When any awkward blunder occurs from a person acting under a mistaken
notion, there is a common proverb in Tamil to the effect that the
matter ended like the story of the three deaf men--(Muchchevidan
kadaiyay mudindadu). The following is the story told to explain
the allusion:--
In a remote village there lived a husband and wife. Both of them
were quite deaf. They had made this household arrangement, namely,
to cook cabbage with tamarind and soup without tamarind one day, and
cabbage without tamarind and soup with tamarind on the other. Thus
on every alternate day the same dishes were repeated. One day, when
taking his meal, the husband found the tamarind cabbage so very tasty
that he wanted to have it also next day, and gave instructions to
that effect. The deaf wife did not understand the order. According to
the established rule she cooked cabbage without tamarind next day. The
husband, when he sat down to his meal, found his order disregarded and,
being enraged thereat, threw the cabbage against the wall, and went
out in a rage. The wife ate her fill, and prepared tamarind cabbage
for her husband.
The husband went out, and sat down in a place where three roads
crossed, to calm down his anger. At that time a shepherd happened to
pass that way. He had lately lost a good cow and calf of his, and had
been seeking them for some days. When he saw the deaf man sitting by
the way, he took him for a soothsayer, and asked him to find out by
his knowledge of Josyam [1] where the cow was likely to be found. The
herdsman, too, was very deaf; and the man, without hearing what he
was saying, abused him, and wished to be left undisturbed. In abusing
him the husband stretched out his hand, pointing to the shepherd's
face. This pointing the shepherd understood to indicate the direction
where the lost cow and calf would be found. Thus thinking the poor
shepherd went on in that direction, promising to present the soothsayer
with the calf if he found it there with the cow. To his joy, and
by mere chance, he found them. His delight knew no bounds. "That is
a capital soothsayer. Surely I must present him with the calf." So
thought he to himself, and returned with them to the deaf man, and,
pointing to the calf, requested him to accept it.
Now it unfortunately happened that the calf's tail was broken and
crooked. The man thought the herdsman was blaming him unreasonably for
having broken the calf's tail, while he knew nothing about it, and so,
by a waive of his hand, denied the charge. This the shepherd mistook
for a refusal of the calf, and a demand for the cow. The shepherd said,
"How very greedy you are! I promised you only the calf, and not the
cow." The husband said, "Never; I know nothing of either your cow
or calf. I never broke the calf's tail. Some other must have done
it." Thus they quarrelled, without understanding each other, for a
long time, when a third party happened to pass by. Understanding the
cause of the dispute, and, desiring to profit by their stupidity, he
interfered, and said in a loud voice, and yet so as not to be heard
by the deaf husband, "Well, shepherd, you had better go away with
the cow. These soothsayers are always greedy. Leave the calf with
me, and I shall make him accept it." The shepherd, much pleased to
have secured the cow, walked home, leaving the calf with the third
person. When the shepherd had gone, the passenger said to the deaf
man, "You see how very unlawful it is for the shepherd to charge you
with an offence which you never committed. It is always the case with
shepherds. They are the biggest fools in the world! But never mind, so
long as you have a friend in me. I shall somehow explain to him your
innocence, and restore the calf to him." The husband, much pleased,
ran home to escape from the consequences of supposed guilt. At the
expense of the stupidity and deafness of both, the third traveller
walked home with the calf.
The husband, on his return, sat down to his dinner, and his wife served
him the tamarind cabbage. He happened to put his finger to the place
where the cabbage without tamarind had previously been served on the
leaf. On applying it to his mouth, he found it so very sweet that he
demanded that dish again. The wife replied to him that she had already
emptied the pan. "Then at least bring me the cabbage that is sticking
to the saucepan," said the husband; and the wife did accordingly.
Here ends the story. The latter portion is also said to be the
explanation of a proverb that is prevalent in Tamil,--"Sevuru kiraiyai
valichchu podudi sunaiketta muli," meaning, "O thou feelingless
deaf woman, give me at least the cabbage that is sticking to the
saucepan." This proverb is applied to stubborn wives, who will
have their own way, and do not obey their husbands submissively in
unrefined society.