English Original
In the small Indian city of Sravasti, a weary stranger arrived one hot day. He was a Brahman, a holy man devoted to prayer, who had renounced all worldly comforts. He carried only a staff and a bowl for offerings, dressed in a simple loincloth with matted hair.
People were moved by his apparent piety and gave him money and jewels, which he accepted despite his vow of poverty. Over time, he became famous for his wisdom, and people paid generously for his advice. Soon, he grew rich.
However, the Brahman became a miser. He secretly hoarded his wealth in a hole at the root of a great tree in the forest, often skipping the midday siesta to admire his treasures. To the public, he maintained the guise of a poor, holy man.
One day, he discovered his hidden treasure was gone. He was devastated and enraged, convinced a local had stolen it. In his despair, he declared he would travel to a holy place by the river and starve himself to death.
The news spread, causing distress in Sravasti. The townspeople tried to dissuade him, but he was determined. As he set off, he was met by the wise and beloved King Prasnajit, who had heard of the theft.
The king promised to recover the treasure or repay its value from his own purse. He learned the location of the hiding place and then devised a clever plan. Returning to his palace, he pretended to be ill and summoned all the town's doctors.
Questioning each doctor about their patients, he finally found one who mentioned treating a merchant named Matri-Datta with juice from the nagaballa plant. The king immediately summoned the merchant and asked who had fetched the plant. Matri-Datta named his servant.
The terrified servant was brought before the king. Without accusation, King Prasnajit simply asked, "Where are the gold and jewels you took from the hole in the roots of a tree when you went to find the nagaballa plant for your master?"
Overwhelmed, the servant confessed and offered to retrieve the treasure. The king let him go alone. The servant returned late that evening with the heavy sack. King Prasnajit, showing mercy, simply said, "Go back to your home now, and be a thief no more." The servant, profoundly grateful, reformed his ways.
The Brahman, overjoyed at the news, rushed to the palace. The king returned his treasure but admonished him to use it better and refused to hunt for it again. When the Brahman complained about the thief going unpunished, the king dismissed him, stating the matter was closed. The story ends with the Brahman taking his treasure away, his future unknown.
中文翻译
在一个炎热的日子里，一位疲惫的陌生人来到了印度小城舍卫城。他是一位婆罗门，一位献身于祈祷的圣人，已摒弃了所有世俗享乐。他只带着一根手杖和一个化缘的碗，身着简单的腰布，头发缠结。
人们被他表面的虔诚所感动，给了他金钱和珠宝，尽管他立誓守贫，却接受了这些。随着时间的推移，他因智慧而闻名，人们慷慨付费寻求他的建议。很快，他变得富有。
然而，这位婆罗门成了一个守财奴。他将财富秘密藏匿在森林中一棵大树根部的洞里，常常放弃午睡去欣赏他的财宝。在公众面前，他则维持着贫穷圣人的伪装。
一天，他发现藏匿的财宝不翼而飞。他悲痛欲绝，怒不可遏，坚信是本地人偷的。绝望中，他宣布要前往河边的一处圣地绝食自尽。
消息传开，舍卫城一片沮丧。镇民们试图劝阻他，但他心意已决。出发时，他遇到了睿智而深受爱戴的波斯匿王，国王听说了盗窃案。
国王承诺找回财宝，或自掏腰包补偿其价值。他得知藏宝地点后，想出了一个巧妙的计划。回到宫殿，他佯装生病，召来了镇上所有的医生。
他逐一询问医生关于他们病人的情况，最后找到一位医生提到曾用那伽巴拉草的汁液治疗一位名叫摩提罗达多的商人。国王立即召见商人，询问是谁去采的草。摩提罗达多说是他的仆人。
惊恐的仆人被带到国王面前。波斯匿王没有指控，只是简单地问：“你去为主人寻找那伽巴拉草时，从树根洞里拿走的金银珠宝在哪里？”
仆人崩溃了，承认了罪行并主动提出去取回财宝。国王让他独自前去。仆人深夜带着沉重的袋子返回。波斯匿王展现了仁慈，只是说：“现在回家去吧，不要再做贼了。”仆人感激涕零，从此改过自新。
婆罗门听到消息喜出望外，急忙赶到宫殿。国王归还了他的财宝，但告诫他要更好地使用它，并拒绝再次为他寻找。当婆罗门抱怨小偷未受惩罚时，国王打发他走，称此事已了结。故事以婆罗门带着财宝离开告终，他的未来无人知晓。