136; 



CEYLON BRANCH 



are poor* what shall we give to purchase one ? Here is this dish, 

 said the child, it is of no use to us, give this and buy one for 

 me. The woman called the merchant, and having requested him 

 to sit down, brought the dish and said, Brother, take this, and 

 give your sister something for it. The merchant took i;t into his 

 hand, and suspecting it to be gold, he made a scratch through 

 the dirt, and ascertained that it was so ; but hoping to get \% 

 for nothing, said, What -is this worth ! it Xs not worth half a 

 masaka, and throwing it on the ground, rose from his seat, and 

 went away. The two merchants had agreed, that when one 

 them had left a street, the other might enter it. Bodisat ac-*. 

 cordingly, entered the street crying, Buy my jewels != buy my 

 jewels ! and came to the door of the house. The child again 

 requested the grand-mother to buy her something, but she- 

 replied, My child, the first merchant who came threw the dish 

 on the ground and went away. What can I now give to buy 

 a jewel for you? She replied, Mother, that merchant was a 

 surly man, but this one is of a pleasing countenance and mild; 

 of speech, perhaps he will take it. Then call him. She did 

 so, and he came in and sat down. When they gave him the 

 dish, he saw that it was gold, and said, Mother, this dish is worth 

 a lack : I have not goods enough with me to buy it. The 

 grand-mother replied, Brother, the merchant who first came 

 said it was not worth half a masaka,. threw it on the ground 

 and went away. The dish has been changed into gold by the 

 power of your virtue : I present it to you ; give us some trifie 

 for it, and take it. Bodisat immediately gave them 500 kaha- 

 panas which he had with him, and golden ornaments to the 

 same amount, and saying, allow me only to retain the yoke 

 for carrying my goods, my bag, and these eight kahapanas.. 

 Obtaining these, he departed, hastened to the bank of the river,, 

 gave the eight kahapanas to the boatman and got into the boat* 



