The Panchatantra (page 2)
translated and illustrated by Vaibhav Kodikal

He first went to Bali, the monkey. The monkey was overjoyed to see him. He gave him a warm welcome and offered him some really delicious fruits. "You are always welcome here, dear Krishnan," said Bali when the Brahmin told him how grateful he was.

Now Krishnan wanted to see how Shersingh, the jaguar would treat him. Bali showed him the way to the jaguar’s cave. As soon as Shersingh saw Krishnan coming, he ran out to welcome him. He had not forgotten the Brahmin who saved his life.

Shersingh gave Krishnan a beautiful gold necklace and other precious jewelry. "Take this, my dear friend," roared Shersingh, "a small token of my gratitude and respect. Take this and make a great new start." Krishnan thanked Shersingh for the jewelry and parted.

His journey had at last brought him luck, he thought. He would be able to sell the ornaments for a good price. Then he could return home. How happy his wife would be. With the money he would get, they could live happily. But who could help him to sell the ornaments?

He then remembered Seth Ghanshyamdas, the goldsmith. Would he help? He went to him. The goldsmith was glad to see Krishnan. "What brings you here?" he asked.

I have come to ask for your help," replied Krishnan. "Here are some ornaments. Please give me a good price for them."

Seth Ghanshyamdas took the jewelry and examined it carefully.

"I shall certainly help you," he said. "But let me show them to another goldsmith. Please wait here. Help yourself to some refreshments. I will be right back."

The goldsmith called his wife and asked her to look after the Brahmin. He then went out with the ornaments. Seth at once rushed to the Palace of the King Wodeyar of Mysore.

"Salutations to His Majesty the King Wodeyar of Mysore," he said. "A man brought these ornaments to me and asked me to sell them. But they are the ornaments I made for the Prince who is missing. So I told this man to wait in my house and ran here at once, Your Majesty, to show them to you."

"Who is this man? Where is he?" thundered the King. "This scum of the earth must have murdered my little Prince and robbed his jewels!"

"He is a Brahmin named Krishnan, Your Majesty," replied the goldsmith, "and he is there, in my house."

The King called for his most dreaded soldiers and they came running at once.
"Arrest the Brahmin who is in the goldsmith’s house and throw him into the darkest dungeons of the kingdom!" roared the King.

The King’s guard stormed into the goldsmith’s house and seized Krishnan. The Brahmin could not understand what was going on.

"Why are you doing this?" he cried. "What have I done?" he asked the guards.

"You have dared to kill the young Prince and steal his jewels," snapped one of the guards. "You will certainly be put to death for this great crime."

Krishnan was bewildered. There was no way out and no one to help him.

Krishnan was thrown into a dark dungeon to await his execution. He then remembered the words of Naagesh, the snake he had pulled out of the well. So he called out to the snake. Suddenly, almost like magic, Naagesh, the snake slithered his way down a narrow window into the dingy cell.

"O, Lord!" hissed Naagesh, "how did you manage to get yourself arrested?"

"Please help me," cried Krishnan. "I have been sentenced to death for a crime I did not commit." Krishnan then told the snake what had happened.

"I have a plan," hissed Naagesh, as his eyes began to grow fiery red. "I know how to get you out."

"Tell me," cried Krishnan.

"I shall creep into the Queen’s room and bite her," said Naagesh. "She will faint. No matter what they do, she will remain asleep."

"What then?" asked Krishnan.

"The poison will remain in her body until you place you hand on her forehead," explained Naagesh.

He then left Krishnan and went to the palace. He crept into the Queen’s room and bit her. The Queen fainted.

The sad news that the Queen had been bitten by a snake spread all over the Kingdom.

Hakims and Vaidyas came from far and near, but their medicines had no effect. No one could revive the Queen.

Finally, the King declared that anyone who could cure the Queen would be handsomely rewarded. Many people went to the palace to cure the Queen but all of them failed.

"I can cure the Queen," Krishnan told the guards.

At once they took him to the palace and the King took him to the Queen. She lay there almost lifeless and very pale. The snake’s poison had turned her blue.

Krishnan sat beside the Queen and placed his hand on her forehead. Soon, she opened her eyes and sat up. The poison had left her.

There was joy throughout the land. The King was overjoyed and shed tears of happiness. He embraced Krishnan and thanked him.

"Your Majesty," said Krishnan, "I was sent to prison for a crime I did not commit."

"What do you mean?" asked the King.

Krishnan told him the whole story. The King was fuming with rage when he heard what the goldsmith had done. He at once had the goldsmith arrested.

The King was sorry that Krishnan was falsely accused of murder and robbery. He then presented him with a large house and a thousand pieces of gold.
Krishnan sent for his family and they all lived happily ever after.

THE END

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