Part 2: The charm for taking mangoes

One day the wife of a Mātaṅga-chief, who was accomplished in charms and lived in that city, had a pregnancy-whim for mangoes develop. She told her husband: “Give me mangoes. Satisfy my pregnancy-whim.” He said:

“Listen! you are foolish. Where would there be mangoes in the wrong season?” His wife said to the Mātaṅga-chief, “Husband, in Celaṇā’s garden there is a mango-grove that always has fruit.” At once the Mātaṅga went close to Celaṇā’s garden and saw the lofty mango trees, always bearing fruit. He came at night and, looking up, looked again at the ripe mangoes, like an astronomer standing on the ground, looking at the constellations. At once he, accomplished in charms, made the tops of the mango trees bend down by means of a charm causing bending and he took mangoes at his pleasure. In the morning the queen saw the mango-plantation with its fruit plucked, causing distress like a picture-gallery whose pictures have been destroyed.

The queen told the king and the king instructed Abhaya: “Search for the thief of the mangoes whose foot-path is invisible. Injury to the harem can arise from a thief who has such excessive superhuman power, son.”

Abhaya said: “I, like a surety for his appearance, shall hand over the thief very soon.” After making this promise, from that day Abhaya wandered in the city day and night with the hope of seeing the thief. One day as Abhaya, first of the clever, roamed in the city, he went to a concert some place being given by the citizens. Seated on a seat provided by the citizens, Abhaya said to them: “Listen to a story until the actors come.”