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　　These words chilled the treasurer to the bone. "Why is this fellow mentioning my name

　　" he wondered to himself. "Has the king been giving away my wealth

　　" He peeped out of the thicket and immediately recognized his own cart and oxen.

　　Scrambling out of the bushes as fast as he could, he grabbed the oxen by their nose rings and cried, "Stop! These oxen belong to me!"

　　The farmer leaped from the cart and began beating the intruder. "You rascal!" he shouted. "This is none of your business. Illisa the treasurer is giving his wealth away to all the city." He knocked the treasurer down, climbed back on the cart, and started to drive away.

　　Shaking with anger, Illisa picked himself up, hurried after the cart, and seized hold of the oxen again. Once more the farmer jumped down, grabbed Illisa by the hair, and beat him severely. Then he got back on the cart and rumbled off.

　　Thoroughly sobered up by this rough handling, Illisa hurried home. When he arrived, he saw the people carrying away his treasure. "What are you doing

　　 he shouted. "How dare you do this

　　" He seized first one man then another, but every man he grabbed knocked him down.

　　Bruised and bleeding, he tried to go into his own house, claiming that he was Illisa, but the porters stopped him. "You villain!" they cried. "Where do you think you are going

　　" Following orders, they beat him with bamboo staves, took him by the neck, and threw him down the steps.

　　"Only the king can help me now," groaned Illisa, and he dragged himself to the palace.

　　"Sire!" he cried. "Why, oh why, have you plundered me like this

　　"

　　"I haven”t plundered you, my lord high treasurer," said the king. "You yourself first offered me your wealth. Then you yourself offered your property to the citizens of the town."

　　"Sire, I never did such a thing! Your majesty knows how careful I am about money. You know I would never give away so much as the tiniest drop of oil. May it please your majesty to send for the person who has squandered my riches. Please interrogate him about this matter."

　　The king ordered his guards to bring Illisa, and they returned with Sakka. The two treasurers were so exactly alike that neither the king nor anyone else in the court could tell which was the real treasurer. "Sire!" pleaded Illisa. "I am the treasurer! This is an imposter!"

　　"My dear sir," replied the king. "I really can”t say which of you is the real Illisa. Is there anybody who can distinguish for certain between the two of you

　　"

　　"Yes, sire," answered Illisa, "my wife can."

　　The king sent for Illisa”s wife and asked her which of the two was her husband. She smiled at Sakka and went to stand beside him. When Illisa”s children and servants were brought and asked the same question, they all answered that Sakka was the real treasurer.

　　Suddenly, Illisa remembered that he had a wart on the top of his head, hidden under his hair, known only to his barber. As a last resort, he asked that his barber be called. The barber came and was asked if he could distinguish the real Illisa from the false.

　　"Of course, I can tell, sire," he said, "if I may examine their heads."

　　"By all means, look at both their heads," ordered the king.

　　The barber examined Illisa”s head and found the wart. As he started to examine Sakka”s head, the king of the devas quickly caused a wart to appear on his own head, so that the barber exclaimed, "Your Majesty, both squint, both limp, and both are hunchbacks, too! Both have warts in exactly the same place on their heads! Even I cannot tell which is the real Illisa!"

　　When Illisa heard this, he realized that his last hope was gone, and he began to quake at the loss of his beloved riches. Overpowered by his emotions, he collapsed senseless on the floor. At this, Sakka resumed his pine form and rose into the air…

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