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SARANA
a
Sarana, a well-known dice-player, was a resident of the city of Avantı Dice was, so to say, passion with him, and in this, he squandered his all. He was now literally starving, and yet he could not start any business for want of capital So he turned into a house-breaker One day, he reached the house of a merchant where the father and the son were talking, as follows:
Father-"I want to store ten thousand gold coins in some safe place to be used in case of unforeseen contingencies."
Son-"It is a laudable idea, sir, but what will be the safe place for this ?"
Father "I think the cremation ground "
Sarana at once transferred himself to the cremation ground, and attired like a monk, he controlled his respirations and lay like a corpse in one corner.
Meanwhile, the merchant and his son came there The merchant asked his son to check around carefully, for, he knew that if anybody was in hiding in the neighbourhood, his whole plan would fall through In fulfilling his assignment, the son carefully searched the entire neighbourhood but found no living person anywhere, except a corpse He checked him carefully, touched him, turned him, but found no trace of life, though the body bore no mark of any wound. The son came back and apprised his father. said at once, " Maybe he is an expert cheat.
The merchant You go again
and examine him once more."
The son returned and examined the body again, this time more carefully than before, but found nothing to alter bis previous finding Then he held his leg and dragged him to some distance. Sarana bore everything with patience and
