Kakacūpamasutta

mn21:9.1 Once upon a time, mendicants, right here in Sāvatthī there was a housewife named Vedehikā.

mn21:9.2 She had this good reputation:

mn21:9.3 ‘The housewife Vedehikā is gentle, placid, and calm.’

mn21:9.4 Now, Vedehikā had a bonded maid named Kāḷī who was deft, tireless, and well-organized in her work.

mn21:9.5 Then Kāḷī thought,

mn21:9.6 ‘My mistress has a good reputation as being

mn21:9.7 gentle, placid, and calm.

mn21:9.8 But does she actually have anger in her and just not show it? Or does she have no anger?

mn21:9.9 Or is it just because my work is well-organized that she doesn’t show anger, even though she still has it inside?

mn21:9.10 Why don’t I test my mistress?’

mn21:9.11 So Kāḷī got up during the day.

mn21:9.12 Vedehikā said to her,

mn21:9.13 ‘Oi wench, Kāḷī!’

mn21:9.14 ‘What is it, ma’am?’

mn21:9.15 ‘You’re getting up in the day—what’s up with you, wench?’

mn21:9.16 ‘Nothing, ma’am.’

mn21:9.17 ‘Oh, so nothing’s up, you naughty maid, but you get up in the day!’ Angry and upset, she scowled.

mn21:9.18 Then Kāḷī thought,

mn21:9.19 ‘My mistress actually has anger in her and just doesn’t show it; it’s not that she has no anger.

mn21:9.20 It’s just because my work is well-organized that she doesn’t show anger, even though she still has it inside.

mn21:9.21 Why don’t I test my mistress further?’

mn21:9.22 So Kāḷī got up later in the day.

mn21:9.23 Vedehikā said to her,

mn21:9.24 ‘Oi wench, Kāḷī!’

mn21:9.25 ‘What is it, ma’am?’

mn21:9.26 ‘You’re getting up later in the day—what’s up with you, wench?’

mn21:9.27 ‘Nothing, ma’am.’

mn21:9.28 ‘Oh, so nothing’s up, you naughty maid, but you get up later in the day!’ Angry and upset, she blurted out angry words.

mn21:9.29 Then Kāḷī thought,

mn21:9.30 ‘My mistress actually has anger in her and just doesn’t show it; it’s not that she has no anger.

mn21:9.31 It’s just because my work is well-organized that she doesn’t show anger, even though she still has it inside.

mn21:9.32 Why don’t I test my mistress further?’

mn21:9.33 So Kāḷī got up even later in the day.

mn21:9.34 Vedehikā said to her,

mn21:9.35 ‘Oi wench, Kāḷī!’

mn21:9.36 ‘What is it, ma’am?’

mn21:9.37 ‘You’re getting up even later in the day—what’s up with you, wench?’

mn21:9.38 ‘Nothing, ma’am.’

mn21:9.39 ‘Oh, so nothing’s up, you naughty maid, but you get up even later in the day!’ Angry and upset, she grabbed a door-pin and hit Kāḷī on the head, cracking it open.

mn21:9.40 Then Kāḷī, with blood pouring from her cracked skull, denounced her mistress to the neighbors,

mn21:9.41 ‘See, ladies, what the gentle one did!

mn21:9.42 See what the placid one did! See what the calm one did!

mn21:9.43 How on earth can she grab a door-pin and hit her only maid on the head, cracking it open, just for getting up late?’

mn21:9.44 Then after some time the housewife Vedehikā got this bad reputation:

mn21:9.45 ‘The housewife Vedehikā is fierce, ill-tempered, and not calm at all.’