HERE IT IS TOLD HOW A MERCHANT CARRIED WINE OVERSEAS IN CASKS WITH TWO
PARTITIONS AND WHAT HAPPENED
A merchant carried wine overseas in casks with two partitions [162]. At
the top and the bottom (of the casks) there was wine, and in the middle
water, so that half of the cask was wine, and half water. There were
spigots at the top and the bottom, but none in the middle. He sold the
water for wine, and doubled his gains, and as soon as he was paid, he
got aboard a ship with his money. And by the will of God there was a
big monkey aboard the ship, who took the money from the merchant’s
pocket, and climbed up to the top of the mast with it.
The man, fearing that the monkey might throw the purse into the sea,
went after it, trying to coax it. The beast sat down and opened the
purse with his mouth, and took out the gold pieces one by one. He threw
first one in to the sea and let another fall on to the deck. And he so
acted that one half of the money remained on the ship, which was the
just gain of the merchant.