Tibetan Folk Tales | Page 5

he
had in the world to sell for food for his mother and himself, and it
couldn't have been his fault the jar was broken. They both went to the
king who questioned them very carefully about the matter and finally
said he couldn't see that either one was to blame. They were both good
men, took good care of their old mothers and were honest in all their
dealings, and so far as he could see no one was at fault but the donkey
and the rock, and he would judge them. So the little donkey was
chained with chains around his legs and around his neck and led into
prison, while five of the king's men were sent out for the rock. As soon
as they brought it in he ordered it wrapped with chains and tied outside
the prison door to a post. By this time the news of this strange case and
the queer doings of the king had spread throughout the city. When the
people heard their great king was having a trial about a donkey and a
rock they thought he had surely gone mad. The next morning the king
announced by his runners through the city that the case would be tried.
The idea that a donkey and a rock could have a trial in court was more
than the people could understand, but early next day everybody in the
city was at the courtyard to see the result of the trial. When the time
arrived the judge came, took his seat, instructed the door-keepers to
shut and lock all the gates, thus locking in everybody, and then
proceeded to pronounce his judgment on the case.
"As you very well know, there is no law by which a donkey and a rock
can be judged. Why have you all come to see so absurd a thing? Now,
because of your curiosity in the matter, every one of you shall pay a
half-cent before he gets out."
The people, looking much ashamed, and glad to get out, handed over
this bit of money and slipped through the gate. The cash taken in this

way was given to the man who had lost his oil, so he was happy, the
debt was paid, and the court closed.
***
FIVE
Story of the Foolish Head-Man
Do not brag of your family--without fame they may be--the strain on
the string of an arrow soon makes it useless. The horse traveling fast
comes to the end of his strength very quickly.--Tibetan Proverb.
ONCE upon a time, away among the mountains, were located two little
villages. One was called Jangdo and the other Jangmeh. One head-man
ruled over these two villages. He was a very wise man, but had an only
son who was foolish, with a wife that was very wise. After a while the
old man died, and his place had to be filled by the son, who was an
idiot. A river ran alongside of the village and a takin died and fell into
the water. The upper village claimed it and the lower village claimed it,
so both villages came with the request that it belonged to them.
His wife said to him, "Now you do not know to which place this animal
belongs, but you must go and decide about it. Decide in this way: say
that the upper half above the ribs belongs to the upper village and the
lower part belongs to the lower village and the middle part is yours
because you are a middle man." He did as his wife said, and when the
people heard this decision they thought, "Why, we have always thought
this man to be foolish, but he is a very wise man," and his fame spread
abroad.
After two or three months had passed, a leopard died and floated down
the river, stopping in the same place as the takin, and the villagers
quarreled again. Only this time they did not want it, so the upper
village said, It is yours, and the lower village said, It is yours. They
finally took it to the head-man, who thought to himself, "I will not ask
my wife this time, I will do it myself. I know how it ought to be done
and I will do it just as I did the takin." So he divided it just as he had

done before. But one village said, "Well, we don't want this part," and
the other village said, "We don't want ours either." So they gave it all to
the head-man, who put it all on a horse and took it home. His reputation
for wisdom was done and the people said he had turned again into a
foolish man.
***
SIX
How the Fox Fell a Victim