Page:Katha sarit sagara, vol2.djvu/76

 heard it, he came running with his shield and his sword. But Dhavalamukha induced him to return home, saying that the king's ministers had pacified his resentment. And he said to his wife: " This, my dear, is the difference between those two friends of mine." And she was quite satisfied.

" So you see that a friend, that shews his friendship by ceremonious entertainment only, is a different thing from a real friend; though oil and ghee both possess the property of oiliness, oil is oil, and ghee is ghee." When Gomukha had told this story, he continued his tales of fools for the benefit of Naraváhanadatta.

Story of the thirsty fool that did not drink.:— A certain foolish traveller, tormented by thirst, having with difficulty got through a wood, reached a river; however, he did not drink of it, but kept looking at the water. Some one said to him: " Why do you not drink water, though you are thirsty ?" But the blockhead answered, *' How could I drink so much water as this?" The other person ridiculed him, saying, " What ! will the king punish you, if you drink it all up?" But still the foolish man did not drink the water.

"So you see that in this world fools will not even do a part of a task to the best of their power, if they are not able to complete it altogether. Now you have heard about the fool and the water, hear the story of the son-slayer." Story of the fool who killed his son.:— There was once a foolish man, who was poor and had many sons. When one of his sons died, he killed another, saying, How could this child go such a long journey alone? So he was banished by the people, as being a fool and a criminal.

" Thus a fool is as void of sense and discernment as an animal. You have heard of the son-killer, now hear the story of the fool and his brother."

Story of the fool and his brother.:— A certain stupid fellow was talking in a crowd of men. Seeing a respectable man some way off, he said : " That man there is brother to me, so I shall inherit his property, but I am no relation to him, so I am not liable for his debts." When the fool suid this, even the stones laughed at him.

lus fools shew folly, and people blinded by the thought of their itage behave in a very wonderful way. So you have heard the ^ic fool and his brother, now hear the story of the man whose a strict vow of chastity."