Page:Katha sarit sagara, vol2.djvu/78

 and said to him, " Why should he speak? You have been good enough to give us ocular demonstration of your anger and your violence."

" So you see that fools do not know their own faults, though they are patent to all men. Now hear about the foolish king who made his daughter grow."

Story of the foolish king who made his daughter grow. :— A certain king had a handsome daughter born to him. On account of his great affection for her, be wished to make her grow, so he quickly summoned physicians, and said politely to them: " Make some preparation of salutary drugs, in order that my daughter may grow up quickly, and be married to a good husband." When the physicians heard this, they said, in order to get a living out of the silly king: " There is a medicine which will do this, but it can only be procured in a distant country, and while we are sending for it, we must shut up your daughter in concealment, for this is the treatment laid down for such cases." When they had said this, they placed his daughter in concealment there for many years, saying that they were engaged in bringing that medicine. And when she grew up to be a young woman, they shewed her to that king, telling him that she had been made to grow by the medicine; and he was pleased, and loaded them with heaps of wealth.

" In this way rogues by means of imposture live on foolish sovereigns. Now hear the story of a man who shewed his cleverness by recovering half a pana." Story of the man who recovered half a pana from his servant. :—There was once on a time a man living in a town, who was vain of his wisdom. And a certain villager, who had served him for a year, being dissatisfied with his salary, left him and went home. And when he had gone, the town-bred gentleman said to his wife,— " My dear, I hope you did not give him anything before he went?" She answered, " Half a pana." Then he spent ten panas in provisions for the journey, and overtook that servant on the bank of a river, and recovered from him that half pana. And when he related it as a proof of his skill in saving money, he became a public laughing-stock.

" Thus men, whose minds are blinded with wealth, fling away much to gain little. Now hear the story of the man who took notes of the spot." Story of the fool who took notes of a certain spot in the sea. :—A certain foolish person, while travelling by sea, let a silver vessel