The Simile of the Caravan : หน้า 58/130

23. ' Well then, Prince, I will give you a simile ; for it is by way of a simile that some intelligent men discern the meaning of what has been said. Once upon a time, Prince, a great caravan of a thousand carts was going from the East country into the West country. Wherever it went, it consumed swiftly straw, wood, water and verdure. Now in that caravan were two caravan leaders, each commanding one half of the carts. And this occurred to them : - " This is a great caravan, one of a thousand carts. Wherever we go, we consume everything. What if we were to divide this caravan into two, five hundred carts in each. " ' So they divided that caravan into two equal portions. Then one of the leaders collected large quantities of straw, wood and water, and started [ his carts ]. On the second or third march the leader saw a swarthy red - eyed man coming from the opposite direction, armed with a quiver, wearing a lotus wreath, his garments and hair wet, and driving a chariot drawn by asses, its wheel splashed with mud. When he saw this man he said : - " Whence come you, Sir ? ' ; " From such and such a district " ' Whither go you ?" " To such and such a district." " Has there, Sir, been any great fall of rain recently in the jungle?"