# Lac of Rupees explained — Indian Fairy Tales

> Chapter companion for Indian Fairy Tales by Joseph Jacobs.

## What happens

A tale of a young man who, through a series of wise pieces of advice, saves the king's treasures from thieves and is rewarded with a lac of rupees. The story traces its origins to Buddhist literature, notably the parable of Kulla Pauthaka, and is compared to versions from Cornwall and other traditions.

## Themes in this chapter

### Cunning and Wisdom

The youth's wise advice, originally a charm, enables him to outwit thieves and secure the king's treasures.

### Cultural Transmission and Borrowing

The story's journey from Buddhist literature to Kashmiri and Celtic versions illustrates cross-cultural borrowing.

## Character check-ins

### Buddha

Referenced as the source of the original Buddhist version of the story, 'Buddaghoshas Parables'.

## Key lines

> It is indeed curious to find the story better told in Cornwall than in the land of its birth, but there can be little doubt that the Buddhist version is the earliest and original form of the story.

It is strange that the Cornish version surpasses the original in quality, yet the Buddhist telling remains the earliest known source.

_Reflects on the comparative quality and origin of the tale._

> The piece of advice was originally a charm, in which a youth was to say to himself, 'Why are you busy? Why are you busy?' He does so when thieves are about, and so saves the king's treasures, of which he gets an appropriate share.

The advice was a magical phrase the youth repeated to himself when thieves approached, thereby protecting the king's wealth and earning a reward.

_Describes the core mechanism of the plot._

## Links

- HTML: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/indian_fairy_tales_se/chapters/xiv-lac-of-rupees
- Book: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/indian_fairy_tales_se
- All chapters: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/indian_fairy_tales_se/chapters