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man who resembled him in appearance, with whom he had agreed that he would make him king. Then he dug a tunnel into that underground chamber from a distance, and after killing the king in his sleep, he brought his corpse out by the underground passage, and threw it into a dark well. All this was done at night. And by the same tunnel he introduced that young man into the underground chamber, and closed that tunnel. What audacious wickedness will not a low fellow, who is held in check by no restraints, commit, when he gets a favourable chance of practising upon fools? Then, the next day, the physician said to all the subjects,— " This king has been made young again by me in six months, and in two months his form will be changed again— So show yourselves to him now at a little distance." Thus he spake, and brought them all to the door of the underground chamber, and shewed them to the young man, telling him at the same time their names and occupations. By this artifice he kept instructing that young man in the underground chamber in the names of all the subjects every day for two months, not excepting even the inhabitants of the harem.
And when a fitting time came, he brought the young man, after he had been well fed,*[1] out of the subterranean chamber, saying, " This king has become young again," And then the young man was surrounded by the delighted subjects, who exclaimed " This is our own king restored by drugs." Then the young man, having thus obtained the kingdom, bathed, and performed with much pleasure by the help of his ministers the kingly duties. And from that time forth he lived in much felicity, transacting regal business, and sporting with the ladies of the harem, having obtained the name of Ajara. †[2] And all the subjects considered that he was their former king transformed by drugs, not guessing the truth, and not suspecting the proceedings of the physician. And king Ajara, having gained over the subjects and the queen Kamalaprabhá by kind treatment, enjoyed the royal fortune together with his friends. Then he summoned a friend called Bheshajachandra and another called Padmadárśana, and made both of them like himself, satisfying them with gifts of elephants, horses, and villages. And he honoured the physician Tarunachandra on account of the advancement he had conferred on him, but he did not repose confidence in him because his soul had, fallen from truth and virtue.
And once on a time the physician of his own motion said to the king, " Why do you make me of no account and act independently? Have you forgotten the occasion on which I made you king?" When king
