e. This gives birth to virtue and glory, twin witnesses
through all the ages to come. Father! Why do we keep such a
wishing-tree for the sake of transient blessings? Our ancestors clung
to it, saying: It is mine, it is mine.' And where are they now? What
is it to them, or they to it? Then, if you bid me, I will beg this
generous wishing-tree for the one fruit that counts, the fruit of
service to others."

His father graciously assented, and Cloud-chariot went to the
wishing-tree, and said: "O god, you have fulfilled the wishes of our
fathers. Fulfil now my one single wish. Remove poverty from the world.
A blessing be with you. Go. I give you to the needy world." And as
Cloud-chariot bowed reverently, there came a voice from the tree: "I
go, since you give me up." And the wishing-tree immediately flew from
heaven and rained so much money on the earth that nobody was poor. And
Cloud-chariot's reputation for universal benevolence was spread about.

But all the relatives were jealous and envious. They thought that they
could easily conquer Cloud-chariot and his father without the
wishing-tree, and they prepared to fight to take away his kingdom. But
Cloud-chariot said to his father: "Father, how can you take your
weapons and fight? What high-minded man would want a kingdom after
killing his relatives just for the sake of this wretched, perishable
body? Let us abandon the kingdom, and go away somewhere to devote
ourselves entirely to virtue. Then we shall be blessed in both worlds.
And let these wretched relatives enjoy the kingdom which they hanker
after."

And Cloud-banner said: "My son, I only want the kingdom for you, and if
you give it up from benevolent motives, what good is it to me? I am an
old man."

So Cloud-chariot left the kingdom and went with his father and mother
to the Malabar hills. There he built a hermit's retreat, and waited on
his parents.

One day, as he wandered about, he met Friend-wealth, the son of
All-wealth, who lived there as king of the Siddhas. And Cloud-chariot
spoke to him and made friends with him.

Then one day Cloud-chariot saw a shrine to the goddess Gauri in the
grove, and entered there. And he saw a slender, lovely maiden
surrounded by her girl friends and playing on a lute, in honour of
Gauri. The deer listened to her music and her song, motionless as if
ashamed because her eyes were lovelier than their own. When
Cloud-chariot saw the slender maiden, his heart was ravished.