and jewels restored, did not like to be told by the king to make a better use of them. Besides this he wanted to have the thief punished; and he began talking about that, instead of thanking Prasnajit and promising to follow his advice. The king looked at him much as he had looked at the thief and said: "The matter is ended so far as I have anything to do with it: go in peace."
The Brahman, who was accustomed to be honoured by every one from the king on his throne to the beggars in the street, was astonished at the way in which Prasnajit spoke to him. He would have said more, but the king made a sign to his attendants, two of whom dragged the sack to the entrance of the palace and left it there, so that there was nothing for the Brahman to do but to take it away with him. Every one who has read this wonderful story would, of course, like to know what became of him after that, but nothing more is told about him.
23. Do you think that the Brahman learnt anything from the loss and recovery of his treasure?
24. Was the Brahman more wicked than the thief or the thief than the Brahman?
25. Do you think the Brahman continued to be a miser for the rest of his life?
26. What were the chief characteristics of the king—that is to say, what sort of man do you think he was?
27. Which of the people who are spoken of in this story do you like and admire most, and which do you dislike most?
