Long ages ago there was a Brahman's son whose name was Shrikantha
(1). This man sold all his inheritance for three pieces of
cloth-stuff. Lading the three pieces of cloth-stuff on to the back of
an ass, he went his way into a far country to trade with the same (2).
As he went along he met a party of boys who had caught a mouse and
were tormenting it. Having tied a string about its neck, they were
dragging it through the water. The Brahman's son could not bear to
see this proceeding and chid the boys, but they refused to listen to
his words. When he found that they would pay no heed to his words,
he bought the mouse of them for one of his pieces of stuff, and
delivered it thus out of their hands.
When he had gone a little farther he met another party of boys who
had caught a young ape (3) and were tormenting it. Because it did not
understand the game they were playing, they hit it with their fists,
and when it implored them to play in a rational manner and not be so
hasty and revengeful, they but hit it again. At the sight the Brahman
was moved with compassion and chid the boys, and when they would not
listen to him he bought it of them for another of his pieces of stuff,
and set it at liberty.
Farther along, in the neighbourhood of a city, he met another party of
boys who had caught a young bear and were tormenting it, riding upon
it like a horse and otherwise teasing it; and when by his chiding he
could not induce them to desist, he bought it of them for his last
piece of stuff, and set it at liberty.
By this means he was left entirely without merchandize to trade
with, and he thought within himself, as he drove his donkey along,
what he should do; and he found in his mind no better remedy than to
steal something out of the palace of the Khan wherewith to commence
trading. Having thus resolved, he tied his donkey fast in the thick
jungle and made his way with precaution into the store-chambers of
the Khan's palace. Here he possessed himself of a good provision of
pieces of silk-stuff, and was well nigh to have escaped with the same
when the Khan's wife, espying him, raised the cry, "This fellow hath
stolen somewhat from the Khan's store-chamber!"
At the cry the people all ran out and stopped Shrikantha and brought
him to the Khan. As he was found with the stuffs he had stolen still
upon him, there was no doubt concerning his guilt, so the Khan ordered
a great coffer to be brought, and that he should be put inside it,
and, with the lid nailed down, be cast into the water.
The force of the current, however, carried the coffer into the midst
of the branches of an overhanging tree on an island, where it remained
fixed; nevertheless, as the lid was tightly nailed down, it soon became
difficult to breathe inside the box. Just as Shrikantha was near to
die for want of air, suddenly a little chink appeared, through which
plenty of air could enter. It was the mouse he had delivered from
its tormentors who had brought him this timely aid (4). "Wait a bit,"
said the mouse, as soon as he could get his mouth through the aperture,
"I will go fetch the ape to bring better help."
The ape came immediately on being summoned, and tore away at the box
with all his strength till he had made a hole big enough for the man to
have crept out; but as the box was surrounded by the water he was still
a prisoner. "Stop a bit!" cried the ape, when he saw this dilemma;
"I will go and call the bear."
The bear came immediately on being summoned, and dragged the coffer
on to the bank of the island, where Shrikantha alighted, and all
three animals waited on him, bringing him fruits and roots to eat.
While he was living here water-bound, but abundantly supplied by
the mouse, the ape, and the bear with fruits to sustain life, he one
day saw shining in a shallow part of the water a brilliant jewel as
big as a pigeon's egg. The ape soon fetched it at his command, and
when he saw how big and lustrous it was he resolved that it must be a
talisman. To put its powers to the test, he wished himself removed to
terra firma. Nor had he sooner uttered the wish than he found himself
in the midst of a fertile plain. Having thus succeeded so well, he next
wished that he might find on waking in the morning a flourishing city
in the plain, and a shining palace in its midst for his residence,
with plenty of horses in the stable, and provisions of all kinds in
abundance in the store-chamber; shady groves were to surround it,
with streams of water meandering through them.
When he woke in the morning he found all prepared even as he had
wished. Here, therefore, he lived in peace and prosperity, free
from care.
Before many months had passed there came by that way a caravan of
merchants travelling home who had passed over the spot on their
outward-bound journey.
"How is this!" exclaimed the leader of the caravan. "Here, where a
few months ago grew nothing but grass; here is there now sprung up a
city in all this magnificence!" So they came and inquired concerning
it of the Brahman's son.
Then Shrikantha told them the whole story of how it had come to pass,
and moreover showed them the talisman. Then said the leader of the
caravan, "Behold! we will give thee all our camels and horses and
mules, together with all our merchandize and our stores, only give
us thou the talisman in exchange." So he gave them the talisman in
exchange, and they went on their way. But the Brahman's son went to
sleep in his palace, on his soft couch with silken pillows.
In the morning, when he woke, behold the couch with the silken pillows
was no more there, and he was lying on the ground in the island in
the midst of the water!