Story of the foolish herdsman.
Project Gutenberg EPUB3 edition
Somadeva Bhatta, active 11th century and Tawney, C. H. (Charles Henry)
There lived in a forest a rich but silly herdsman. Many rogues conspired together and made friends with him. They said to him, “We have asked the daughter of a rich inhabitant of the town in marriage for you, and her father has promised to give her. When he heard that, he was pleased and gave them wealth, and after a few days they came again and said, “Your marriage has taken place.” He was very much pleased at that, and gave them abundance of wealth. And after some more days they said to him: “A son has been born to you.” He was in ecstasies at that, and he gave them all his wealth, like the fool that he was, and the next day he began to lament, saying, “I am longing to see my son.” And when the herdsman began to cry, he incurred the ridicule of the people on account of his having been cheated by the rogues, as if he had acquired the stupidity of cattle from having so much to do with them.
“You have heard of the herdsman; now hear the story of the ornament-hanger.”