The Too-Clever Merchant

Once on a time when Brahmadatta was reigning in
Benares, the Bodhisatta was born into a merchant's
family and on name-day was named 'Wise.' When he
grew up he entered into partnership with another mer-
chant named 'Wisest,' and traded with him. And these
two took five hundred waggons of merchandise from
Benares to the country-districts, where they disposed of
their wares, returning afterwards with the proceeds to
the city. When the time for dividing came, Wisest said,
" I must have a double share." " Why so ? " asked Wise.

"Because while you are only Wise, I am Wisest. And
Wise ought to have only one share to Wisest's two."
" But we both had an equal interest in the stock-in-trade
and in the oxen and waggons. Why should you have two
shares ? " " Because I am Wisest." And so they talked
away till they fell to quarrelling.

"Ah!" thought Wisest, "I have a plan." And he
made his father hide in a hollow tree, enjoining the old
man to say, when the two came, "Wisest should have a
double portion." This arranged, he went to the Bodhi-
satta and proposed to him to refer the claim for a double
share to the competent decision of the tree divinity. Then
he made his appeal in these words: "Lord, decide our
cause ! " Hereupon the father, who w r as hidden in the tree,
in a changed voice asked them to state the case. The
cheat addressed the tree as follows: "Lord, here stands
Wise, and here stand I Wisest. We have been partners
in trade. Declare what share each should receive."

" Wise should receive one share, and Wisest two," was
the response.

Hearing this decision, the Bodhisatta resolved to find
out whether it was indeed a tree divinity or not. So he
filled the hollow trunk with straw and set it on fire. And
Wisest's father w r as half roasted by the rising flames and
clambered up by clutching hold of a bough. Falling to
the ground, he uttered this stanza :

Wise rightly, Wisest wrongly got his name;
Through Wisest, I'm nigh roasted in the flame.

Then the two merchants made an equal division and
each took half, and at their deaths passed aw r ay to fare
according to their deserts.