Page:The Folk-Lore Journal Volume 3 1885.djvu/360

 352 FOLK-TALES OF INDIA.

began to inflict upon him the customary punishments (dealt out to malefactors).

The Bodhisat, as he received each blow, uttered no cry (neither that of " mother " nor *' father "), and sliowed no signs of emotion, but spake the following gdthd : —

" Full truly this the wise declare Indeed they do not err. Far better is a floating log Than a false ungrateful man."

And thus, at every stroke, he uttered the foregoing verse. On hearing this, the wise men who happened to be present said : " Pray tell us, hermit, did you ever render any service to our king ? "

The Bodhisat told them the whole affair (how he had saved the life of the prince, &c.) *' Thus, by rescuing this man from the great flood, I have indeed only brought trouble upon myself, recollecting that I have not followed, alas ! the advice of the wise men of old ; and so I utter the foregoing gdthd.^^

On hearing this, the citizens, nobles, brahmans, and the rest exclaimed : '* This king of ours is a treacherous fellow and does not recognise at all the merits of this virtuous hermit, who has saved his life at the risk of his own. What advantage can we hope to derive from j?uch a king ? Seize him ! " Enraged they rose up on all sides, and killed him even as he was mounted upon the elephant's back, with blows from arrows, spears, clubs, and the rest.

Then they laid hold of his feet and dragged him outside the city, and threw him into a ditch. After this they consecrated the Bodhisat as king and set him upon the throne, and he ruled his subjects with equity.

Again, on a certain day, desirous of testing the snake and the rest, he proceeded with a great retinue to the dwelling-place of the snake, and called out : '' Snake ! " It came forth and saluted him, saying : " Sire, this money is yours ; take it.'' The king gave his ministers the forty kotis of gold and then paid a visit to the rat. As soon as he called out " Rat ! " it too came out and saluted the king, and brought him thirty kotis of gold.