The Price of Indiscretion

In the city of Nagara, there was a carpenter whose name was Ujjwalaka and who was extremely poor. One
day he was pained to realize that every one else in his profession was rich and happy and that he alone was
very poor. He thought Nagara was not the proper place for him to prosper and that he must go out and seek
his fortune elsewhere. Then he left that city and began his journey to a new country. When the sun was
fading, he reached a cave in a forest.

There he saw a female camel that separated from her caravan and just then delivered a child. The carpenter
gave up his plans to go to another country and went home taking the camel and her calf with him. Every day
he would go into the forest and bring back with him bundles of tender leaves for the camel and her child to
eat. The she camel regained and her strength and the calf now became an adult. The carpenter began selling
camel milk and making good money.

Ujjwalaka loved the camel so much that he bought a bell and hung it to her neck. One day he thought to
himself, “If one camel can bring so much money for me, how much more would I earn if I buy more camels
and sell their milk?” He told his wife that he would borrow some money to go to Gujarat and buy a she camel
and that she should take care of the she camel and her calf till he returned from Gujarat.

He went to Gujarat and returned home with a she camel. Slowly, the number of camels he had increased
several times. He appointed a keeper to take care of the camel herd he had on the condition that he would
give one camel to the keeper every year as remuneration. The keeper was also free to drink camel milk twice
a day. Now, everything was fine for the carpenter and he and his wife thus lived happily ever after.

The camels used to go every day to a nearby forest to feed on the fresh green leaves available in plenty in the
forest. After spending a lot of time in the forest, eating and playing, the camels trekked back home. But the
senior she camel stayed on in the forest and joined the herd later. The other camels thought that the she camel
was a fool to go her separate ways and what would she do if a wild animal attacked her.

One day a lion saw all the camels leaving the forest in a herd and the she camel staying back and loafing
about. By the time she finished her leisurely grazing, the others left and reached home. The she camel lost
her way and was in panic when the lion, which was following her, pounced on her and soon tore her to
pieces.

“That’s why I tell you that he who does not follow the advice of wise men perishes like the camel,” said the
monkey.

The croc replied, “You are right, if you follow advice given for your good you will face no danger either here
or in the heaven above. Yet, what is great about doing good to a person who is good? He who helps a person
who has done him harm is considered great by learned people. That’s why take pity on me and give me
advice.”

The monkey said, “In that case, you go and fight that big croc who has occupied your home. If you die in that
battle, you will go to heaven. If you win the battle, you will get back your house. Know this from me:

“Conquer a good man with humility,
Vanquish a hero with strategy,
Overcome the poor through small gifts
And crush equals with power.”

“How is that possible?” Karalamukha asked Raktamukha. Another story begins.