Once upon a time in the city of Benares there was a king named Brahmadatta. In those days the Bodhisatta was born into a merchant’s family, and growing up in due course, used to journey about trading with five hundred carts, traveling in four directions. There was also another young merchant, a stupid blockhead, lacking resource.

Now at the time of our story the Bodhisatta had loaded five hundred carts with costly wares of Benares and had got them all ready to start. And so had the foolish young merchant too.

The Bodhisatta thought: “If this foolish young merchant keeps me company all along, and the thousand carts travel along together, it will be too much for the road; it will be a hard matter to get food, water, and so forth for the men, or grass for the oxen. Either he or I must go on first.” So he sent for the other and told his view saying, “The two of us can’t travel together; would you rather go first or last?” The other thought:“There will be many advantages if I go on first. I shall have a road which is not yet cut up; my oxen will have the pick of the grass; my men will have the pick of the herbs for curry; the water will be undisturbed; and, lastly, I shall fix my own price for my goods.” Accordingly he replied,”I will go first, my dear sir.”

The Bodhisatta, on the other hand, saw many advantages in going last:“ Those who go first will level the road where it is rough, while I shall travel along the road they have already traveled; their oxen will have grazed off the coarse old grass, while mine will pasture on the sweet young growth which will spring up in its place; my men will find a fresh growth of sweet herbs for curry where the old ones have been picked; where is no water, the first caravan will have to dig to supply themselves, and we shall drink at the wells they dug. Haggling over prices is killing work; whereas I, following later, shall my goods at the prices they have already fixed.”

Accordingly, seeing all these advantages, he said to the other, “Then go you first, my dear sir.”

“Very well, I will,” said the foolish merchant. And he yoked his carts and started. Journeying along, he left human habitations behind him and came to the outskirts of the wilderness. Foolish merchant took big water-jars on his carts, and filling them with water, set out to cross the desert. Now when he had reached the middle of the wilderness, the goblin who haunted it said to himself, “I will make these men throw away their stock of water, and devour them all when they are faint.” So he, by his magic power framed a delightful carriage drawn by pure white young bulls. With a group of some ten or twelve goblins bearing bows and quivers, swords and shields, he rode along to meet them like a mighty lord in this carriage, with blue lotuses and white water-lilies wreathed round his head, with wet hair and wet clothes, and with muddy carriage-wheels. His attendants, too, in front and rear of him went along with their and clothes wet, with garlands of blue lotuses and white water-lilies on their hands, and with bunches of white lotuses in their hands, chewing the esculent stalks, and dripping with water and mire.

The leaders of caravans have the following custom: whenever the wind blows in their teeth, they ride on in front in their carriage with their attendants round them, in order to escape the dust; but when the wind blows from behind them, then they ride in like fashion in the rear of the column. And, as on this occasion the wind was blowing against them, the foolish merchant was riding in front. When the goblin came aware of the merchant’s approach, he asked the foolish merchant,”Were are you from; where are are you going?”

The foolish merchant told the goblin: “We are just on our way from Benares, sir. But I observe that you have lotuses and water-lilies on your heads and in your hands, and that your people are chewing the esculent stalks, and that you are all muddy and dripping with wet. Please tell me whether it rained while you were on the road, and did you come on pools covered with lotuses and water-lilies?”

The goblin replied: “What did you say? Why, there is a dark, green forest, and then onward there is nothing but water all through the forest. It is always raining there; the pools are full; and on every side are lakes covered with lotuses and water-lilies.” Then as the line of carts passed by, goblin asked what is loaded in last cart. The foolish merchant said, “Oh, there’s water in that.”

For that goblin told,“You did well to carry water with you from the other side. But there is no need for it now, as water is abundant on ahead. So break the jars and throw the water away so that you may travel easier. Now continue on your way, as we have stopped too long already.” Then goblin went to his place where he dwelt.

Such was the folly of that foolish merchant that he did the goblin’s bidding, and had his jars broken and the water all thrown away, without saving so much even as would go in the palm of a man’s hand. Then he ordered the carts to drive on. Not a drop of water did they find on ahead, and thirst exhausted the men. All day long till the sunset they kept on the march; but at sunset they unyoked their carts and made a laager, tethering the oxen to the wheels. The oxen had no water to drink, and the men had no water to cook their rice with; and the tired–out band sank to the ground to slumber. But as soon as night fell, the goblins came out from their city, and slew every single one of those men and oxen; and when they had devoured their flesh, leaving only the bare bones, the goblins departed.

Thus was the foolish young merchant the sole cause of the destruction of that whole band, whose skeletons were strewn in all directions, while the five hundred carts stood there with their loads untouched.

Now the Bodhisatta allowed some six weeks to pass by after the starting of the foolish young merchant. Then he proceeded from the city with his five hundred carts, and in due course came to the outskirts of the wilderness. Here he had his water-jars filled and laid in an ample stock of water; and by beat of drum he had his men assembled in camp, and thus addressed them:-“Let not use a palmful of water without my instruction. There are poison trees in this wilderness; so let no man among you eat any leaf, flower, or fruit which he has not eaten before, without first asking me.” With this exhortation to his men, he pushed on into the wilderness with his 500carts. When he had reached the middle of the wilderness, the goblin made his appearance on the Bodhisatta’s path as in the former case.

But as soon as he became aware of the goblin, the Bodhisatta saw through him and he thought to himself: “There’s no water here, in this ‘Waterless Desert.’ This person with his red eyes and aggressive bearing, carts casts no shadow. Very likely he has induced the foolish young merchant who preceded me, to throw a way all his water, and then, waiting till they were worn out, has eaten up the merchant with all his men. But he doesn’t know my cleverness and ready wit.” Then he shouted to the goblin, “Go! Go! We’re men of business, and do not throw away the water we have got, before we see where more is to come from. But, when we do see more, we may be trusted to throw this water away and lighten our carts.”

Disappointed, the goblin went to the demon city. But when the goblin had gone, the Bodhisatta’s men said to him, “Sir, we heard what those men said. Let us throw away our water and get on a bit quicker with lightened carts.”

On hearing these words, the Bodhisatta ordered a halt and had the men all gathered.

Bodhisatta asked: ”Did any man among you ever hear before today that there was a lake or a pool in this wilderness?”

“No, sir,” was the answer.

Bodhisatta asked:“We have just been told by some people that it is raining just on ahead, in the belt of forest; has this rain-wind reached any one man here?”

“No, sir,” was the answer.

Bodhisatta asked: “Has any one man here seen a single storm–cloud?”

“No, sir” was the answer.

Bodhisatta asked: “Has any one seen a flash of lightning?”

No, sir.” was the answer.

Bodhisatta asked:“Has any man here heard a peal of thunder?”

“No, sir,” was the answer.

Bodhisatta said:“These are not men but goblins. They will return in the hope of devouring us when we are weak and faint after throwing away our water at their bidding. As the young merchant who went on before us was not a clever man, most likely he has been fooled into throwing his water away and has been devoured when exhaustion ensued. We may expect to find his five hundred carts standing just as they were loaded for the start; we shall come on them today. Press on with all possible speed, without throwing away a drop of water.”

Urging his men forward with these wards, he proceeded on his way till he came upon the 500 carts standing just as they had been loaded and the skeletons of the men and oxen strewn in every direction. He had his carts unyoked and ranged in a circle so as to form a strong laager; he saw that his men and oxen had their supper early, and that the oxen were made to lie down in the middle with the men round them; and he himself with his leading men of his band stood on guard, sword in hand, throughout the night, waiting for the day break. On the morning, he fed his oxen; he discarded his own weak carts for stronger ones, and his own common goods for the most costly of the derelict goods. Then he went on to his destination, where he sold his stock for fares of twice or three times their value, and came back to his own city without losing a single man out of all his company.