..续本文上一页y people will see you. In fact, it”s out of the question to drink any here at all." Producing one single penny, he sent a slave to buy a jar of liquor from the tavern.

　　When the slave returned, Illisa ordered him to carry the liquor out of town to a remote thicket near the river. "Now leave me alone!" Illisa commanded. After the slave had walked some distance away, the treasurer crawled into the thicket, filled his cup, and began drinking.

　　At that moment, the treasurer”s own father, who had been reborn as Sakka, king of the devas, happened to be wondering whether the tradition of generosity was still kept up in his house and became aware of his son”s outrageous behavior. He realized that his son had not only broken with the customary magnanimity of his family, but that he had also burned down the alms houses and beaten the poor to drive them away from his gate. Sakka saw that his son, unwilling to share even a drop of cheap liquor with anyone else, was sitting in a thicket drinking by himself.

　　When he saw this, Sakka cried, "I must make my son see that deeds always have their consequences. I will make him charitable and worthy of rebirth in the realm of the devas."

　　Instantly, Sakka disguised himself as his son, complete with his limp, hunchback, and squint, and entered the city of Baranasi. He went directly to the palace gate and asked to be announced to the king.

　　"Let him approach," said the king.

　　Sakka entered the king”s chamber and paid his respects.

　　"What brings you here at this unusual hour, my lord high treasurer

　　" asked the king.

　　"I have come, sire, because I would like to add my eighty crores of wealth to your royal treasury."

　　"No, my lord high treasurer," answered the king. "I have ample treasure. I have no need of yours."

　　"Sire, if you will not take it, I will give it all away to others."

　　"By all means, treasurer, do as you wish."

　　"So be it, sire," Sakka said. Then, bowing again to the king, he went to the treasurer”s house. None of the servants could tell that he was not their real master. He sent for the porter and ordered, "If anybody resembling me should appear and claim to be master of this house, that person should be severely beaten and thrown out." Then he went upstairs, sat down on a brocaded couch, and sent for Illisa”s wife. When she arrived, he smiled and said, "My dear, let us be bountiful."

　　When his wife, his children, and all the servants heard this, they thought, "We have never seen the treasurer in this frame of mind! He must have drunk a lot to have become so good-natured and generous."

　　His wife answered, "Be as charitable as you please, my husband."

　　"Send for the town crier," Sakka ordered. "I want him to announce to all the citizens of the city that anybody who wants gold, silver, diamonds, pearls, or other gems should come to the house of Illisa the treasurer."

　　His wife obeyed him, and a large crowd of people carrying baskets and sacks soon gathered. Sakka instructed the servants to open the doors to the store rooms and announced to the people, "These are my gifts to you! Take what you like! Good luck to you!"

　　Townspeople filled their bags and carried away all the treasure they could manage. One farmer yoked two of Illisa”s oxen to a beautiful cart, filled it with valuable things, and drove out of the city. As he rode along, humming a tune in praise of the treasurer, he happened to pass near the thicket where Illisa was hiding. "May you live to be a hundred, my good lord Illisa!" sang the farmer. "What you have done for me this day will enable me to live without ever toiling again. Who owned these oxen

　　 You did! Who gave me this cart

　　 You did! Who gave me the wealth in the cart

　　 Again it was you! Neither my father nor my mother gave me any of this. No, it came solely from you, my lord…

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