Extra credit reading notes:

 The little Gildmaster 

Once on a time when Brahmadatta was reighning in Benares in Kasi, the bodhisatta was born into a gildmaster's family and growing up he became a gildmaster and called gildmaster little. He was very wise and clever and had an eye for signs and omens. One day on his way to wait for the king he came upon a dead mouse. This mouse awas lying on the road and taking note of the position of the stars at that moment he said, " any decent young fellow with his wits about him has to only pick up this mouse and he could start a business and keep a wife." 

His words were overheard by a young man of good family but very poor circumstances. This young man said to himself " thats a man who has always got a reason for what he says" and he did what the man said and picked up the mouse and sold for a farthing at a tavern for their cat. 

with the farthing he was able to obtain molasses and took drinking water in a pot water-pot. coming on flower gatherers returning from the forest he gave each a tiny quantity of the molasses and ladled the water out to them. each of them gave him a handful of flowers with the proceeds of which, next day, he came back again to the flower grounds provided with more molasses and a pot of water. That day the flower gatherers before they left gave him flowering plants with half the flowers left on them. and thus a little while he obtained eight pennies. 

later on a rainy and windy day the wind blew down a number of rotten branches and boughs and leaves in the kings pleasaunce. The garderners could not see how to clear them away. The man then approached them offering to clear and remove the lot if the he could keep the leaves and the wood.  The Gardner immediately agreed to this bargain. The young man was able to obtain many wood and stick from the palace. And in a moment the kings potter was searching for fuel for the fire bowls for the palace and came across on the heap the young man had collected and proceeded to purchase the whole lot from the young man. This sale brought the young man sixteen pennies. he now had 24 pennies total and had a great plan for them. he went to the vicinity of the city gate with a jar full of water and supplies the mowers with water to drink he supplied 500 mowers in total. They then said that he had done a great good to them and asked what they could supply for him and he said he wanted their help and as he went on he struck intimacy with a land trader and a sea trader. they said to him tomorrow there will come to the town a horse dealer who is bringing with him 500 horses to sell. on hearing this news he said to the mowers i would like for each of you to give me a bundle of grass and i ask of you not to sell your grass until mine is sold and they agreed, they then delivered the 500 bundles to his house. unable to get grass for his horses elsewhere the dealer purchased grass from the young man for a thousand pieces. a few days later a sea trading friend brought him news of the arrival of a large ship in port and another plan came to him. he hired eight pence a well apponted carraige which plied for hire by the hour and went in great style down the port. having brought the ship on credit and deposited his signet ring as security. he said to his people as he took his seat inside. when merchants are being shewn in let them be passed on by 3 successive ushers into my presence. hearing that a ship had arrived in port about a hundred merchants camd down to buy the cargo only to be told that they could not have it as great merchant had already made a payment on account. so away they all went to the young man and the footmen duly announced them by 3 successive ushers as had been planned. each man of the 100 severally gave him a 1000 peieces each to buy him out altogether. so it was with 200,000 pieces that this pupil guildmaster little returned to benares. 

taken over by a desire of gratitude he went with 100 peieces to call on gildmaster little how did you by all this wealth? asked the gildmaster in four short months simply by following your advice he replied. he then told him the whole story. the gild master said i must assure that this young smart and capable man does not fall into anyone elses hands and so he married him to his own grown up daughter and settled all the family estate on the young man. and at the gildmasters death he became the gildmaster in that city. and the bodhisatta passed away to fare according to his deserts

 

image source

 https://archive.org/stream/jatakatales00fran#page/13/mode/1up

Title: Jataka Tales
Author: H.T. Francis and E. J. Thomas
Year: 1916