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to take care of the elephants, and the elephants all became fat; he was 

 ordered to superiiitend the fish-tax and every day he prcsented large fish to 

 his master. The latter was rnuch satisfied with him and ernployed him as 

 an attendant who was always about his person. 



Once he foliowed his master to court, where he saw the king exalt- 

 ed and dignifiecl as a god, and his master bowing with the utmost re verence- 



When they left the palace he said to his master-. //Why were you 

 so very re verent?" His master replied: //It was the king, how could I 

 dare to be otherwise." The slave said again : //It is only that my master 

 does not wish to be king, if he wished he should be it at once." His 

 master scolded him and ordered him to retire. 



On another day he came again and said: //The body-guard of the 

 king are few in number; you, as commancler of the ariny, must certainly 

 take leave of the king on going out of the town; I pray you to take me 

 with you and then you must teil the king that you have a secret affair and 

 ask him to send away those who are about him; the king will have no 

 suspicion and then I will avail myself of the opportunity, kill him and make 

 you king; this is as easy as to turn my hand." 



His master assented; the slave indeed slew the king and cried out 

 loudly: //The king did not folio w the right path, therefore I have slain 

 him and now my master is king; whoever has to say anything against it, 

 will feel this sword." 



The people submitted and dared not stir; his master then usurped 

 the throne and let his slave do whatever he choose; he gave him the com- 

 mand of the army and not long afterwards the slave killed his master and 

 put himself in his place. He then took great precautions: he enlarged the 

 palace and made six cloors to it, which nobody could enter without permission 

 and even the high officers were not allowed to come to the audience hall 

 with their swords; when he went out he sat on an elephant, bearing a 

 small pavilion all surrounded with curtains, and there were more than a 

 hundred of these animals got up like this , so that the people could not make 

 out on which one the king was sitting. 



The customs of the people are pretty good and they are quiet 

 in their speech ; only the king is much given to cruelty : every year he kills 

 more than ten people and washes his body with their blood, saying that 

 this can prevent disease. 



Amongst the things they brought as tribute were precious stones, agate, 



