In a certain town, there lived a farmer and his wife. As her husband was old, the woman was always thinking of other men and could never relax at home. The whole day she would wander about the town, looking for company.
Once, a certain crook, who made it his business to rob other people, noticed her. When there was nobody else about, he went up to her and said, “You lovely creature! My wife is dead and when I looked at you, I fell in love with you. So, let me have the pleasure of your company.”
“My handsome fellow,” she replied, “if that’s the case, I am ready. And what is more, my husband is very rich but so old that he can’t even walk. So, we can steal his money, elope together and enjoy life to our heart’s content, in another town.”
“All right then,” said the crook. “Meet me here early tomorrow morning and we’ll go.” The farmer’s wife agreed and went home, her face beaming with joy.
Early in the morning while the old farmer, her husband, was fast asleep, the woman stole all his money, hurried to the rendezvous and met the crook. Then they set out on the journey towards south.
When they had covered quite some distance, they came to the bank of a river. When the crook saw the river, he thought to himself, “What is this woman to me! She is at the fag end of her youth. Besides, if somebody follows her and catches up with us, then I am ruined. So what I will do is, rob her and desert her.”
So, he said to the woman, “Darling! It’s difficult to cross this big river. I will go first with the money and then come back and take you across, on my back.”
“All right my handsome fellow,” she replied, “do that then.” With this, she handed over to him all her money.
When he had collected everything, the rogue said to her, “Lovely creature, give me the clothes you are wearing too, so that afterwards you can cross the river comfortably.”
The woman agreed, handed him the clothes and he went off, taking everything with him, and deserted her.
The woman waited for him on the bank of the river, with her arms crossed over her breasts and her hands on her shoulders.
Meanwhile, a female jackal arrived on the scene, holding a piece of meat in her mouth. Suddenly a fish leaped out of water and fell on the bank of the river. When the female jackal saw this, she dropped her piece of meat and went to try to catch the fish but somehow the fish managed to slip back into water before she could reach her. So, the female jackal started to return to the place where she had dropped her piece of meat. But meanwhile a vulture swept down, picked up the piece of meat and flew away with it. So the female jackal was looking up at the vulture, full of disappointment, when the woman addressed her with a smile, “The vulture took your piece of meat away and the fish has gone back into the river. Madam Jackal! You have lost both of them, so what are you staring at?”
Now the female jackal had seen what had happened between the woman and the crook and had understood that the woman had lost both her husband and her lover. So, she replied, mockingly, “Naked woman! You are twice as clever as I am, but you have now neither your lover nor your husband, so what are you staring at?”
Now, while the crocodile was telling this story to the monkey, another water-dweller came up and told him, “A bigger crocodile has taken over your house!”
When the crocodile heard this, he was very upset. He pondered over ways and means of driving the other crocodile out. He said to himself, “Oh, look at my misfortune! My friend has turned into my enemy, my wife has died and now my house has been occupied by someone else. What will happen to me next? It is so true what they say: ‘You get more cuts where there is already a wound And when the food is all gone, Then you are more hungry for it. During hard times, your enemies multiply. All this happens when fate is against you.’
“Now what shall I do?” went on the crocodile. “Shall I fight this intruder or persuade him to move out peacefully? Or shall I bribe him or consult my friend, the monkey? For they say: ‘When a man begins a task, After consultation with his elders And his friends, who wish him well; He will never face any hindrance.'”
Then the crocodile spoke to the monkey, who was up in the Jambu tree, “My dear friend, look at my bad luck! My house has been occupied by a much bigger crocodile! So now I am asking you for advice. Tell me, what shall I do? What tactics shall I adopt: peaceful negotiation, fighting, bribery or what?”
“Ungrateful sinner!” said the monkey. “Why are you running after me although I’ve forbidden you to? I won’t advise such a rascal as you are!”
“Please!” said the crocodile. “I know I have done you wrong but, for the sake of our old friendship, give me some advice.”
“I will give you no advice!” retorted the monkey. “You tried to drown me in the sea, just because your wife prompted you to do so. That was despicable of you. A wife is dear to us all but you don’t drown your friends just because your wife asks you to. You are doomed to ruin because you are too stupid to know good advice when you hear it, for they say: ‘He who, out of conceit, Does not follow the good advice of virtuous people, Shall certainly be destroyed As the camel, with a bell round his neck, was by the lion.'”
“How was that?” asked the crocodile.
And the monkey told: THE STORY OF THE CAMEL WITH A BELL ROUND HIS NECK
