Story of the woman who escaped from the monkey and the cowherd.
Project Gutenberg EPUB3 edition
Somadeva Bhatta, active 11th century and Tawney, C. H. (Charles Henry)
A certain woman set out alone to go to another village. And on the way a monkey suddenly came and tried to lay hold of her, but she avoided it by going to a tree and dodging round it. The foolish monkey threw its arms round the tree, and she laid hold of its arms with her hands, and pressed them against the tree.
The monkey, which was held tight, became furious, but at that moment the woman saw a cowherd coming that way, and said to him; “Sir, hold this ape by the arms a moment, until I can arrange my dress and hair, which are disordered.” He said, “I will do so, if you promise to grant me your love,” and she consented. And he held the monkey. Then she drew his dagger and killed the monkey, and said to the cowherd, “Come to a lonely spot,” and so took him a long distance. At last they fell in with some travellers, so she left him and went with them to the village that she wished to reach, having avoided outrage by her wisdom.
“So you see that wisdom is in this world the principal support of men; the man who is poor in wealth lives, but the man who is poor in intellect does not live. Now hear, prince, this romantic wonderful tale.”