religious discourse, he said to the venerable Dabba the Mallian: 'For whom, Sir, has the meal been appointed to-morrow at our house ?'
'The meal has been appointed, my friend, at your house to-morrow for those Bhikkhus who are followers of Mettiya and Bhummagaka.'
Then the prosperous householder was ill-pleased, thinking, ' How can bad Bhikkhus enjoy themselves at our house?' And going home he gave command to the slave-girl: 'For those who come to-morrow for the meal, spread out the mats in the entrance hall[1] and serve them with scraps of food, and with sour gruel with it!'
'Even so, Sir!' said the slave-girl, accepting the word of the householder.
7. Then the Bhikkhus who were followers of Mettiya and Bhummagaka spake one to another: 'Yesterday a meal has been appointed for us at the house of the prosperous householder. Tomorrow he, with his wife and children, will attend upon us at the place of alms, and serve us. And he will offer to some of us boiled rice, and to some congey, and to some oil, and to some dainty bits.' And through joy thereat they slept uneasily that night.
Then the Bhikkhus who were followers of Mettiya and Bhummagaka, having robed themselves in the early morning, went duly bowled and robed to the
dwelling-place of the prosperous householder. And that slave-girl saw the Bhikkhus who were followers
- ↑ Kotthake, which means the battlemented gateway which formed the entrance to an important house; and in which there was a room. See Gâtaka I, 227.
