Page:The Folk-Lore Journal Volume 3 1885.djvu/347

 FOLK-TALES OF INDIA. 339

On hearing this verse the ministers acknowledged that the king was right, and took the monkey away.

But, again, on a certain day, they dressed the monkey up, and brought him to the law-court, saying, " This person, sire, in the time of the late king your father, attended devotedly upon yom* father and mother, and was respectful to the aged in the royal family, so it behoves you to take him into your favour." Again the prince looked at him, and thought, "Monkeys, forsooth, are fickle-minded creatures, and unable to do such services." Then he uttered the following gdthd : —

" By Dasaratha well have I been taught That no such thing as that I now behold Could mother serve, or father wait upon, Or brother tend, or friend and sister guard."

The ministers agreed with the king, and removed the monkey. As they now believed that the prince was wise, and able to rule over the kingdom, they consecrated him as king, and proclaimed, by beat of drum, the edicts of Prince Mirror- Face.

In order to illustrate the wisdom of the new king, these fourteen " cases " were brought before him for decision : —

" Kine, child, and horse, a village chieftain too, A basket-maker, and a courtesan, A woman young, a partridge, deer, and snake, A sprite, a naga fierce, and hermits old, And also at the last there came indeed A youthful brahman, skilled in vedic lore."

In regard to the above-mentioned cases, each will be narrated in due course.

Now, at the time that the Bodhisat was installed as king, there was a certain attendant of King Janasandha named Gamawicawc?a, who thought as follows : " This kingdom is rendered illustrious with ministers of the same age as the king, and I am an old man, and unable to dance attendance upon the young prince, so I'll become a farmer and live in the country." He took up his abode in a certain village three yojanas from the city. He had, however, no bullocks tor ploughing with, so, after the rain had come down, he asked the

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