New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1892-05-01
THE SEVEN SIMPLETONS.
A HILLMAN'S TALE.
From The Alahabad Pioneer.

From The Alahabad Pioneer.
One OF Daukha's iavorte stories Is the ioho"i"s
once up5i a time seven smpletons were going along
a road And behold they came TO big pnddie Oh
rainwoter which lay still and bright under the SKY
And looking into the puddle they could see tae co1s
rciected far below, and wisely concluded that inc
puddle was very deep. Whercat they we're inueh
puzzled to how they should get across nu, ,H'
said Lei Us make a string, each holding the dholi
of tie man in front of him. and going hrst an, nna
me- So they all eaped together into the Pndde
and got safely across. not however, "i'hou' Dude
covered with mud from head Ia foot. . ,.,
When they were safely The other side 1t suddenly
occurred 20 the eldest simpeton that one 'Ci their
number missing, having evidently 6eeL dr1wnga
But a. he left himself ont each time. the result ehch
time was that there were only SIX smpctons. 30
bid each H. turn and as each counted after
the fashion OF the eldest smIIeton each iouha uiat
the life Of them, make out VINO was missing. And
they were much dismayed and perplexed. a.
and 10 him r1ey told their doubts and difficulty.
And looking at their simple face. and the shallow
lis WAY profit By their ioolishness - With u: ar
Of much uIbani,y he proted to restore tre miSs i
year and day without payment. To which inc!
gladly consented. Sn this. the wise man, taking II
count the pieces, which they did. and, behold. they
asked: How can We be six, when TO each ! haye
given becl, and there were seven pieces # hcte =
Mhercat their minds were much D., relieved: ana they
Now the labor Of smplcions IS trial 10 wise men,
and so the event proved In this case. The first ta'K
they performed was the harvesting Of the winter nee
They reaped and bound and brought the shcaves
home. and asked the wise man where they should put
thoughts, and said ASK my old woman, and put
woman and asked her. But the old woman was busy
cooking her husbands dinner. 50 she cried: Drat
yon and your sheaves! Put them hn my head !,
the dinner was spoiled and the old woman died, being
smohered by the PADDY ana when The Wise maa
| told him what had happened And when he was
vexed, they asked with simple faces why DE was
angry with them for obeyng orders.
Then the wise man, seeing no remedy BID men 90
and bury the old woman 50 they made sledse o. %
supper But they went SO fast through thc bamboo
grove that the old woman was swept of the sledge
by "a bamboo spike. But this they did not perceive,
for as they got to the place their one thought
work woT 10 ae Geo they addTscd And
when the grave was ready, 3ehod the old woman was
gone And they said This Is very wicked old
woman. Her HUSBAND orders her to be buried, and:
look, she is not dead at all bit has run away What
Now there another old woman hering cattle
close by. and seeing that they could not go home to
| supper without obeying orders and bnrying an old
woman they buried her In spite Of her screams and
| struggles And then they came home and hold the
wise man what they had done
The next day tho wise bid the seven simpetons
go and plough above the great banlnn tree meaning
scicntousy TO haul the and poughs into the top
of the tree with ropes Lut ne rope broke and tho
what they had done. And when hc cursed them for a
pack Of fools they again pleaded that they had only
done as they told.
And many other things they did, ALWAYS by the
wise MANS orders until the wise man could stand n
no longer. 60 he told the smplctons that he wanted {,
make duc-out canoe. and that they must cut down
a stimuli for the purpose. " But" he said. IF II
fall the ground IL will break. and then where Will
nv be? When the tree lettering to It's
fall We under IL and receive II your shoulders
To which they agreed, and when the tree fell they
ran under it. and were duly killcd-all except one,
who being the strongest. stood ready 70 receive the
trunk. For The branches kept the trunk OF the ground
and saved this simpletOD's life. And he seeing his
brothers dead possessed with rage, and taking
up the axe cut the wise mans head off, which proves
that even single simpletOn Is a match for u wise
man X he have but an axe In his hand.