Page:The Katha Sarit Sagara.djvu/120

 Story of the clever deformed child.:- Once on a lime there was a certain Bráhman named Rudraśarman, and he, when he became a householder, had two wives, and one of his wives gave birth to a son and died; and then the Bráhman entrusted that son to the care of his step-mother; and when he grew to a tolerable stature, she gave him. coarse food; the consequence was, the boy became pale, and got a swollen stomach. Then Rudraśarman said to that second wife, " How comes it that you have neglected this child of mine that has lost its mother?" She said to her husband, " Though I take affectionate care of him, he is nevertheless the strange object you see; what am I to do with him?" Whereupon the Bráhman thought, " No doubt it is the child's nature to be like this." For who sees through the deceitfulness of the speeches of women uttered with affected simplicity? Then that child began to go by the name of Bálavinashtaka* in his father's house, because they said this child (bála) is deformed (vinashta.) Then Bálavinashtaka thought to himself— "This step-mother of mine is always ill-treating me, therefore I had better be revenged on her in some way"— for though the boy was only a little more than five years old, he was clever enough. Then he said secretly to his father when he returned from the king's court, with half suppressed voice— " Papa, I have two Papas." So the boy said every day, and his father suspecting that his wife had a paramour, would not even touch her. She for her part thought— " Why is my husband angry without my being guilty; I wonder whether Bálavinashtaka has been at any tricks?" So she washed Bálavinashtaka with careful kindness, and gave him dainty food, and taking him on her lap, asked him the following question: " My son why have you incensed your father Rudraśarman against me?" When he heard that, the boy said to his step-mother, " I will do more harm to you than that, if you do not immediately cease ill-treating me. You take good care of your own children; why do you perpetually torment me?" When she heard that, she bowed before him, and said with a solemn oath, " I will not do so any more; so reconcile my husband to me." Then the child said to her— " Well, when my father comes home, let one of your maids shew him a mirror, and leave the rest to me." She said, "Very well," and by her orders a maid shewed a mirror to her husband as soon as he returned home. Thereupon the child pointing out the reflection of his father in the mirror, said, " There is my second father." When he heard that, Rudraśarman dismissed his suspicions and was immediately reconciled to his wife, whom he had blamed without cause.

" Thus even a child may do mischief if it is annoyed, and therefore we must carefully conciliate all this retinue." Saying this, Yaugandharáyana with the help of Rumauvat, carefully honoured all the people on this the