Story of the Fool and the Salt.
There was once on a time an impenetrably stupid man living in a village.[10] He was once taken home by a friend who lived in the city, and was regaled on curry and other food, made savoury by salt. And that blockhead asked, “What makes this food so savoury?” His friend told him that its relish was principally due to salt. He came to the conclusion that salt was the proper thing to eat, so he took a handful of crushed salt and threw it into his mouth, and ate it; the powdered salt whitened the lips and beard of the foolish fellow, and so the people laughed at him till his face became white also.
“You have heard, prince, the story of the devourer of salt, now hear the story of the man who had a milch-cow.”
Story of the Fool and his Milch-cow.[11]
There was once on a time a certain foolish villager, and he had one cow. And that cow gave him every day a hundred palas of milk. And once on a time it happened that a feast was approaching. So he thought; “I will take all the cow’s milk at once on the feast-day, and so get very much.” Accordingly the fool did not milk his cow for a whole month. And when the feast came, and he did begin to milk it, he found its milk had failed, but to the people this was an unfailing source of amusement.
“You have heard of the fool who had a milch-cow, now hear the story of these other two fools.”