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Story of the miserly king.:— There was a certain foolish king, who was niggardly, though he possessed an abundant treasure, and once on a time his ministers, who desired his prosperity, said to him: " King, charity here averts misery in the next life. So bestow wealth in charity; life and riches are perishable." When the king heard this, he said, "Then I will bestow wealth, when I am dead, and see myself reduced to a state of misery here. Then the ministers remained silent, laughing in their sleeves.
" So, you see, a fool never takes leave of his wealth, until his wealth takes leave of him. You have' heard, prince, of the foolish king, now hear the story of the two friends, by way of an episode in these tales of fools."
Story of Dhavalamukha, his trading friend, and his fighting friend.*[1]:—There was a king in Kanyákubja, named Chandrapída. And he had a servant named Dhavalamukha. And he, whenever he came to his house, had eaten and drunk abroad. And one day his wife asked him,— " Where do you always eat and drink before you come home?" And Dhavalamukha answered her, " I always eat and drink with my friends before I come home, for I have two friends in the world. The one is called Kalyanavarman, who obliges me with food and other gifts, and the other is Virabáhu, who would oblige me with the gift of his life." When his wife heard this, she said to Dhavalamukha, " Then shew me your two friends."
Then he went with her to the house of Kalyánavarman, and Kalyánavarman honoured him with a splendid entertainment. The next day he went with his wife to Virabáhu, and he was gambling at the time, so he welcomed him and dismissed him. Then Dhavalamukha's wife, being full of cariosity, said to him: " Kalyánavarman entertained you splendidly, but Virabáhu only gave you a welcome. So why do you think more highly of Virabáhu than of the other?" When he heard that, he said, " Go and tell them both in succession this fabrication, that the king has suddenly become displeased with us, and you will find out for yourself." She agreed, and went to Kalyánavarman and told him that falsehood, and he answered: " Lady, I am a merchant's son, what can I do against the king?" When he gave her this answer, she went to Virabáhu, and told him also that the king was angry with her husband; and the moment he
- ↑ * This to a certain extent resembles the 129th story in the Gesta Romanorum, " Of Real Friendship." Douce says that the story is in Alphonsus. A story more closely resembling the story in the Gesta is current in Bengal, with this difference, th j-oat does duty for the pig of the Gesta. A son tells his father he has three fjjj i father says that he has only half a friend. Of course the half friend tarns o the three put tog(!th<'r. The Bengali story was told mo by Pandit Sy' akhopadhyaya. See also Liebrccht's Dunlop, p. 291, and note 371.
