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load of wood from the forest, and sold it, and so maintained his household. Now one day he went to a distant forest, and, as it happened, ho saw there four Yakshas with heavenly ornaments and dresses. The Yakshas, seeing he was terrified, kindly asked him of his circumstances, and finding out that he was poor, they conceived pity for him, and said— " Remain here as a servant in our house, we will support your family for you without trouble on your part." When Śubhadatta heard that, he agreed, and remained with them, and he supplied them with requisites for bathing and performed other menial offices for them. When the time for eating came, those Yakshas said to him— " Give us food from this inexhaustible pitcher." But he hesitated, seeing that it was empty, and then the Yakshas again said to him, smiling— " Śubhadatta, do you not understand? Put your hand in the pitcher, and you will obtain whatever you want, for this is a pitcher that supplies whatever is required." When he heard that, he put his hand in the pitcher, and immediately he beheld all the food and drink that could be required. And Śubhadatta out of that store supplied them and ate himself.
Thus waiting on the Yakshas every day with devotion and awe, Śubhadatta remained in their presence anxious about his family. But his sorrowing family was comforted by them in a dream, and this kindness on their part made him happy". At the termination of one month the Yakshas said to him, " We are pleased with this devotion of yours, we will grant you a boon, say what it shall be." When he heard that, he said to them, " Then give me this inexhaustible pitcher." Then the Yakshas said to him, " You will not be able to keep it, for, if broken, it departs at once, so choose some other boon." Though they warned him in these words, Śubhadatta would not choose any other boon, so they gave him that inexhaustible pitcher. Then Śubhadatta bowed before them delighted, and, taking that pitcher, quickly returned to his house, to the joy of his relations. Then he took out of that pitcher food and drink, and in order to conceal the secret, he placed them in other vessels, and consumed them with his relations. And as he gave up carrying burdens, and enjoyed all kinds of delights, his kinsmen one day said to him, when he was drunk; " How did you manage to acquire the means of all this enjoyment?" He was too much puffed up with pride to tell them plainly, but taking the wish-granting pitcher on his
in Sagas from the Far East, p. 148. See also Corrigenda and Addenda to Vol. I, and Dasent's Norse Tales, pp. 12, 264, and 293-295, and xcv of the Introduction. The first parallel is very close, as tho hero of tho tale lets out his secret, when warmed with wine. For the most ancient example of this kind of tale, see Rhys Davids, Buddhist Birth Stories, Introduction, pp. xvi- xxi.
