8
So Arthadatta went back to that city of Kánchanapura, and told the whole message to Íśvaravarman. And he went on to say to him " Friend, you would not do what I advised you, so you have now had personal experience of the untrustworthy dispositions of hetœrœ. After you had given that five crores, you were ejected neck and crop. What wise man looks for love in hetœrœ or for oil in sand ? Or why do you put out of sight this unalterable nature of things?*[1] A man is wise, self-restrained, and possesses happiness, only so long as he does not fall within the range of woman's cajoleries. So return to your father and appease his wrath." With these words Arthadatta quickly induced him to return, and encouraging him, led him into the presence of his father. And his father, out of love for his only son, spoke kindly to him, and again took him to the house of Yamajihvá. And when she questioned him, he told his whole story by the mouth of Arthadatta, down to the circumstance of Sundarí's flinging herself into the well, and how he lost his wealth. Then Yamajihvá said *' I indeed am to blame, because I forgot to teach him this trick. For Makarakatí stretched a net in the well, and Sundarí flung herself upon that, so she was not killed. Still there is a remedy in this case." Having said this, the kuțținí made her female slaves bring her monkey named Ala. And in their presence she gave the monkey her thousand dínárs, and said " Swallow these," and the monkey, being trained to swallow money, did so. Then she said, "Now, my son give twenty to him, twenty-five to him, and sixty to him, and a hundred to him." And the monkey, as often as Yamajihvá told him to pay a sum, brought up the exact number of dínárs, and gave them as commanded. †[2]And after Yamajihvá had shewn this device of Ala, she said to Íśvaravarman, " Now take with you this young monkey. And repair again to the house of Sundarí, and keep asking him day by day for sums of money, which you have secretly made him swallow. And Sundarí, when she sees Ála, resembling in his powers the wishing-stone, will beg for him, and will give you all she has so as to obtain possession of the ape, and clasp him to her bosom. And after you have got her wealth, make him swallow enough money for two days, and give him to her, and then depart to a distance without delay."
- ↑ * I find in the Sanskrit College MS. kimmuchyate for vimuchyate.
- ↑ † In La Fontaine's Contes et Nouvelles III, 13, there is a little dog qu secoue de l' argent et de pierreries. The idea probably comes from the Mahabhárata. In this poem Srinjaya has a son named Suvarnashtívin. Some robbers treat him as the goose that laid the golden eggs was treated. There are also birds that spit gold in the Mahábhárata. (See Levfiquo, Les Mythes et Legendes de 1' Indc, pp. 289 294.) There is an ass with the same gift in Sicilianische Mürchen, No. 62. For the wishing-stone see Dasent's Norse Tales, Introduction, p. xev. He remarks that the stone in his tale No. LIX, which tells the prince all the secrets of his brides, " is plainly the old Obkttbtciu or wishing-stone."
