Just as they reached the edge of the forest they saw a leopard and this also the madcap threatened to chase.  “Then go and chase it,” said his wife, who now felt safe.  So he went in pursuit of the leopard, but after going a little way he lost sight of it and went back to where his wife was.  “What has become of all your boasting?” said she.  “You have not chased it till to-morrow morning.”  “No,” said the madcap “I have killed it; if you don’t believe me, come and see.”  But she did not want to go back into the jungle and said no more about it.  As his wife had broken her silence the madcap saw no use in going further and they turned homewards; all the way his wife went on chatting and singing along with him.  When he reached home he sacrificed a number of goats to his grandfather, and lived happily with his wife ever after.

LXIV.  The Dumb Shepherd.

There was once a very rich and powerful Raja and in his heart he thought that there was no one so powerful in the world as himself; thus he thought but he told no one of his thought.  One day he made up his mind to see whether others could guess what he was thinking, so he called together his officers and servants and dependants and bade them tell him what thought was in his heart.  Many of them made guesses, but not one gave an answer which satisfied the Raja.

Then the Raja told his dewan that he must without fail find some one who would, guess his thought, and he gave the dewan exactly one month’s time in which to search.  The dewan searched high and low but all in vain, and as the time drew near he grew more and more anxious, for he feared that he would fall into disgrace.  But he had a daughter and she consoled him and told him to cheer up, as she would find a man on the day fixed to read the Raja’s thoughts.  The dewan had to take what comfort he could from this promise, and when the appointed day arrived, his daughter brought a dumb shepherd whom they employed and bade her father take him to the Raja.  The dewan thought it very unlikely that the dumb shepherd would succeed where others had failed, but he saw no alternative to following his daughter’s advice.

So the dewan presented himself before the Raja with the dumb shepherd and found a large company assembled to see what happened.  The two stood before the Raja and the dumb man looked at the Raja.  Then the Raja held up one finger, at this the dumb shepherd held up two fingers.  Then the Raja held up three fingers, but at this the dumb man made signs of dissent and ran away as fast as he could.  Then the Raja laughed and seemed very pleased and praised the dewan for having brought him such a clever man, and gave the dewan a rich reward.

The dewan was still at a loss to know what had happened, and begged the Raja to explain what had passed between him and the shepherd.  “When I held up one finger,” said the Raja “I asked him whether I alone was Raja, and he by holding up two reminded me that there was God, who was as powerful as I am.  Then I asked him whether there was any third, and he vehemently denied that there was.  Thus he has read my thoughts, for I have always been thinking that I alone am powerful, but he has reminded me that there is God as well, but no third.”