The three wives very soon had good reason to wish their husbands had
stayed away. Instead of being grateful for all Putraka’s generosity,
they were very unkind and exacting, never pleased with anything; and
whatever they had given them, they were always trying to get more. In
fact, they were silly as well as wicked; for they did not realize that
this was not the way to make the king love them or wish to keep them
with him. Presently they became jealous of Putraka, and began to wish
to get rid of him. His father hated to feel that his son was king,
whilst he was only one of that king’s subjects; and he made up his mind
to kill him, hoping that if he could only get rid of him he might rule
over the country in his stead. He thought and thought how best to
manage this, and did not at first mean to tell his brothers anything
about it; but in the end he decided he had better have them on his
side. So he invited them to go with him to a secret place to talk the
matter over.
11. What qualities did Putraka’s father show in this plot against his
son?
12. Was there any other way in which the king’s father could have
gained a share in governing the land?