The Gamarāla having understood that talk laughed. His wife teased him much and asked the reason why he laughed. Because of the woman’s plaguing him the Gamarāla said, “I laughed because this bull grinned at the cow.”
In the Arabian Nights (Lady Burton’s ed., vol. i, p. 13), a merchant heard an ass advise a bull to feign sickness and refuse to draw the plough or to eat, so as to get a holiday. He made the ass pull the plough all day in its place. The ass then said to the bull that their master had ordered the bull to be killed if it refused to plough again, and the merchant laughed until he fell on his back. His wife pestered him for the reason, which he could not give on pain of instant death. As he was about to tell her, the dog rebuked a cock for crowing and flapping its wings when their master was going to die. The cock replied that if their master would give his wife a good beating with mulberry twigs he might enjoy life in peace. The merchant accordingly beat her until she was nearly senseless, and she became “submissive as a wife should be.”
No. 170
Concerning the Golden Peacock
In a certain country there is a King, it is said. Near the city there is also a mountain; on the mountain a [golden-coloured] Peacock lodges. A Vaeddā of that country saw that the Peacock lodges on the mountain; having seen it the Vaeddā for a long time made efforts to seize the Peacock.
At that time the Peacock, getting to know that this Vaeddā is saying, “I will seize it,” went to another mountain. Having gone, during the time while it was at the mountain this Vaeddā got to know of it. Learning about it, the Vaeddā went near that mountain also, and made efforts to seize the Peacock. Age having gone to the Vaeddā while he was trying to catch [it], when he was about (lit., making) to die he told the Vaeddā’s son about the matter of the Peacock. While saying it the Vaeddā died.
After the Vaeddā’s son became big he went near the mountain on which the Peacock lodged. Having gone there, owing to its freedom from danger (abiyāṭa) he was unable to seize this Peacock. “I at least must seize this Peacock,” he thought.