Karataka said:

"In a city lived a merchant who began to build a temple in a grove near the city. The workmen who built it would go into the city at midday to eat.

One day a troop of monkeys came there to play. Among the pillars lay a great anjana log, half split. A workman had driven a wedge of acacia wood into the cleft to keep it open and had left it so.

The monkeys, restless by nature, began to pull at the beams and to swing from them. One monkey, whose end was near, seated himself upon the log, facing the cleft, and took hold of the wedge.

Wondering what purpose it served, he grasped the wedge with both hands and began to pull. As he pulled, his testicles slipped into the cleft.

He pulled with all his strength.

At last the wedge came free.

In that instant the cleft closed. His testicles were crushed. He fell screaming and died.

Therefore I say, 'A man who concerns himself with matters that are not his own often meets misfortune.'"

Karataka continued, "We hold no office. This is not our concern."

Damanaka replied, "Do not say so. Those who hold no office still desire office, for all creatures wish to live by intelligence. I see our lord stricken with fear. I will approach him and remove his fear."

Karataka said, "How will you remove it? You do not know his mind."

Damanaka said, "I will know it. The wise understand another's mind by speech and by expression. My father taught me how the mind of another may be known."

Karataka said, "This is dangerous. A man who speaks without being asked suffers. Like the donkey who sang."

Damanaka asked, "How was that?"