This illustrated story is one of the most wonderful things we ever received at Candlelight Stories.

It was sent to us back in 1997 by a young man named Vaibhav Kodikal from Mumbai India. This was one of his first illustration !ro"ects finished while he was still in school. The Times of India did an article about how he made this story and !ublished it on Candlelight Stories. #e was and remains one of our very favorite artists. $e ho!e he is doing very well indeed today. The %anchatantra & The 'rahmin(s Tale is from the oldest e)tant collection of fables in Sanskrit literature. *ating from the +th century ,* it is based on still earlier collections of folk tales. The %anchatantra is sometimes attributed to an Indian sage 'id!ai -flourished about .// ,.*.0. The tales !rimarily about animals are organi1ed into five books on such to!ics as winning friends losing !ro!erty and waging war. They were originally intended to instruct a young !rince in the conduct that would ensure his worldly success. The Tale Begins

2ong long ago there was a !oor 'rahmin named 3rishnan. #e could not find enough work to do. Sometimes he and his family had to go without food.

,t last 3rishnan decided to leave his village in search of work. 4arly ne)t morning before his wife and children woke u! he left the house. #e did not know where to go or what to do. #e "ust walked away.

#e walked the whole day until he came to a thick "ungle. #e was tired thirsty and hungry. $hile looking around for water to drink he found a well.

#e went to the well and looked in. There he saw a "aguar a monkey a snake and a man. They had all fallen into the well. 56 noble 'rahmin 7 the "aguar called out to him 5%lease hel! me out so that I can go back to my family.7 5'ut you are a "aguar 7 said 3rishnan. 5I am afraid of you. #ow can I !ull you out of this well8 #ow do I know you will not kill me87 5*on(t be afraid of me my dear man 7 re!lied the "aguar. 5I !romise I will not do you any harm. %lease take !ity on me and save my life.7

5I su!!ose I might as well save him 7 thought 3rishnan. 5It is always good to be kind to others.7 3rishnan reached into the well and !ulled out the "aguar.

The "aguar thanked him and said 52et me introduce myself. I(m Shersingh. *o you see those mountains over there8 I live there in a cave. I shall be most delighted if you could visit me someday. %erha!s I could re!ay my debt to you.7 3rishnan then heard the monkey calling out to him from the well. 5#oly Sir won(t you !ull me out too87 The 'rahmin at once !ulled the monkey out. The monkey thanked the 'rahmin. 5If you are ever in need of food "ust dro! in at my !lace. It is "ust over there below that big mountain. 'y the way 'ali is the name.7 9ow the snake called out to him. 5%lease hel! me too.7 5#el! you:7 e)claimed 3rishnan. 5;ou are a snake. $hat if you bite me87 5I shall never bite you 7 said the snake. 5;ou need not be afraid of me at all. %lease save me.7 So 3rishnan !ulled the snake out of the well. 5I am very grateful my dear Sir 7 said the snake. 5<emember if you are ever in any difficulty "ust call out my name & 9aagesh and wherever you are I shall find you.7

The "aguar the monkey and the snake took leave of the 'rahmin. 'ut before they left they s!oke to him about the man in the well. 5%lease do not hel! him 7 said Shersingh. 5If you do 7 said 9aagesh 5you will be in trouble yourself.7

,s soon as they left the man in the well began to call out. #e begged 3rishnan to save him too. 3rishnan felt sorry for the man and !ulled him out of the well. 5Thank you for your kindness 7 said the man. 5I am Seth =hanshyamdas. I am a goldsmith. I live in the city near here. If you ever need my hel! don(t hesitate to visit my humble house.7 The goldsmith then left for home.

,fter some time the 'rahmin continued his "ourney. 'ut luck was against him. #e could find no work. In the end he thought it would be best if he killed himself. #e made u! his mind to "um! into the river and drown. 'ut then he remembered Shersingh the "aguar 'ali the monkey 9aagesh the snake and Seth the goldsmith. #e thought it was time to seek their hel!.

#e first went to 'ali the monkey. The monkey was over"oyed to see him. #e gave him a warm welcome and offered him some really delicious fruits. 5;ou are always welcome here dear 3rishnan 7 said 'ali when the 'rahmin told him how grateful he was.

9ow 3rishnan wanted to see how Shersingh the "aguar would treat him. 'ali showed him the way to the "aguar(s cave. ,s soon as Shersingh saw 3rishnan coming he ran out to welcome him. #e had not forgotten the 'rahmin who saved his life. Shersingh gave 3rishnan a beautiful gold necklace and other !recious "ewelry. 5Take this my dear friend 7 roared Shersingh 5a small token of my gratitude and res!ect. Take this and make a great new start.7 3rishnan thanked Shersingh for the "ewelry and !arted.

#is "ourney had at last brought him luck he thought. #e would be able to sell the ornaments for a good !rice. Then he could return home. #ow ha!!y his wife would be. $ith the money he would get they could live ha!!ily. 'ut who could hel! him to sell the ornaments8

#e then remembered Seth =hanshyamdas the goldsmith. $ould he hel!8 #e went to him. The goldsmith was glad to see 3rishnan. 5$hat brings you here87 he asked. I have come to ask for your hel! 7 re!lied 3rishnan. 5#ere are some ornaments. %lease give me a good !rice for them.7 Seth =hanshyamdas took the "ewelry and e)amined it carefully. 5I shall certainly hel! you 7 he said. 5'ut let me show them to another goldsmith. %lease wait here. #el! yourself to some refreshments. I will be right back.7 The goldsmith called his wife and asked her to look after the 'rahmin. #e then went out with the ornaments. Seth at once rushed to the %alace of the 3ing $odeyar of Mysore.

5Salutations to #is Ma"esty the 3ing $odeyar of Mysore 7 he said. 5, man brought these ornaments to me and asked me to sell them. 'ut they are the ornaments I made for the %rince who is missing. So I told this man to wait in my house and ran here at once ;our Ma"esty to show them to you.7 5$ho is this man8 $here is he87 thundered the 3ing. 5This scum of the earth must have murdered my little %rince and robbed his "ewels:7 5#e is a 'rahmin named 3rishnan ;our Ma"esty 7 re!lied the goldsmith 5and he is there in my house.7 The 3ing called for his most dreaded soldiers and they came running at once. 5,rrest the 'rahmin who is in the goldsmith(s house and throw him into the darkest dungeons of the kingdom:7 roared the 3ing.

The 3ing(s guard stormed into the goldsmith(s house and sei1ed 3rishnan. The 'rahmin could not understand what was going on. 5$hy are you doing this87 he cried. 5$hat have I done87 he asked the guards. 5;ou have dared to kill the young %rince and steal his "ewels 7 sna!!ed one of the guards. 5;ou will certainly be !ut to death for this great crime.7 3rishnan was bewildered. There was no way out and no one to hel! him.

3rishnan was thrown into a dark dungeon to await his e)ecution. #e then remembered the words of 9aagesh the snake he had !ulled out of the well. So he called out to the snake. Suddenly almost like magic 9aagesh the snake slithered his way down a narrow window into the dingy cell. 56 2ord:7 hissed 9aagesh 5how did you manage to get yourself arrested87 5%lease hel! me 7 cried 3rishnan. 5I have been sentenced to death for a crime I did not commit.7 3rishnan then told the snake what had ha!!ened. 5I have a !lan 7 hissed 9aagesh as his eyes began to grow fiery red. 5I know how to get you out.7 5Tell me 7 cried 3rishnan. 5I shall cree! into the >ueen(s room and bite her 7 said 9aagesh. 5She will faint. 9o matter what they do she will remain aslee!.7 5$hat then87 asked 3rishnan. 5The !oison will remain in her body until you !lace you hand on her forehead 7 e)!lained 9aagesh.

#e then left 3rishnan and went to the !alace. #e cre!t into the >ueen(s room and bit her. The >ueen fainted. The sad news that the >ueen had been bitten by a snake s!read all over the 3ingdom. #akims and ?aidyas came from far and near but their medicines had no effect. 9o one could revive the >ueen. @inally the 3ing declared that anyone who could cure the >ueen would be handsomely rewarded. Many !eo!le went to the !alace to cure the >ueen but all of them failed. 5I can cure the >ueen 7 3rishnan told the guards. ,t once they took him to the !alace and the 3ing took him to the >ueen. She lay there almost lifeless and very !ale. The snake(s !oison had turned her blue.

3rishnan sat beside the >ueen and !laced his hand on her forehead. Soon she o!ened her eyes and sat u!. The !oison had left her. There was "oy throughout the land. The 3ing was over"oyed and shed tears of ha!!iness. #e embraced 3rishnan and thanked him. 5;our Ma"esty 7 said 3rishnan 5I was sent to !rison for a crime I did not commit.7 5$hat do you mean87 asked the 3ing.

3rishnan told him the whole story. The 3ing was fuming with rage when he heard what the goldsmith had done. #e at once had the goldsmith arrested.

The 3ing was sorry that 3rishnan was falsely accused of murder and robbery. #e then !resented him with a large house and a thousand !ieces of gold. 3rishnan sent for his family and they all lived ha!!ily ever after. T#4 49*