There was once upon a time in India a certain young woman who kept a cow, and every day she sold the milk the cow gave her in the village market. One day, for some reason known only to Heaven, the cow gave more milk than usual, and the young woman was very happy. She hoisted the pot of milk onto her head to carry it to the market, and the extra weight made her smile. She began to think.

“I will get more money today,” she thought happily. “Perhaps I will soon have enough to buy a second cow!” Her eyes danced at the thought.

“If I have two cows, then I will guard my money carefully, always putting some aside, and before long I will have a whole herd! Fine, sleek cows that will shine like the sun, and I will always give them good grass! And then I will be so wealthy that I will have gold bangles and be able to wear a fine sari, and young men will want to marry me.”

“But if that boy, the sweeper for the rich merchant that comes round when I am selling milk, the one who laughed at me last week, if he thinks I will look at him, he can think again! He will come like a poor beggar and plead with me, please, please, and touch my feet, but I will look proudly down at him and say ‘No!’ and like a very rich lady I will toss my head!”

And forgetting the milk she was carrying, she did toss her head – and that was the end of the dream.