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against me? But how can I kill a creature that has sought my protection, and to whom I have promised immunity from injury." When Damanaka heard this, he said— " Do not speak so. When a king makes another equal to himself, Fortune does not proceed as favourably as before.*[1] The tickle goddess, if she places her feet at the same time upon two exalted persons, cannot keep her footing long, she will certainly abandon one of the two. And a king, who hates a good servant and honours a bad servant, is to be avoided by the wise, as a wicked patient by physicians. Where there is a speaker and a hearer of that advice, which in the beginning is disagreeable, but in the end is useful, there Fortune sets her foot. He, who does not hear the advice of the good, but listens to the advice of the bad, in a short time falls into calamity, and is afflicted. So what is the meaning of this love of yours for the bull, O king? And what does it matter that you gave him protection, or that he came as a suppliant, if he plots against your life? Moreover, if this bull remains always about your person, you will have worms produced in you by his excretions. And they will enter your body, which is covered with the scars of wounds from the tusks of infuriated elephants. Why should he not have chosen to kill you by craft? If a wicked person is wise enough not to do an injury †[2] himself, it will happen by association with him, hear a story in proof of it."
Story of the Louse and the Flea.‡[3]:— In the bed of a certain king there long lived undiscovered a louse, that had crept in from somewhere or other, by name Mandavisarpiní. And suddenly a flea, named Tittibha, entered that bed, wafted there by the wind from some place or other. And when Mandavisarpiní saw him, she said, " Why have you invaded my home? go elsewhere." Tittibha answered, "I wish to drink the blood of a king, a luxury which I have never tasted before, so permit me to dwell here." Then, to please him, the louse said to him, " If this is the case, remain. But you must not bite the king, my friend, at unseasonable times, you must bite him gently when he is asleep." When Tittibha heard that, he consented and remained. But at night he bit the king hard when he was in bed, and then the king rose up, exclaiming, " I am bitten," then the wicked flea fled quickly, and the king's servants made a search in the bed, and finding the louse there, killed it.
- ↑ * I prefer the reading kas of the Sanskrit College MS., and would render, " Whom can the king make his equal? Fortune does not proceed in that way."
- ↑ † I read dosham for dosho with tho Sanskrit College MS.
- ↑ ‡ Cp. the ninth in Benfey's translation, Vol. II, p. 71. Cp. also Kalilah and Dimnah, (Wolff. I, 59, Knatchbull, 126), Symeon Seth, p. 22, John of Capua d, 1, b, German translation (Ulm, 1483) E., V., a, Spanish translation XVI a, Firen zuola, 49, Doni, 75, (Benfey, Vol I, p. 223).
