The Little Clay Cart Part 45

And bes.h.i.+des, I 've found a big hole, like a worm that has crawled into the knot of a lotush-root, and is looking for a hole to creep out at. Now who was I going to accuse of thish wicked deed? [_He recalls something._] Oh, yes.h.!.+ I remember. I was going to accuse poor Charudatta of thish wicked deed. Bes.h.i.+des, he's poor. They 'll believe anything about him. Good! I 'll go to the court-room and lodge a public complaint against Charudatta, how he shtrangled Vasantasena and murdered her. Sho now I 'm on my way to the court-room. [_He walks about and looks around him._] Here is the court-room. I 'll go in. [_He enters and looks about._] Well, here are the sheats, all arranged. While I 'm waiting for the magishtrates, I 'll jusht sit down a minute on the gra.s.s. [_He does so._]

P. 226.10]

_Beadle._ [_Walks about in another direction, and looks before him._]

Here come the magistrates. I will go to them. [_He does so._]

[_Enter the judge, accompanied by a gild-warden, a clerk, and others._]

_Judge._ Gild-warden and clerk!

_Gild-warden and Clerk._ We await your bidding.

_Judge._ A trial depends to such an extent upon others that the task of the magistrates--the reading of another's thoughts--is most difficult.

Men often speak of deeds that no man saw, Matters beyond the province of the law; Pa.s.sion so rules the parties that their lies, Hide their offenses from judicial eyes; This side and that exaggerate a thing, Until at last it implicates the king; To sum it up: false blame is easy won, A true judge little praised, or praised by none. 3

And again:

Men often point to sins that no man saw, And in their anger scorn the patient law; In court-rooms even the righteous with their lies Hide their offenses from judicial eyes; And those who did the deed are lost to view, Who sinned with plaintiff and defendant too; To sum it up: false blame is easy won, A true judge little praised, or praised by none. 4

For the judge must be

Learned, and skilled in tracing fraud's sly path, And eloquent, insensible to wrath; To friend, foe, kinsman showing equal grace, Reserving judgment till he know the case; Untouched by avarice, in virtue sound.

The weak he must defend, the knave confound; An open door to truth, his heart must cling To others' interests, yet shun each thing That might awake the anger of the king. 5

[137.94. S.

_Gild-warden and Clerk._ And do men speak of defects in your virtue? If so, then they speak of darkness in the moonlight.

_Judge._ My good beadle, conduct me to the court-room.

_Beadle._ Follow me, Your Honor. [_They walk about._] Here is the court-room. May the magistrates be pleased to enter. [_All enter._]

_Judge._ My good beadle, do you go outside and learn who desires to present a case.

_Beadle._ Yes, sir. [_He goes out._] Gentlemen, the magistrates ask if there is any here who desires to present a case.

_Sansthanaka._ [_Gleefully._] The magishtrates are here. [_He struts about._] I desire to present a cashe, I, an arishtocrat, a man, a Vasudeva, the royal brother-in-law, the brother-in-law of the king.

_Beadle._ [_In alarm._] Goodness! The king's brother-in-law is the first who desires to present a case. Well! Wait a moment, sir. I will inform the magistrates at once. [_He approaches the magistrates._] Gentlemen, here is the king's brother-in-law who has come to court, desiring to present a case.

_Judge._ What! the king's brother-in-law is the first who desires to present a case? Like an eclipse at sunrise, this betokens the ruin of some great man. Beadle, the court will doubtless be very busy to-day. Go forth, my good man, and say "Leave us for to-day.

Your suit cannot be considered."

_Beadle._ Yes, Your Honor. [_He goes out, and approaches Sansthanaka._]

Sir, the magistrates send word that you are to leave them for to-day; that your suit cannot be considered.

P. 229.13]

_Sansthanaka._ [_Wrathfully._] Confound it! Why can't my shuit be cons.h.i.+dered? If it is n't cons.h.i.+dered, then I 'll tell my brother-in-law, King Palaka, my s.h.i.+shter's husband, and I 'll tell my s.h.i.+shter and my mother too, and I 'll have thish judge removed, and another judge appointed. [_He starts to go away._]

_Beadle._ Oh, sir! Brother-in-law of the king! Wait a moment. I will inform the magistrates at once. [_He returns to the Judge._] The brother-in-law of the king is angry, and says--[_He repeats Sansthanaka's words._]

_Judge._ This fool might do anything. My good man, tell him to come hither, that his suit will be considered.

_Beadle._ [_Approaching Sansthanaka._] Sir, the magistrates send word that you are to come in, that your suit will be considered.

Pray enter, sir.

_Sansthanaka._ Firsht they shay it won't be cons.h.i.+dered, then they shay it will be cons.h.i.+dered. The magishtrates are shcared. Whatever I shay, I 'll make 'em believe it. Good! I 'll enter. [_He enters and approaches the magistrates._] I am feeling very well, thank you.

Whether you feel well or not--that depends on me.

_Judge._ [_Aside._] Well, well! We seem to have a highly cultivated plaintiff. [_Aloud._] Pray be seated.

_Sansthanaka._ Well! Thish floor belongs to me. I 'll sit down wherever I like. [_To the gild-warden._] I'll sit here. [_To the beadle._]

Why should n't I sit here? [_He lays his hand on the Judge's head._]

I 'll sit here. [_He sits down on the floor._]

_Judge._ You desire to present a case?

_Sansthanaka._ Of courshe.

_Judge._ Then state the case.

_Sansthanaka._ I 'll whishper it. I was born in the great family of a man as glorioush as a wine-gla.s.s.

My father's father of the king--in law; The king, he is my daddy's son-in-law; And I am brother to the king--in law; And the husband of my s.h.i.+shter is the king. 6

[140.1. S.

_Judge._ All this we know.

Why should you boast of this your n.o.ble birth?

'T is character that makes the man of worth; But thorns and weeds grow rank in fertile earth. 7

State your case.

_Sansthanaka._ I will, but even if I was guilty, he wouldn't do anything to me. Well, my s.h.i.+shter's husband liked me, and gave me the besht garden there is, the old garden Pushpakaranda, to play in and look after. And there I go every day to look at it, to keep it dry, to keep it clean, to keep it blosshoming, to keep it trimmed. But fate decreed that I shaw--or rather, I didn't _shee_--the proshtrate body of a woman.

_Judge._ Do you know who the unfortunate woman was?

_Sansthanaka._ h.e.l.lo, magishtrates! Why shouldn't I know? A woman like that! the pearl of the city! adorned with a hundred golden ornaments! Shomebody's unworthy shon enticed her into the old garden Pushpakaranda when it was empty, and for a mere trifle--for her money!--shtrangled Vasantasena and killed her. But _I_ didn't--[_He breaks off, and puts his hand over his mouth._]

_Judge._ What carelessness on the part of the city police! Gild-warden and clerk, write down the words "I didn't," as the first article in the case.

_Clerk._ Yes, sir. [_He does so._] Sir, it is written.

_Sansthanaka._ [_Aside._] Goodness.h.!.+ Now I've ruined myshelf, like a man that shwallows a cake of rice and milk in a hurry. Well, I'll get out of it thish way. [_Aloud._] Well, well, magishtrates! I was jusht remarking that I didn't shee it happen. What are you making thish hullabaloo about? [_He wipes out the written words with his foot._]

P. 233.3]