BHARATA 275
would go out and sit under a tree, waiting till their anger had cooled. One day this had happened as usual, and Bharata had withdrawn, when a royal palankeen came in sight, borne by three coolies instead of four. Seeing this strong-looking fellow — whom they soon discovered to be dumb — seated by the roadside, the bearers insisted on putting down their burden till he had been forced to join them. Now the occupant of the palankeen was a king, who was proud of his learning, and he looked out and commanded the Brahmin to help in carrying him. Perhaps that one glance was enough to show Bharata that he had a message to that soul. He jumped up, took one pole of the chair, and began to walk. But he was curiously unsteady 1 Hop I jump I jolt I he went; jolt 1 jump 1 hop I It was terrible to be carried in this way. For Bharata was full of mercy to every living thing, and he had to move aside for each ant . and beetle and worm, lest his foot should kill it. At last the King put out his head. " Art thou too weary, O boor, to walk straight ?" he said. " If so, put down thy burden and rest once more." His new servant looked at him, smiling, and spoke for the first time in his life, and his voice was as sweet as liquid honey, and his words were as the words of kings —
" Whom, O Friend, do you address as ' thou'? And whom do you call by the name of ^boor'?
