^9^3-] ADVENTURES OF MULADEVA 649 



presence of the appraiser the king asked : " Look here, Mr. Mer- 

 chant, is this the extent of your property ? " Ayala answered : 

 " Your majesty, it amounts to just so much." The king then, 

 ordered : " Make the merchant give half, but weigh in my presence ! " 

 The goods were weighed in bulk. By noticing their (unexpected) 

 weight, by pushing against them with the feet, and by poking into 

 them with a spike, valuables were found hidden within the madder''^ 

 and the other bales. The king had the bales ripped open ; a careful 

 search revealed just where was the gold and the silver, and where 

 the many other precious wares, such as crystals, pearls, and corals. 

 The king, in anger, ordered his attendants : " Zounds, chain this con- 

 victed thief ! " They chained Ayala, his heart beating. The king 

 committed him to the hands of the guards, and returned to the 

 palace. 



The chief of the guards led him into the king's presence. And 

 when the king saw him securely bound, he ordered his immediate 

 release. Then he asked Ayala: "Do you know me?" Ayala said: 

 " Who should not know the great princes that are famed over the 

 whole earth ? " The king said : " A truce to your flattery ; say 

 straightforth whether you know me!" Then Ayala said: "Your 

 Majesty, I do not know you at all." Thereupon the king had Deva- 

 datta called; she appeared like a lovely Apsaras, wearing jewels on 

 all her limbs. Ayala recognized her, and was mightily ashamed in 

 his soul. And she said : " Behold this is that Muladeva to whom you 

 said at that time : ' Show thou courtesy to me also, if ever, by the 

 might of fate, I should come to grief ! ' There lies your chance : 

 now that you have gotten into danger to property and life, you are 

 freed by the king who is kind to the humble and afflicted ! " Upon 

 hearing this he said, abashed in his soul : " Your mercy is great ! " 

 He fell at the feet of the king and of Devadatta. Then he addressed 

 himself to the king: "I did at that time obscure Your Majesty who 

 makes all people happy, who is adorned with every accomplishment, 



'- A curious parallel to this touch in the story occurs in Prabandha- 

 cintamani, p. 105. A young merchant " bought some sacks of madder, and, 

 when he came to sell them, he saw some spoons of gold that had been hidden 

 in them by merchants for fear of thieves." This text is acquainted with the 

 Uttaradhyayana literature in general; see p. 98. 



