Page:Buddhist Birth Stories, or, Jātaka Tales.djvu/255

Rh and in due course he grew up, and went about trafficking with five hundred bullock-carts. Sometimes he travelled from east to west, and sometimes from west to east. At Benares too there was another young merchant, stupid, dull, and unskilful in resource.

Now the Bodisat collected in Benares merchandise of great value, and loaded it in five hundred bullock-carts, and made them ready for a journey. And that foolish merchant likewise loaded five hundred carts, and got them ready to start.

Then the Bodisat thought, "If this foolish young merchant should come with me, the road will not suffice for the thousand carts, all travelling together; the men will find it hard to get wood and water, and the bullocks to get grass. Either he or I ought to go on first."

And sending for him he told him as much; saying, "We two can't go together. Will you go on in front, or come on after me?"

And that other thought, "It will be much better for me to go first. I shall travel on a road that is not cut up, the oxen will eat grass that has not been touched, and for the men there will be curry-stuffs, of which the best have not been picked; the water will be undisturbed; and I shall sell my goods at what price I like." So he said, "I, friend, will go on first."

But the Bodisat saw that it would be better to go second: for thus it occurred to him, "Those who go in front will make the rough places plain, whilst I shall go over the ground they have traversed: — the old rank grass will have been eaten by the oxen that have gone first, whilst my oxen will eat the freshly grown and tender shoots: — for the men there will be the sweet