Page:Katha sarit sagara, vol2.djvu/88

 who, though old, managed to marry by the help of his wealth a young girl of the merchant caste. And she was always averse to him on account of his old age, as the bee turns away from the forest-tree when the time of flowers is past.* And one night a thief got into his house, while the husband and wife were in bed; and, when the wife saw him, she was afraid, and turned round and embraced her husband. The merchant thought that a wonderful piece of good fortune, and while looking in all directions for the explanation, he saw the thief in a corner. The merchant said; " You have done me a benefit, so I will not have you killed by my servants." And so ho spared his life and sent him away.

" So we ought to spare the life of this Chirajívin, as he is our benefactor." When the minister Díptanayana had said this, he remained silent. Then the king of the owls said to another minister, named Vakranása, " What ought we to do ? Give me proper advice." Then Vakranása said, " He should be spared, for he knows the secrets of our foes. This quarrel between the enemies' king and his minister is for our advantage. Listen,' and I will tell you a story which will illustrate it."

Story of the Bráhman, the thief, and the Rákshasas.† :— A certain excellent Bráhman received two cows as a donation. A thief happened to see them, and began plotting how to carry them off. At that very time a Rákshasa was longing to eat that Bráhman. It happened that the thief and the Rákshasa, as they were going to his house at night to accomplish their objects, met, and telling one another their errands, went together. When the thief and the Rakshasa entered the Bráhman's dwelling, they began to wrangle. The thief said; " I will carry off the oxen first, for if you lay hold of the Bráhman first, and he wakes up, how can I get the yoke of oxen?" The Rákshasa said; " By no means ! I will first carry off the Bráhman, otherwise he will wake up with the noise of the feet of the oxen, and my labour will all be in vain." While this was going on, the Bráhman woke up. Then he took his sword, and began to recite a charm for destroying Rákshasas, and the thief and the Rákshasa both fled. " So the quarrel between those two, Chirajívin and the king of the

XXXVIII, a., Doni, 44, Anvár-i-Subaili, 336, Livre des Lumières, 259, Cabinet des Fées, XVII, 449. (Bonfey's Panchatantra, Vol. I, p. 366.) See also La Fontaine, IX, p. 15.