This happened as we shall now explain. When the Bodhisatta was inaugurated king, a certain servant of king Janasandha, named Gamani-canda, thus considered within himself: "This kingdom is glorious if it be governed by aid of those who are of an age with the king. Now I am old, and I cannot wait upon a young prince: so I will get me a living by farming in the country." So he departed from the city a distance of three leagues, and abode in a certain village. But he had no oxen for farming. And so, after rain had fallen, he begged the loan of two oxen from a friend; all day long he ploughed with them, and then he gave them grass to eat, and went to the owner's house to give them back again. At the moment it happened that the owner sat at meat with his wife; and the oxen entered the house, quite at home. As they entered, the master was raising his plate, and the wife putting hers down. Seeing that they did not invite him to share the meal, Gamani-canda departed without formally making over the oxen. During the night, thieves broke into the cow-pen, and stole the oxen away.

Early on the morrow, the owner of these oxen entered the cow-shed, but cattle there were none; he perceived that they had been stolen away by thieves. "I'll make Gamani pay for it!" thought he, and to Gamani he went. [301]

"I say, return me my oxen!" cried he.

"Are not they in their stall?"

"Now did you return them to met"

"No, I didn't."

"Here's the king's officer: come along."

Now this people have a custom that they pick up a bit of stone or a potsherd, and say--"Here's the king's officer; come along! "If any man refuses to go, he is punished. So when Gamani heard the word "officer," he went along.

So they went together towards the king's court. On the way, they came to a village where dwelt a friend of Gamani's. Said he to the other,

"I say, I'm very hungry. Wait here till I go in and get me something to eat!" and he entered his friend's house.

But his friend was not at home. The wife said,

"Sir, there is nothing cooked. Wait but a moment; I will cook at once and set before you."

She climbed a ladder to the grain store, and in her haste she fell to the

ground. And as she was seven months gone with child, a miscarriage followed.

At that moment, in came the husband, and saw what had happened. "You have struck my wife," cried he, "and brought her labour upon her untimely! Here's a king's officer for you--come along!" and he carried him off. After this they went on, the two of them, with Gamani between.

As they went, there was a horse at a village gate; and the groom could not stop it, but it ran along with them. The horsekeeper called out to Gamani--