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 232 reached home he took from his Servants' wages the whole price of the clothes.

Those who lack understanding ruin their own interests as well as those of others.

(Katha-Sarit-Sagara. Book X, Chapter 62.)

THE SNAKE WITH TWO HEADS

CERTAIN Snake had two Heads, one in the usual place and the other at the tip of his tail. But while the Head that he had in the usual place was provided with a pair of good eyes, the Head at the end of his tail was blind. Now there was a constant quarrel between these two Heads, for each of them claimed to be the more powerful Head, and to have mastery over the other. Now, it was the custom of the Snake as he roamed around, to go with his real Head foremost. But on one occasion the Head at the end of the Snake's tail seized hold of a wooden stake with its jaws, and by holding on firmly prevented the Snake from going further. This convinced the Snake that the Head in his tail must be more powerful than the other Head, since it had got the best of the struggle. Accordingly, from this time on, the Snake roamed about with his blind Head foremost; and so presently he fell into a pit full of burning rubbish, being unable to see where he was going, and was thus burned to death.

(Katha-Sarit-Sagara. Book X, Chapter 63.)

THE BRAHMAN AND THE MONGOOSE

HERE was once a Brahman named Devasarman, who lived with his wife in a certain village. In the course of time a son was born to them, and the Brahman, though very poor, felt that he had