Dhūmakārijātaka

Smokemaker the Goatherd

“The righteous king”—The Master told this tale while dwelling in Jetavana, concerning the Kosala king’s favour to a stranger. At one time, the story goes, that king showed no favour to his old warriors who came to him in the usual way, but gave honour and hospitality to strangers coming for the first time. He went to fight in a disturbed frontier province: but his old warriors would not fight, thinking that the new-corners who were in favour would do so; and the new-corners would not, thinking that the old warriors would. The rebels prevailed. The king, knowing that his defeat was owing to the mistake he had made in showing favour to new-comers, returned to Savatthi. He resolved to ask the Lord of Wisdom whether he was the only king who had ever been defeated for that reason: so after the morning meal he went to Jetavana and put the question to the Master. The Master answered, “Great King, yours is not the only case: former kings also were defeated by reason of the favour they showed to new-corners,” and so, at the king’s request, he told an old tale.