Book Title: Jain Stories 01
Author(s): Mahendramuni, K C Lalwani
Publisher: A B Jain Shwetambar Terapanth Samaj

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Page 150
________________ 126 time to understand the situation, and, to save his benefactor's life, he crawled in a hurry to the palace-garden where -the princess was at play The snake gave a sharp bite to her and she fell on the ground at once The news reached the king and spread all over the town The death of the princess so soon after the death of the prince was considered to be a great misfortune and calamity. JAINA STORIES "Just then, a savant-seer had come to the city who told the king that the second calamity was caused for his having condemned an innocent brahmin to death 'But what proof have you got to prove the brahmin's innocence?' said the king The seer narrated the background story, adding in the end, 'The monkey and the tiger have been good hosts, but the smith has betrayed him' 'But yours may be a concocted story,' said the king 'How do I believe in your account?' The seer at once brought the snake in the person of the princess and the snake gave the account through the princess's mouth The king had now no reason to disbelieve. The brahmin was at once set free and the princess was restored to her life, The seer now said to the brahmin. 'Sir ! It is the snake who is thy saviour' The brahmin said, 'What an irony, sir, that while animals are grateful, so very ungrateful is the man "The king was so impressed by the brahmin's scholarship that he gave him the position of a minister of the realm. The goldsmith was exiled from the city The brahmin, in grati-tude, adored the snake, and worshipped him thereafter every year. Concluding his story, the tiger said to the monkey, 'So, lady, rely not on this hunter He will put you in danger Better push him down and let me satisfy my hunger RE > up, and it "But this had no effect on the monkey who turned a deaf -ear to the tiger After some time, the man woke was now the monkey's turn to lie and take rest now addressed his counsel to the man. The tiger

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