No. 87
The Foolish Man
In a certain country there are a woman and a man, it is said. There are two daughters of the two persons. They gave one daughter [in marriage]. The man at the place where they gave the daughter had suitable things.
A very rich man having come, asked the other daughter [in marriage]. Then the girl’s father said, “I will not give her to you; the lineage (wan̥sē) of your people is not good.”
After that another man came and asked. The man had nothing; his lineage alone was good. The girl’s mind was to go to the man who formerly came and asked, [but she was given to the second one].
Well then, when the girl [after her marriage] is without [sufficient] to eat and to wear, one day the girl’s father went to see the girl. Afterwards, having given the man sitting accommodation,[1] and got the fire together, and put a potsherd on the hearth, she put tamarind seeds in the potsherd, and they began to fry, making a sound, “Kās, kās.”
Then the girl’s father says, “What, daughter, are you frying?”
The girl said, “Father, I am frying our lineage, [the only thing we possess].”