In a certain town, there lived a king, by the name of Devashakti. He had a son, who grew leaner and leaner everyday, for he had a snake in his stomach. In spite of several treatments by well-know physicians, he was not cured at all. Thoroughly fed up with his life, the prince went to a town in another kingdom, where he lived in a temple and maintained himself by begging for alms.

Now the king of that country had two young daughters. Everyday, at sunrise, they would approach their father and bow at his feet. One would say, ‘My Lord, with your blessings, all joys are bestowed up us.’

The other would say, ‘Your Majesty, one only gets the fruits of one’s actions’.

One day, the king got very angry with his second daughter and said to his ministers, ‘Give the girl of mine away in marriage to any stranger you come across, so that she gets the fruits of her actions’.

‘It will be done, your Majesty’, replied the ministers.

Now, in their search for a stranger, the ministers came across this prince, who was living in the temple. And they married off the princess to him. The princess was very happy with the marriage and looked upon her husband as God. Shortly after their marriage, the prince and the princess set out for another part of the country. One the way, the princess left her husband under a tree and went into the nearby town to buy oil, salt, rice and other provisions. After making the necessary purchases, she returned to find the prince fast asleep. Suddenly she saw a snake emerging from the prince’s mouth and yet another from an anthill nearby. When they saw each other, they got very annoyed.

‘You wicked creature!’ Said the anthill snake to the other snake.

‘Why are you torturing this handsome prince? If he would only drink gruel, made of Cummin seeds and mustard, you would surely be dead!

“Well, replied the other, ‘you too, could be destroyed if someone poured hot water or hot oil on the anthill.

Then he could get the two pots of gold that you are guarding’.

The princess, who was standing behind a tree, heard their argument and came to know their secrets. She acted accordingly. As a result, her husband recovered his health and, at the same time, they had two pots of gold to themselves.

❖ When your enemies quarrel, you are the winner.