The words were scarcely out of the royal lips ere the courtiers professed
themselves converts. The multitude followed their example. The Brahminical
church was promptly disestablished and disendowed, and more injustice was
committed in the name of the new and purified religion in one day than the
old corrupt one had occasioned in a hundred years.

Ananda had the satisfaction of feeling able to forgive his adversaries, and
of valuing himself accordingly; and to complete his felicity, he was
received in the palace, and entrusted with the education of the king's son,
which he strove to conduct agreeably to the precepts of Buddha. This was a
task of some delicacy, as it involved interference with the princely
youth's favourite amusement, which had previously consisted in torturing
small reptiles.

After a short interval Ananda was again summoned to the monarch's presence.
He found his majesty in the company of two most ferocious ruffians, one of
whom bore a huge axe, and the other an enormous pair of pincers.

"My chief executioner and my chief tormentor," said the king.

Ananda expressed his gratification at becoming acquainted with such exalted
functionaries.

"Thou must know, most holy man," resumed the king, "that need has again
arisen for the exercise of fortitude and self-denial on thy part. A
powerful enemy has invaded my dominions, and has impiously presumed to
discomfit my troops. Well might I feel dismayed, were it not for the
consolations of religion; but my trust is in thee, O spiritual father! It
is urgent that thou shouldst accumulate the largest amount of merit with
the least delay possible. I am unable to invoke the ministrations of thy