Dialogue Among Ladies
The Setting
In the court of King Bhoj, a scholar named Soma Shastri was employed. He had three sons and had chosen three daughters-in-law from the families of his fellow scholars. The three daughters-in-law were dutiful and well-educated, embodying the virtues of their scholarly heritage.
A Curious Encounter
The king had a habit of wandering in disguise after dark. One evening, he strolled along the road beside Shastri’s house and overheard the scholar’s daughters-in-law talking. They were enjoying the evening on the roof while the sound of a distant drum filled the air.
The eldest daughter-in-law added, “Dead, yet how sweet!”
“True, but the hands too should be given credit!” replied the youngest.
Puzzled by their conversation, the king returned to the court and called his minister to discuss the dialogues he had heard. “Can you explain what they meant?” he asked.
The Minister’s Interpretation
“My lord, it seems the young ladies were discussing the flesh of some animal, which, though dead, tasted sweet to them,” the minister suggested after some reflection. However, the king was not satisfied with this explanation, as Shastri was a vegetarian, and it seemed impossible that his daughters-in-law could be talking about cooking meat.
Intrigued, the king decided to invite the ladies to the court the following day and instructed the minister to question them.
The Inquiry
“Will you please explain what you three said yesterday while strolling on the roof of your house?” the minister asked when the ladies assembled in the court.
The three ladies exchanged meaningful glances. The minister believed his interpretation was correct, but the eldest daughter-in-law whispered to the others, “This one too is like that one!”
“In that case, where is the decoration?” the second lady inquired.
Now, both the king and the minister were bewildered and exchanged confused looks.
The Truth Revealed
Unable to contain his curiosity any longer, the king asked, “My daughters! Your words sound like riddles to us. What were you discussing on your roof last evening? Please tell us the truth.”
Unexpected Comments
The king was pleased with this explanation but inquired again, “What did you discuss among yourselves a little while ago when the minister asked you the question first?”
The ladies requested the minister to leave the court for a moment. Once he was gone, the eldest daughter-in-law confessed, “O King, the manner of the minister displeased us. So, I remarked that he was no different from a sheep. The second one asked if that were true, where were his horns? The third one commented that all sheep lack horns—the females certainly do! We apologize for such comments.”
A Joyful Resolution
The king laughed heartily at their playful banter and rewarded the young ladies generously for their wit and humor.
