155. The Monk and the King
A monk came to the king. "I journey to heaven each night!" he boasted. Intrigued, the king invited the monk to stay in the royal guesthouse.
The next morning, the monk proclaimed, "I bring you greetings from the gods in heaven!"
The king's minister was not impressed, so that night he had wood heaped around the guesthouse.
"What are you doing?" asked the king.
"The monk's earthly body will burn," the minister said. "Then we'll see his heavenly body."
The guesthouse burned down, and no one saw the monk again.
"No doubt he stayed in heaven," thought the foolish king.
Inspired by: The Panchatantra, translated by Arthur Ryder.
Notes: It is in Book 1, Story 25.
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