in this son a treasure of great price. One day the Brahman's wife went down to the river to bathe, while Devasarman remained in the house, taking care of the child. Presently a messenger came from the King's palace to summon the Brahman, whose sole means of support depended upon the fees paid him for his priestly services. Pleased at the prospect of a fee, Devasarman hurried off to the palace, leaving a Mongoose, which he himself had brought up from birth, to stand guard over the child. After he had gone a Snake suddenly appeared and crawled directly towards the spot where the infant lay; but the Mongoose, upon seeing the Snake, instantly sprang upon it and killed it out of devotion to his master. When the Mongoose saw Devasarman returning, while he was still far off, it ran joyously out to meet him, with its jaws still red with the blood of the Snake. When Devasarman beheld the Mongoose in this condition, he was seized with a terrible fear that it had killed his little son, and in his excitement and anger he struck the Mongoose a fatal blow with a stone. But when he entered the house, and saw the Snake lying dead on the floor, and the child alone, but alive and well, he repented bitterly of what he had done. And when his wife returned and was told what had happened, she reproached him for his rash haste, saying:
"Why did you so inconsiderately kill the Mongoose when it had done you nothing but kindness?"
(Katha-Sarit-Sagara. Book X, Chapter 64.)
THE DISCONTENTED OX
THERE were once two Oxen who were brothers and were owned by one master, for whom they did all the heavy draught-work. Now one of these Oxen was much smaller than his brother; and since
