Book Title: Indian Antiquary Vol 17
Author(s): John Faithfull Fleet, Richard Carnac Temple
Publisher: Swati Publications

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Page 377
________________ DECEMBER, 1888.] FOLKLORE IN SOUTHERN INDIA. 347 best." the king of birds, perched upon a bough of had a peculiar minister, and whatever the king the tree exactly over the king's head and fell consulted him about he always replied, “ It is to preying upon a venomous serpent which it for the best." In a word, this minister was had brought from a great ant-hill. A drop of what would now be called an optimist. poison from the serpent dropped on the king's One day the king lost one of his fingers in throat and our hero the minister perceived it. handling a sharp instrument, and, sending for Thinking that the poison might cause the the minister, he showed him his hand and said, king's death if it found its way inside the body sorrowfally, “See what a calamity has hap. through the pores of the skin, he took out pened to me; I have lost one of my fingers." a small knife which he had with him to gently The minister coolly replied, "It is for the remove the fatal drop. Just at this moment the goddess Lakshmi, true to her promise, Greatly was the monarch enraged. “Vile pod before him and asked his permission to wretch! Do you dare to say that the loss of go. He permitted her to do so and placed the a finger is for the best? You shall see the knife on the king's throat. The king suddenly result of your stupid motto. You shall live in awoke and finding the minister with a knife prison for a score of years," said the at his throat upbraided him with treachery. king. "If I had thoughts of killing you, my lord, But again the minister merely replied, "It I could have done it long ago. Look at the is for the best." king of birds up above you, and also look at "What impertinence !" said the king, and the serpent he is feasting upon. A drop of sent the minister off to jail; and so our hero poison fell from the mouth of that deadly had to undergo imprisonment. reptile on your Majesty's throat and for trying The day after this affair the king went to to remove it, I am abused. But there is no the forest to hunt, to which amusement he was use in my remaining any longer with you." in the habit of taking his minister along with Thus spoke the minister and explained to the him. But as he had imprisoned him he had king how up to that moment Lakshmi had to go all alone, and, after a long and tiring reigned in him. Continued he, “As the god- hunt, he rested under a tree for a short sleep. dess Lakshmi remained in me up till now Before long he heard the roar of & lion and even my impertinent acts have met with your considered himself as good as dead, for the Majesty's approval. When I kicked at your lord of the beasts had seen the lord of men and lordship's crown and when I dragged your had marked him down for his prey. The king Majesty and your queen out of your bed-cham- went off into a dead faint. Now, it is a belief ber, Lakshmi it was that saved me by taking among the Hindus, that lions do not eat a man the shape of a serpent from under your crown, who is deformed, or who sleeps. And so when and by pulling down the roof of the room. the lion examined the fainting king and came Now that she has abandoned me but a moment to the mutilated hand he went away, spurning ago even a good act has been misunderstood." the monarch as useless for his prey as long as He then requested the king to allow him to a finger was wanting. continue in the forest to perform penance. When the king awoke, he thought within Bat the king, not to be out-done in liberality, himself: "The words of my good minister bave gave him again the minister's place. Our hero, proved to be true, when I showed him my however, fearing that after Lakshmi had left deformed hand yesterday and he said, "It is him it would be unwise to accept any appoint for the best;' but I, in the love of my ment, preferred to remain in the woods. own self, took his words in a wrong sense and The moral drawn by natives of South India | imprisoned him. Now, had it not been for my from this story is that only as long as the lost finger I would have fallen a prey to the Goddess of Prosperity reigns in us we can lion. So my loss has worked for my good. expect to be in good circumstances. But what good can possibly result from my imprisonment of my minister? He said it No. XXVII.-It is for the best. was for the best, and I shall ascertain from In a certain country there lived a king who his own mouth what he meant."

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