Page:Katha sarit sagara, vol2.djvu/102

 mukha and his other ministers. Then Gomukha, in order to amuse him, again said,— " Listen, prince, I will tell you another string of tales."

Story of the monkey and the porpoise.* :— There lived in a forest of udumbaras, on the shore of the sea, a king of monkeys, named Valímukha, who had strayed from his troop. While he was eating an udumbara fruit, it fell from his hand and was devoured by a porpoise that lived in the water of the sea The porpoise, delighted at the taste of the fruit, uttered a melodious sound, which pleased the monkey so much, that he threw him many more fruits. And so the monkey went on throwing fruits,† and the porpoise went on making a melodious sound, until a friendship sprang up between them. So every day the porpoise spent the day in the water near the monkey, who remained on the bank, and in the evening he went home.

Then the wife of the porpoise came to learn the facts, and as she did not approve of the friendship between the monkey and her husband, which caused the latter to be absent all day, she pretended to be ill. Then the porpoise was afflicted, and asked his wife again and again what was the nature of her sickness, and what would cure it. Though he importuned her persistently, she would give no answer, but at last a female confidante of hers said to him : " Although you will not do it, and she does not wish you to do it, still I must speak. How can a wise person conceal sorrow from friends ? A violent disease has seized your wife, of such a kind that it cannot be cured without soup made of the lotus-like heart of a monkey." ‡ When the porpoise heard this from his wife's confidante, he reflected;— " Alas ! how shall I obtain the lotus-like heart of a monkey? Is it right for me to plot treachery against the monkey, who is my friend? On the other hand how else can I cure my wife, whom I love more than my life?" When the porpoise had thus reflected, he said to his wife; " I will bring you a whole monkey, my dear, do not be unhappy." When he had said this, he went to his friend the monkey, and said to him, after he had got