The Foolish Prince
Reading edition
At a certain city there were a Prince and a Princess. One day when the two are staying talking and talking, the Princess says, “Lord, please tell a story for me to hear,” she said.
Then the Prince said, “It is good. I know a story that no one knows; I will tell you it,” and beginning it he told the story.
At the time when he was telling it a Brāhmaṇa was listening. The Brāhmaṇa having gone away, said to the Brāhmaṇa’s wife, “I know a story.” Then the woman said, “If so, tell the story, for me to hear it.” The Brāhmaṇa told the story.
The Brāhmaṇa’s wife also learning it, having come on the following day told the story to that Princess. The Princess asked the Brāhmaṇa’s wife, “Who told you this?” Then the woman said falsely, “I learnt it [some time] previously.”
Well then, this Princess having said [to herself], “My Prince is indeed associated with this woman. If not, how does this woman know to-day the story which my Prince told yesterday for me to hear?” and having become angry with the Prince, the Princess also associated with another Prince. This Prince, ascertaining this, killed the Princess.
One day, this Prince asked another man, “Did you see my Princess?”
At that time the [other] Prince said, “I saw that the Princess was staying yesterday in the daytime in the midst of such and such a forest.”
Well then, this Prince, asking and asking the way, having gone to the midst of the forest, at the time when he was walking in it a bear having bitten the Prince he died.
Washerman. North-western Province.
In the Kathā Sarit Sāgara (Tawney), vol. i, p. 4, it is stated that when the God Śiva was relating a story to his wife Pārvatī, one of his dependants, a Gaṇa named Pushpadanta, entered unseen by his magic power, and listened to it. Afterwards he related it to his wife Jayā, who recited it in the presence of Pārvatī, whereupon the Goddess lost her temper, reproached Śiva for telling her an old story known by others, and when she heard from him the true explanation, cursed Pushpadanta and turned him into a mortal.