Page:Buddhist Birth Stories, or, Jātaka Tales.djvu/260

144 Let us throw away the water, and go on quickly with light carts!"

And when he heard what they said, the Bodisat made the waggons halt, and collecting all his men, put the question to them, "Have you ever heard anybody say that there was any lake or pond in this desert?"

"We never heard so."

"And now some men are saying that it rains on the other side of that stretch of green forest. How far can a rain-wind be felt?"

"About a league, Sir."

"Now does the rain-wind reach the body of any one of you?"

"No, Sir."

"And how far off is the top of a rain-cloud visible?"

"About a league. Sir."

"Now does any one of you see the top of a single cloud?"

"No one, Sir."

"How far off can a flash of lightning be seen?"

"Four or five leagues, Sir."

"Now has the least flash of lightning been seen by any one of you?"

"No, Sir."

"How far off can thunder be heard?"

"A league or two, Sir."

"Now has any of you heard the thunder?"

"No, Sir."

"These fellows are not men, they are demons! They must have come to make us throw away our water with the hope of destroying us in our weakness. The foolish young merchant who went on before us had no power of