The last of the stories referred to in the above extract is as follows:  A woman once rebuked her husband for not performing the five (Buddhist) precepts.  “I don’t know what they are,” he replied.  “Oh, it’s very easy,” she said; “all you have to do is to go to the priest and repeat what he says after him.”  “Is that all?” he answered.  “Then I’ll go and do it at once.”  Off he went, and as he neared the temple the priest saw him and called out, “Who are you?” to which he replied, “Who are you?” “What do you want?” demands the priest.  “What do you want?” the blockhead answers dutifully.  “Are you mad?” roared the priest.  “Are you mad?” returned the rustic.  “Here,” said the priest to his attendants, “take and beat him well;” and notwithstanding that he carefully repeated the words again, taken and thoroughly well thrashed he was, after which he crawled back to his wife and said, “What a wonderful woman you are!  You manage to repeat the five precepts every day, and are strong and healthy, while I, who have only said them once, am nearly dead with fever from the bruises."[7]

To this last may be added a story in the Katha Manjari, a Canarese collection, of the stupid fellow and the Ramayana, one of the two great Hindu epics:  One day a man was reading the Ramayana in the bazaar, and a woman, thinking her husband might be instructed by hearing it, sent him there.  He went, and stood leaning on his crook—­for he was a shepherd—­when presently a practical joker, seeing his simplicity, jumped upon his shoulders, and he stood with the man on his back until the discourse was concluded.  When he reached home, his wife asked him how he liked the Ramayana.  “Alas!” said he, “it was not easy; it was a man’s load.”

* * * * *

The race of Gothamites is indeed found everywhere—­in popular tales, if not in actual life; and their sayings and doings are not less diverting when husband and wife are well mated, as in the following story: 

An Arab observing one morning that his house was ready to tumble about his ears from decay, and being without the means of repairing it, went with a long face to his wife, and informed her of his trouble.  She said, “Why, my dear, need you distress yourself about so small a matter?  You have a cow worth thirty dirhams; take her to the market and sell her for that sum.  I have some thread, which I will dispose of to-day, and I warrant you that between us both we shall manage very well.”  The man at once drove the cow to the market, and gave her over for sale to the appraiser of cattle.  The salesman showed her to the bystanders, directed their attention to all her good points, expatiated on all her good qualities, and, in short, passed her off as a cow of inestimable value.  To all this the simpleton listened with delight and astonishment; he heard his cow praised for qualities that no other cow ever possessed, and determined in his own mind