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CHAPTER SIX
their possessions Nandā's son and Nandā went to the city Rājagrha. He left his mother with her attendants in a garden outside and Abhaya entered the city with a small retinue.
Now, at that time five hundred, less one, ministers, clever in counsel, had been assembled by King Sreņika. Then the king sought some outstanding man among the people to make the full number of five hundred ministers. In order to test them the king threw his own ring in a dry well and told the people the conditions:
“Whoever, standing on the rim (of the well), gets this ring with his hand, shall have the office of my prime minister, bought by his sharp intellect.”
They said: “It is an impossible undertaking for people like us. One who could draw down the stars with his hand, he could draw up this ring.”
Then Abhayakumāra came there and said with astonishment, “Why is it not taken? What is difficult about this?” When they had seen him, the people thought, “ He is some one with very superior intellect.” For on occasion the hue of the face shows men's valor. They said to him: “ Take this ring that has been made their stake and take the wealth of half the kingdom, a maiden, and the chief place among the ministers.”
Then Abhayakumāra, standing above, struck with a ball of moist dung the ring that was in the well. Then, clever, he threw a burning bunch of grass on top and at once dried out the dung. Nandā's son quickly had a water-channel made and filled the well with water and the people with astonishment. Śreņika's son took the floating dung with his hand. What difficulty is there in a stratagem well-managed by intelligent persons ?
When this incident was made known by the guards, the king, astonished, at once summoned Abhayakumāra to his presence. Śreņika embraced Abhaya with a welcome suitable for a son. A relative, even though he is unknown, who has been seen delights the mind. Questioned by King Sreņika,
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