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CHAPTER ONE arose, conscious, yawning as if at the end of sleep. After making myself known and restraining her weeping, I led her to Kacchagrāma to the house of Devaśarman, a friend of my father. Wandering here and there, searching for you, I came here. By good fortune you were seen now like a heap of merit of mine before my eyes. After that time, lord, how did you set out and how did you fare?” So questioned by him, the prince made known his adventures.
Then a man came there and told them: “In the village, Dirgha’s soldiers, showing a track marked by a double shape like you (two), say, 'Have such men come here?' After hearing their speech, I saw you here. Do what is pleasing to you." When this man had gone, they fled into the forest like young elephants and in the course of time came to the city Kaušāmbi. There in a garden they saw a cock-fight, on which there was a wager of a lac, between the cocks of Sheth Sāgaradatta and Buddhila. Flying up repeatedly the cocks fought violently with claws like hooks for drawing out life and beak against beak. In this fight Buddhila's cock defeated the pure-bread, powerful cock of Sāgaradatta, like a miśraelephant 315 a bhadra-elephant.
Then Varadhanu said, “If you wish, Sāgara, I will examine him, to see how your pure-bred cock was defeated by him.". Looking at Buddhila's cock with Sāgara's approval, he saw iron needles, like messengers of Yama, on his feet. Observing this, Buddhila offered him half a lac secretly; and he told the prince of this incident in an aside. Brahmadatta removed the iron needles and had Buddhila's cock fight again with Sheth Sāgara's cock. Without needles Buddhila's was defeated instantly by (Sāgara’s) cock. Whence is there victory of low persons without trickery?
Sāgaradatta, delighted, had them get into his chariot and conducted them, excellent friends from the gift of victory, to his house. While they were living in his house like their
315 307. Mixed, the worst of the 4 kinds of elephants. See I, n. 128.
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