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THE INDIAN ANTIQUARY
JANUARY, 1926
87. The neglect of good advies.
(Told by Tikaram Brahman of Mirakhar, Agra District.) Four men were onoe journeying together and came to a forest in which lived a great saint. When they came to his hermitage he said -
"Take my advioe and do not go farther into the forest. Not far off lives a witch who will be your ruin."
But they would not heed his words and came to the house of the witch, who was exceed. ingly beautiful. She sent two of them to a village close by, and the other two remained with her. To them she said "When your comrades come, I counsel you to slay them with your swords, and then I will be yours."
The other two, as they oame back with the food, consulted together. "Let us kill our comrades and then the woman will be ours."
So they put poison in the food. As they came to the door, their companions cut off their heads with their swords. Then they brought the food to the woman, who cooked it and said
“Eat, and I will eat the leavings." When they ate, they fell down dead. So the four died because they would not listen to the advice of the saint. As the poet writes :
Jo takon kanta bowai, tahi bou tan phúl ;
Takon phal ko phal hai, wako hai trisul. "Sow flowers for those who sow thorns for thee. So shalt thou find flowers seattered in thy path, and thine enemy a spear,"
88. The Kayasth and the Soldier. (Told by Nardyan Dds and recorded by Har Prasdd, teacher, Danaganj, Budaun District.)
There was once a Kayasth in a Raja's service, who had a quarrel with one of the Raja's Sipahie. The soldier in his rage threatened to give the Kayasth a sound beating. "I will knock out your teeth," replied the Kayasth. It was the custom that in the pay bill a descriptive roll of each soldier was drawn up, and next time, when the Kayasth was drawing up the roll, he added opposite the Sipahi's name, "two teeth missing."
When the Sipahi came to draw his pay, the Bakhshi looked at him, and seeing his teeth sound, said :-"Your desoription does not tally and I cannot pay you." The Sipahi made many attempts to draw his pay, but this objection was constantly made, and at last he had to knock out two of his teeth, and then his pay was passed. When the Kayasth next met the SipAht he said :-“Beware of Kayasths! They always do what they threaten."
89. Wisdom inferior to learning. . (Told by Kishori Lal Bania of Mirakhar, Agra District.) There was once a very learned Pandit who set out from home in search of employment. On the way he met a man who was noted for his wisdom, and he suggested that they should journey together.
On the way they halted under a Pipal tree in the forest and the Pandit said to his oompanion "In this world nothing is superior to learning."
"Nay," said the wise man, "wisdom is greater still." Said the Pandit : "I know a charm whereby I oan raise the dead to life." The wise man answered : " Here is the bone of a tiger. Try your skill on it."
So the Pandit went up to the bone, repeated many incantations and poured somo water on it from his lota. Whereupon the tiger oame to life and immediately dovoured the Pandit, leaving only a bone or two unbroken. All this time the wise man was looking on from the top of the Pipal tree, up which he had climbed in terror when the tiger appeared. When the animal went away, he began to consider what he oould do for his unfortunate friend. So he repeated the incantations and poured on the bones of the Pandit some water from the lota, and he immediately came to lito again,
