Tale XVII
1. Probably it was some version of this story that had travelled to Spain, which suggested to Yriarte the following one of his many fables directed against ignorant writers and bad critics.
1.
Esta fabulilla,
Salga bien ó mal,
Me he occorrida ahora
Por casualidad.
2.
Cerca de unos prados
Que hay en mi lugar,
Passaba un borrico
Por casualidad.
3.
Una flauta en ellos
Halló que un zagal,
Se dexó olvidado
Por casualidad.
4.
Acercóse á olerla,
El dicho animal
Y dió un resoplido
Por casualidad.
5.
En la flauta el ayre
Se hubo de colar
Y sonó la flauta
Por casualidad.
6.
“O!” dixó el borrico
“Que bien sé tocar!
Y diran que es mala
La musica asnal.”
7.
Sin reglas del arte
Borriquitos hay
Que una vez aciertan
Por casualidad!
1.
This fablette I know it
Is not erudite;
It occurr’d to my mind now
By accident quite.
2.
Through a meadow whose verdure
Fresh, seem’d to invite,
A donkey pass’d browsing
By accident quite.
3.
A flute lay in the grass, which
A swain over night
Had left there forgotten
By accident quite.
4.
Approaching to smell it
This quadruped wight
Just happen’d to bray then
By accident quite.
5.
The air ent’ring the mouthpiece
Pass’d through as of right,
And gave forth a cadence
By accident quite.
6.
“Only hear my fine playing!”
Cries Moke in delight,
“That dull folks vote my braying
A nuisance, despite.”
7.
It may happen some once, thus
Although they can’t write,
Human asses may hit off
By accident quite!
2. The woman invents a name to frighten, and also as a trap for, her husband. “Sûrja, is Sanskrit, and Bagatur, Mongolian for a ‘Hero.’ Such combinations are not infrequent.” (Jülg.)
“Shura means a Hero in Sanscrit, agreeing not only in sense with the Greek word ἥρως, but also in derivation; thus revealing a primeval agreement in the estimation in which hero-nature was held. It is more properly written Sura, because it comes from Svar, heaven, and means literally ‘heavenly.’ It is used in that form as an appellation of the Sun. Heroes are so called, because when they fell in battle, Svarga, the heaven of deified kings, was given them for their dwelling-place. ‘Indra shall give to those who fall in battle the world where all wishes are fulfilled, for their portion. Neither by sacrifices, nor offerings to the Brahmans, nor by contemplation, nor knowledge can mortals attain to Svarga as securely as do heroes falling in battle.’ Mahâ Bhârata, xi. 2, v. 60.” (Lassen, i. 69.)
3. “The women of Tibet are not indeed taught the use of the bow and the matchlock, but in riding they are as expert and fearless as the men, yet it is only on occasion that they mount a horse, such as when travelling; or when there chances to be no man about the place to look after a stray animal.” (Abbé Huc’s “Travels in China and Tibet,” vol. i. ch. iii.)
4. A very similar story may be found in Barbazan’s, “Fabliaux et Contes des Poètes Français des XI–XV Siècles,” in 4 vols., Paris 1808, vol. iv. pp. 287–295. (Jülg.)