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. 1.
Esta fabulilla, This fablette I know it
Salga bien ó mal, Is not erudite;
Me he occorrida ahora It occurr'd to my mind now
Por casualidad. By accident quite.
2. 2.
Cerca de unos prados Through a meadow whose verdure
Que hay en mi lugar, Fresh, seem'd to invite,
Passaba un borrico A donkey pass'd browsing
Por casualidad. By accident quite.
3. 3.
Una flauta en ellos A flute lay in the grass, which
Halló que un zagal, A swain over night
Se dexó olvidado Had left there forgotten
Por casualidad. By accident quite.
4. 4.
Acercóse á olerla, Approaching to smell it
El dicho animal This quadruped wight
Y dió un resoplido Just happen'd to bray then
Por casualidad. By accident quite.
5. 5.
En la flauta el ayre The air ent'ring the mouthpiece
Se hubo de colar Pass'd through as of right,
Y sonó la flauta And gave forth a cadence
Por casualidad. By accident quite.
6. 6.
"O!" dixó el borrico "Only hear my fine playing!"
"Que bien sé tocar! Cries Moke in delight,
Y diran que es mala "That dull folks vote my braying
La musica asnal." A nuisance, despite."
7. 7.
Sin reglas del arte It may happen some once, thus
Borriquitos hay Although they can't write,
Que una vez aciertan Human asses may hit off
Por casualidad! 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 , 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.)