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The next day, it was the turn of the merchant's son to put his proposition to test. He chose to visit the quarter of harlots in the town. There was a young courtesan named Devadattă who generally disliked men and would not encourage any soliciting even from wealthy men. But when she saw the charming looking merchant's son, she seemed to be greatly interested and her servant-girl reported the matter to her mother and the mother was really happy and she invited the merchant's son and his friends to lunch.
On the third day, it was the minister's son's turn. He went to a court where a case was being heard now for three days. A man had died and his two widows were quarrelling over the child, each claiming it to be hers. The minister's son offered to settle the dispute and the court official agreed. The minister's son suggested that the boy be cut into two equal parts for the two women. The real mother at once cried out in protest that she would rather see the child alive and it would not matter whether the other woman had it. It was clear
e court that she was the real mother of the child and it awarded both the child and the property of the dead man to her. She felt happy and entertained all of them to lunch.
On the fourth day, it was the prince's turn to prove his proposition. That day, the king of that city had died without leaving an heir to the throne and the city was on the look out for the right man to be their king. According to their custom, they let out a royally caparisoned horse to spot out the right man. The horse came to the garden where the prince was sitting under a tree but even when the sun moved, the shadow of the tree would not move at all and the horse noticed this and came right in front of the prince and neighed. The whole city knew that it was the right man and the prince was put on the throne and he became a master of a great fortune. The rewards of punya are really bounteous.
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