whole matter he taught him in a few days how to handle a sword. Then one day the prince took sword and bathing-dress and said, "Father, let us go and bathe." Parantapa consented and went with him. When he went down into the water, the prince took his top-knot in the left hand and the sword in the right, and said, "At this spot you took my father by the top-knot and killed him as he cried out: even so will I do to you." Parantapa wailed in fear of death and spoke two stanzas:--

Surely that sound has come to you and told you what befel:
Surely the man who bent the bough has come the tale to tell.

The foolish thought that once I had has reached your knowledge now:
That day a witness, man or beast, was there and shook the bough.

Then the prince spoke the last stanza:--

'Twas thus you slew my father with trait'rous word, untrue;
You hid his body in the boughs: now fear has come to you.

[421] So saying, he slew him on the spot, buried him and covered the place with branches: then washing the sword and bathing, he went back to the hut of leaves. He told the priest how he had killed Parantapa: he censured his mother, and saying, "What shall we do now?" the three went back to Benares. The Bodhisatta made the young prince viceroy and doing charity and other good works passed fully through the path to heaven.

After the lesson, the Master identified the Birth: "At that time Devadatta was the old king, I myself was the young one."

BOOK VIII.--ATTHA-NIPATA.