Seven Wise Masters, The

The, a collection of tales of oriental origin. The plot of the story which holds these tales together is found in Buddhist literature stated as an actual occurrence. A certain prince had seven instructors by whom he had been taught in all branches of knowledge. The youth, by a study of the stars, learned that his life was in danger and could be saved only if he refrained from speech for seven days. On the first day, his stepmother denounced him to the king, supporting her statements with evidence and urging the king to put his son to death. The king is about to do so when one of the wise masters tells a tale which counteracts the stepmother's influence. This is repeated on each of the seven days, the stepmother having each time new evidences of the Prince's guilt and one of the wise masters refuting it by a tale which affects the king's judgment and also makes him see the evils of a too hasty punishment. At the end of the seventh day, the prince can speak and is able to clear himself completely. The collection brought into western Europe by the Crusades has undergone many changes. It is of considerable importance in the history of well known fictions.