Once upon a time, when a king of Magadha was reigning in Rajagaha, the Bodhisatta was his Treasurer, worth eighty crores, and known as the ‘Millionaire.’ In Benares there lived a Treasurer also worth eighty crores, who was named Piliya, and was a great friend of the Millionaire. For some reason or other Piliya of Benares got into difficulties, and lost all his property, and was made a beggar. He left Benares with his wife and went on foot to Rajagaha, to see the Millionaire, the last hope left him. And the Millionaire embraced his friend and treated him as an honored guest, asking, in due course, the reason of the visit. Piliya answered, “I am a ruined man. I have lost everything, and have come to ask you to help me.”

The Millionaire said, “Don’t worry! I will help with all my heart.” He opened his strong room and gave Piliya forty crores. Also he divided the whole of his property, live stock and all into two equal parts, and gave on half to Piliya. Taking his wealth, Piliya went back to Benares.

Some years later, misfortune smiled at the Millionaire, who, in turn, lost every penny he had. Thinking that Piliya will help he went to Benares with his wife. At the entrance of the city he said to her, “Dear! it is not befitting for you to walk along the streets with me. Wait here a little till I send a carriage with a servant to bring you into the city in proper state.” So saying, he left her under shelter, and went alone into the town, till he came to Piliya’s house, where he told himself be announced as the Millionaire from Rajagaha, come to see his friend.

Piliya said, “Well, Bring him in.” But at sight of the other’s condition he neither rose to meet him, nor greeted him with words of welcome, but only demanded what brought him here.

“To see you,” was the reply.

Piliya asked, “Where are you stopping?”

“Nowhere, as yet. I left my wife under shelter and came staright to you.”

Piliya said, “There’s no room here for you. Take a dole of rice, find somewhere to cook and eat it, and then go away and never come to visit me again.”

So saying, the rich man dispatched a servant with orders to give his unfortunate friend half a quartern of pollard to carry away tied up in the corner of his cloth. The Bodhisatta thought, “Pilia came to me and coolly taken four hundred millions, now doled out half a quartern of pollard to me!” Accordingly, the servant measured out the pollard in a basket, and brought it to the Bodhisatta. He argued within himself whether to accept it or not?Pilia breaks off our friendship because I am a ruined man. Now, if I refuse his paltry gift, I shall be as bad as he.” So he tied up the pollard in the corner of his cloth, and made his way back to where he had housed his wife.

“What have you got, dear?” said she.

“Our friend Piliya gives us this pollard, and washes his hands of us.”

“Oh, why did you take it? Is this a fit return for the forty crores?”

The Bodhisatta said, “Don’t cry! dear wife! I took it simply because I wanted not to violate the principle of friendship. Why these tears?” But still the wife kept on crying.

Now, at that moment a farm servant whom the Millionaire had given to Piliya was passing by and drew near on hearing the weeping of his former mistress. Recognising his master and mistress, he fell at their feet, and with tears and sobs asked the reason of their coming. And the Bodhisatta told him their story.

“Keep up your spirits,” said the man. He took them to his own dwelling, made them bathe and gave a meal. Then he let the other slaves know that their old master and mistress had come, and after a few days marched them in a body to the King’s palace, where they made quite a commotion.

The King asked what the matter was, and they told him the whole story. So he sent for the two, and asked the the Bodhisatta whether the report was true that he had given four hundred millions to Piliya.

The Bodhisatta said, “Yes! Sir! When Pilia came for help, I gave him the half, not only of my money, but all of everything that I possessed.”

The king asked Pilia, “Is this so?” and he accepted it.

The king asked Pilia, “And when he came to you foe help, did you show him honour and hospitality?” for which Piliya was silent.

The king asked Pilia, “Did you gave a half quartern of pollard?” for that also Piliya was silent.

Then the king took counsel with his ministers as to what should be done, and finally, as a judgment on Piliya, ordered them to go to Piliya’s house and give the whole of Piliya’s wealth to the Bodhisatta.

The Bodhisatta said, “No! Sir! Let him give what I gave it to him. I don’t want anything more.”

Then the king ordered to returm what the Bodhisatta gave. The Bodhisatta, with a large retinue of servants, came back with his regained wealth to Rajagaha, where he put his affairs in order, and after a life spent in charity and other good works, passed away to fare according to his deserts.