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THE EIGHTH QUESTION, OR THE TEST BY MEANS OF A KIHIRI POLE.

After this the king, in order to try the Pandit, one day sent for a kihiri pole, and cutting off a piece of about a span in length, sent for a turner and got it nicely rounded, and sent it to the people of the East Market-town with this message: "The people living in the East Market-town are said to be possessed of understanding. Let them, therefore, inform us which is the stem end and which the root end of this kihiri stick. If they do not make it out, they will be fined a thousand pieces of money." The townsmen assembled, but could not make out either the stem end or the root end; so they spake to Sirivaḍdhana Situ, saying, Mahauṣadha Pandit will anyhow find it out; send for him and ask him." The Situ then sent for the Pandit, who was in his hall of amusement, and informed him of the state of affairs, saying, "Son! none of us are able to distinguish between the stem end and the root end of this kihiri stick. Tell us, my son, are you able to do so?" The Pandit having heard the words of his father, thought, "The king can derive no benefit by a knowledge of either the stem end or the root end of this kihiri stick. It has been sent here with the view of testing me," and said, "Bring it here, my brethren! I can make out the two ends." And after he had sent for it, he took it into his hand, and at once found out which was the top and which the root; but in order to please the multitude, he sent for a pot of water, and attached a string to the middle of the kihiri stick and suspended it on the water. As the root was heavier than the end, the former sank first. Whereupon the Pandit inquired of the people around, "Is it the root or the top of a tree

that is heavier?"

root is heavier."

They all replied,

They all replied, "O Pandit! the Then the Pandit said, "If such is the case, the part that sank first is the root," and pointed out to them which was the root and which the top of the stick. The townsmen thereupon informed the king which was the root and which the top. The king was pleased, and inquired, "Who was it that found out the root and the top?" And hearing that it was Mahauṣadha Pandit, the son of Sirivaḍdhana, the Situ, he was overjoyed, and asked Sēnaka, "What say you, Senaka? Shall we bring Mahauṣadha Pandit over here?" Seuaka, however, prevented the king from bringing the Pandit, saying, "Sire! wait a while longer; we shall test him further."

THE NINTH QUESTION, OR THE TEST BY MEANS OF THE HEAD OF A WOMAN AND THAT OF A MAN.

Again, one day the king having sent for two heads. (i.e., of a man and of a woman), sent them to the people of the East Town with this command: "Inform me which is the head of the man and which of the woman. If you do not, you will be fined a thousand pieces of money." The townsmen not knowing how to distinguish them, asked the Bōsat, who, when he looked at the two heads, found out which was the head of the man and which that of the woman. The suture in a man's head is straight and not crooked, and that of a woman's head is crooked. By means of these marks the Bōsat told the townsmen which was the man's head and which the woman's. The townsmen returned the two heads to the king, informing him which was the man's head and which the woman's head. [The way in which the king asked Senaka, and the way in which Sēnaka prevented the king from getting the Pandit up, are the same as related in the former list.]

THE TENTH QUESTION, OR THE TEST BY MEANS
OF TWO SNAKES.

And again, one day the king got two cobras (a male and a female), and sent them to the people of the East Market-town, saying, "Find out and tell us which of these is the male one and which the female. If you

The

cannot do so, you will be fined a thousand coins." townsmen not knowing how to distinguish them, asked the Pandit, who, as soon as he saw them, found out which was the male and which the female. The tail of the male is thick, and that of the female is thin; the head of the male is broad, and that of the female is long; the eyes of the male are round and large, but those of the female are small and long; the head of the male is perfect all round, but that of the female is unequal, as if it had been chopped off from a side. By these marks the Bōsat told the townsmen which was the male and which the female.

THE ELEVENTH QUESTION, OR TEST BY MEANS
OF A COCK.

Afterwards the king sent orders to the people of the East Market-town, saying, "Send me a bull which is white all over the body, which has horns on the legs, aud a hump on the head, and which sets up a sound of the three notes unfailingly. If you do not send such a one, will be fined a thousand coins." The townsmen, not knowing what was meant by this riddle, inquired of the Pandit, who replied, "The king wishes you to send him a white cock. As the cock has spurs on its two legs, it is said to have horns on the legs; as it has a comb on its

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head, it is said to have a hump thereon; when it crows it gives forth clearly three notes-one short, one middling, and one long—hence it is said to sound three notes only. Send him, therefore, such a cock." The townsmen did as he bade them.

THE TWELFTH QUESTION, OR TEST BY MEANS OF
A GEM.

The gem given by God Sakra to King Kusa was octagonal. The thread on which Sakra had strung this octagonal gem being rotten from age, broke, and there was no one who was able to remove the old thread and replace it by a new one. One day King Vēdēha sent it to the townsmen of the East Market-town with command to remove the old worn-out thread and put in a new one. The townsmen could neither remove the old one nor put in a new one, and said, "We cannot do it." Then Mahauṣadha Pandit said, "Do not trouble yourself," and sent for a little bee-honey. When he got it, he smeared the holes at the two ends of the gem with it, and twisting a thread of wool, the end of which also he smeared with honey, he ran a portion of it into one of the holes, and placed the other hole in the entrance of an ant-hill, from which ants were issuing. The auts smelling the honey, came out from the ant-hill, and eating away the old rotten thread that was in the gem, and dragging at the same time the end of the woollen string, drew it on and brought it out at the other end. The Bōsat finding that the thread had been strung into the gem, gave it to the townsmen, saying, "Give this to the king." Thereupon the townsmen sent it to the king, who having heard the manner in which the thread was introduced, was greatly pleased.

THE THIRTEENTH QUESTION, REGARDING THE CALVING OF A BULL.

One day the king, having caused his royal ox to be fed with a large quantity of undu, so as to make its belly swell out, and having cleaned its horns, and smeared the whole body with oil, and bathed it with turmeric, he sent it to the people of the East Markettown with these words: "You are said to be wise men ; this is the king's royal ox; it is far advanced in pregnancy deliver it of its calf, and return it to me with the young one. If you do not send it in that way, you will be fined a thousand coins." The townsmen said, "We cannot cause this ox to bring forth a calf; what shall we do?" and they asked the Pandit what should be done. He, thinking it meet to answer this riddle by one of a similar nature, sent for a bold man, clever in speech, and said, "Come, my good fellow! dishevel your hair and let it fall down on your back: then repair to the palace gate weeping and lamenting sorely. If any one other than the king speak to you, answer him not; but when the king sends for you and inquires the reason for your wailing, tell him thus: 'Sire! my father is in travail for the last seven days, and is unable to give birth to a child. Help me and tell me how he can be delivered of the child.' Then the king will say, 'What! are you mad? This is nousense; men never bear children.' When he says so tell him, 'May it please your Majesty, if so, how then can the people of the East Market-town deliver the royal bull of its calf?"" The man attended to the directions of the Pandit, and did as he had bade him. The king inquired, "By whom was this idea of a similar question apprehended?" And hearing that it was by Mahauṣadha Pandit, he was very much pleased.