48 mitted to my charge, there is no pleasantry in the matter. The brahmun thus deprived of his money, departed to his house in/dejection of spirits. A little while after, the deceived brahmun stole the son of the deceitful merchant, brought him to his own house, and taking off all his ornaments, placed them upon a monkey. The merchant in search for his son, came to the house of the brahmun, and seeing the ornaments on the body of the monkey said to him, ‘what freak is this? you have placed the ornaments of my son on a monkey. Tell me speedily where my son is. The brahmun replied, I brought your son here, indeed, but he has become a monkey, how could I help it? The merchant on hearing this, went and told all the particulars to the king and demanded juctice. The astonished monarch sent for the brahmun, and said, you maintain that the son of the merchant is become a monkey; this is impossible. The brahmun replied, can silver ever become copper? if so, then this improbable transformation is not impossible. Hearing this, the king enquired more deeply into the matter, and soon learned the particulars from the simple narrative of the brahmun. The integrity of the twice-born and the craft of the merchant having been established
