Once upon a time, when king Brahmadatta was reigning in Benares, the Bodhisatta was born to his chief queen. He came of age, and his father passed away; and then he became king and ruled in righteousness.

The Bodhisatta had a chaplain named Ruhaka, and this Ruhaka’s wife was an old Brahmin woman.

The king gave the Brahmin a horse with all its trappings, and he mounted the horse and went to see the king. As he rode along the richly decorated horse, the people on this streets praised saying, “See that fine horse! What a beauty!”

When he came home, he told his wife, “Our horse is good; when I rode on it, everybody is praising the horse.”

Now his wife was not a good lady but full of deceit. So she replied, “Ah! Husband! you do not know wherein lies the beauty of this horse. It is all in his fine trappings. Now if you put his trappings on yourself and go down into the street, prancing along horse fashion. You will see the king and all the people will praise you.”

This foolish brahmin listened to it, but did not know what she purposed. So he believed her, and did as she had said. All those saw on the streets laughed aloud saying, “There goes a fine professor!” And the king asked him, Why? my Teacher! has your bile gone wrong? Are you crazy?” At this the Brahmin was ashamed. So he was angry with his wife, and hurried home, saying to himself, “The woman has shamed me before the king and all his army; I will drive her out of doors!”

But the crafty woman found out that he had come home in anger; she went out by a side door, and went to the palace and stayed four or five days. When the king heard it, he sent for his chaplain, and said to him, “My Teacher! all womankind are full of faults; you ought to forgive this lady” and with intent to make him forgive he said:-

“Even a broken bowstring can be mended and made whole

Forgive your wife, and cherish not this anger in your soul.”

Hearing this, Ruhaka uttered:-

“While there is bark and workmen too

Tis easy to buy bowstrings new.

Another wife I will procure;

I have had enough of this one, sure.”

So saying, he sent her away, and married another Brahmin woman.