Dhammapada 2.1.p18

2.1.p18

Kāḷī gantvā seṭṭhinā pucchitā tamatthaṃ ārocetvā, ‘‘gaccha, naṃ puna sahassaṃ datvā ānehī’’ti vuttā sahassaṃ datvā puna ānetvā adāsi. Atha naṃ āha – ‘‘amma, kāḷi imasmiṃ nagare pañca sakaṭasatāni paccūsakāle uṭṭhāya vāṇijjāya gacchanti, tvaṃ imaṃ netvā cakkamagge nipajjāpehi, goṇā vā naṃ maddissanti, cakkā vā chindissanti, pavattiṃ cassa ñatvāva āgaccheyyāsī’’ti. Sā taṃ netvā cakkamagge nipajjāpesi. Tadā sākaṭikajeṭṭhako purato ahosi. Athassa goṇā taṃ ṭhānaṃ patvā dhuraṃ chaḍḍesuṃ, punappunaṃ āropetvā pājiyamānāpi purato na gacchiṃsu. Evaṃ tassa tehi saddhiṃ vāyamantasseva aruṇaṃ uṭṭhahi. So ‘‘kiṃ nāmetaṃ goṇā kariṃsū’’ti maggaṃ olokento dārakaṃ disvā, ‘‘bhāriyaṃ vata me kamma’’nti cintetvā, ‘‘putto me laddho’’ti tuṭṭhamānaso taṃ gehaṃ nesi.

Kāḷī went back to the treasurer and in answer to his question told him what had happened. Said the treasurer, "Go to the herdsman, give him these thousand pieces of money, and bring the child back to me again." So she brought the child back again and gave him to the treasurer. Then he said to her, "Good Kāḷī, five hundred carts start from this city at dawn on a trading expedition. Take this child and lay him in the track of the wheels. Either the oxen will trample him under their feet or the wheels will crush him to death. Observe what happens to him, and then return to me."

She took the child and laid him down in the track of the wheels. The leader of the caravan came first; but when his oxen reached the place where the child lay, they threw off the yoke. Again and again the leader replaced the yoke and tried to drive the oxen forwards; but as often as he did so, they threw off the yoke and refused to move. He was still struggling with them when the sun rose. "Why have the oxen acted thus?" thought he. He looked at the road and saw the boy. "Oh, what a grievous wrong I have done!" thought he. His heart was filled with joy at the thought, "I have gained a son," and picking up the boy, he carried him off.