Page:The Folk-Lore Journal Volume 3 1885.djvu/353

 FOLK-TALES OF INDIA. 345

scoundrel, sire, killed my father." " Is what he says true, Gamawi ? " " Listen, sire," said Gamawi, who gave the king a full account of the matter.

The king, addressing the basket-maker, said, '' What will you do, I pray ? " '' Sire, I must have my father." " 0, Gania?ii, this man must have a father ; but we can't bring back the dead, so do thou take his mother and place her in your house, and be a father to him." The basket-maker exclaimed, '* 0, sir, do not break up the home of my deceased father." He, too, fled, after giving some kahapawas to Gamawi.

Gamawi, delighted at having gained his law-suit, said to the king, " Sire, certain persons have sent you a ^ case ' for decision ; may I refer them to you ? " " Say on, Gamani." Then Gamawi reported the cases one after another, in reverse order, beginning with that of the brahman students.

The king answered them in due order. After hearing the first case he said : *' There was formerly in their abode a crowing cock, that knew the time. At cock-crow they rose up, learnt the sacred texts, and repeated them right up to dawn of day. Consequently they did not forget whatever they learned. But now they have in their dwelling- place a crowing-cock that crows at the wrong time — that is to say, either very early, long before daybreak, or very late. If it crows too early, they rise up at the noise it makes, and learn their texts, but, being overpowered by sleep, they lie down without repeating them ; whereas, if it crows too late (i.e.j after sunrise) they get no time for repetition, and so they do not know what they have learnt."

When he had heard the second case he said : " Formerly those stu- dents performed the duties of ascetics, and were zealously devoted to kasina-kamma (keeping the mind concentrated upon one point) ; but now they have abandoned the duties of ascetics, and, being actively engaged in unlawful occupations, they hand over to their servitors the various fruits that grow in the garden, and earn their living by evil practices, and by receiving in their alms* bowl unlawful food. On this account the various fruits in their garden are not sweet ; but if they will with one accord, as before, again devote themselves dili- gently to their ascetic duties, their fruits will once more become sweet