The Wise Caravan Leader and the Lesson of Trust : หน้า 62/130

This Life Next Life 60 And he advises us to throw away our provender, so that, with lightened carts we may travel quicker and not weary our teams. But this man, Sirs, is not a friend of ours, nor a kinsman, nor of our blood. Why should we act as if we trusted him? Our stock of provender is not to be thrown away; let the caravan proceed with the goods we brought; let us not part with what we have. " So be it, sir," agreed the carters, and went on with the stock they had loaded. And at seven successive camping places they saw no grass or wood or water; but they saw the other caravan that had come to grief. And they saw the skeletons of the men and cattle devoured by that yakkha fiend. 'Then the caravan leader said to the carters: "' That caravan, my masters, met with ruin and disaster, through having that silly caravan leader for its guide. Well then, let us leave here such of our wares as are of little value, and take from that caravan such wares as are of great value." So be it, master," replied the carters, and made the transfer, and passed safely through the jungle, through having this wise caravan leader for their guide. 7 This story has been turned into a Jataka by identifying the hero as the Buddha in a previous birth, and has been made the first story in the collection afterwards put together as the Jataka Book. It is one of twelve stories in that book found in the older texts. See 'Buddhist India,' p. 195.