Hindu Manners, Customs and Ceremonies - DUBOIS, Abbé Hindu Manners, Customs and Ceremonies, Dubois | Page 491

A MUTUAL MISUNDERSTANDING
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herd understood as a signal of compliance with his request.
The latter, therefore, immediately ran towards the village,
fully determined to give his wife a good trouncing for her
But he had no sooner reached his home than he
neglect.
saw his wife stretched in the doorway and rolling in the
agonies of a violent colic, the result of eating a quantity
of raw beans.
At the sight of the sufferings of his poor wife the anger
of the shepherd vanished, although he saw to his chagrin
that the necessity of rendering her help and of preparing
his own breakfast would detain him longer than he had
expected. Distrusting the honesty of the taliari, to whom
he had confided the care of his flock, he made all possible
haste, and finally returned.
On reaching his sheep, which
he found peacefully grazing at some distance from the spot
where he had left them, his first thought was to count them ;
and overjoyed at finding that there was not a single one
missing, he exclaimed
This taliari is a really honest
fellow
He is the very jewel of his class. I promised
him a reward, and he shall indeed have one.'
Now there was a lame sheep in the flock, which was
however sound enough in other respects, and so he put it
on his shoulders and carried it to the taliari, saying to him
Thou didst indeed watch my flock very carefully during
my absence well, here is a sheep which thou shalt have
as a reward for thy trouble.'
But the taliari, catching
sight of the lame sheep, exclaimed angrily
What dost
thou mean by accusing me of having broken thy sheep's
leg %
I swear that I have not stirred from the spot where
thou now seest me I have not gone near thy flock
Yes,' answered the shepherd, it is nice and fat
it will
furnish a good feast for thy family and friends.'
Have I not told thee,' replied the taliari in a rage,
that I never went near thy sheep ? and yet thou accusest
me of having broken the leg of one of them
Get away
from here, or I will give thee a sound thrashing.' And he
showed by his gestures that he was determined to put his
threats into execution.
The shepherd, perceiving at last that his friend was
getting into a passion, and unable to understand the cause
of this unjust provocation, put himself into an attitude of
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