The Kootenai herald. [volume] (Kootenai, Idaho) 1891-1904, 1892-10-07
SEVEN SIMPLETONS.
AN ARAB TALE SHOWING THAT
WISE MEN MAKE MISTAKES.

Fate of the Wise Man Who Took Adj
vantage of the Foolishness of the Seven
Poor Idiots-They Kept Their Contract,
but the Wise Man Was Not Pleased.
One of Daukha's favorite stories is the
following ingenious legend:
Once upon time seven simpletons were
going along a road. And behold they came
TO a big puddle of rainwater which Law
still and bright under the sky. And look
ing into the puddle they could see the
clouds reflected far below, and wisely con
cluded that the puddle was very deep.
Whereat they were much puzzled as to
how they should get across. But the eldest
simpleton, who was the boldest of the
party, said: Let us make a string, each
holding the dhoti of the man in front of
him, and going first. And | will leap as
far as | can, and do you others follow me. /"
So they all eaped together into the puddle
and got safely across; not, however, with
out being covered with mud from head to
foot
When they were safely on the other side
it suddenly occurred to the eldest simple
ton that one of their number was missing,
having evidently been drowned in the pud-
die. So he counted once, twice, thrice.
But as he left himself out each time. the
result each time was that there were only
six simpletons So he bid each count in
turn, and as each counted after the fashion
of the eldest simpleton, each found that
the number was six And yet they could
not for the life of them make out who was
missing. And they were much dismayed
and perpleXed
fr,f ha,.
wise man, and to him they told their
doubts and difficulty. And looking at
their simple faces and the shallow puddle
wherein they had muddied themselves, he
saw his way to profit by their foolishness
So with an air of much urbanity, he prom
ised to restore the missing simpleton if all
seven would agree to work for him a year
and day without payment, to which
they gladly consented. On this the wise
man, taking betel nut, cut it in seven
pieces and bid the simpletons count the
pieces, which they did, and behold they
were seven. Then to each man he gave a
piece and asked, How can We be six, when
to each have given betel, and there were
seven pieces of betel?" Whereat their
minds were much relieved, and they began
to toll with and work for the wise man.
Now the labor of simpletons is a trial TO
wise men, and so the event proved in this
case. The first task they performed was
the harvesting of the winter rice. They
reaped and bound and brought thesheaves
home, and asked the wise man where they
should put them. But the wise man was
occupied with his own thoughts and said
ASK my old woman, and put them where
she says" So they went to the old WON
an and asked her.
But the old woman was busy cooking
her husbands dinner So she cried: 'Drat
you and your sheavesl Put them on nv
headP Which without any hesitation
they all did, so that the dinner was spoiled
and the old woman died, being smothered
by the paddy. And when the wise man
came in hungry and asked for his wife the
simpletons told him what had happened.
And when he was vexed they asked him
with simple faces why he was angry with
them for obeying orders
Then the wise man, seeing no remedy.
bid them 60 and bury the old woman. So
they made sledge of bamboos, and put
ting the old woman on it, started off like
the wind, so as to get home the quicker to
supper. But they went so fast through the
bamboo grove that the old woman was
swept off the sledge by bamboo spike
But this they did not perceive, for as
soon as they got to the place their one
thought was to get "A grave dug as fast as
possible. TO this work accordingly, they
addressed themselves And when the grave
was ready, behold, 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, but has run away. What are we to
do now" So they looked about them.
Now, there was another old woman herd
ing cattle close by, and seeing that they
could not go home To supper without obey
ing orders and bury-ng an old woman, they
buried her in spite of her screams and
struggles And then they came home and
told the wise man what they had done.
The next day the wise man bid the seven
simpletons 90 and pillow above the great
bauian tree, meaning higher up the hill.
But they set to work conscientiously to
haul the oxen and pows into the top of
the tree with ropes. But the ropes broke
and the oxen We're killed. And again they
told the wise man what they had done.
And when he cursed them for pack of
fools they again pleaded that they had only
done as they were told.
And many other things they did, always
by the wise mans orders, until the wise
man could stand it no longer So he told
the simpletons that he wanted to make
dugout canoe, and that they must cut
down a stimuli tree for the purpose But"
he said, IF it falls on the ground it will
break, and then where will my canoe be?
When We see the tree tottering to it's fall,
run We under it and receive it on your
shoulders" To which they agreed, and
when the tree fell they ran under it, and
were duly killed-all except one who, be-
ing the strongest, stood ready to receive