Story of the snake who told his secret to a woman.
A certain snake,[24] out of fear of Garuḍa, fled to earth, and taking the form of a man, concealed himself in the house of a hetæra. And that hetæra used to take as payment five hundred elephants;[25] and the snake by his power gave her five hundred every day. And the lady importuned him to tell her how he acquired so many elephants every day, and who he was. And he, blinded with love, replied—“I am a snake hiding here from fear of Garuḍa, do not tell any one.” But the hetæra privately told all this to the kuṭṭiní.
Now Garuḍa, searching through the world for the snake, came there in the form of a man, and he came to the kuṭṭiní and said; “I wish to remain to-day in your daughter’s house, take my payment.” And the kuṭṭiní said to him, “There is a snake living here, who gives us five hundred elephants every day. What do we care about one day’s pay?” Then Garuḍa, finding out that the snake was living there, entered as a guest that hetæra’s house. And there he saw the snake on the flat roof, and revealing himself in his real form, he swooped down, and killed him, and ate him.
“So a wise man should not recklessly tell secrets to women.” Having said this, Gomukha told him another story of a simpleton.