Folk Tale Query

[vasu at religion.ufl.edu]

I believe this story is recounted in Kirin Narayan's book-- can't remember
the title off hand (it is not her fictional work Love, Stars and all that,
which is a wonderful, hilarious book).  Yes, it does sound like the good
luck-bad luck story, and I guess it is pan-Indian.  In the version I heard,
the king is caught by people who want to offer a human sacrifice, and of
course the "offering" has tbe be without blemish.  Best wishes, 
Vasudha

>
>There is a very similar story I was told as a child (we are Tamils): A
>king cut himself and his chief minister applauded at the good news---the
>minister was of course immediately jailed...  Later on, while traveling,
>the king was caught by a tribe of cannibals who were looking for a
>physically perfect king for their purposes. To their dismay, the king had
>this small wound...and they had to release him. Is there proof that the
>above is of foreign origin? 
>
>I hope this helps.
>
>I haven't checked any of the standard sources (Panchatantra,
>Tenali Raman, etc).
>
>                                       S. Kichenassamy
>>