..续本文上一页n spoon and helping him reflected, "Is it at the sight of me that the king laughs

　　"

　　She went to the bedchamber with the king and at bedtime she asked, "Why did you laugh, O king

　　"

　　He said, "What have you to do with why I laugh

　　" But being asked again and again her told her.

　　Then she said, "Give me your spell of knowledge."

　　He said, "It cannot be given." But though repulsed she pressed him again.

　　The king said, "If I give you this spell, I shall die."

　　"Even though you die, give it me."

　　The king, being in the power of womankind, saying, "It is well," consented and went to the park in a chariot, saying, "I shall enter the fire after giving away this spell."

　　At that moment Sakka, king of gods, looked down on the earth and seeing this case said, "This foolish king, knowing that he will enter the fire through womankind, is on the way; I will give him his life." So he took Suja, daughter of the Asuras, and went to Benares. He became a he-goat and made her a she-goat, and resolving that the people should not see them, he stood before the king”s chariot. The king and the Sindh asses yoked in the chariot saw him, but none else saw him. For the sake of starting talk he was as if making love with the she-goat.

　　One of the Sindh asses yoked in the chariot seeing him said, "Friend goat, we have heard before, but not seen, that goats are stupid and shameless. But you are doing, with all of us looking on, this thing that should be done in secret and in a private place, and are not ashamed. What we have heard before agrees with this that we see."

　　And so he spoke the first stanza:

　　"Goats are stupid," says the wise man, and the words are surely true:

　　This one knows not he”s parading what in secret he should do.

　　The goat hearing him spoke two stanzas:

　　O, sir donkey, think and realize your own stupidity,

　　You”re tied with ropes, your jaw is wrenched, and very downcast is your eye.

　　When you”re loosed, you don”t escape, sir, that”s a stupid habit too:

　　And that Senaka you carry, he”s more stupid still than you.

　　The king understood the talk of both animals, and hearing it he quickly sent away the chariot. The ass hearing the goat”s talk spoke the fourth stanza:

　　Well. sir king of goats, you fully know my great stupidity:

　　But how Senaka is stupid, prithee do explain to me.

　　The goat explaining this spoke the fifth stanza:

　　He who his own special treasure on his wife will throw away,

　　Cannot keep her faithful ever and his life he must betray.

　　The king hearing his words said, "King of goats, you will surely act for my advantage. Tell me now what is right for me to do."

　　Then the goat said, "King, to all animals no one is dearer than self. It is not good to destroy oneself and abandon the honor one has gained for the sake of anything that is dear." So he spoke the sixth stanza:

　　A king, like thee, may have conceived desire

　　And yet renounced it if his life”s the cost.

　　Life is the chief thing. What can man seek higher

　　If life”s secured, desires need ne”er be crossed.

　　So the Bodhisatta exhorted the king. The king, delighted, asked, "King of goats, whence come you

　　"

　　"I am Sakka, O king, come to save you from death out of pity for you."

　　"King of gods, I promised to give her the charm. What am I to do now

　　"

　　"There is no need for the ruin of both of you. You say, ”It is the way of the craft,” and have her beaten with some blows. By this means she will not get it."

　　The king said, "It is well," and agreed. The Bodhisatta after exhortation to the king went to Sakka”s heaven. The king went to the garden, had the queen summoned and then said, "Lady, will you have the charm

　　"

　　"Yes, lord."

　　"Then go through the usual custom."

　　"What custom

　　"

　　"A hundred stripes on the back, but you must not make a sound."

　　She consented through greed for the charm. The king made his slaves take whips and beat her on both sides. She endured two or three stripes and then cried, "I don”t want the charm."

　　The king said, "You would have killed me to get the charm," and so flogging the skin off her back he sent her away. After that she could not bear to talk of it again.

《The Language of Animals》全文阅读结束。