Two or three days later his wife began to question him as to what was in the pot hanging from the roof.  At first he refused to tell her; but every time she set eyes on it she renewed her questioning; for a time he refused to gratify her curiosity, saying that no woman could keep a secret, but she protested that she would tell no one; her husband’s secrets were her own; at last he pretended that his patience was worn out and having made her promise never to tell a soul, he said “I have killed a man, and to prevent the murder being traced I cut off his head and hid it in that pot; mind you do not say a word or my life will be forfeit.”

For a time nothing more was said, but one day husband and wife had a quarrel; high words and blows passed between them and at last the woman ran out of the house, crying:  “You have struck me, I shall let it be known that you are a murderer.”  She went to the village headman and told him what was hidden in the pot; the villagers assembled and bound the supposed murderer with ropes and took him to the police.  The police officer came and took down the pot and found in it nothing but a stained cloth.  So he fined the headman for troubling him with false information and went away.  Then the man addressed his fellow-villagers in these words “Listen to me:  never tell a secret to a woman and be careful in your conversation with them; they are sure to let out a secret and one day will turn your accusers.”

From that time we have learnt the lesson that anything which you tell to a woman will become known.

LXXXIX.  The Bridegroom Who Spoke in Riddles.

Once upon a time there were two brothers; the elder was named Bhagrai and was married, but the younger, named Kora, was still a bachelor.  One day Bhagrai’s wife asked her husband when he intended to look out for a wife for Kora, for people would think it very mean of them if they did not provide for his marriage.  But to his wife’s astonishment Bhagrai flatly refused to have anything to do with the matter.  He said that Kora must find a wife for himself.  His wife protested that that was impossible as Kora had no money of his own, but Bhagrai would not listen to her and refused even to give Kora his share in the family property.

Bhagrai’s cruel conduct was very distressing to his wife; and one day as she was sitting picking the lice out of Kora’s head, she began to cry and Kora felt her tears dropping on to his back; he turned round and asked his sister-in-law why she was crying.  She said that she could not tell him, as it would only make him unhappy, but he would not be put off and said that she had no right to have any secrets from him and at last she told him that Bhagrai had said that he must arrange his own marriage without any help from them.  At this cruel news Kora began to cry too and falling on his sister-in-law’s neck he wept bitterly.  Then he went and fetched his clothes and bow and arrows and flute and what other little property he had, and told his sister-in-law that he must go out into the world and seek his fortune, for he would never get a wife by staying at home.  So she tied up some dried rice for him to eat by the way and let him go.