Kisāgotamī is the name of a young girl, whose marriage with the only son of a wealthy man was brought about in true fairy-tale fashion. She had one child, but when the beautiful boy could run alone, it died. The young girl in her love for it carried the dead child clasped to her bosom, and went from house to house of her pitying friends asking them to give her medicine for it. But a Buddhist mendicant, thinking, “She does not understand,” said to her: “My good girl, I myself have no such medicine as you ask for, but I think I know of one who has.” “Oh, tell me who that is!” said Kisāgotamī. “The Buddha can give you medicine: go to him,” was the answer.

She went to Gautama, and doing homage to him, said: “Lord and Master, do you know any medicine that will be good for my child?”

“Yes, I know of some,” said the Teacher.

Now it was the custom for patients or their friends to provide the herbs which the doctors required, so she asked what herbs he would want. “I want some mustard-seed,” he said; and when the poor girl eagerly promised to bring some of so common a drug, he added: “You must get it from some house where no son, or husband, or parent, or slave has died.” “Very good,” she said, and went to ask for it, still carrying her dead child with her. The people said: “Here is mustard-seed, take it.” But when she asked, “In my friend’s house has any son died, or a husband, or a parent, or slave?” they answered: “Lady! what is this that thou sayest; the living are few, but the de............