17. A Woman and a Leopard

A couple was living in a remote, mountainous area. The husband divorced his wife and asked her to leave the house. The woman set off to her parents’ house, through a dangerous wild forest. On the way, she came across a leopard, which on hearing her story, accompanied her all the way to her parents’ house. The woman told her parents that a gentleman protected her against wild animals. She then talked badly of his odour and said that his mouth had a terrible smell. The leopard overheard these words and felt heartbroken. A few weeks later, the woman went into the wild forest to collect some firewood. She came across the leopard again. The leopard asked her to stab him in the shoulders with her dagger. The woman did accordingly and returned home. A few weeks later, the woman went back to the wild forest and met the leopard again. After greeting her, the leopard wept aloud and said, ‘The trace of grief caused by daggers will go away, but the grief caused by words will not go away!’