IN a certain city there were a woman and a man, it is said. Both of them were deaf. A female child was born to that man, and this child was also deaf. The man to whom she was given in marriage when she grew up was also deaf. The girl’s husband went to plough a rice field at the side of the high road. While he was ploughing, a man who was going along the road asked the way. Continuing to plough with the yoke of bulls, the deaf man said, “I brought this bull from the village. This other bull is from father-in-law’s herd.” “What are the facts about the bulls to me ? Tell me the way,” the man said. The deaf man replied, “The bull is from my herd.” The man said again, “What are the facts about the bulls to me ? Tell me the way.” Then the deaf man, replying, “Don’t say that another time,” beat the man with the goad, and the man having received the blows went away. Afterwards, the deaf man’s wife having brought cooked rice to the field, he unfastened the cattle which had been ploughing, and while he was eating said to the woman, “A man came just now, and saying, ‘ Whose is the yoke of bulls ? ’ quarrelled with me about them.” The woman replied, “Through seeking firewood and water and vegetables, and cooking, I was a little late in the day in coming.” Having quarrelled with him over it, she bounded off, and having gone home, went to the place where her mother [Page 135] was plaiting a mat, anḍ said to her, “Mother, our house man quarrelled with me, saying that I was late in taking the rice.” The woman said, “Marry thy father ! What is it to thee whether my works are good or not good now ?” and she quarrelled with her. The woman having gone to the place where her husband was watching a sweet-potato chena during the day time, on account of thieves uprooting the plants, said, "To-day my daughter having taken cooked rice to the field, and having given it and returned, quarrelled with me, saying that the plaiting of my mat was bad. I also indeed scolded her a great deal, saying, ‘ What is it to thee whether my works are good or not good now ? ’ I have come to tell you about it.” Then the man said, “Bola, you infamous woman ! Because I stopped in the chena you cooked and ate three sweet-potatoes, did you ?” and he beat and drove away the woman. Then saying that it was useless to go on with the chena when his wife was eating the crop, he cut the fence, and abandoned it to the cattle. And the man left the village and the district, and went away.