Folk-lore of the Telugus - G. R. Subramiah Pantulu

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her hand into the mirror, and requested the king to order somebody to climb up the post and bring the money down. But the king replied:—"As the Brahman appeared to you only in a dream, you may take the money that appears in a mirror; I cannot order anybody to hand you over the bundle,"

      On hearing this, the harlot felt quite abashed' bent down her head and went away. It is, therefore, necessary that those who settle disputes should be conversant with tricks.

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      The inevitability of the Law of Karma

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      VIII.

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      THE INEVITABILITY OF THE LAW OF KARMA.

      There was a weaver in the Karnataka, Haimantaka by name, who wove both coarse cloth and fine linen. Bat as his profits in the calling were very meagre, he was not able to make both ends meet. Adjacent to his abode was another of the same profession, Dhimanta who lived happily on the large income he derived by weaving coarse rough fabric. Once upon a time Haimantaka approached his wife and represented his grievances to her, told her how, despite his intelligence in his art, he was not able to eke out a livelihood, and how much better placed his brother-weaver was, though weaving only a coarse stuff.

      "My talents are unknown to any one in the place," said he, and determined to quit his home for another place with the object of amassing as much wealth as possible.

      His wife rejoined:—"Of what avail is your going to a distant quarter? You will get only as much as it has fallen to your lot to earn." ​ Despite her remonstrances, he quit his abode, went and settled for a time in a far-off country, wove such clothes as were in consonance with the requirements of the place, made considerable money by the transaction, and wended his way home. On the way he stayed at an inn, and securing his treasure in a corner went to rest for the night. While he was enjoying 'the honey heavy dew' of slumber, thieves rushed into the inn and purloined every item of property, so that when he rose up the next morning, he found to his utter disappointment and distress that he had nothing left. He thus learnt, very dearly, indeed, the truth of his wife's statements, from the school of experience. And, feeling very despondent, lived upon such small gains as he could make at home. The moral of this is: unlucky anywhere, unlucky everywhere !

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      The Washerman Minister

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      IX.

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      THE WASHERMAN MINISTER.

      The King of Kalinga had a washerman who used to wash his cloths exceedingly well and bring and give them to Trim daily. One day, the king was exceedingly pleased with the scrupulously clean manner in which the clothes were brought to him and promised the washerman to grant any one prayer he might make. The washerman looked at the king and said that he was most anxious to become the king's minister, and requested the king to bestow the post on him. The king did so, dispensing with the services of his old minister, who had served him for a very long time.

      It came to pass that, not long afterwards, a certain other king having heard of the weakness of the washerman minister, raised a huge army and gave battle. His master having heard of what had come to pass, called upon the new minister to muster his forces, to which he replied that as he had already made the ​necessary preparations, there was no cause to fear the enemy. The king fully believed in this statement, but was sorely disappointed, for not long afterwards the city was bombarded by the hostile armies. The king sent at once to the minister, told him of what had happened and enquired of him as to the arrangements he had made.

      The minister responded:—"There is nothing to fear in what has come to pass. But I find that the task of ruling a kingdom is a big affair, and while I was thinking of how best to rid ourselves of this difficulty, the enemy chanced to enter and blockade the city. Let them, therefore, undergo the perils of governing the kingdom. As for me, I used to wash the cloths of about a hundred families in this city but since my elevation to the ministership I have had to give up my calling. I will now' therefore, resume it, and give you one-half the work and reserve the other half for myself; the calling being no trouble to me. On these considerations I have made no preperations for war." ​ The king was very much grieved when he heard this, but thought the result to be the natural punishment of linking himself to a fool.

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      The Brahmin and his two sons

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      X.

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      THE BRAHMIN AND HIS TWO SONS.

      At Madura lived a Brahman who had two sons. After hoarding up immense riches, he at last died. The two sons collected the money altogether, and effected a division of it equally. Each put his share into a sealed bag, entrusted it to an old woman, saying that they were going to a far off country on a pilgrimage, and told her to return the amount safely on their return, when they would both come and ask for it. This was agreed to.

      After traversing a short distance, the younger brother devised measures to dupe the elder. He rose one night at midnight, went back to their starting point unknown to his brother, visited the old woman, and told her that while they were both wandering along, a tiger had put an end to the elder brother, and that that was why he was obliged to return alone, and requested her to return the money entrusted to her by both the brothers. The old woman was a little ​staggered, but considering that he was not likely to cheat his brother entrusted the whole sum to him. He took it and quietly went away to a far off place.

      Then the elder brother, not finding the younger one, returned overwhelmed with sorrow to his own abode, went to the old woman, and said that he did not know what had become of his brother. He, therefore, called upon her to return the whole of the sum entrusted to her. The old woman told him what had happened a few days before; how his younger brother misrepresented the state of affairs, and had walked away with the whole amount.

      On hearing this, he began to dispute with the old woman, and brought her before a court of justice. The magistrate heard both the plaintiff and the defendant in the suit in full, saw how the old woman had been duped, called the man and decided a§ follows:—"The money was entrusted to the woman on the underrstanding that it should be returned when both of you came back and demanded it. It is not fair, therefore, to ask her to pay back ​the amount when you come and ask for it singly. If you are in need of money, therefore, fetch out your brother."

      The man was unable to answer this argument and went his own way.

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      Durbuddhi and Subuddhi

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      XI.

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