Chapter IV: Story of a Beneficent Master and his Stubborn Slave

In the world there existed a virtuous sage,With a vile-natured servant, the curse of the age.He was thus :—Ill-conditioned with coarse, tangled hair ;Vile ; with vinegar rubbed on his face, I declare !His teeth, like a dragon's, with poison bestained ;The prize from the ugliest townsman he gained.From his bleared eyes the tears down his face always fell,And there came from his arm-pits an oniony smell.When cooking, his eye-brows he screwed into knots ;Bored his master when others were minding their pots.While his master was eating he always sat by ;Would not hand him a drink, even were he to die !On him neither talking nor blows had effect;Night and day was the house in a state of neglect.Now rubbish and thorns in the way he would throw,And again to cast fowls down the well was not slow.From his forehead fierce terror came down to his face ;When sent out, never anxious his steps to retrace.Some one said, " From a slave whose base mind you detect,Can you manners and merits and beauty expect?Life is not worth a copper with such a vile boor;Why favour his harshness? his load why endure?A good-natured slave for your use, without failI will buy ; send this slave to the market for sale !If he fetches one Dang, do not turn round and jeer !For if truly you ask me—at nothing he's dear !"The good-natured man to this speech turned his head;"Oh happy of birth!" he then, smilingly, said:"The boy's person and nature are bad enough, still,My nature through him becomes charged with goodwill.Since I've borne on account of him very much care,The oppression of others I'm able to bear.I think it unmanly that him I should sell,For unto another his faults I would tell.Since to suffer his crosses I feel myself fit,It is better by far than to cause him to flit."Since yourself you admire, to another be kind !If you're troubled, on others, distress do not bind !Forbearance, like poison, at first to you shows,But it changes to honey when in you it grows.