In the Kathā Sarit Sāgara, vol. i, p. 33, a nearly identical mouse story is given.
In Indian Fairy Tales (Stokes), p. 31, there is a different one. A man who was to receive four pice for carrying a jar of ghī, settled that he would buy a hen with the money, sell her eggs, get a goat, and then a cow, the milk of which he would sell. Afterwards he would marry a wife, and when they had children he would refuse some cooked rice which they would offer him. At this point he shook his head as he refused it, and the jar fell and was broken.
In Indian Nights’ Entertainment (Swynnerton), p. 23, a man who was carrying a jar of butter on his head, and who expected to get three halfpence for the job, was going to buy a hen, then a sheep, a cow, a milch buffalo, and a mare, and then to get married. As he patted his future children on the head the pot fell and was broken.
In The Arabian Nights (Lady Burton’s ed., i, p. 296) there is a well-known variant in which the fortune was to be made out of a tray of glass-ware.
No. 27
The Speaking Horse
There was once a certain King who was greatly wanting in common sense, and in his kingdom there was a Paṇḍitayā who was extremely wise. The King had a very beautiful white horse of which he was very proud. The Paṇḍitayā was respected and revered by all, but for the King little or no respect was felt, on account of his foolish conduct. He observed this, and became jealous of the Paṇḍitayā’s popularity, so he determined to destroy him.
One day he sent for him. The Paṇḍitayā came and prostrated himself before the King, who said, “I hear that you are extremely learned and wise. I require you to teach my white horse to speak. I will allow you one week to consider the matter, at the end of which time you must give me a reply, and if you cannot do it your head will be cut off.”
The Paṇḍitayā replied, “It is good, O Great King,”[1] and went home in very low spirits.