________________ Siri Sirivalakaba In a certain city there lived an inspired sage (or seer). He had two pupils who were studying under him 'the science of marks and omens (fafAaCT).' One, who was very obedient and modest towards the preceptor, always pondered over what the preceptor taught, and if there remained any doubts after pondering over, he went to the preceptor and solved thom. Thus always pondering over whatever he learnt, he became clever and intelligent. The other pupil was devoid of all these virtues of modesty, pondering over, etc. and hence he did not turn out to be so. Now, once, being asked by the preceptor, both of them started for a n ighbouring village. On the road they saw some big foot-prints and, therefore, the pupil who had formed the habit of pondering over ( Vimrus' yakari) asked the other who never pondered over (Avimrus'yakari) thus: " Brother! whose footprints are those ?" Avimrus'yakari replied: "What is to be asked here? These are the foot-prints of an elephant." Then Vimrus'yakari said: "Do not speak like this, these are the foot-prints of a she-elephant, and she is blind by the left eye, on her is mounted a certain queen,--her busband is alive, and she is heavy with child, and about to give birth; and she will deliver
