Page:The Dravidian Nights Entertainments.djvu/52

Rh The king saw too well the tricks of the master; therefore he spoke to the Brahman thus : "Sir, many thanks for your having devoted so much of attention to my first son. Him I give to you only, as I think, he may not in the pride of his overlearning obey me. Stupid as he is, I prefer the second son, as I can make him obey me.” Thus taking the second son, the king returned with him to his place. The master was sorely disappointed at his own ruin, and sent the eldest son as usual to look after his cattle.

The old king and queen retired to a certain town with their second son, who now asked for some food. They said that he must fast that night with them, and as soon as morning dawned they shall beg in the streets and give him his breakfast. The son was extremely vexed at the imprudence of his parents, who had never saved anything during all their past period of begging. So he spoke to them thus : “My dear father, I am very sorry to see that you have been begging so long without having saved even a single pie for the future. Let what is past be past and let us no more think of it. For the present kindly do as I request you. The king of this town has a big cock for which all along his life he had been search. ing a hen, He has not even now succeeded in procuring one for it. I shall transform myself, by the power of the magic art that I have recently learnt, into a hen. When I begin to crow in the