There was a king in Kányakubja, named Chandrapíḍa. And he had a servant named Dhavalamukha. And he, whenever he came to his house, had eaten and drunk abroad. And one day his wife asked him,—“Where do you always eat and drink before you come home?” And Dhavalamukha answered her, “I always eat and drink with my friends before I come home, for I have two friends in the world. The one is called Kalyáṇavarman, who obliges me with food and other gifts, and the other is Vírabáhu, who would oblige me with the gift of his life.” When his wife heard this, she said to Dhavalamukha, “Then shew me your two friends.”
Then he went with her to the house of Kalyáṇavarman, and Kalyáṇavarman honoured him with a splendid entertainment. The next day he went with his wife to Vírabáhu, and he was gambling at the time, so he welcomed him and dismissed him. Then Dhavalamukha’s wife, being full of curiosity, said to him: “Kalyáṇavarman entertained you splendidly, but Vírabáhu only gave you a welcome. So why do you think more highly of Vírabáhu than of the other?” When he heard that, he said, “Go and tell them both in succession this fabrication, that the king has suddenly become displeased with us, and you will find out for yourself.” She agreed, and went to Kalyáṇavarman and told him that falsehood, and he answered: “Lady, I am a merchant’s son, what can I do against the king?” When he gave her this answer, she went to Vírabáhu, and told him also that the king was angry with her husband; and the moment he heard it, he came running with his shield and his sword. But Dhavalamukha induced him to return home, saying that the king’s ministers had pacified his resentment. And he said to his wife: “This, my dear, is the difference between those two friends of mine.” And she was quite satisfied.
“So you see that a friend, that shews his friendship by ceremonious entertainment only, is a different thing from a real friend; though oil and ghee both possess the property of oiliness,[28] oil is oil, and ghee is ghee.” When Gomukha had told this story, he continued his tales of fools for the benefit of Naraváhanadatta.
Story of the thirsty fool that did not drink.
A certain foolish traveller, tormented by thirst, having with difficulty got through a wood, reached a river; however, he did not drink of it, but kept looking at the water. Some one said to him: “Why do you not drink water, though you are thirsty?” But the blockhead answered, “How could I drink so much water as this?” The other person ridiculed him, saying, “What! will the king punish you, if you drink it all up?” But still the foolish man did not drink the water.
“So you see that in this world fools will not even do a part of a task to the best of their power, if they are not able to complete it altogether. Now you have heard about the fool and the water, hear the story of the son-slayer.”
Story of the fool who killed his son.
There was once a foolish man, who was poor and had many sons. When one of his sons died, he killed another, saying, How could this child go such a long journey alone? So he was banished by the people, as being a fool and a criminal.