaneous development of all their powers is encouraged and
they are, imperceptibly to themselves led to control their thoughts
and emotions from within, instead of having to obey orders which
they do not understand from without. They realize indeed, whilst
still in the nursery, the ideal suggested by the sage Vidura in the
Mahabharata: "Seek to know thyself by means of thyself, keeping thy
mind, intellect and senses, under control; for self is thy friend as
it is also thy foe."

Nancy Bell.

Southbourne-on-Sea, 1918.