They reported that incident to the merchant. The merchant had her body attended to, and went to the monastery and reported the whole incident to the Teacher. Said the Teacher: “Verily, householder, not only in her present state of existence has this girl, with the thought in her mind, ‘I’ll kill the flies on my mother’s head!’ struck her mother with a pestle and killed her; in a previous state of existence also she killed her mother in the very same way.” And in response to the merchant’s request, he related the following Story of the Past: In times past, when Brahmadatta ruled at Benāres, the Future Buddha was reborn in a merchant’s household, and on the death of his father, succeeded to the post of merchant. He also had a slave-girl. She also, when her mother came to the place where she was pounding rice and said to her, “My dear, shoo the flies away from me!”--she also, in the very same way, struck her mother with a pestle and killed her and began to weep. The Future Buddha, hearing of that incident, thought: “For even an enemy in this world, if only he be a wise man, is better!” And he uttered the following stanza: Better an enemy who is intelligent Than a well-disposed person who is a fool! Look at that wretched little slave-girl! She killed her mother, and now,--she weeps! With this stanza did the Future Buddha preach the Doctrine, praising the man of wisdom. Said the Teacher: “Verily, householder, not only in her present state of existence has this girl, with the thought in her mind, ‘I’ll kill flies!’ caused the death of her mother; in a previous state of existence also she caused the death of her mother in the very same way.” Having related this parable, he joined the connection and identified the personages in the Birth-story as follows: “At that time that very mother was the mother, that very daughter was the daughter, but the wealthy merchant was I myself.” _22. Monkey-Gardeners._ _Misdirected effort spells failure._ _A. One-stanza version._ Jātaka 46: i. 249-251. _Never, in the hands of one who knows not what is good._ This parable was related by the Teacher in a certain little village in the country of the Kosalas with reference to one who spoiled a garden. The story goes that the Teacher, while journeying from place to place in the country of the Kosalas, arrived at a certain little village. There a certain householder invited the Teacher, provided seats in his garden, gave alms to the Congregation of Monks presided over by the Buddha, and said: “Reverend Sirs, walk about in this garden according to your pleasure.”