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+Project Gutenberg's Deccan Nursery Tales, by Charles Augustus Kincaid
+
+This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and with
+almost no restrictions whatsoever.  You may copy it, give it away or
+re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included
+with this eBook or online at www.gutenberg.org
+
+
+Title: Deccan Nursery Tales
+       or, Fairy Tales from the South
+
+Author: Charles Augustus Kincaid
+
+Illustrator: M. V. Dhurandhar
+
+Release Date: December 21, 2009 [EBook #11167]
+
+Language: English
+
+Character set encoding: UTF-8
+
+*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK DECCAN NURSERY TALES ***
+
+
+
+
+Produced by Jeroen Hellingman and the Distributed
+Proofreaders Team from scans of the Million Books Project.
+
+
+
+
+
+
+                      Deccan Nursery Tales
+                               or
+                   Fairy Tales from the South
+
+
+                               by
+
+                      C.A. Kincaid, C.V.O.
+
+
+
+                             1914.
+
+
+
+
+                        To my little son
+
+                             Dennis
+
+                Whose interest in these stories
+          first induced me to offer them to the public
+         this little volume is affectionately inscribed
+
+
+
+PREFACE
+
+These stories first appeared in the Times of India newspaper, and my
+acknowledgments are due to the editor for his courtesy in permitting
+their publication.
+
+I have translated all of them as literally as possible from the
+original Marathi. But, owing to the difference between Marathi and
+English canons of taste, I have had in a very few places slightly
+to change the sense. In some places, owing to the obscurity of the
+original text, I have had to amplify the translation. In other places
+I have had to cut short the descriptions of Hindu rites and ceremonies
+so as to avoid wearying the English reader.
+
+It may not be out of place to say just a word about the Indian gods
+mentioned in the stories. It must be remembered that the main Hindu
+gods are three in number. They are all sprung from a common origin,
+Brahma, but they are quite separate beings. They do not form a trinity,
+i.e. three in one or one in three. And each of them has a wife and a
+family. The following genealogical tree will, I hope, help the reader.
+
+
+    Brahma
+        Shiva = Parwati
+            Ganpati
+              = the daughters of Agni
+            Kartakswami [1]
+        Vishnu = Mahalaxmi
+        Brahmadev = Saraswati
+
+
+Of the above gods, Shiva, his son Kartakswami, and his wife Parwati,
+Vishnu and his wife Mahalaxmi only are mentioned in the following
+stories. Besides these, however, the Sun and Moon and the five
+principal planets obtain a certain amount of worship. The Sun is
+worshipped every morning by every orthodox Hindu. And Shani or Saturn
+inspires a wholesome fear, for his glance is supposed to bring ill
+fortune. Then again, besides the main gods, the world according
+to Hindu belief, which in this respect closely resembles that of
+the ancient Greeks, is peopled with Asuras (demons), Devkanya
+(wood-nymphs), Nag-kanya (the serpent-maidens of Patâla), and
+Gandharwas (a kind of cherubim). The first three of these find a
+place in the ensuing fairy tales.
+
+The scientific doctrine is that Shiva is the destroyer and Vishnu
+the preserver of life, and that Brahmadev is the creative spirit. In
+practice, however, Brahmadev is almost entirely disregarded, while the
+Hindus worship Shiva, Vishnu, Parwati, or Mahalaxmi just as   they feel
+inclined, or as the particular sect to which they belong requires them.
+
+Lastly, it must be borne in mind that the Hindu year consists of
+twelve lunar months. In the Deccan the year begins with Chaitra,
+corresponding roughly with April. The months then succeed each other
+in the following order: Vaishak, Jesht, Ashad, Shravan, Bhadrapad,
+Ashwin, Kartih, Margshish, Paush, Mag, Phalgun, Each month begins on
+the first day of the new moon and is divided into two parts. The first
+half comprises the period from the new moon to the full moon. This is
+the bright half of the month. The second half comprises the period
+from the full moon to the new moon. This is the dark half of the
+month. The lunar months are made to correspond with the solar year by
+the interposition of an "adhik" or intercalary month every third year.
+
+C.A.K.
+
+
+
+CONTENTS
+
+
+    I.      The Sunday Story
+    II.     The Monday Story
+    III.    The Tuesday Story
+    IV.     The Wednesday and Thursday Story
+    V.      The Friday Story
+    VI.     The Saturday Story
+    VII.    Mahalaxmi and the Two Queens
+    VIII.   The Island Palace
+    IX.     Nagoba, the Snake-King
+    X.      Parwati and the Beggar-Man
+    XL      Parwati and the Brahman
+    XII.    Soma, the Washerwoman
+    XIII.   Vasishta and the Four Queens
+    XIV.    The Lamps and the King's Daughter-in-Law
+    XV.     Parwati and the Priest
+    XVI.    The Rishi and the Brahman
+    XVII.   The King and the Water-Goddesses
+    XVIII.  The Lid of the Sacred Casket
+    XIX.    The Brahman Wife and Her Seven Sons
+    XX.     The Golden Temple
+
+
+
+ILLUSTRATIONS
+
+
+"Gave memorial honours to his dead father"
+"It curled itself up inside the earthen jar"
+"And fill her lap with wheat cakes and bits of cocoa-nut"
+"And stuck them into a corner of the eaves"
+"They no longer wished to kill or bite the little daughter-in-law"
+"They asked her what the reason was, and she told them"
+"She has lived here just as if she had been in her father's house"
+"The god revealed himself to the king and his companions in all his
+glory and splendour"
+
+
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER I
+
+The Sunday Story
+
+When Englishmen and Englishwomen are little boys and girls, they
+listen with open ears to the tales of Golden-hair and the three Bears,
+of Cinderella and the Prince, and of the Wolf and Little Red Riding
+Hood. As the boys and girls grow up, the stories fade gradually from
+their minds. But a time comes when they have children of their own. And
+then, to amuse the children, they can find no tales more thrilling
+than those which fascinated them in their own childhood. Thus the
+old nursery tales are handed down for centuries from generation to
+generation. Exactly the same process goes on in India, There, too, when
+little Indian boys and girls grow up and have little boys and girls of
+their own, they too tell to wide-eyed audiences the tales which they
+themselves found so thrilling in their own childhood. Indian nursery
+tales, it is true, have a more religious tinge than those of Europe,
+but they are none the less appreciated on that account. The first six
+stories in this little book purport to explain the connexion between
+the heavenly bodies and the days of the week. So each day of the week
+has its separate tale. And all through Shravan or August, probably
+because it is the wettest month in the year, Deccan mothers tell afresh
+every week-day that day's story. And little Deccan children listen
+to the tales as they fall due with the same unvarying attention. For
+in nurseries, Indian as well as English, tales are loved the better
+when no longer new, and where the end is well known to, and therefore
+the better understood by, the tiny round-eyed listeners.
+
+Now this is the tale which is told every Sunday [2] in Shravan: Once
+upon a time there was a town called Atpat, and in it there lived a
+poor Brahman. Every day he used to go into the woods to fetch sticks
+and to cut grass. One day he met there some nymphs and wood-fairies,
+who said that they were performing holy rites in honour of the sun. He
+asked, "What are these rites?" They replied, "If we tell you, you will
+become proud and vain and you will not perform them properly." But the
+Brahman promised, "No, I shall not become proud or vain and I shall
+observe the rites you tell me." They then told him that the month of
+Shravan was coming, and that on the first Sunday of Shravan he was
+to draw a picture of the sun with red sandal paste, that he was to
+offer to the drawing flowers and fruit, and that he should continue
+doing this for six months. Thereafter he should in various ways,
+which they told him, entertain guests and give alms to the poor.
+
+The Brahman went home and performed the rites to the letter, so that
+the sun-god was very pleased. Wealth came to the Brahman and he grew
+richer and richer, and at last the queen of the land sent for him. The
+poor Brahman began to tremble and shake all over, but the queen said,
+"Do not shake or tremble, but give your daughters in marriage to our
+house." The Brahman said, "My daughters are poor; you will make them
+slaves or maid-servants." "No," said the queen, "I shall not make
+them slaves or maid-servants; I shall marry one to a king, and one to
+a minister." The Brahman agreed, and when the month of Margashish,
+or December, came he gave his two daughters in marriage, one to the
+king and one to the minister. Immediately after the marriage the
+Brahman said good-bye to his daughters, and did not see them again
+for twelve years. Then he visited the elder one, who had married the
+king. She gave him a wooden stand on which to sit while eating, and
+water in which to wash his feet, and then said, "Papa, papa, there
+is pudding to eat, there is water to drink." But the Brahman said,
+"Before I eat or drink, I must tell you my story." But his daughter
+said, "Papa, I have no time to listen to your story; the king is
+going a-hunting, and I must not keep him waiting for his dinner." The
+Brahman thought this very disrespectful and went off in a great rage
+to the house of his other daughter, who had married a minister. She
+welcomed her father and gave him a wooden stand on which to eat,
+and water to wash his feet, and said, "Papa, papa, here is pudding to
+eat and here is water to drink." But the Brahman said, "Before I eat
+or drink I must tell you my story." His daughter said, "Of course,
+papa, tell it to me, and I shall listen as long as you like." Then
+she went into an inner room and she fetched six pearls. She took three
+herself and three she put in her father's hand. And he told her how he
+had met the nymphs and wood-fairies, who had told him to worship the
+sun-god, and she listened to it all without missing a syllable. Then
+the Brahman ate and drank and went back to his own house. His wife
+asked him about their two daughters. He told her everything and said,
+"The elder one who would not listen to my story will come to grief."
+
+And so she did. For the king, her husband, took an army into a
+far country and never came back. But the daughter who had listened
+to the story lived well and happy. As time went on the undutiful
+daughter became poorer and poorer, until one day she said to her
+eldest son, "Go to your aunt's house and beg of her to give you a
+present, and bring back whatever she gives you." Next Sunday the
+boy started and went to the village where his aunt lived. Standing
+by the village tank he called out, "O maids, O slave-girls, whose
+maids and slave-girls are ye?" They answered, "We are the maids and
+the slave-girls of the minister." The boy said, "Go and tell the
+minister's wife that her sister's son is here. Tell her that he is
+standing by the village tank, that his coat is tattered and that
+his garments are torn, and ask her to let him come into her house
+through the back door." The slave-girls took him in through the
+back door. His aunt had him bathed, and gave him clothes to wear,
+and food to eat, and drink, and a pumpkin hollowed out and filled
+with gold coins. As he left, she called to him, "Do not drop it, do
+not forget it, but take it carefully home." But as the boy went home,
+the sun-god came disguised as a gardener and stole the pumpkin filled
+with gold. When the boy reached his mother's house she asked, "Well,
+my son, what did your aunt give you?" He said, "Fortune gave, but Karma
+[3] took away; I lost everything my aunt bestowed on me." Next Sunday
+the second son went and stood by the village tank and called out,
+"O slave-girls and maid-servants, who is your master?" They said,
+"Our master is the minister." "Then tell the minister's wife that
+her nephew is here." He was taken in by the back door. He was bathed
+and clothed and given food and drink. As he was going, his aunt gave
+him a hollow stick full of gold coins and said, "Do not drop it,
+do not forget it, mind it carefully and take it home." On the way
+the sun-god came in the guise of a cowherd and stole the stick. When
+the boy got home his mother asked him what he had brought. He said,
+"Fortune gave, but Karma took away." On the third Sunday a third son
+went and stood by the village tank. His aunt received him like the
+others and had him bathed, clothed, and fed. As he was going away,
+she gave him a hollow cocoa-nut stuffed with gold coins and said,
+"Do not drop it, do not forget it, but mind it carefully and take it
+home." On the way back he put down the cocoa-nut on the edge of a well,
+and it toppled over and fell into the water with a great splash. When
+he reached his mother's house she asked him what his aunt's present
+was. He said, "I have lost everything which fortune brought me." On
+the fourth Sunday the fourth son went. His aunt welcomed him like
+the others, and had him bathed and fed. When he left she gave him an
+earthen pot full of gold coins. But the sun-god came in the guise
+of a kite and snatched the pot away. When the boy reached home his
+mother asked him whether his aunt had given him anything. He said,
+"I have lost everything which my aunt gave me." On the fifth Sunday
+the mother herself got up and went to her sister's village and stood
+by the tank. The minister's wife took her in through her back door
+and had her clothed and fed. Then the minister's wife told her that
+all her trouble had come through not listening to her father's story,
+and the minister's wife repeated it to her. The king's wife listened
+to it, and stayed with her sister until the following month of Shravan,
+or August, when she did fitting worship to the sun.
+
+Instantly good fortune came to her. After years of weary fighting, her
+husband, the king, at last overcame his enemies, and after taking great
+wealth from them turned homewards with his army. As he went towards his
+capital, he passed the village where the minister's wife lived. There he
+learnt that his queen was with her sister, so he sent for her with a
+befitting escort. "O auntie, auntie," cried all the queen's little
+nephews and nieces, "umbrellas have come for you, and horse-tails and
+guards and foot-soldiers." Every one rushed out to see, and the king and
+queen greeted each other after years of separation. The sisters gave
+each other gifts of clothes, and the king and his queen went away
+together. At the first halting-place the servants cooked the food. The
+queen filled the king's plate and then her own, and then she thought of
+the story which her sister had told her. She ordered her servants to go
+through the neighbouring village and bring in any one who was hungry and
+too poor to buy food. They found none such in the village, but on the
+way back they met a starving wood-cutter, and, bringing him to the
+queen, told him to listen to the tale which she would tell him. The
+queen brought six pearls. Three she gave to the wood-cutter, and three
+she kept herself. Then she told him the story of her father and the
+wood-fairies. The wood-cutter listened with all attention, and as he
+listened his faggot of wood became all of gold. He went away delighted,
+promising to worship the sun in the way the wood-fairies had shown to
+the Brahman.
+
+Next day the cavalcade reached the second halting-place. Food was
+cooked; the queen filled the king's plate and then her own plate, and
+again she told her, servants to bring from the neighbouring village any
+one who was hungry and too poor to buy food. They came upon a petty
+farmer, whose well had dried up and whose crops had withered. He was
+sitting sadly by his field when they called him to go with them and
+listen to the queen's tale. He went with them to the camp. There the
+queen brought six pearls and gave three of them to the farmer and
+kept three of them herself. Then she told the story of her father
+and the wood-fairies. And as the farmer listened, all attention,
+the water began to pour into the well, and the crop began to look
+fresh and green. He went away delighted, and promised to worship the
+sun in the way the wood-fairies had told the Brahman. Next day the
+cavalcade reached the third halting-place. Food was cooked, and the
+queen filled the king's plate and then her own plate. Then she told
+the servants to search in the neighbouring village for any one who
+was hungry and too poor to buy food. They met an old woman. Her eldest
+son had been lost in the forest. Her second son had been drowned in a
+pond. Her third son had died of snake-bite. They told her to come and
+listen to the queen's story. She went with them, and as she listened,
+all attention, first the son who had been lost in the forest walked
+into the camp, next the son who had been drowned in the pond, and
+last of all the son who had died of a snake-bite. The old woman went
+away crying with joy, and promising to worship the sun in the way
+the wood-fairies had instructed the Brahman. Next day the cavalcade
+reached the fourth halting-place. Food was cooked, and the queen first
+filled the king's plate and then her own. After dinner she sent her
+servants as before to bring in some poor and hungry man from the
+neighbouring village. They found a man whose eyes were so crooked
+that he could hardly see, who had no arms or legs, and who had not
+even a name. For he was only known as "Lump of flesh." He was lying
+on his face, but when they brought him into camp, the queen had him
+placed on his back and had a jug of water poured over him. Then she
+took six pearls. Three she kept herself, and three she placed on the
+stomach of "Lump of flesh." Then she told him the tale of her father
+and the wood-fairies. He listened, all attention, and as he listened
+his arms and legs grew out of his body, and hands and feet appeared
+at the ends of them. He too went away delighted, and he promised to
+worship the sun in the way the wood-fairies had told the Brahman.
+
+At the end of the next day's march the king and queen reached their
+home. Food was cooked, and as they sat down to dinner the sun-god
+himself appeared and joined them at their meal. The king had all
+the doors flung wide open, and ordered a fresh and far more splendid
+dinner to be prepared, with any number of dishes, each dish having
+six separate flavours. When it was served the sun-god and the king
+began to eat, but in the first mouthful the sun-god found a hair. He
+got very very angry, and called out, "To what sinful woman does this
+hair belong?" Then the poor queen remembered that during her twelve
+years of poverty she had always sat under the eaves combing her hair,
+and knew that it must have been one of her hairs which had got into
+the sun-god's food. She begged for mercy, but the sun-god would
+not forgive her until she had clothed herself in a black blanket,
+plucked a stick out of the eaves, and had gone outside the town and
+there thrown the stick and the hair over her left shoulder. Then the
+sun-god recovered his good-humour, and finished his dinner. And the
+Brahman, the king and queen, and the wood-cutter and the farmer whose
+well had dried up, and the old woman who had lost her children, and
+"Lump of flesh" with the cross eyes, they all remained in the favour
+of the sun-god and lived happily ever afterwards.
+
+
+
+CHAPTER II
+
+The Monday Story
+
+Once upon a time there was a town called Atpat. In it there lived a
+very saintly king. One day he formed the wish to fill the shrine of
+Shiva, the moon-god, with milk up to the ceiling. He consulted his
+chief minister, and the latter sent a crier through Atpat ordering,
+under terrible penalties, all the townspeople to bring every Monday all
+the milk in their houses and offer it to the god Shiva. The townspeople
+were frightened at the threatened punishments, and the next Monday
+they brought all the milk in Atpat to Shiva's shrine, not keeping a
+drop for their calves or even for their children. But although all the
+milk in Atpat was every Monday poured into Shiva's shrine, it yet did
+not become full to the ceiling. But one day an old woman came to the
+shrine. She had done all her housework. She had fed all the children
+and had bathed all her little daughters-in-law. Then she took a few
+drops of milk, a little sandal-wood paste, and a few flowers, and
+half-a-dozen grains of rice and went to worship at Shiva's shrine. She
+prayed to Shiva, "The little milk that I can offer is not likely to
+fill your shrine, seeing that all the milk offered by the king could
+not. Nevertheless I offer the milk with all my heart." She then got
+up and went back to her house. Then a strange thing happened. Directly
+the old woman turned her back, the shrine filled with milk right up to
+the ceiling. The priests ran and told the king, but none of them could
+say how it happened. The following Monday the king placed a soldier
+by the door; and again the old woman came and worshipped, and again
+the shrine filled with milk to the ceiling. The soldier ran and told
+the king, but could not explain the cause. The third Monday the king
+himself went and watched by the shrine. From his hiding-place he saw
+the old woman come up and noticed that the shrine filled with milk
+immediately after she had worshipped. He ran after her and caught
+her. The old woman begged the king to spare her life, and this he
+promised to do if she told the truth. She said, "O King! you ordered
+all the milk in Atpat to be brought to Shiva's shrine. But what was
+the result? All the calves began lowing and all the children began
+crying, because they could get no milk. And all the grown-up people
+were so worried by the noise that they did not know what to do. Shiva
+was displeased at this, so He would not let the shrine fill. This,
+therefore, is what you should do. Let the children and the calves
+have their milk. Then take whatever is over to the shrine, and it
+will at once fill up to the ceiling." The king let the old woman go,
+and had it proclaimed by beat of drum that the townspeople were to
+bring to the shrine on the following Monday only the milk remaining
+after the children and the calves had been fed. The townspeople were
+delighted. The children stopped crying and the calves stopped lowing,
+and all the milk left by them was brought to Shiva's shrine. The
+king prayed long and earnestly, and when he looked up he saw that
+the shrine was full right up to the ceiling. He gave the old woman
+a handsome present. And she went back to her home, and she did her
+housework, and then she bathed all her little daughters and all her
+little daughters-in-law.
+
+
+
+CHAPTER III
+
+The Tuesday Story
+
+Once upon a time there was a town called Atpat. [4] In it there lived
+a bania who had no son. Every day a religious mendicant used to come
+to his house and call out, "Alms! Alms! In the name of God, give me
+alms." But when the bania's wife offered him alms he refused them,
+because she had no children. She told her husband, who advised her
+to play a trick on the mendicant. She hid behind her door, and as he
+called out "Alms! alms!" she slipped a gold piece into his wallet. But
+the mendicant caught her and became very angry. He cursed her and
+told her that she would always remain without any children. She
+was terrified and fell at his feet and begged for forgiveness. Then
+he pitied her and said, "Tell your husband to put on blue clothes,
+mount a blue horse, and ride into the jungle. He should ride on until
+he meets a horse. He should then dismount and dig in the ground. He
+will in the end come to a temple to Parwati. He must pray to her and
+she will bestow a child on him." When her husband came back she told
+him what had happened. So he at once put on blue clothes, mounted a
+blue horse, and rode into the forest. He met the horse, dismounted,
+and began digging. At last he discovered a temple to Parwati, all of
+gold, with diamond pillars and a spire made of rubies. Inside was a
+statue of the goddess, and to it he prayed, saying, "I have houses and
+cottages, cattle and horses, money and goods of all kinds, but I am
+very sad because I have no son." The goddess pitied him and asked,
+"Which will you have, a son who will be good but will die young,
+or a son who will live long but will be born blind?" The poor bania
+became greatly perplexed, but at last said, "I choose a son who will be
+good but will die young,"  The goddess said, "Very well. Step behind
+me. There you will find an image of Ganpati. Behind it is a mango
+tree. Climb upon Ganpati's stomach and pick one mango. Go home and give
+it to your wife to eat, and your wish will be gratified." Parwati then
+disappeared. The bania climbed upon Ganpati's stomach and ate as many
+mangoes as he could. He next filled a large bundle full of mangoes
+and stepped down. But when he reached the ground he found that there
+was only one mango in the bundle. He climbed up again and refilled his
+bundle, but when he stepped down he again found only one mango. This
+happened three or four times. At last Ganpati got very sore and angry
+with having his stomach trampled on. So he shouted out, "One mango is
+all you'll get. So be off home!" The bania was frightened out of his
+wits and galloped home with his one mango. His wife ate it, and in nine
+months she presented her husband with a son. When the little boy was
+eight years old his sacred thread was put on, and his mother said,
+"It is time to think of his marriage." But the bania said, "I dare
+not marry him unless he first makes a pilgrimage to Benares." His
+maternal uncle agreed to take the little boy to Benares.
+
+So off they started together, and some days later the uncle and nephew
+halted at a village where some little girls were playing. One of
+the little girls said to the other, "You are nothing but a wretched
+little widow." But the other little girl said, "Oh no! there are
+never any widows in our family. Mother worships Parwati and so I
+can never be a widow." The uncle heard this, and thought that if his
+nephew could only marry a little girl who could not become a widow,
+he would not die young. So he began to think how he could bring
+about the marriage. Now it so happened that the little girl was
+to be married that day. But in the morning the boy to whom she was
+betrothed fell ill. Her parents were in great trouble, but at last
+they thought that, rather than postpone the wedding and disappoint
+all the guests, it would be better to marry their little daughter to
+the first traveller who passed through the village. So they went to
+the rest-house to inquire if any one was there. There they found the
+uncle and nephew, and they married their little girl to the latter
+that very evening when the cows were homing. They drew on the wall
+a picture of Shiva and Parwati, and they put the children to bed
+beneath it. Parwati appeared to the little girl in her sleep. The
+goddess said, "My child, a snake will come to bite your husband: give
+it milk to drink. Then put near it a new earthen jar. When the snake
+has finished drinking, it will enter the earthen jar. Then at once
+pull off your bodice and stuff it into the jar's mouth. Next morning
+give the jar to your mother." Next evening everything happened as
+Parwati had said. The snake came to bite her husband as he slept. But
+the little girl offered it milk, which it drank. After drinking,
+it curled itself up inside the earthen jar, and, the moment it did
+so, the little girl slipped off her bodice and stuffed it into the
+mouth of the jar. Next morning her husband gave her a ring, and she
+in exchange gave him a sweet-dish, and he and his uncle continued
+their journey to Benares. When they had gone, the little girl gave the
+earthen jar with the snake inside it to her mother. The mother took
+out the bodice, but instead of a snake a garland lay inside, and the
+mother put it round her little daughter's neck. Some weeks passed,
+but neither uncle nor nephew returned. So the little girl's parents
+grew anxious. The sick boy who was to have been her husband recovered,
+but she could no longer marry him, and the boy whom she had married
+had gone away and might never return. In despair the parents built
+a house, in which they entertained every traveller who passed by,
+hoping that sooner or later one of the travellers would prove to be
+their daughter's husband. To all of them the mother gave water; the
+daughter washed their feet; her brother gave them sandal-wood paste;
+and her father gave them betel-nut. But it was all in vain; none of
+the travellers' fingers fitted the ring given to the little girl by
+her husband, nor could any of them produce the sweet-dish which she
+had given him in exchange.
+
+In the meantime the uncle and nephew had reached Benares and had
+given large sums in charity, and had visited all the holy places
+and had received the blessings of all the Brahmans. One day the
+little boy, fainted. And in a dream he saw the messenger of Yama,
+the god of death, come close to him as if to carry him off. Next he
+saw the goddess Parwati come to his rescue and, after a struggle,
+drive away Yama's messenger. When the boy woke up he told the dream to
+his uncle. The latter was overjoyed because he felt certain that now
+the boy would no longer die young. He told his nephew to get ready,
+and next day they left Benares. On their way home they passed by
+the village where the nephew had been married. As they were having
+breakfast near the village tank, a maid-servant invited them to come
+to the house which the girl's parents had built for the reception of
+travellers. At first the uncle declined, but when a palki was sent
+for them, he and his nephew entered it. When the little girl began to
+wash her husband's feet, she recognised him. She tried on the ring,
+which fitted his finger, and he in turn showed her the sweet-dish
+which she had given him. The parents were as pleased as possible, and
+they sent a messenger to invite the boy's parents. They came, and the
+boy's mother threw herself at her daughter-in-law's feet and thanked
+her for saving her son. Then there was a great feast and everybody
+was very happy indeed, and at the end they all worshipped Parwati,
+[5] so she became as pleased as everybody else.
+
+
+
+CHAPTER IV
+
+The Wednesday and Thursday Story
+
+There was once upon a time a town called Atpat. In it there lived
+a prince who had seven sons and seven daughters-in-law. Every day
+there used to come to the prince's house two Brahmans, an uncle and a
+nephew. But when they asked for alms the daughters-in-law sent word
+that they were too busy to give them any. Some time afterwards the
+prince lost all his riches and became very poor. The two Brahmans
+again came to beg, but the elder daughter-in-law said to them,
+"We are no longer busy, but we have nothing to give you. If we had,
+we should give it to you." The youngest daughter-in-law, however,
+was a clever little girl, and she thought to herself, "The Brahmans
+will get very angry with us. When we had money, we gave them nothing;
+and now we give them nothing because we have nothing to give." So she
+fell at the elder Brahman's feet and said, "We have been very wicked
+and have deserved to become poor. But please forgive us and tell me
+how we may become rich as we were before." The elder Brahman said,
+"Every Wednesday and every Thursday you must invite a Brahman to
+dinner. And if you have no money to pay for the dinner, draw a pair
+of cow's feet on your money-box. If you want grain for the dinner,
+draw a pair of cow's feet on your corn-bin. Then worship the feet and
+welcome the Brahmans. For you will find that you will have money in
+your box and grain in your corn-bin. And in time you will all get as
+rich as you were before." The little girl did what the Brahman told
+her. And whenever she invited Brahmans to dinner, she drew the cow's
+feet on the cash-box and on the corn-bin, and there was always money
+and grain sufficient for the meal.
+
+But some days later she fell asleep and dreamt that Budh [6] and
+Brahaspati came to her bedside and said, "Little girl, little girl,
+your husband has been made king over a great country. Go to him, and,
+when you have found him, do not forget to worship us and to give feast
+to the Brahmans." Then the little girl woke up and she told the other
+six daughters-in-law. But they were jealous of her, and they became
+very angry; and they kicked her so often and boxed her ears so hard
+that she forgot all about drawing the cow's feet on her money-box and
+on the corn-bin. So she never found any money in the box or any corn
+in the bin. And every day they became poorer and poorer. First all the
+men servants ran away, then the male members of the family left, and
+at last the seven daughters-in-law were left alone in the house. They
+were starving, but they did not know how to get any food. One day
+they heard that a king in a neighbouring country wished to construct
+a tank and was calling for labourers. So they decided to go to the
+tank and work there just like common coolie women. Now who do you
+think the king was? He was the youngest son of the prince of Atpat
+and the husband of the youngest daughter-in-law. When the prince had
+lost all his money, his youngest son left the house and set off on
+a journey. As he travelled he came to a city, the king of which had
+just died without leaving any children or relatives. His subjects
+did not know how to choose a successor. At last they gave a garland
+of flowers to a she-elephant and turned it loose. The elephant walked
+straight to the prince's son and put the garland round his neck. The
+townspeople were very angry. They snatched away the garland and drove
+away the prince's son. They again gave the garland to the elephant,
+but the elephant again put the garland round the neck of the prince's
+son. The townspeople again snatched away the garland. But when the
+elephant put it round the young man's neck for the third time, they
+lifted him high in the air and declared him to be their king. At first
+he was so pleased at being king that he forgot all about his poor
+little wife. But one night Budh and Brahaspati appeared to him in a
+dream and reminded him of her and told him how poor she was. But he
+could not leave his kingdom to go and look for her. So he thought that
+he would dig a tank and call together labourers from every quarter. And
+every day he used to go to the tank and search among the labourers to
+see if his wife was there. One day he recognised his wife and called
+her to him. Then they told each other how Budh and Brahaspati had
+appeared to each of them in a dream. And the king was so delighted at
+finding his wife that he at once proclaimed her queen of the country.
+
+So the little daughter-in-law was crowned queen, but she did not let
+the other daughters-in-law who were also working at the tank know of
+her good fortune. As queen, she gave a great feast to all the workers
+on the tank. But in her own palace she took some wheat flour, and
+she kneaded it into shapes resembling human feet and human fists. And
+when the other daughters-in-law were with the crowd of workers eating
+at the feast, she went up to them, and to each daughter-in-law who
+had kicked her she gave a flour foot, and to each daughter-in-law
+who had struck her with her hands she gave a flour fist. Then the
+daughters-in-law recognised who the little queen was, and they fell at
+her feet and begged for her forgiveness. So the little queen forgave
+them and took them back with her into her husband's palace. And they
+all lived together happily ever afterwards.
+
+
+
+CHAPTER V
+
+The Friday Story
+
+Once upon a time there was a town called Atpat. In it there lived a
+miserably poor Brahman. He had a wife who was as poor as he was. One
+day she felt her poverty so much that she went to a gossip of hers
+who lived close by and told her all about her troubles. The neighbour
+could suggest nothing better than that the poor woman should worship
+the goddess Shukra or Venus. So she told the Brahman woman to fast
+every Friday through the month of Shravan. Every Friday evening she
+should invite a married lady friend to her house. She should bathe her
+friend's feet. She should give her sweetened milk to drink and fill
+her lap with wheat cakes and bits of cocoa-nut. She should continue
+to worship Shukra in this way every Friday for a whole year, and in
+the end the goddess would certainly do something for her. The Brahman
+woman thought the advice good, and every Friday she worshipped Shukra
+and had a married friend to dine with her just as her neighbour had
+advised her.
+
+Now the Brahman woman had a rich brother living in the same town,
+who one day invited one thousand Brahmans to dine. At the same
+time he invited all the townspeople with the single exception of
+his sister. The poor lady thought that she must have been left out
+by accident, and that there would be no harm in going, even although
+uninvited. She put on her silk dining-clothes, and, taking her children
+with her, went off to the dinner. She seated herself close to her
+children, and was eating away when her brother came round serving
+ghee. When he saw his sister he shouted at her, "You have neither nice
+clothes nor nice jewelry. You have made me a laughing-stock by coming
+as you have come. I shall not turn you out, but do not come to-morrow."
+
+Next day she did not want to go, but her children, who had enjoyed
+the previous day's feast, persuaded their mother to take them again
+to her brother's house. Once more she went and sat down with her
+children among the rows of feasters. Her brother saw her as before
+when he came round serving the ghee. He shouted at her, "A beggar
+woman must, I suppose, act like a village sow, and will not go away
+although told to. But do not come to-morrow. If you do, I'll have you
+turned out." Next day, however, she again went with her children to
+her brother's house. But near the entrance his servants caught her
+and turned her out before she could eat anything. She went home sad
+and hungry and prayed to Shukra. Now the goddess had been pleased
+with her devotion and so took pity on her. She helped the poor
+woman's husband so that he rapidly acquired great wealth. When her
+husband had become very rich she asked her brother to dinner. But
+the brother remembered how he had treated her and was ashamed to
+accept. He pressed her to dine with him first, and begged so hard
+that she at last consented. Next day she put on all her jewels and
+her finest clothes. Her brother gave her a wooden platform to sit on
+and plates made out of leaves from which to eat her dinner. Before
+she sat down she took off her gold-embroidered shawl and put it
+close to her plate. Her brother saw her, but thought she did it
+because she felt the room hot. She then placed her jewelry on the
+wooden platform. Her brother thought that she did it because she
+felt the jewelry heavy. She took a portion of rice and placed it on
+her necklace. She put a portion of vegetables on her pendant, and a
+sweet ball she placed on her jewelled star.
+
+Her brother at last asked her, "What are you doing?" She said,
+"I am giving to the guests whom you really invited." But he did
+not understand, and asked, "Why do you not begin to eat?" She said,
+"I have not been invited to this dinner. It was given in honour of
+my finery and not of me. I had my dinner the day when you gave the
+feast to the one thousand Brahmans."
+
+The brother felt thoroughly ashamed of himself. He threw himself at
+his sister's feet and begged for her forgiveness. So she forgave him
+and sat down to dinner. And the brother in turn went to her house and
+dined with her. And Shukra was pleased with both sister and brother,
+and they all lived happily ever afterwards. May I and my readers do
+the same.
+
+
+
+CHAPTER VI
+
+The Saturday Story
+
+Once upon a time there was a town-called Atpat. In it there lived a
+poor Brahman who had three daughters-in-law. He rose early even during
+the rainy season, and every day immediately after his morning meal he
+used to go to his field with his children and his daughters-in-law. One
+first Saturday in Shravan he got up as usual and said to the youngest
+of his daughters-in-law, "To-day is Saturday; you had better stay
+at home, and although there is very little in the house, you must
+try to get some sort of a dinner ready. Go upstairs and scrape
+together all the grain there is in the grain-jars and make bread
+with it. For vegetables you had better gather grass and make some
+chutney out of clover leaves." When the Brahman had left, his little
+daughter-in-law followed his orders as best she could. There was in the
+jar upstairs only grain for half an ordinary loaf. So she made tiny,
+tiny loaves and prepared some vegetables out of grass and made some
+clover chutney. Then she sat down to wait for the family's return
+from the field. As she did so, Saturn came disguised as a beggar all
+covered with sores, and cried, "O Lady! I am aching all over: give
+me hot water to bathe in and oil to rub myself with, and then give me
+something to eat." The little daughter-in-law felt very sorry for the
+poor beggar. She went inside and got him a few drops of oil and warmed
+some water for his bath, and then gave him one of the tiny loaves to
+eat. The beggar ate it, and then gave her his blessing, saying, "You
+will never want for anything." He then folded up the leaves from which
+he had eaten, stuck them into a corner of the eaves, and disappeared.
+
+Shortly afterwards the family came home and found a splendid dinner
+waiting for them. They said to themselves, "Where did this all come
+from? There was practically nothing in the house." Next Saturday
+another daughter-in-law stayed at home. Again Saturn in the guise
+of a beggar covered with sores came to the house. He asked as
+before for hot water, oil, and food. But his daughter-in-law said,
+"I have nothing to give you." The god pressed her, saying, "Give me a
+little of anything that you have." But the daughter-in-law repeated,
+"I have nothing." The god replied, "Very well, you will lose that
+little you have." With this threat he disappeared. But, when the
+daughter-in-law went upstairs to fetch grain for dinner, she could
+find nothing in any of the jars. Shortly afterwards the family came
+home, but there was no dinner for them. So they all got angry with
+the daughter-in-law, and, although she told them about the beggar,
+they scolded her harder than ever. A third Saturday came round, and
+a third daughter-in-law remained at home. Again Saturn came, and the
+third daughter-in-law behaved just as the second had done. She gave
+the god neither hot water, oil, nor food. And the god told her that
+she should lose the little she had. When the family came home there
+was no dinner for them, and they scolded the third daughter-in-law
+just as hard as they had scolded the second one.
+
+The fourth Saturday it was once more the
+turn of the youngest daughter-in-law. Again
+Saturn came in the guise of a beggar covered
+with sores and asked for hot water, oil, and
+food. The little daughter-in-law gave them
+as she had done before, and the god blessed
+her, saying, "God will make you rich and
+happy." Then he folded up the leaves from
+which he had eaten and stuck them into a
+corner of the eaves. When the little daughter-in-law
+went upstairs, she saw any amount of
+grain in the jars, and she prepared a splendid
+dinner. So when the family came home they
+were delighted. They could no longer restrain
+their curiosity, and exclaimed, "Where did all
+this food come from?" The little daughter-in-law
+told them about the beggar covered with
+sores and about his blessing. To test her
+story, they looked for the folded leaves which
+he had stuck into a corner of the roof. They
+found them, but when they pulled them out
+they were full of pearls and diamonds. Then
+the old Brahman guessed that the beggar was
+Saturn in disguise, and he also understood why,
+when the other two daughters-in-law gave him
+nothing and were cursed by him, there was
+nothing for dinner. So they all knelt down
+and prayed to Saturn, and the god forgave the
+two-daughters-in-law who had given him
+nothing. And he was more pleased than ever
+with the little daughter-in-law who had befriended
+him. And so they all lived happily
+ever afterwards. And may Saturn be pleased
+with us all as he was with the little daughter-in-law.
+
+
+
+CHAPTER VII
+
+Mahalaxmi and the Two Queens
+
+Once upon a time there was a town called Atpat. In it there lived
+a king who had two queens. Of one of them he was very fond, but
+the other one he did not care for. The name of the favoured one was
+Patmadhavrani, and the name of the unloved one was Chimadevrani. Now
+the king had an enemy called Nandanbaneshwar. Such a terrible enemy
+he was too! He could jump into the clouds or dive into the bottom of
+the ocean. At one moment he would shoot up into heaven. At another he
+would sink down into hell, and through fear of his enemy, the king had
+become as dry and as thin as an old bit of stick. One day the king, in
+despair, assembled all his subjects and ordered them to seek out and
+kill Nandanbaneshwar. All the subjects said, "Certainly, certainly,
+O King," and began to search everywhere for Nandanbaneshwar. Now in
+Atpat there lived a poor woman who had one son. On hearing the orders
+of the king, he said to her, "Mother, Mother, give me some bread,
+for I am going out to kill the king's enemy." The old woman said,
+"Do not be silly; you are only a poor boy, and people will laugh
+at you. Here, take this bit of bread and go and eat it behind a
+tree." The boy said, "Very well," and took the bread. But, after
+taking it, he joined the other villagers and went at their head to
+seek out and kill Nandanbaneshwar. But when evening fell they had
+not yet met Nandanbaneshwar, so all the villagers returned home. And
+when the king heard of their ill-success he was greatly grieved. But
+the old woman's son stayed in a wood outside the village. And lo
+and behold! just about midnight the serpent-maidens from Patâla [7]
+and the wood-nymphs came close to where he was and began to worship
+Mahalaxmi. The boy was at first terribly frightened, but at last he
+plucked up courage enough to ask, "Ladies, ladies, what does one gain
+by worshipping Mahalaxmi?" "Whatever you lose you will find," said the
+serpent-maidens from Patala; "and whatever you want you will get." The
+boy resolved that he too would worship Mahalaxmi. And he joined the
+serpent-maidens from Patâla and the wood-nymphs, and all night long
+they blew on earthen pots to do the goddess honour; and the woods
+echoed and re-echoed with the deep-booming noise which they made. [8]
+
+At dawn Mahalaxmi revealed herself, and all of them, the boy included,
+prostrated themselves before her and asked for her blessing. She first
+blessed the serpent--maidens from Patâla and then the wood-nymphs. And
+then she blessed the poor old woman's son and said, "You will get half
+the kingdom of Atpat and half the king's treasure. He will build you a
+house as high as his own, and he will give you the name of 'Navalvat'
+or 'Wonderways.' For this very morning the king's mighty enemy will
+break his neck and be found lying dead in the king's courtyard,"
+With these words the goddess vanished and flew to Kolhapur, [9] and
+the old woman's son went home. Now at dawn Queen Patmadhavrani got up
+and went into the king's courtyard, and there she saw Nandanbaneshwar
+lying dead from a broken neck. She was overjoyed, and ran back
+into the palace to tell the king. The king inquired who had killed
+Nandanbaneshwar. Every one said that the old woman's son must have
+killed him, because he stayed behind when the others went home. The
+king sent for the old woman's son. He was very frightened, and when
+he reached the royal hall he called out, "I have made no false charge
+against any one. I have done no one any harm. Why, therefore, O King,
+have you sent for me?" "Do not be afraid," said the king. "My enemy
+Nandanbaneshwar is dead, and every one says that it is you who killed
+him. Tell me if this is true." "No, O King," said the boy, "he was
+killed by the arts of Mahalaxmi." "Where did you meet her?" asked the
+king. The boy said, "I stayed when the other villagers returned home,
+and during the night there came the serpent-maidens from Patâla and the
+wood-nymphs. They taught me how to worship Mahalaxmi. In the morning
+she revealed herself and promised me that Nandanbaneshwar would be
+found lying dead, that you would give me half your kingdom and half
+your treasure, that you would build me a palace as high as your own,
+and that you would call me Navalvat or Wonderways." The king did as
+the goddess had foretold. He handed half his provinces and half his
+treasuries to Wonderways, and built him a palace of which the roof
+was exactly on the same level as that of his own palace.
+
+When Queen Patmadhavrani heard what had happened, she sent for
+Wonderways and asked him how to worship Mahalaxmi. And he told
+her all that he had seen the serpent-maidens of Patâla do, and
+he also told her on the eighth day of the month of Ashwin [10] to
+tie on her wrist a thread with sixteen strands in it, and to wear
+it continually for the rest of the month. When the 8th of Ashwin
+came, Queen Patmadhavrani dutifully tied round her wrist a thread of
+sixteen strands, and resolved to wear it every day for the rest of the
+month. But a day or two later the king came to Queen Patmadhavrani's
+apartments and began to play saripat [11] with her. As they played
+he noticed the thread on her wrist and asked what it was. She told
+him how Wonderways had instructed her to tie it on. But the king got
+very angry and roared out, "I have in my palace garlands and twine,
+bracelets, and hobbling-ropes. So throw away that wretched piece of
+thread. I will not let you wear it." The queen did as she was bid, and,
+pulling off the thread bracelet, threw it on the floor. Next morning
+the maids and the slave-girls began to sweep the palace, and among
+the sweepings one of them noticed the queen's thread bracelet. She
+picked it up and showed it to Wonderways, and he grew very wroth with
+Queen Patmadhavrani. He took the thread and at once went with it to
+the palace of the unloved Queen Chimadevrani. He told her what had
+happened, and she begged him to give the thread to her and to tell
+her how to worship Mahalaxmi. But he said, "You will grow vain and
+get so conceited that you will not do what I tell you to do." But
+she promised that she would obey him in everything. So just as he had
+told the Queen Patmadhavrani, he told Queen Chimadevrani all the rites
+which he had seen the serpent-maidens from Patala and the wood-nymphs
+perform. Everything went on just the same for a whole year. But the
+next year on the 8th of Ashwin a very strange thing happened. The
+goddess Mahalaxmi disguised herself as an old beggar-woman and
+came to Atpat. First she went to the part of the palace where Queen
+Patmadhavrani lived. But no one there was paying the least honour
+to the goddess Mahalaxmi, although it was the 8th of Ashwin, and
+therefore specially sacred to her. Mahalaxmi was dreadfully put out
+at this, and when she saw Queen Patmadhavrani she said, "Lady, lady,
+Patmadhavrani, mother of sons, what have you in your house to-day?" The
+queen replied, "I have nothing in my house to-day." The old woman
+went on, "Lady, lady, Patmadhavrani, mother of sons, if you give
+this beggar-woman a little water, you will acquire merit sufficient
+for all your kingdom." But the queen replied, "Even if I were to
+give you a copper cauldron of water it would not suffice for all my
+kingdom." The old woman then said, "Lady, lady, Patmadhavrani, mother
+of sons, if you give this old beggar-woman a little rice and curds,
+you will gain enough merit for all your kingdom." The queen replied,
+"Even if I were to give you a big dinner of nothing but rice and curds,
+I should not gain enough merit for all my kingdom." Then the old woman
+got very angry and cursed the queen, saying, "You will become half a
+frog and half a human being, and you will stand outside your co-wife's
+bath-room and croak like a frog." But the queen did not mind her the
+least little bit, and she laughed so loud at the old woman that the
+noise was like two chains rattling together. Mahalaxmi went off in a
+great rage and entered Queen Chimadevrani's part of the palace. There
+she saw all the accessories of worship ready, and there was a beautiful
+image of Mahalaxmi leaning against the wall; The old woman cried,
+"Lady, lady, Chimadevrani, mother of sons, what have you in your house
+to-day?" "To-day," said the queen, "we are worshipping Mahalaxmi." Then
+the old beggar-woman said, "I am Mahalaxmi." But the queen doubted and
+asked her, "By what sign shall I know you?" The goddess replied, "In
+the morning I shall take the shape of a little girl. In the afternoon
+I shall take that of a young married woman. In the evening I shall
+become an old hag." After the goddess had taken all three shapes,
+Queen Chimadevrani called her into the palace and bathed and anointed
+her. She gave her a silk skirt and a platform to sit upon. Then she
+sent for Wonderways, and both of them worshipped the old beggar-woman
+and blew on earthen pots in her honour. The king heard the blowing
+on the pots and told a sepoy to find out why there was such a noise
+in Queen Chimadevrani's quarters. The sepoy went there, and when he
+saw what was happening joined also in the worship. After a little
+while he went back and told the king. The king said that he would
+go there too. He followed the sepoy, and Queen Chimadevrani came
+to the steps and met him and took him upstairs, where both played
+at saripat until dawn. And all the time Mahalaxmi sat by and watched
+them. At dawn Queen Chimadevrani asked Mahalaxmi for her blessing. She
+blessed the queen and said, "The king will take you back with him to
+the palace, and your co-wife will become half frog, half human being,
+and will have to croak outside your bath-room while you bathe." But
+Queen Chimadevrani begged the goddess not to place such a terrible
+curse on Patmadhavrani. The goddess relented a little, but said,
+"The king will drive her into the jungle for twelve years." At these
+words she vanished and flew to Kolhapur. When the sun rose the king
+placed Queen Chimadevrani in his chariot and drove her to his own
+part of the palace. He then sent a message to Queen Patmadhavrani
+asking her to join them. Shortly afterwards Queen Patmadhavrani
+appeared, dressed all in rags with a skirt round her legs and her
+hair all unfastened. On her head was a pot full of burning coal,
+and she began to shout and scream at the top of her voice. The king
+became very angry and roared out, "Who is this that is shouting
+and screaming? Is it a ghost or a she-devil or what?" The sepoys
+replied, "O King, it is neither a ghost nor a she-devil, it is your
+Queen Patmadhavrani." "Take her into the jungle," roared the king,
+"and kill her there." Then he went back into the palace and began
+to live in great happiness with Queen Chimadevrani. But the sepoys
+took Patmadhavrani into the jungle and told her that they had been
+ordered to kill her. She began to weep. The sepoys were kind-hearted
+men and they felt very sorry for her. They said, "Lady, lady, do not
+weep. We have eaten bread and drunk water at your hands so we cannot
+kill you. We will leave you here, but you must never come back into
+the kingdom again." The sepoys left her and returned to Atpat. But
+the poor queen wandered on until she came to a distant town, where
+she entered a coppersmith's lane. Therein a coppersmith was making
+bangles for a beautiful young princess who had just been crowned
+queen of the city. But suddenly none of the bangles would join. He
+began to search for the cause, and asked his workmen whether any
+stranger had come near his house. The workmen looked about and found
+Queen Patmadhavrani in hiding close by. They told the coppersmith,
+and he and his men beat her soundly and drove her away. She ran
+into the lane of some weavers who were weaving a sari for the new
+queen. Suddenly none of the looms would work. They began looking
+about to see if any stranger had come. After a little while they found
+the queen. So they beat her soundly and drove her away. Then she ran
+out of the town back into the jungle. There she wandered about until
+she came to the cave of a rishi or sage. The rishi was sitting lost
+in meditation. But she bided her time, and, when he went to bathe,
+she slipped into the cave and swept it and neaped it and tidied up
+all the utensils used by him for worship. Then she slipped out of
+the cave and ran back into the jungle. This went on every day for
+twelve years without the rishi showing that he was aware of what she
+was doing. But in his heart he was really pleased with her. And one
+day he called out in a loud voice, "Who is it who sweeps and neaps my
+cave? Whoever she is, let her step forward." The queen stepped into
+the presence of the rishi and threw herself at his feet and said, "If
+you promise not to punish me, I shall tell you." The rishi promised,
+and she told him her story. The rishi took out his magic books and,
+consulting them, learned that Mahalaxmi had cursed her. So he taught
+her how to worship Mahalaxmi, and all night long they blew on earthen
+pots and performed rites in her honour. At dawn she revealed herself
+and the queen asked her for her blessing. But the goddess was still
+very angry with the queen. Then the rishi joined her in begging the
+goddess's pardon, and at last she relented. She said to the queen,
+"Put under that tree a foot-bath full of water, sandal-wood ointment,
+plates full of fruit, a stick of camphor, fans made of odorous
+grasses; and handle them all so that they retain the fragrance of
+some scent which the king will remember you used. To-morrow the king
+will come. He will be thirsty. He will send his sepoys to look for
+water. They will see all your things ready. And when they go back and
+tell him, he will come himself." Next morning, as the goddess had
+foretold, the king came. He saw the cool shade of the tree. He was
+tired with hunting, so he sat down and rested. He washed his feet
+in the foot-bath. He ate up all the fruit, drank the cold water,
+and sucked the stick of camphor. When he had rested to his heart's
+content, he asked the sepoy, "How is it that in the water I drank,
+in the fruit I took, in the camphor I ate, I noticed a scent which
+Patmadhavrani always used?" The sepoys replied, "If the king promises
+to pardon us, we will tell him." The king promised. The sepoys then
+told him how they had not killed the queen, because they had eaten
+bread and had drunk water at her hands, but had let her go. The king
+told them to look and see if she was anywhere about. They searched
+and searched until they came to the rishi's cave. Then they ran back
+and told the king. The king rose, and going to the cave did homage to
+the rishi. The rishi accepted the homage and lectured him at great
+length. At last he ordered the king to prostrate himself before the
+queen. The king obeyed, and the rishi handed Patmadhavrani back to
+his care and blessed both her and her husband. The king put her in
+his chariot and took her to Atpat. Outside the town the king stopped
+his chariot and sent for Queen Chimadevrani Chimadevrani bathed
+and anointed herself, and put on all her silk clothes, her shawls,
+her embroideries, and her jewels. In front of her she placed all the
+horn-blowers of Atpat. And as she went to meet the king they blew their
+very loudest on their horns. The king was amazed when he heard the
+noise, and roared out, "Who is coming with such pomp and splendour? Is
+it the serpent-maidens of Patâla or is it the wood-nymphs who live
+in the heart of the forest?" The sepoys said, "O King, it is neither
+the serpent-maidens of Patâla nor is it the wood-nymphs who live in
+the heart of the forest. It is Queen Chimadevrani, who is coming to
+meet you as you ordered." The king turned to Patmadhavrani and said,
+"If you had come in this guise to meet me, instead of coming like a mad
+woman, you would never have suffered as you did." Queen Patmadhavrani
+said nothing, but sat still in the chariot, and the king lifted Queen
+Chimadevrani into the chariot, and all three entered the city. And as
+they entered, the horn-blowers blew so loud that every one was quite
+deafened. And the king lived from that time forth in perfect happiness
+with both his wives. And because of his happiness, he ruled so well
+that his subjects thought that King Ramchandra of Ayodhya had come
+back to rule over them.
+
+
+
+CHAPTER VIII
+
+The Island Palace
+
+Once upon a time there was a town called Atpat. In it there lived a
+Brahman. He had a disciple who used every day to go to the village pond
+and bathe and worship the god Shiva. On the way he had to walk through
+the sandy island in the dry bed of the river. And, as he went home
+across the island, he used to hear a voice cry, "Shall I come? Shall I
+come? Shall I come?"; but when he looked round he could see no one. The
+Brahman's disciple at last got so frightened that he withered up until
+he became as dry and as thin as a bone. At last the Brahman said,
+"You have no wish to eat or drink; yet you are so thin. What is the
+reason?" The boy replied, "I neither wish to eat, nor want to eat,
+nor crave to eat. But I am frightened out of my wits. For whenever
+I come back from my bath I hear a voice behind me call out, 'Shall I
+come? Shall I come? Shall I come?'; but when I look round there is no
+one there." The Brahman said, "Do not be afraid, and when you next hear
+the voice, do not look behind you, but call out as boldly as you can,
+'Come along, come along, come along.'" Next day the disciple went as
+usual to his bath in the village pond. He worshipped the god Shiva,
+and as he came home he heard the cry behind him, "Shall I come? Shall
+I come? Shall I come?" The boy was very frightened, but he did not
+look behind him. In a short time he mastered his fears, and then in
+a voice like a bull roaring he cried out, "Come along, come along,
+come along." At last he reached home, calling all the time and without
+once looking behind him.
+
+The Brahman looked up as the disciple came in, and he saw that just
+behind was walking a young girl. He at once married the girl to his
+disciple and gave them a house to live in close by his own. Now, on
+the first Monday in the month of Shravan, or August, the disciple
+got up and said to his wife, "I am going out to worship the god
+Shiva. But do not wait for me. Just eat your breakfast directly you
+feel hungry."  He went out, and in a little time his wife began
+to feel hungry. Nevertheless, she knew that, in spite of what
+her husband had said, she ought not to eat anything while he was
+worshipping Shiva. So she waited for a little time, but at last she
+got so terribly hungry that she could not wait any more. So she sat
+down and cooked her breakfast, and had just put one mouthful into
+her mouth when her husband came to the outer door. "Wife, wife," he
+called, "open the door!" Then the little wife got very frightened. She
+pushed the uneaten breakfast under the bed, got up, washed her hands,
+and opened the door. She then told her husband that she had waited
+for him, and she cooked a fresh breakfast, which both ate one after
+the other. Next Monday exactly the same thing happened. The little
+wife cooked her breakfast and was just beginning it when her husband
+came. She then hid her uneaten breakfast under her bed and pretended
+that she had waited for his return. And on the two following Mondays
+the naughty little wife deceived her husband in just the same way.
+
+Now on the last Sunday in Shravan, when husband and wife went to lie
+down, the former noticed a light shining under the bed. He looked to
+see what it was, and saw several platefuls of jewels. He asked his wife
+whence they had come. Now they were really the uneaten breakfasts,
+which the god Shiva had turned into gold and jewels. But the naughty
+little wife got very frightened and told her husband a bigger story
+than ever. "They are presents," she said, "from my mother and father
+and their family." "But where is your father's house?" asked the
+husband. "It is in the sandy island," said the little wife, "which
+lies in the dry bed of the river." "You must take me there," said her
+husband. Next morning they started off together. And the naughty little
+wife could hardly walk, she was so frightened. For she knew quite well
+that her father had no house in the sandy island. But on the way she
+prayed to Shiva, "Please, please, god Shiva, create a house for my
+father in the sandy island which lies in the dry bed of the river,
+even if it be only for half an hour."
+
+At last the husband and wife came to the sandy island. And there, lo
+and behold! they saw a great big palace, and a splendidly dressed young
+man came forward and greeted the disciple as his brother-in-law. And
+a handsome old knight came forward and greeted the disciple as his
+son-in-law. And a beautiful young woman greeted the naughty little
+wife as the sister of her husband. And a lovely little girl ran up and
+embraced her and called her "sister." And slave girls and maid-servants
+ran forward to offer her their service. A guard of soldiers kept
+watch by the palace, and at the door there were sentries, who made
+way for them as they passed. Inside the house the little wife and
+her husband were given platforms to sit upon, and a splendid feast
+was all ready prepared for them to eat. After they had feasted, they
+got up and said good-bye to the little wife's father and mother, and
+garlands of flowers were placed round their necks, and they started
+for their home. When they had gone half-way, the naughty little wife
+remembered that she had hung her garland on a peg and had forgotten
+to bring it with her. So she and her husband went back to the sandy
+island. But when they got there, there was no palace, there were no
+soldiers to guard it, there were no sentries at the door, there were
+no maid-servants nor slave girls. There was nothing there but just
+a sandy island in the middle of a dry river-bed. And on the sand lay
+the garland which the naughty little wife had forgotten. She took it
+up and put it round her neck.
+
+But her husband asked her, "What has happened to your father's
+house?" The naughty little wife replied, all in tears, "As it came,
+so it went. But if you promise to forgive me, I shall tell you." The
+husband promised. So she told him how every Monday she had felt so
+hungry and how she had cooked her breakfast, and then, on hearing her
+husband's voice, had pushed it under their bed. She also told him that
+the god Shiva had turned the food into gold and jewels. "Then when you
+asked me," she went on, "I felt so frightened that I said they were
+presents from my father and mother and the rest of my family. And
+when you made me take you to my father's house, I prayed the god
+Shiva to create, if only for half an hour, a house for my father on
+the sandy island in the dry river-bed. And he graciously granted my
+request." Then the husband forgave the naughty little wife. And she
+became quite good and never told him any more stories. And they both
+went home and lived happily ever afterwards.
+
+
+
+CHAPTER IX
+
+Nagoba, the Snake-King
+
+Once upon a time there was a town called Atpat. In it there lived
+a Brahman who had seven little daughters-in-law. In the fulness of
+time the month of Shravan came and with it Nagpanchmi Day [12]. In
+honour of the festival, one little daughter-in-law went to her
+grandpapa's house, another went to her great grandpapa's house,
+another went to her father's house, until at last only the youngest
+daughter-in-law remained behind. Her father and mother were dead,
+and she had no uncles and no aunts and no little brothers or
+sisters. So the poor little daughter-in-law felt very sad and
+sat down and cried in a corner. Then she remembered that it was
+Nagpanchmi Day, and that it was a festival in honour of Nagoba, the
+great snake-king. So she prayed under her breath, "Please, please,
+snake-king, come and pretend that you have been sent to fetch me
+to my father's house!" And the great snake-king heard the prayer
+and felt quite sorry for the poor little daughter-in-law who was
+crying in the corner. He assumed the guise of a Brahman and came to
+the house where the little daughter-in-law was, and said that he had
+been sent to fetch her to her father's house. Her father-in-law was
+very much astonished. For he wondered why, if the new-comer really
+was a relative of the little daughter-in-law, he had never paid him
+a visit before. At last he asked the little daughter-in-law who the
+new-comer was. She did not know in the least. But she was so overjoyed
+that some one should have come for her that she at once answered,
+"He is my mother's brother." Her father-in-law believed her and sent
+her off in the care of Nagoba, the snake-king. Still disguised as a
+Brahman, he took her to the entrance of his underground palace and
+there he told her who he was. He then reassumed his true appearance,
+and, expanding the mighty hood behind his head, he seated the little
+girl on it and took her down to his splendid dwelling-house beneath
+the earth. In the central hall he presented her to the snake-queen
+and to all the snake-princes, and told them that in no circumstances
+whatever were they to bite the little daughter-in-law.
+
+One day the snake-queen was about to be confined. So she asked
+the little daughter-in-law to sit by her side with the lamp in
+her hand. The little daughter-in-law did so, and a little time
+afterwards the snake-queen gave birth to a fresh litter of little
+snake-princes. When the little daughter-in-law saw them all wriggling
+about, she was frightened out of her wits. She let the lamp slip
+out of her hands. It fell on the ground and burnt all the little
+snakes' tails off. The snake-queen did her best to comfort them,
+but the stumps of the little princes' tails ached so dreadfully that
+it was ever so long before the snake-queen could put them off to
+sleep. When the snake-king came home that evening, she told him what
+had happened. And she was so cross with the little daughter-in-law,
+that the snake-king had to promise that she should go back to her
+father-in-law's house. A few days later, the snake-king assumed once
+again the guise of a Brahman, and, loading the little daughter-in-law
+with presents, took her back to her husband's home. In the course of
+time the little snake-princes grew up, but their tails never grew
+again. So their father, the snake-king, called one little prince,
+No-tail; and the second little prince, Cut-tail; and the third little
+prince, Dock-tail. And one day they asked the snake-queen how it was
+that their tails had been broken off. She told them how the little
+daughter-in-law had burnt them off by dropping the lamp on them.
+
+The snake-princes, when they heard their mother's answer, were
+terribly cross with the little daughter-in-law, and they vowed that
+they would be revenged on her. So they found out where she lived,
+and they sent a message to her house, saying that they were coming to
+pay her a visit. But they really meant to bite her to death directly
+they saw her. The little daughter-in-law was overjoyed when she heard
+that the snake-princes were coming to visit her. For ever since the
+snake-king had pretended to be her uncle, she always thought of little
+No-tail and little Cut-tail and little Dock-tail as if they had been
+her own cousins. Now it so happened that the very day on which they
+were expected at the little daughter-in-law's house was Nagpanchmi
+Day. The little daughter-in-law was sitting in the house all alone
+waiting for little Prince No-tail, little Prince Cut-tail, and little
+Prince Dock-tail. They were late in coming, so to pass the time she
+drew pictures of Nagoba, the snake-king, on her dining-platform and on
+the wall. When she had finished the pictures, she worshipped them and
+offered them milk and food. Then she prayed to the great snake-king,
+"Please please, King Nagoba, guard from all hurt, wherever they may
+be, my little cousins No-tail and Cut-tail and Dock-tail." And last
+of all she prostrated herself at full length before the pictures
+which she had drawn on the wall and on her dining-platform.
+
+In the meantime little Prince No-tail and little Prince Cut-tail and
+little Prince Dock-tail had come up without the little daughter-in-law
+noticing them. But when they saw the honour which she was paying
+their father, King Nagoba, and heard the prayer which she had offered
+on their behalf, they no longer wished to kill or bite the little
+daughter-in-law. On the contrary, they made themselves known to
+her and stayed all that day in the house and were as good and as
+nice as possible. When night fell, they drank the milk which she
+had offered to the snake-king. And in its place they put a necklace
+with nine beautiful jewels in it. Before day broke they went away
+quietly and returned to their father's palace under the ground. Next
+morning when the little daughter-in-law woke up she saw the lovely
+necklace lying where the milk had been. She gave a shout of delight,
+and putting it round her neck, she ran all over the house showing it
+to everybody. And every one was perfectly charmed with it. And the
+snake-princes never again came to bite any one in that household. And
+the little daughter-in-law and her husband and her father-in-law and
+little Prince No-tail and little Prince Cut-tail and little Prince
+Dock-tail, they all lived happily for ever so long afterwards.
+
+
+
+CHAPTER X
+
+Parwati and the Beggar-Man
+
+Once upon a time there was a town called Atpat. In It there lived
+a Brahman. He had seven daughters, and when they had reached a
+marriageable age he asked them who would arrange their marriages
+and bring them handsome husbands and make their fortunes. The six
+eldest daughters said, "Papa, Papa, you of course. You will arrange
+our marriages and bring us handsome husbands and make our fortunes
+for us." But the youngest daughter was a naughty little girl. She
+got into a temper all about nothing, and she stamped her foot, and
+she turned her back on her father and said, "I will arrange my own
+marriage, and I will get a handsome husband for myself, and I will
+make my fortune myself." The Brahman was very angry with her, and so
+how do you think he punished her? He first searched about and found
+six rich and handsome boys. Then he married them with great pomp and
+display to his six eldest daughters. But the youngest girl he gave in
+marriage to a miserable beggar-man. You never saw such a beggar-man
+as he was! There was not a spot on his skin that was not black with
+leprosy, and his feet and hands had rotted right off. If you had seen
+him you would have said, "If that beggar-man does not die to-day
+he will certainly die to-morrow. For he cannot possibly live any
+longer!" When the marriage was celebrated, the little girl's mother
+filled her lap with pulse and then handed her over to the beggar-man
+to see what sort of fortune would be hers. But in a few days the
+beggar-man died. His corpse was taken to the burning-ground, and
+his little widow followed it. But when his relatives wanted to burn
+the body, she forbade them and told them to go away. For she said,
+"My fortune is still to come, whatever it may be." They all got round
+her and tried to persuade her that there was no use in her staying by
+the corpse, but she would not mind what they said. At last they were
+quite tired out and went home, leaving her in the burning-ground. When
+they had gone she took her husband's corpse on to her lap. Then she
+prayed to the god Shiva and said:
+
+
+    "My parents disown me. O why was I born
+    Both as orphan and widow to live all forlorn?"
+
+
+As she prayed, she put the pulse which her mother had put into her
+lap grain by grain in the dead man's mouth. Then she sat there crying
+until midnight. Now it happened that on that very night Shiva and
+Parwati were in their chariot driving through the air over that very
+place. Parwati said suddenly to her husband, "I hear a woman crying,
+let us go and see what it is." The god Shiva drove his chariot down to
+earth. He and Parwati got out and saw the Brahman's youngest daughter
+crying. They asked her what the reason was, and she told them. Then
+Parwati pitied her and said, "Your aunt has acquired great merit by
+her piety and devotions. You go to her and get her to give you all
+her merit and so you will bring your husband back to life." The god
+Shiva and Parwati then mounted on their chariot and disappeared. Next
+morning the little widow left her husband's body, went to her aunt's
+house and begged her to give her all the merit which she had acquired,
+and told her the cause of the request. The aunt was very good and
+gave her all her own merit. The little widow then went back to the
+burning-ground and with its aid brought her husband back to life. But
+this time he was no longer a beggar-man black with leprosy and with
+feet and hands that had rotted away. He was a beautiful young man
+with well-shaped feet and a beautiful fair skin, and the little widow
+took her husband back to her father's house. "Papa, Papa," she said,
+"you turned me out, but the gods have brought me back, and good fortune
+came to me without your bringing it." The father was too frightened
+of Parwati to say anything, so he held his peace. And the little girl
+and her husband, the beggar-man, lived happily ever afterwards.
+
+
+
+CHAPTER XI
+
+Parwati and the Brahman
+
+Once upon a time there was a town called Atpat. In it there lived a
+poor Brahman. When the month of Bhadrapad came round, every household
+bought little images of Parwati, and the women began to walk about
+the streets and sound gongs. When the poor Brahman's children saw
+this they went home and said to their mother, "Mummy, Mummy, please
+buy us little images of Parwati like the other little boys and girls
+have." But their mother said, "What is the use of my buying images
+of Parwati? If I do we shall have to make offerings, and there is
+absolutely nothing in the house. You run to papa and tell him to go
+into the bazaar and buy grain. If he buys grain I'll buy you images of
+Parwati." The children got up and ran to their father and cried out,
+"Papa, Papa, Mama says that she will buy us images of Parwati if you
+will go into the bazaar and get food to offer to them." Their father
+at first searched all over the house but could find no grain. And
+then he looked in his purse but he could find no money with which to
+go to the bazaar and buy grain. But although he tried to explain this
+to his children, they would not listen to him. They screamed at him
+and shouted, "Papa, Papa, Mummy says that she will buy us images of
+Parwati if you will get food to offer to them." "Papa, Papa, why should
+we not have images of Parwati like the other little boys and girls." At
+last they bothered the poor Brahman so much that he felt worried to
+death. "I love," he said, "my children as if they were made of gold,
+but they will not mind what I say. They will not understand that it
+is nothing but poverty which prevents my buying food and offering it
+to Parwati. I might go out and beg, but when I do, no one ever gives
+me anything. Death is better than a life like this." With these words
+he got up and walked to the edge of the village pond and determined
+to drown himself. It was dark when he started, and half-way he met
+an old woman. She heard him coming and asked him who he was. He told
+her all his trouble, and said that he meant to jump into the pond to
+escape from his children. The woman comforted him and prevailed on him
+to turn home again. He took her home. His wife came to the door with
+a lamp and asked who she was. The husband did not like to say that he
+had only just met her on the road, so he said to his wife, "She is my
+grandmother." The wife thereupon welcomed her and invited her to come
+in and stay to supper. But her heart felt as heavy as lead, for she
+knew that there was nothing to eat inside the house. When the old woman
+had seated herself inside the house, the Brahman's wife got up and, in
+despair, went to look inside the grain-pots. She knew they were empty,
+but she thought that she would first look into them once again. But,
+lo and behold! when she looked this time she found the grain-pots
+brimming over with grain. She called her husband, and they were both
+perfectly delighted. And the wife prepared bowls full of rice-gruel,
+and every one, children and all, ate the rice-gruel till the skins
+on their stomachs felt quite tight. And they went to bed as happy as
+possible. Next morning the old woman called to the Brahman, "My son,
+my son, get me water for my bath and cook me a nice hot dinner, and
+please be quick about it, and do not start making objections." The
+Brahman got up and called his wife, and they got water for the old
+woman's bath, and then the Brahman went out to beg. When he had gone
+out before, no one had ever given him anything. But to-day every one
+ran out and gave him food and molasses and copper coins. Then he went
+back home in splendid spirits. His wife prepared a glorious dinner, and
+the children ate so much that the skin on their stomachs felt as tight
+as a kettle-drum. After breakfast the old woman said to the Brahman,
+"To-morrow I want a milk-pudding for dinner." "But, Grandmamma," said
+the Brahman, "where shall I get the milk from?" The old woman said,
+"Don't worry about that. Just get up and hammer down as many pegs as
+you can in your courtyard. Then this evening, when the cattle come
+home, call to the village cows and buffaloes by name, and they will
+come to you, and if you milk them you will get enough milk for my
+pudding to-morrow." The Brahman did as the old woman ordered him,
+and that evening he called to the cows and buffaloes by name to come
+to his courtyard. And from every direction the cows and buffaloes came
+running up. And behind them galloped all the little calves with their
+heels in the air and their tails stuck out straight behind them. At
+last the Brahman's courtyard was filled so full that no more cows or
+buffaloes could enter. And he milked them all, and next day his wife
+cooked a milk-pudding such as one would not see again if one lived a
+thousand years. And the children ate until they were so tired of eating
+that they just rolled over and went fast asleep. But that evening the
+old woman said, "My son, my son, I want you to take me home." "But,
+Grandmamma, Grandmamma," said the Brahman, "how can I take you home,
+for I have had all this good luck only because of you. Directly you go
+away my good luck will vanish." "Do not be afraid," said the old woman,
+"for I am Parwati. If I bless you your good luck will never
+vanish. Therefore you must come with me and see me home." But the
+Brahman said, "I do not want my good luck only to continue. I want
+it to increase." The old woman said, "If you come with me I shall
+give you some sand. When you go back home, scatter it all over the
+house and over your jars and your pots, and put it inside your boxes
+and your cupboards, and scatter it all over your courtyard too, and
+you will find that your good luck will never be any less than it is
+now." The Brahman was satisfied with this. He worshipped the old woman
+and went with her towards the tank until she suddenly disappeared. He
+returned home and scattered sand all over his house and over his
+jars and his pots and inside his boxes and his cupboards, and from
+that day on, his good luck never left him. And his wealth increased,
+and his children increased. And they all lived happily ever afterwards.
+
+
+
+CHAPTER XII
+
+Soma, the Washerwoman
+
+Once upon a time there was a town called Atpat. In it there lived a
+poor Brahman who had seven sons and seven daughters-in-law. He had also
+one daughter called Gunvanti and a wife called Dhanvanti. Whenever
+a mendicant Brahman came to this house, it was the custom of all
+the ladies to give him alms and then prostrate themselves in front
+of him. One day a Brahman came, tall as a tree and shining like the
+sun. The seven daughters-in-law ran out as usual and gave him alms
+and then threw themselves at full length at his feet. The Brahman
+blessed them and said, "Increase of children be yours; increase of
+wealth be yours; may your husbands cherish you all your lives." But
+the Brahman's daughter Gunvanti was a lazy little girl, and when the
+mendicant came she was still in bed. Her mother, Dhanvanti, rushed
+into her room and cried, "Daughter, daughter, get up and give the
+Brahman alms," The little girl jumped up in a fright and ran out and
+put alms before him and prostrated herself at his feet. The mendicant
+blessed her and said, "Observe the precepts of religion."
+
+The little girl ran back to her mother. "Mother, Mother," she cried,
+"Bhatji [13] did not give me the same blessing as he gave to my
+sisters-in-law," Her mother said, "Go back again and give him some
+more alms and see what he does," The little girl ran back, put
+some more alms before the mendicant, and again prostrating herself
+asked for his blessing. Once more he said, "Observe the precepts
+of religion," Then Dhanvanti asked him why he gave her daughter
+such a strange blessing. The mendicant replied, "Because widowhood
+will come upon her immediately after her marriage," Dhanvanti threw
+herself before the Brahman and grasped his feet and cried, weeping,
+"Tell me how I may escape this evil; what shall I do to save my one
+little girl from becoming a widow?" The Brahman pitied her and said,
+"Lady, lady, do not weep; I shall give you a remedy by which to cure
+this evil. Across the seven seas there is an island. In it there lives
+a washerwoman called Soma. If you can fetch her to your daughter's
+wedding, she will escape the evil that threatens her. When the wedding
+is over, you must send Soma back with all honour to her house." With
+these words the mendicant took up his wallet and went to collect alms
+elsewhere. When her husband returned home Dhanvanti told him what had
+happened. "Some one," she added, "must go across the seven seas, to
+fetch Soma, the washerwoman." The father and mother called up their
+sons and said, "Those of you who honour your parents will take your
+sister and cross the seven seas to bring Soma here." But all the
+sons turned to their mother and said, "All you care about is your
+daughter. You do not love us the least little bit. So we shall not
+cross the seven seas and bring Soma here just on her account." The
+mother began to cry, and the father got very cross. He turned to his
+wife and said, "From henceforth you have no sons. To me our seven sons
+are as if they had never been born. But do not get frightened about
+our little girl I myself shall cross the seven seas and fetch Soma, the
+washerwoman." Then the youngest of the seven sons said to his father,
+"Daddy, Daddy, you must not say that you have no sons when here we are,
+all seven of us. I shall take my sister Gunvanti with me, and we shall
+go and fetch Soma, the washerwoman." A few days later the two children
+prostrated themselves before their parents and began their voyage.
+
+In course of time they came to the seashore. But the wind was
+blowing, the waves were rolling in, and the foam was splashing over
+the rocks. The brother and sister could not imagine how they were to
+continue their journey. There was no one near to give them food, there
+was no one near to give them drink, and they could think of nothing
+better than to lie down and die. But they first resolved to pray to
+the god Shiva, "Please, please, God Shiva," prayed the two children,
+"get us out of this terrible trouble." After praying they went and
+sat under a banian tree, and all day long they had nothing to eat or
+drink. Now on the very top of the banian tree was an eagle's nest,
+and in it there were several little eagles. When evening came, father
+eagle and mother eagle came home and began to feed their young. But
+the little eagles would not eat anything at all. Mother eagle said,
+"Children, children, what is the matter?" "O Mummy, Mummy," cried
+the little eagles, "two strangers have come to our house, and they
+are sitting under our tree, and they have had nothing to eat all
+day!" Father eagle and mother eagle flew to the ground and began to
+ask the boy what his trouble was. "Do not be frightened," said father
+eagle; "whatever your business, I'll help you to get it done. Do not
+go to bed without supper. I'll bring you some fruit. Eat some of it
+yourself and give the rest to your little sister."
+
+The boy told father eagle what had happened, and how it was that they
+had to cross the seven seas. Father eagle said, "I shall carry you
+both across directly you wake up to-morrow, and I shall put you down
+at Soma the washerwoman's door." Then the two children felt very happy
+and thanked the god Shiva. And after eating father eagle's fruit,
+they lay down under the tree and fell fast asleep in no time. Next
+morning father eagle and mother eagle came down the tree, and father
+eagle took the boy on his back, and mother eagle took the girl on
+her back, and off they flew across the seven seas. The wind blew,
+and the waves rolled mountains high, and the foam splashed over the
+rocks. But father eagle and mother eagle flew straight on until they
+came to the door of Soma, the washerwoman. There they left the boy and
+girl and went back to the tree where the little eagles were waiting
+for them. The boy and girl were too frightened to walk into Soma's
+house, so they hid all that day, and next morning they got up at dawn
+and they swept the courtyard and neaped the floor with cow-dung. And
+then, before any one could see them, they ran away and hid. And this
+they did every day for a whole year.
+
+At last Soma one day called all her children and all her little
+daughters-in-law and said, "Who among you gets up so early? Who sweeps
+my courtyard? Who clears my floor?" All the children and all the
+little daughters-in-law said, "It is not I," "It is not I," "It is not
+I." Then Soma became very curious to know who it was. So the following
+night she did not go to bed. She sat up, but nothing happened until
+just after dawn. Then she saw the little Brahman girl sweeping the
+courtyard and her brother cleaning the floor. Soma got up and said,
+"Children, who are you?" They replied, "We are Brahmans." "But I am
+only a washerwoman," said Soma; "I am a low-caste woman, why do you
+sweep my courtyard and neap my floor? It will be reckoned unto me
+as a sin If I accept the service of Brahmans." The boy said, "This
+is my sister, and a Brahman has told us that unless you come to her
+wedding she will be widowed shortly after marriage. Our father and
+mother told us to go and bring you back with us. So, in order to make
+you pleased with us, we have been working as your servants." "Do not
+work for me any more," said Soma, "I shall gladly go to your wedding,"
+She then called to her daughters-in-law and said, "I am going to this
+child's wedding. But if any one of our relations dies when I am away,
+do not burn his body until I come back." She went with the two Brahman
+children to the seashore. The wind was blowing, and the great waves
+were rolling in, and the foam was splashing over the rocks. But Soma
+took the boy under one arm and the girl under the other. She jumped
+far up into the sky and right over the seven seas, and when she got
+to the opposite shore she put the children down again. They led her to
+their father's house. Their mother Dhanvanti welcomed the washerwoman
+and fell at her feet to thank her for her coming. The youngest brother
+then went to Ujjain, and after making inquiries brought back a boy of
+suitable caste and age to be a husband for his sister. On an auspicious
+day the wedding was celebrated. But as the bridegroom and bride were
+throwing rice [14] over each other, the bridegroom fainted. He fell
+on the ground and lay there motionless. The little bride did not know
+what to do, she was so frightened. And all the grown-up people were
+almost as frightened as she was. But Soma, the washerwoman, stepped
+forward and said, "It is nothing, do not be afraid." She took some
+water in her hand and sprinkled it over herself. Now the secret of
+Soma's power was this:--
+
+She had acquired great merit by observing every Monday the following
+practices: She would get up early, bathe, dress in silence, make
+various gifts to Brahmans, and then walk one hundred and eight times
+round a peepul tree. But now by sprinkling water over herself she had
+transferred the whole of her merit to Gunvanti. By this means the
+little bride had been able to restore her husband to life, and the
+wedding ceremony finished amidst the happiness of all. Soma then took
+leave to go, and started on her homeward journey. When she reached the
+seashore, the wind was blowing, and the great waves came rolling in,
+and the spray was splashing over the rocks. But now that she had given
+away all her merit to Gunvanti, she had none left by means of which she
+could jump across the seven seas. She sat down forlorn by the bank of
+a river. Then she got up, bathed in the water, and prayed to the god
+Vishnu. Next she took one hundred and eight sand-grains in her hand,
+and then walked one hundred and eight times round a peepul tree by
+the river's edge. Instantly her powers returned to her, and going back
+to the shore, she sprang into the heavens and over the seven seas and
+alighted close to her own door. There all her little daughters-in-law
+ran out to meet her and cried, "O Mother-in-law, Mother-in-law, we
+have been watching for you. For while you were away your sons, your
+husband, and all your sons-in-law died. But just as you told us to do,
+we did not burn their corpses, but kept them in the house. And now
+they have all suddenly come back to life." Soma questioned the little
+daughters-in-law and learnt that her sons and husband and sons-in-law
+had all died at the very moment when she gave her merit to Gunvanti,
+and that they had come back to life precisely when she finished her
+one-hundred-and-eighth turn round the peepul tree. And they were all so
+glad to have Soma back with them again, and for ever such a long time
+afterwards she and her family lived happily together. And the Brahman
+in his joy at his son-in-law's recovery forgave his disobedient sons,
+and they too all lived happily together ever afterwards.
+
+
+
+CHAPTER XIII
+
+Vasishta and the Four Queens
+
+Once upon a time there was a town called Atpat. In it there ruled
+a king who had four wives. They were always quarrelling over the
+housework; so, in order to get some peace at home, the king himself
+divided the work between them. To the first queen he gave all the
+dairy work, to the second queen he gave all the cooking, to the
+third he gave the nursery, and he ordered the fourth to look after
+the royal wardrobe. At first all went well. But in a little while
+the first queen said to the third queen, "Why should you have charge
+of the nursery? Why should you not work in the dairy?" The second
+queen said to the fourth queen, "Why should I have to do all the
+cooking?" The third queen asked, "Why should I have always to look
+after the children?" And the fourth queen stamped her foot and said, "I
+won't look after the king's clothes." And all day long they quarrelled
+and screamed at each other, and the poor king was more uncomfortable
+than ever. His face grew sad and careworn, and, from the time he got
+up to the time he went to bed, he could think of nothing but the way
+that his four queens were squabbling with each other.
+
+One day the rishi, or sage, Vasishta [15] paid the king a visit. The
+king prostrated himself before the great sage and gave him a throne
+to sit upon. Vasishta looked at the king's face and saw how sad and
+careworn it was. He asked the cause, and the king told him. Then
+the rishi rose, and the king went with him to the palace of the
+four queens. When they reached it, they called to the queens to come
+out. The rishi then asked them why they quarrelled. The first queen
+cried out, "Why should I have to do the dairy work?" And the second
+queen cried out, "Why should I be only a cook-woman?" And the third
+cried out, "Why should I have all the children to look after?" And the
+fourth cried out, "Why should I have all the bother of sorting out all
+the king's clothes?" The king said, "You must do these things because
+I ordered you to." But the queens did not mind a word that he said,
+and they all screamed together so loud that the king and the rishi
+had to put their fingers in their ears to save themselves from being
+deafened. For a while the rishi became absorbed in thought, and then
+he turned to the first queen and said, "You have been placed in charge
+of the dairy, have you not?" The first queen assented. "Then listen
+to me," said Vasishta. "In a former life you were a cow, and near the
+spot in the jungle where you used to graze was an altar to Shiva. And
+every day at noon you used to come and stand near it and let milk
+drop upon it. And, because in this way you honoured the god Shiva, you
+have in this life become one of the queens of the king of Atpat. But
+you did not in your former life attain to full merit.  So the god
+Shiva directed the king to place you in charge of his dairy, and the
+king conveyed the god's directions to you. You should therefore obey
+them, and you should honour the king as if he were Shiva himself. In
+this way you will attain to full merit and ascend to Shiva's heaven,
+Kailas." Vasishta then blessed the first queen. She prostrated herself
+before him, and, giving up all thought of quarrelling, went away and
+busied herself with her dairy work.
+
+Then Vasishta turned to the second queen and asked, "What are
+you quarrelling about?" She replied, "Why should I be just a
+cook-woman?" The rishi thought for a while and said, "Lady, in a
+former life you were the wife of a poor Brahman, and you used to beg
+your food from door to door. But every Monday you used to fast, and
+whatever grain you begged that day you used to cook and offer to the
+god Shiva. And he was pleased with your devotion. Therefore in this
+life he made you one of the queens of Atpat. And because you cooked
+for the god Shiva, he directed the king to put you in charge of his
+kitchen. Therefore, obey the god's directions and give a great feast
+to all in Atpat. In this way you will gain the favour of Shiva, and he
+will take you with him to Kailas." Then he blessed the second queen,
+and she prostrated herself and went off quite cheerfully to cook the
+king's dinner.
+
+The sage next turned to the third queen and asked, "What are you
+quarrelling about?" The queen answered, "Why should I do nothing but
+fiddle about the nursery?" Vasishta thought for a while and said,
+"In a former life, O Queen, you were a maid of a jungle tribe. Every
+Monday you used to fast yourself and offer the choicest fruits that
+you picked to the god Shiva. In return for them he has made you a
+queen, and he has entrusted the king's children to you. Therefore
+look after them and be kind to them, and in the end he will take you
+to live with him in Kailas." The rishi then blessed the third queen,
+and she prostrated herself before him. Then she ran off, her face
+all smiles, to play with the king's children.
+
+Vasishta last of all turned to the fourth queen and said, "What are
+you quarrelling about?" She answered, "Why should I do nothing but
+look after the king's clothes?" The rishi said, "In a former life,
+O Queen, you were a kite that flew high up in the heavens. Beneath
+where you used to fly was an altar to Shiva, and every day at noon
+you would spread your wings over it and shade it from the sun's
+heat. So the god was pleased with you and in this life made you one
+of the queens of Atpat. As you spread your wings over Shiva's altar,
+so now a canopy hangs over your bed. And just as you served Shiva,
+now do service to the king, your husband. And you will thereby gain
+full merit and in the end reach Kailas." Then the rishi blessed her,
+and she went off quite gaily to attend to the king's clothes.
+
+And the four queens never quarrelled any more, but lived happily ever
+afterwards with the king. And all little girls who hear this story
+should try to be as good as the queens were after Vasishta had cured
+them of their squabbling.
+
+
+
+CHAPTER XIV
+
+The Lamps and the King's Daughter-in-Law
+
+Once upon a time there was a town called Atpat. In it there lived a
+king who had one little daughter-in-law. Now she was a very greedy
+little girl, and one day when some sweetmeats were got ready for all
+the family she went quietly and ate them all up herself. Then she
+got very frightened, for she knew that, if the king knew what she
+had done, he would order her to be well slapped. So, when the family
+began asking where the sweetmeats were she said that the mice had
+eaten them. And then every one began abusing the mice, saying what
+horrid little wretches they were, and what a good thing it would be
+if the cat caught and ate them up. But, when the mice heard all this,
+they were very angry with the little daughter-in-law for bringing a
+false charge against them, and they all met together and vowed that
+they would be revenged on her. Some days later the king invited a
+guest to his house, and the same night the mice went into the little
+daughter-in-law's room and dragged out one of her bodices and put
+it across the guest's bed. Next morning the bodice was discovered
+in the stranger's bed, and the little daughter-in-law was utterly
+disgraced. Her father-in-law and all her brothers-in-law scolded her
+dreadfully, and at last the king drove her out of the house. Now it
+so happened that it had till then always been the work of the little
+daughter-in-law to look after the lamps in the king's palace. Every
+morning she used to rub them well and trim the wicks. She used to light
+them herself and neap the burners with sugar-candy, and on Divali [16]
+Day she used to worship them and make them suitable offerings. But,
+directly the little daughter-in-law was driven away, none of the
+lamps were any longer cared for. On the next Divali Day the king was
+returning from a hunt, and he camped under a tree. Suddenly he saw all
+the lamps in his town of Atpat come and settle on its branches. One
+lamp after another told what was happening in its house--when there had
+been a dinner party, what there had been to eat, who had been invited,
+how they themselves had been cared for, and what honours they had
+received on Divali Day. After all the other lamps had told their story,
+the big lamp from the king's palace began, "Brother lamps, I do not
+know how to tell you. For none among you is so wretched as I am. In
+former years I was the most fortunate of all the lamps in Atpat. No
+other lamp had such honours paid it as I had, and this year I have
+to drag out my days In unspeakable misery." All the other lamps tried
+to comfort it, and asked it how it was that ill-fortune had overtaken
+it. "O brother lamps, how can I tell you?" repeated the big lamp. "I
+am the chief among the lamps that shine In the palace of the King of
+Atpat. One day the king's little daughter-in-law ate some sweetmeats
+and to save herself blamed the mice. To revenge themselves, they in
+turn brought a false charge against her by putting her bodice on the
+bed of one of the king's guests. So she was disgraced and driven out
+of the house. And after she left ill-fortune came upon me. For every
+year it was she who worshipped me and paid me honour; and wherever she
+is I wish her well, and I give her my blessing." The king listened
+attentively to the talk between the lamps, and thus he learnt that
+his daughter-in-law was innocent. He went home and asked whether
+there was any other evidence against her besides her bodice. And
+when he learnt that there was none, and that no one had seen anything
+happen between her and the king's guest, he sent a messenger for her
+and had her brought home. And he begged her pardon for the past, and
+gave her full authority over all his household; and the king lived
+and ruled ever afterwards as wisely and as well as King Ramchandra
+of Ayodhya. And if any one brings a false charge against any of us,
+may the lamps save us as they did the king's little daughter-in-law.
+
+
+
+CHAPTER XV
+
+Parwati and the Priest
+
+Once upon a time there was a town called Atpat. In it there was a
+temple to the god Shiva. One day when Shiva and his wife Parwati
+were walking about they happened to come to this temple. They sat
+down there and began to play saripat. [17] After some time Parwati
+seeing a priest close by asked him who had won, she or Shiva. "Shiva,"
+the priest replied. Parwati became very angry and cursed him, so that
+he became a leper, and the pains which overtook him were absolutely
+unendurable. One day a band of Apsaras [18] came down from heaven to
+the temple. They saw that the priest who lived in it was a leper,
+and they asked him the reason. He told them how Parwati had cursed
+him. They replied, "Do not be afraid; do as we tell you and you will
+get rid of your leprosy. Fast all next Monday, bathe that evening,
+worship the god Shiva, and then get half a pound of flour and mix
+it with treacle and ghee and eat it for dinner. But whatever you do,
+eat no salt all day. Do this for sixteen Mondays in succession, and
+on the seventeenth Monday get five pounds of flour, mix with it ghee
+and treacle, and offer it to Shiva inside this temple. Then divide it
+into three parts; leave one for the god, distribute a second among
+the Brahmans or give it to your cows, and take the third home to
+be eaten by you and your family." The Apsaras disappeared, and the
+priest followed their instructions and became quite well. Some time
+afterwards Shiva and Parwati came again to the temple. Parwati saw
+the priest cured of his leprosy and asked him how he had got rid of
+it. He told her exactly what he had done. She was very much surprised,
+and thought that if she did the same she might win back her son
+Kartakswami, [19] who had quarrelled with her and had run off in a
+rage. On the seventeenth Monday Kartakswami suddenly appeared, and
+both of them were reconciled. Later on, Kartakswami asked Parwati how
+she had brought him back, and Parwati told him. Now Kartakswami had a
+Brahman friend who had gone into a far-off country, and Kartakswami
+met him by accident shortly afterwards. He told the Brahman how the
+priest had cured himself of leprosy, and how he and Parwati had become
+reconciled. So the Brahman also practised the same rites for seventeen
+Mondays. He then set out for a distant country. As he travelled he
+came to a town. Now it happened that in that town arrangements were
+being made for the marriage of the king's daughter. Several princes
+had come from far-off countries to compete for her hand, and the king
+had erected a splendid pavilion for the royal betrothal. But he would
+not himself choose a prince to be his daughter's husband. He ordered
+that a garland should be placed on a she-elephant's trunk, and that
+the prince round whose neck the she-elephant threw the garland should
+be chosen to marry the king's daughter. But the she-elephant passed
+by all the princes in turn, until she came to where the Brahman
+stood. For he had come with the crowds of people to see the royal
+betrothal. Then the she-elephant stopped and put the garland round
+the Brahman's neck. The king ordered the Brahman to step forward, and
+he married him to his daughter. Some years later when the princess
+grew up, and she and the Brahman began to live together, she asked
+her husband by what merit he had succeeded in winning her for his
+wife, and he told her. And she in turn practised the same rites for
+seventeen Mondays. Nine months later a beautiful baby boy was born to
+her; and when he in turn grew up she told him the rites which she had
+practised to obtain him. And he in turn began to perform them. On the
+sixteenth Monday he set out for a journey. As he travelled in a distant
+country he came to a town over which ruled a king who had no son and
+only one daughter. The king had for a long time past been searching
+for a beautiful and virtuous young man, resolved when he found him to
+hand over to him his kingdom and marry him to his daughter. As the
+Brahman's son entered the town the king saw him and noticed on him
+all the marks of royal origin. So he summoned him to his house and
+married him to his daughter and seated him on his own throne. Now
+the next Monday was the seventeenth Monday since the Brahman's son
+had begun the rites which the Apsaras had told to the priest. That
+morning he got up and went to the temple and sent a message home to
+his wife that she should send him five sers of flour mixed with ghee
+and treacle. But the queen was too proud to do this. For she feared
+that the people in the street would laugh at her if she sent her
+husband five sers of flour mixed with ghee and treacle. So instead
+she sent him five hundred rupees in a plate. But because the flour
+and ghee and treacle were not sent, the king was unable to complete
+his ceremonial, and it was all spoilt. And the god Shiva instead of
+being pleased became very angry indeed. And he told the king that,
+if he kept the queen as his wife, he would lose his kingdom and die
+a beggar. Next day the king sent for his chief minister and told him
+what had happened. At first the minister said, "The kingdom belongs
+to the queen's father. If you drive her out your subjects will hate
+you." But the king replied, "Yes, but not to obey the god's command
+is a worse thing still." At last the minister agreed with the king,
+and the order went forth that the queen should be driven out of the
+city. So the queen was driven out and became quite poor and wandered
+along the road. At last she came to a distant town and lodged there
+with an old woman, who gave her food and drink. One day the old woman
+sent the queen out to sell fruit puddings. As she went into the bazaar
+a great wind came and carried off the fruit puddings. When she returned
+to the old woman's house, the queen told her what had happened, and
+the old woman drove her out of the house. Then she went and lodged
+with an oilman, who had great jars full of oil. But one day she went
+and looked inside the jars, and all the oil disappeared. So the oilman
+drove her off out of the house. The queen left the town and walked
+along until she came to a river with abundant water in it. But directly
+her eyes fell on the water, it all flowed away and left the water-bed
+quite dry. She then journeyed on until she came to a beautiful lake,
+but when her glance rested on the lake, it became full of worms, and
+the water began to stink. And, when the cowherds came as usual to
+water their cattle, the cattle would not drink the stinking water,
+and they had to go home thirsty. By chance a Gosavi, or holy man,
+came that way and saw the queen, and she told him her story. The
+holy man took her to his house and treated her as his own daughter,
+and she did her best to serve him faithfully. But, at whatever thing
+she looked, it would either disappear or become full of worms and
+maggots. At last the holy man searched for the cause of this by means
+of his inner knowledge. And thus he learnt that she had incurred the
+sin of spoiling the worship of Shiva, which the Apsaras had first
+taught the priest. Unless that sin were atoned for, her evil glance
+would never be purified. So the holy man prayed to the god Shiva,
+and the god was pleased with him; and when the holy man interceded
+with him on the queen's behalf, the god said that he would forgive her
+if she began and completed properly the rites which she had spoiled
+when her husband was performing them. The queen did so, and the god's
+anger vanished. Suddenly there rose in the heart of her husband, the
+king, a wish to see his queen, and he sent out messengers on every
+side to look for her. At last one of the messengers saw the queen in
+the holy man's hermitage and went back and told the king. The king
+was overjoyed, and, taking his chief minister with him, he journeyed
+to the hermitage. He threw himself at the holy man's feet and then
+loaded him with presents. And the holy man was pleased and said,
+"O King, I have treated your wife exactly as if she had been my own
+daughter. She has lived here just as if she had been in her father's
+house. Now take her with you back again and once more go through the
+marriage ceremony with her." The king consented, and both he and the
+queen prostrated themselves before the holy man, and then they both
+returned to Atpat. And they celebrated their home-coming with the
+greatest splendour. And the rest of the king's reign was as happy as
+possible. And we shall be just as happy if we honour Shiva like the
+King of Atpat did.
+
+
+
+CHAPTER XVI
+
+The Rishi and the Brahman
+
+Once upon a time there was a town called Atpat. In it there lived a
+Brahman. For many years he lived happily and cultivated his fields of
+rice and grain. But one day his wife gave up the observances imposed
+on her, and, as a result, the whole house was stained by her conduct,
+and pollution hung like a black cloud over it. Her husband should
+have driven her out, but he had not the heart to do so. So he, too,
+incurred the blame of his wife's sin. In course of time they died,
+and, as a punishment for their wickedness, the husband became in his
+next life a bullock, and the wife became a dog. But the gods so far
+relented as to find them a home in the house of their only son.
+
+Now the son was a very pious man, who never failed in his religious
+rites. He worshipped the gods, gave memorial honours to his dead
+father, and welcomed to his house every Brahman who passed by. One
+year, on the anniversary of his father's death, he told his wife
+to prepare a milk-pudding in honour of the dead, and announced that
+he would invite Brahmans to partake of it. The wife was as pious as
+her husband and never failed to obey his commands. So she made a big
+milk-pudding, and she boiled vegetables and stewed fruits. But just as
+she had finished and was about to invite her husband and his Brahman
+guests to begin their feast, the dog saw that a snake had entered the
+grain-jar, which had not been properly shut, and that it had left its
+poisonous trail all over the grain from which the milk-pudding had been
+prepared. The dog at once realised that, if the Brahmans who had been
+invited to the memorial feast ate the poisoned grain, they would die,
+and that the sin of Brahman murder would be incurred by the host,
+her son. So she suddenly rushed up and put her foot right into the
+middle of the milk-pudding. The son's wife was very angry. She threw
+a red-hot coal at the dog with such skill that it dropped on to the
+middle of her back and burnt a big hole in it. Then the son's wife
+cooked a fresh milk-pudding and fed the Brahmans. But she was so
+cross with the dog that she would not give her the smallest possible
+scrap. So the poor dog remained hungry all day. When night fell she
+went to the bullock who had been her husband and began to howl as
+loudly as she could. The bullock asked her what the matter was. She
+told him how she had seen that a snake had poisoned the grain, and
+how, to prevent the Brahmans dying and her son incurring the sin of
+their death, she had put her paw into the middle of the milk-pudding;
+how her daughter-in-law had been angry and had burnt a hole in her
+back with a live coal, and how her back hurt so that she did not know
+what to do. The bullock answered, "You are suffering for the pollution
+with which you darkened our house in a former life, and, because I
+let you remain in the house and touched you, I too am suffering, and
+I have become a bullock. Only to-day my son fastened me to his plough,
+tied up my mouth, and beat me, I too have, like you, had nothing to eat
+all day. Thus all my son's memorial services are useless." Now the son
+happened to be passing by the stable and heard this conversation. He
+at once fetched the bullock some grass and the dog some food, and he
+brought them both water to drink; and then he went to bed very sad at
+heart. Next morning he got up early and went into a dark forest until
+at last he came to the hermitage of a rishi. He prostrated himself
+before the rishi, who asked him why he was so sad. The Brahman's son
+said, "I am sad because my father has been born again as a bullock
+and my mother as a dog. Pray tell me how I can get their release," The
+rishi said, "There is only one way to help them. You must worship the
+seven sages who have their home in the Great Bear." [20] And he told
+the Brahman's son the ceremonies which he should observe, and how he
+should worship the seven sages continually every month of Bhadrapad, or
+September, for seven years. The Brahman's son obeyed the rishi, and at
+the end of the seven years a fiery chariot came down from heaven. The
+bullock suddenly became a handsome man, and the dog became a handsome
+woman. They both seated themselves in the chariot and were carried off
+to live with the sages who have their home for ever in the Great Bear.
+
+
+
+CHAPTER XVII
+
+The King and the Water-Goddesses
+
+Once upon a time there was a town called Atpat. Over it there ruled
+a king. One day he founded a new village, and close by he built a
+village tank. But no matter how hard he tried he could not get it
+filled with water. So he prayed to the water-goddesses to help him,
+and the water-goddesses were pleased and said, "O King, O King,
+sacrifice to us the eldest son of your daughter-in-law, and the
+tank will fill with water." The king heard it and went home very
+troubled. He was ready to sacrifice his grandson; for though he loved
+the boy, yet he knew that the life of one was less than the welfare of
+many. But he knew that his daughter-in-law would never agree. At last
+he thought of a trick. He went up to her and said, "Daughter-in-law,
+it is a long time since you went to see your parents. You had better
+go and pay them a visit and leave your eldest boy behind. I shall look
+after him here." The daughter-in-law consented and went to visit her
+parents, leaving her son behind. The king waited for a favourable
+day and then bathed and anointed his grandson. He gave a feast in
+his honour and covered his body with costly jewelry. He then took
+him into the middle of the pond and made him lie down on a bed and
+told him not to stir. The water-goddesses were pleased, and a great
+mass of water suddenly rushed into the tank, and it was filled right
+up to the brink. After a time the daughter-in-law came back from her
+father's house and brought her brother with her. They asked where her
+son was, but they could get no information. Whenever they asked the
+king, he did nothing but say how the water had come into the tank,
+and what a beautiful tank it was, and how happy it would make all
+the villagers. At last the daughter-in-law guessed what had happened,
+and when the seventh day of the bright half of the month of Shravan,
+or August, came round, she and her brother went to the edge of the
+tank and began to worship the water-goddesses. She took a cucumber
+leaf, and on it she placed some curds and rice. Next she mixed
+with them some butter and a farthing's worth of betel-nut. Then she
+told her brother to pray, "O Goddess, Mother of All, if any one of
+our family is drowned in the tank please give him back to us." He
+did so and then threw the offering into the lake. Then they both
+turned to go home. But as she was turning homewards, she felt some
+one pull her by the legs. She looked down and saw that it was her
+missing son. When she saw him she dragged him with all her might to
+the bank, and then she and her brother walked home with him. When
+the king heard that she was coming, together with her missing son,
+he wondered greatly, and going to her he fell at her feet and said,
+"O my daughter, I offered your son to the water-goddesses; how has
+he come back again?" She said, "I worshipped the water-goddesses
+and made offerings to them. Then my son came out of the water, and
+I lifted him up and drew him to the shore." The king was overjoyed
+and showed the greatest favour to his daughter-in-law. And she and
+her little son lived happily ever afterwards.
+
+
+
+CHAPTER XVIII
+
+The Lid of the Sacred Casket
+
+Once upon a time there was a town called Atpat. In it there lived a
+Brahman who had two twin sons. While they were still quite young,
+the twins' parents died, and their relatives stole from them all
+their property and then turned them out of the house. The twins
+wandered along until they came to a town. It was then noon, and
+the boys were weary with walking and were tortured with hunger and
+thirst. As they entered the town, a Brahman came out of his door
+to throw food to the crows. He saw the two boys and called them in,
+fed them, and then made them tell him their story. When he heard it
+he resolved to provide for them, and he lodged them in his house and
+taught them to recite the Vedas. On Lalita Panchmi Day the Brahman
+began to perform certain ceremonies. His pupils asked him why he did
+so. The sage replied that by doing so one could attain to wealth,
+knowledge, and to the wish of one's heart. The boys begged him to
+instruct them, and they quickly learnt how to worship the goddess
+Parwati. Not long afterwards the Brahman provided them with wives,
+and they returned to their own city, acquired wealth, and were very
+happy. A year or two later the twins separated. But the elder was a
+wise boy and never forgot to worship the goddess Parwati on Lalita
+Panchmi Day. So he retained the riches which he had gained. But the
+younger was foolish and forgot all about it, so the goddess began to
+dislike him, and he lost all his money. And at last he became so poor
+that he and his wife had to give up their house and go and live on
+the charity of his elder brother. One day the elder brother's wife
+spoke so crossly and said such nasty things to the younger twin,
+that he felt that he could not stay in the house any longer. And he
+remembered then that of recent years he had entirely forgotten to
+worship Parwati. He felt very penitent, and he decided that somehow or
+other he would win back the goddess's favour. Taking his wife with him,
+he left his brother's house and journeyed to a distant country. At
+last he came near a town, and, meeting a cowherd, the younger twin
+asked him what its name was. The cowherd said, "The town is called
+Upang." "Who is the king?" asked the younger twin. The cowherd replied,
+"He also is called Upang." The wanderer then asked whether there was
+any place where he and his wife could lodge. The cowherd told him
+that in the town there was a temple of Parwati, and close to it
+was a rest-house where the wanderer and his wife could lodge. The
+cowherd directed them to the rest-house. And before lying down the
+younger twin worshipped Parwati in the temple and begged her pardon
+for his previous neglect. Parwati felt sorry for him, and that night
+she appeared to him in a dream. She told him to go to King Upang's
+palace and to beg from him the lid of the sacred casket in which
+the accessories of worship were kept. He should, thereafter, always
+pray to it, and in the end he would come by his heart's desire. The
+younger twin woke up, and the same morning he went to King Upang's
+palace and begged from him the lid of the sacred casket in which were
+kept the accessories of worship. The king at first refused, but when
+the younger twin told the king of his dream the king consented. The
+Brahman took the lid home, worshipped it, and, just as the goddess
+had foretold, he came by his heart's desire. Property and happiness
+returned, and a year later his wife bore him a daughter. As the years
+passed the little girl grew up. One day she took the lid of the sacred
+casket and went with some playmates to play and bathe by the bank of
+a river. Suddenly the corpse of a Brahman came floating by. Seeing
+it, the little girl took the lid of the casket and for fun began to
+splash water on it. Such was the power of the sacred lid, that the
+corpse instantly became alive again and became a Brahman, tall as a
+tree and beautiful as the sun. The little girl fell in love with him
+on the spot and told him that he must become her husband. "But," said
+the Brahman, "how shall I manage it?" The little girl said, "Come home
+with me at dinner-time, take as usual water [21] in your hand, but do
+not sip it. Then my daddy will ask you, 'Bhatji, Bhatji, why do you
+not sip the water in your hand?' You must reply, 'I am ready to dine
+if you marry me to your daughter. If you will not, I shall get up and
+go away.' Then he will consent to our marriage." The Brahman agreed,
+and he went home with the little girl, and everything happened as she
+had planned. To prevent the Brahman from getting up without any food,
+the little girl's father agreed to their marriage. When a favourable
+day came they were married, and when she was old enough the little
+girl went to her husband's house. As she went she carried off the
+lid of the sacred casket of King Upang. But, because it had gone,
+her father lost all his wealth and fell once more into the greatest
+poverty. His wife went to her daughter's house and asked for it
+back, but she refused to give it up. The wife was very angry and
+every day began to hate her son-in-law more and more. But for him,
+as she thought, the little girl would never have married and would
+not have stolen the lid of the sacred casket. One day the wife met
+her son-in-law on the road, and she gave him such a fearful slap in
+the face that he instantly fell on the ground and became a corpse
+again. His mother-in-law then-snatched from him the lid of the casket,
+which he happened to have in his hand, and ran away home. There he
+lay until the little girl, his wife, began to search for him. When
+she found him she prayed to the goddess, and by her aid and by means
+of the merit which she had acquired by worshipping the lid of the
+casket while she had it, she restored her husband to life. But the
+twin and his wife went on becoming poorer and poorer. And at last
+they went back to his brother's house and asked him why it was that
+the younger twin was always losing his wealth as fast as he gained
+it. The elder brother listened to the whole story and then he said,
+"I do not wonder at it. First you lost the lid of the casket, then,
+in order to get it back, your wife killed a Brahman. Your only chance
+now is to worship Parwati harder than ever, and perhaps in the end
+you may recover your good estate." So the younger brother went home
+and worshipped Parwati with greater vigour than ever. And at last
+she relented and gave him her blessing. He recovered his wealth and
+came by all that his heart desired. And he and his wife lived happily
+ever afterwards.
+
+
+
+CHAPTER XIX
+
+The Brahman Wife and Her Seven Sons
+
+Once upon a time there was a town called Atpat. In it there lived a
+poor Brahman who used always to perform Shradh or memorial ceremonies
+to his father on the last day of the month of Shravan. When performing
+these ceremonies he always invited other Brahmans to dine. But it so
+happened that on every last day of the month of Shravan, [22] from the
+day of his father's death onwards, his daughter-in-law gave birth to a
+little boy. And just as the Brahmans had begun to enjoy their dinner,
+the child would die. So all the Shradh ceremonies had to cease,
+and the poor Brahmans had to be sent away feeling most dreadfully
+hungry. This happened regularly for six years. But, when the seventh
+little boy was born only to die just as his guests were beginning
+to enjoy their dinner, the poor Brahman lost all patience. He took
+the newly-born child and placed it in his daughter-in-law's lap and
+then drove her out of the house and into the jungle. The poor woman
+walked along until she came to a great, dark forest. In it she met the
+wife of a hobgoblin, [23] who asked, "Lady, Lady, whose wife are you,
+and why do you come here? Run away as quickly as you can. For, if my
+husband the hobgoblin sees you, he will tear you to pieces and gobble
+you up." The poor woman said she was the daughter-in-law of a Brahman,
+and explained how every year she had given birth to a son on the last
+day of Shravan, how it had died in the middle of the Shradh feast,
+and how at last her father-in-law had put the child in her lap and
+had driven her from home and into the forest. The hobgoblin's wife
+repeated, "If you value your life at all, go away." The Brahman
+woman began to cry, until at last the hobgoblin's wife had pity on
+her and said, "Do not be afraid; walk a little way until you come to
+an altar to the god Shiva, Close by is a bel [24] tree; climb into it
+and hide among the branches. To-night the serpent-maidens from Patâla
+and the wood-nymphs, together with a train of seven demon Asuras,
+[25] will come and worship at the altar. After making their offerings
+to the god, they will call out, 'Is there any uninvited guest present
+to whom we can make a gift?' You must then call out in reply, 'Yes,
+I am here.' They will see you and question you, and you must tell them
+all your story." The poor Brahman woman agreed. She walked on until
+she came to the god Shiva's altar. She climbed into the branches of
+the bel tree. She remained there until midnight came. Suddenly the
+serpent-maidens from Patâla and the wood-nymphs, accompanied by a
+train of seven demon Asuras, came and worshipped at the altar. After
+making offerings to the god they called out, "Is there any uninvited
+guest present to whom we can make a gift?" The Brahman woman at once
+climbed down the bel tree and called out in answer, "Yes, I am here,"
+The serpent-maidens from Pâtala and the wood-nymphs, greatly surprised,
+asked her who she was, and she told them all her story. Then the
+serpent-maidens of Pâtala and the wood-nymphs ordered their train
+of demon Asuras to go and search for the seven sons of the Brahman
+woman. The seven demon Asuras spurred their horses and rode off in all
+directions. In a little time the giant captain of the demon guards
+rode up carrying in his arms the body of a little boy of six. Then
+another rode up carrying the body of a little boy of five. And four
+others rode up carrying a little boy of four, a little boy of three,
+a little boy of two, and a little boy only one year old. Last of
+all the seventh demon Asura rode up with a newly-born baby boy. The
+demons placed the bodies in front of the serpent-maidens from Patâla
+and of the wood-nymphs. And first of all the little boy of six came to
+life and got up and ran to his mother. Next the little boy of five,
+and then the little boy of four, and then the little boy of three
+came to life and ran to their mother. Then the little boy of two
+came to life and got up, but he could only walk to his mother. Next
+the little one-year-old boy came to life, but he could not get up,
+so he lay on his back and kicked up his legs. And last of all the
+newly-born baby came to life, but he could not even kick up his
+legs. And they were all delighted to see their mother, and she was
+overjoyed to have all her sons again. But the serpent-maidens from
+Patâla and the wood-nymphs warned her that she must pray to the
+sixty-four Yoginis, the attendants who wait on Durga, the Goddess
+of Death, or else her children would be snatched from her again. And
+they told her to pray her hardest, for her prayer had to travel down
+to the depths of Hell. So the Brahman woman prayed her hardest to
+the sixty-four Yoginis, and then she prostrated herself before the
+serpent-maidens from Patâla, and the wood-nymphs, and their train of
+demon Asuras. And then she took the little one-year-old boy on her hip,
+and the newly-born baby boy in her arms, and she walked with her other
+five sons to the village. When the villagers saw her coming they ran
+and said to the Brahman, "Bhatji, Bhatji, your daughter-in-law is
+coming back home." And the Brahman became very angry and vowed that
+he would drive her away again. So he watched for her coming. But
+first of all he saw walking towards his house a little boy of six,
+and then a little boy of five, and then a little boy of four, and
+then two other little boys of three and two. Last of all he saw his
+daughter-in-law with a one-year-old boy on her hip and a newly-born
+baby in her arms. He rose and fetched a cauldron of water and two
+handfuls of rice from his house. And he waved his hands filled with
+rice round the heads of his daughter-in-law and of all her children,
+and last of all he washed their feet. In this way he welcomed back to
+his house his grandchildren and their mother. And he made her tell
+him all her story; and she, and her children, and the Brahman spent
+the rest of their lives in great peace and perfect happiness.
+
+
+
+CHAPTER XX
+
+The Golden Temple
+
+Once upon a time there was a town called Atpat. In it there reigned a
+king who had four daughters-in-law. He loved three of them very dearly,
+but the fourth, who was an ugly little girl, he did not like at all. To
+the three daughters-in-law he gave nice food and fine clothes. But
+to the ugly little daughter-in-law he gave nothing but scraps from
+his table and thick, coarse clothes to wear. He would not even let her
+sleep inside the house, but made her sleep in the stable and look after
+the cows. The poor ugly daughter-in-law grew so unhappy that, when the
+first Monday in Shravan [26] came, she ran out of the palace, and out
+of the town, and then away as fast as her fat little legs would carry
+her. At last she went and hid herself in the woods. Now it so happened
+that that very day a band of serpent-maidens [27] had come up from
+Patala. After wandering through the forest and bathing in the running
+streams, they had joined a bevy of wood-nymphs and were coming in her
+direction. At first she was too terrified to say a single word. But at
+last she asked, "Ladies, ladies, where are you going?" "To the temple
+of Shiva," they replied, "to worship the god. For by doing that, one
+wins the love of one's husband, one obtains children, and one comes by
+the wish of one's heart." When the ugly daughter-in-law heard that by
+doing what the serpent-maidens and the wood-nymphs were about to do
+she could win love for herself, she at once thought that in this way
+she, too, might win the love of her father-in-law. So she told the
+serpent-maidens of Patala and the wood-nymphs that she would go with
+them. They went deeper and deeper into the forest until at last they
+came to a temple of the god Shiva. There the serpent-maidens and the
+wood-nymphs offered to the god rice, betel-nut, incense, flowers, and
+the leaves of the bel tree. The ugly little daughter-in-law did just
+as they did. And when she had finished she cried out, "O God Shiva,
+please, please vouchsafe my prayer also, and make my father-in-law
+and my mother-in-law, my brothers-in-law and my sisters-in-law like
+me as much as they now dislike me." That evening she went home and
+fasted, and all the scraps which they threw to her from the king's
+table she gave to her favourite cow. And then she sat by herself and
+prayed to the god Shiva. The following Monday she once more ran out of
+the palace and out of the town and into the woods as fast as her fat
+little legs would carry her. There she met again the serpent-maidens
+of Patâla and the bevy of wood-nymphs and went with them to the
+temple of Shiva in the distant heart of the forest. The first time the
+serpent-maidens and the wood-nymphs had given her the incense and the
+flowers, the rice and the betel-nut, and the leaves of the bel tree,
+with which to perform her worship. But they had told her that the
+next time she must bring them herself. So when she ran away on the
+second Monday in Shravan she brought with her incense and flowers,
+rice and betel-nut and bel-tree leaves, and after offering them and
+some sesamums to the god she once more prayed, "O God Shiva, please,
+please grant my prayer and make my father-in-law and my mother-in-law,
+my brothers-in-law and my sisters-in-law like me as much as they now
+dislike me." Then she went home and fasted, and giving all her dinner
+to her favourite cow she sat by herself and prayed to Shiva. That
+evening the king asked her who the god was whom she was honouring,
+and where he lived. The ugly little daughter-in-law replied, "Afar
+off my god lives, and the roads to him are hard, and the paths to him
+are full of thorns. Where snakes abound and where tigers lie in wait,
+there is his temple." The third Monday in Shravan, the ugly little
+daughter-in-law again started from the palace with her flowers and
+incense, her betel-nut and bel leaves, her rice and sesamum, in order
+to meet the serpent-maidens of Patâla and the bevy of wood-nymphs, and
+with them to worship the god in the hidden depths of the forest. This
+time the king and her other male relatives followed her and said
+to her, "Ugly little daughter-in-law, take us with you and show us
+your god." But the temple of Shiva was ever so far from the king's
+palace. The ugly daughter-in-law did not mind, for she was used to
+cruel treatment. She had also walked to the temple twice before, and
+her feet had got as hard as two little stones. But the king and his
+relatives were tired to death; and their feet swelled up to the size
+of an elephant's, and they became as full of thorns as the back of a
+porcupine. And they muttered to each other, "How on earth does that
+ugly little daughter-in-law manage to walk as she does through the
+heart of the forest?" The ugly daughter-in-law at last felt sorry for
+them. She prayed to the god Shiva to build a temple near at hand. The
+god consented, and, with the help of the serpent-maidens of Patâla
+and of the wood-nymphs, he created suddenly a beautiful temple all of
+pure, yellow gold. Its pillars were studded with jewels, and the jars
+in it were all of crystal. In the middle there rose from the ground
+an altar to the god Shiva. And last of all the god revealed himself
+to the king and his companions in all his glory and splendour. For
+a moment only they saw him; and then he vanished. The king and his
+companions stared, too astonished to move or speak. But the ugly
+little daughter-in-law prostrated herself and offered to the god
+flowers and incense. Then she cried out, "O God Shiva, please, please
+vouchsafe my prayer and make my father-in-law and my mother-in-law,
+my brothers-in-law and my sisters-in-law like me as much as they now
+dislike me." When the king heard her prayer his heart softened to her,
+and he spoke kindly to her and gave her jewelry and trinkets. In a
+little while he took off his turban and, placing it on a peg, walked
+out to look at a lovely lake which, unnoticed by any one before,
+now stretched out close by the temple. And behind him strolled out
+his companions. But when they had gone out of sight, the beautiful
+golden temple by the lake vanished for ever. After looking at the
+lake the king came back to fetch his turban which he had left in
+the temple. But he could not find the beautiful temple all of pure,
+yellow gold, with its jewel-studded pillars and its crystal jars. The
+king asked the little daughter-in-law the cause. She said nothing,
+but straightway walked deeper into the forest. And the king and his
+companions, although weary to death, followed her. At last they came to
+the temple where she had worshipped, together with the serpent-maidens
+from Patâla and the bevy of wood-nymphs. It was a tiny temple,
+and inside it there was a rough altar. At the foot of the altar lay
+the flowers which the ugly daughter-in-law had offered to the god,
+and close by on a peg hung the turban left by the king. Again the
+king asked his daughter-in-law the meaning of what had happened. She
+replied, "This temple that you see is my own poor little temple. But,
+because of my prayers, the god Shiva showed himself to you in the
+beautiful temple, all of pure, yellow gold, with its jewel-studded
+pillars and its crystal jars." When the king heard her reply, he grew
+more pleased than ever with the daughter-in-law whom formerly he had
+so disliked. And because the god had revealed himself at her prayer,
+the king, to do her honour, sent for his royal palanquin and had her
+carried home in state. And the ugly little daughter-in-law became out
+of the four the king's favourite. And he was so much nicer to her than
+he was to his other three daughters-in-law that they became as jealous
+as cats. But the king and the ugly little daughter-in-law did not mind
+them the least little bit. And they both lived happily ever afterwards.
+
+
+
+NOTES
+
+[1] For an account of the birth of Kartakswami see The Tale of the
+Tulsi Plants p. 93.
+
+[2] In India days of the week have the same mysterious connexion
+with the astral bodies that they have in Europe. Aditwar or Raviwar
+is sun's day (Sunday); Somwar is moon's day (Monday); Mangalwar is
+Mars' day (mardi); Budhwar is Mercury's day (mercredi); Brihaspatiwar
+is the day of Diespiter or Jupiter (jeudi); Shukrawar is Venus' day
+(vendredi); Shaniwar is Saturn's day (Saturday).
+
+[3] His bad actions in a former life.
+
+[4] All these stories take place in Atpat town. This literally means
+"City Splendid." But in the tales it is simply a fabulous city.
+
+[5] Although Tuesday is really the day of Mars, Mangal, this tale
+by a popular error connects the day with Mangalgauri or Parwati,
+Shiva's wife.
+
+[6] Budh is Mercury; Brahaspati is Jupiter.
+
+[7] For serpent-maidens of Patâla see note to Story XX.
+
+[8] Mahalaxmi is always worshipped in this way. And it is a common
+practice for anyone who wants anything to blow on a pot and then wish
+for it.
+
+[9] Kolhapur is the chief seat of the worship of Mahalaxmi.
+
+[10] Ashwin corresponds approximately with October.
+
+[11] A kind of draughts.
+
+[12] Nagpanchmi Day falls on Shravan Sud 5, i.e. the 5th day of the
+bright half of Shravan.
+
+[13] Bhatji is the name by which a mendicant Brahman is addressed.
+
+[14] This is called the akshataropan.
+
+[15] Vasishta was the family priest of King Dasaratha, father of
+Ramchandra. After death he became one of the stars in the constellation
+of the Great Bear.
+
+[16] Divali is the feast of lamps in the month of Kartih.
+
+[17] Saripat is a kind of draughts.
+
+[18] Apsaras are attendants on the gods.
+
+[19] Kartakswami was really Parwati's step-son (see Preface).
+
+[20] The Indians do not associate the Great Bear constellation with a
+bear, but they believe it to be the habitation of seven rishis. The
+seven rishis vary in different works. In the Mahabharat the names
+given are Marichi, Atri, Angiras, Pulaha, Kratu, Pulatya, and Vasishta.
+
+[21] Aposhani. This is the water which a Brahman sips from his hand
+before and after his meal.
+
+[22] Shravan corresponds roughly with August. The death of the child
+nullified all the virtue of the Shradh feast, which had at once to
+be stopped.
+
+[23] Zhoting is really the unquiet ghost of a Musulman, but hobgoblin
+is probably a sufficiently close translation.
+
+[24] A tree sacred to Shiva.
+
+[25] The Asuras, who are now reckoned petty demons, had once upon
+a time a much higher position. They are the same as Ahura-Magda,
+the Jupiter of the Iranians. The latter, curiously enough,
+degraded the Devas or Hindu Gods to the subordinate place of
+demons. (Cf. Rawlinson's Bactria, page 21.)
+
+[26] Shravan = August.
+
+[27] Nag-kanya. These are the maidens of the race of the Nagas, who
+are said to have sprung from Kadru, wife of Kasyapa. One of them,
+Ulupi, married the hero Arjuna. They live in Patâla, the lowest of
+the seven underground regions.
+
+
+THE END
+
+
+
+
+
+End of Project Gutenberg's Deccan Nursery Tales, by Charles Augustus Kincaid
+
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+<pre>
+
+Project Gutenberg's Deccan Nursery Tales, by Charles Augustus Kincaid
+
+This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and with
+almost no restrictions whatsoever.  You may copy it, give it away or
+re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included
+with this eBook or online at www.gutenberg.org
+
+
+Title: Deccan Nursery Tales
+       or, Fairy Tales from the South
+
+Author: Charles Augustus Kincaid
+
+Illustrator: M. V. Dhurandhar
+
+Release Date: December 21, 2009 [EBook #11167]
+
+Language: English
+
+Character set encoding: UTF-8
+
+*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK DECCAN NURSERY TALES ***
+
+
+
+
+Produced by Jeroen Hellingman and the Distributed
+Proofreaders Team from scans of the Million Books Project.
+
+
+
+
+
+
+</pre>
+
+<div class="front">
+<div class="div1"><span class="pagenum">[<a href=
+"#toc">Contents</a>]</span>
+<div class="figure xd19e79width"><img src="images/front.jpg" alt=
+"Original Front Cover." width="545" height="720"></div>
+</div>
+<div class="div1"><span class="pagenum">[<a href=
+"#toc">Contents</a>]</span>
+<div class="figure xd19e85width" id="p000"><img src="images/p000.jpg"
+alt="&ldquo;Gave memorial honours to his dead father&rdquo;" width=
+"506" height="720">
+<p class="figureHead">&ldquo;Gave memorial honours to his dead
+father&rdquo;</p>
+</div>
+</div>
+<div class="titlePage">
+<h1 class="docTitle">Deccan Nursery Tales</h1>
+<h1 class="docTitle">or</h1>
+<h1 class="docTitle">Fairy Tales from the South</h1>
+<h2 class="byline">By<br>
+<br>
+<span class="docAuthor">C. A. Kincaid, C.V.O.</span><br>
+<br>
+Indian Civil Service<br>
+<br>
+Author of &lsquo;The Outlaws of Kathiawar,&rsquo; &lsquo;The Tale of
+the Tulsi Plant&rsquo;<br>
+<br>
+Illustrations by M. V. Dhurandhar</h2>
+<h2 class="docImprint">1914.</h2>
+</div>
+<p><span class="pagenum">[<a id="xd19e115" href="#xd19e115" name=
+"xd19e115">vi</a>]</span></p>
+<div class="div1"><span class="pagenum">[<a href=
+"#toc">Contents</a>]</span>
+<p class="xd19e117">To my little son</p>
+<p class="xd19e117">Dennis</p>
+<p class="xd19e117">Whose interest in these stories<br>
+<br>
+first induced me to offer them to the public<br>
+<br>
+this little volume is affectionately inscribed <span class=
+"pagenum">[<a id="xd19e127" href="#xd19e127" name=
+"xd19e127">vii</a>]</span></p>
+</div>
+<div id="pre" class="div1"><span class="pagenum">[<a href=
+"#toc">Contents</a>]</span>
+<h2>Preface</h2>
+<p>These stories first appeared in the <i>Times of India</i> newspaper,
+and my acknowledgments are due to the editor for his courtesy in
+permitting their publication.</p>
+<p>I have translated all of them as literally as possible from the
+original Marathi. But, owing to the difference between Marathi and
+English canons of taste, I have had in a very few places slightly to
+change the sense. In some places, owing to the obscurity of the
+original text, I have had to amplify the translation. In other places I
+have had to cut short the descriptions of Hindu rites and ceremonies so
+as to avoid wearying the English reader.</p>
+<p>It may not be out of place to say just a word about the Indian gods
+mentioned in the stories. It must be remembered that the <span class=
+"pagenum">[<a id="xd19e140" href="#xd19e140" name=
+"xd19e140">viii</a>]</span>main Hindu gods are three in number. They
+are all sprung from a common origin, Brahma, but they are quite
+separate beings. They do not form a trinity, <i>i.e.</i> three in one
+or one in three. And each of them has a wife and a family. The
+following genealogical tree will, I hope, help the reader.</p>
+<ul>
+<li>Brahma
+<ul>
+<li>Shiva = Parwati
+<ul>
+<li>Ganpati</li>
+</ul>
+</li>
+<li>= the daughters of Agni
+<ul>
+<li>Kartakswami<a class="noteref" id="xd19e160src" href="#xd19e160"
+name="xd19e160src">1</a></li>
+</ul>
+</li>
+<li>Vishnu = Mahalaxmi</li>
+<li>Brahmadev = Saraswati</li>
+</ul>
+</li>
+</ul>
+<p>Of the above gods, Shiva, his son Kartakswami, and his wife Parwati,
+Vishnu and his wife Mahalaxmi only are mentioned in the following
+stories. Besides these, however, the Sun and Moon and the five
+principal planets obtain a certain amount of worship. The Sun is
+worshipped every morning by every orthodox Hindu. And Shani or Saturn
+inspires a wholesome fear, for his glance is supposed <span class=
+"pagenum">[<a id="xd19e174" href="#xd19e174" name=
+"xd19e174">ix</a>]</span>to bring ill fortune. Then again, besides the
+main gods, the world according to Hindu belief, which in this respect
+closely resembles that of the ancient Greeks, is peopled with Asuras
+(demons), Devkanya (wood-nymphs), Nag-kanya (the serpent-maidens of
+Pat&acirc;la), and Gandharwas (a kind of cherubim). The first three of
+these find a place in the ensuing fairy tales.</p>
+<p>The scientific doctrine is that Shiva is the destroyer and Vishnu
+the preserver of life, and that Brahmadev is the creative spirit. In
+practice, however, Brahmadev is almost entirely disregarded, while the
+Hindus worship Shiva, Vishnu, Parwati, or Mahalaxmi just as <a id=
+"xd19e178" name="xd19e178"></a> they feel inclined, or as the
+particular sect to which they belong requires them.</p>
+<p>Lastly, it must be borne in mind that the Hindu year consists of
+twelve lunar months. In the Deccan the year begins with Chaitra,
+corresponding roughly with April. The months then succeed each other in
+the following order: Vaishak, Jesht, Ashad, Shravan, Bhadrapad, Ashwin,
+Kartih, Margshish, Paush, <span class="pagenum">[<a id="xd19e182" href=
+"#xd19e182" name="xd19e182">x</a>]</span>Mag, Phalgun, Each month
+begins on the first day of the new moon and is divided into two parts.
+The first half comprises the period from the new moon to the full moon.
+This is the bright half of the month. The second half comprises the
+period from the full moon to the new moon. This is the dark half of the
+month. The lunar months are made to correspond with the solar year by
+the interposition of an &ldquo;adhik&rdquo; or intercalary month every
+third year.</p>
+<p class="xd19e184">C. A. K. <span class="pagenum">[<a id="xd19e186"
+href="#xd19e186" name="xd19e186">xi</a>]</span></p>
+<div class="footnotes">
+<hr class="fnsep">
+<p class="footnote"><span class="label"><a class="noteref" id=
+"xd19e160" href="#xd19e160src" name="xd19e160">1</a></span> For an
+account of the birth of Kartakswami see <i>The Tale of the Tulsi
+Plants</i> p. 93.</p>
+</div>
+</div>
+<div id="toc" class="div1"><span class="pagenum">[<a href=
+"#toc">Contents</a>]</span>
+<h2>Contents</h2>
+<div class="table xd19e191">
+<table width="100%">
+<tr valign="top">
+<td valign="top" class="xd19e192"></td>
+<td valign="top" class="xd19e193"></td>
+<td valign="top" class="xd19e192"><span class=
+"smallcaps">page</span></td>
+</tr>
+<tr valign="top">
+<td valign="top" class="xd19e192">I.</td>
+<td valign="top" class="xd19e193"><a href="#ch01">The Sunday
+Story</a></td>
+<td valign="top" class="xd19e192">1</td>
+</tr>
+<tr valign="top">
+<td valign="top" class="xd19e192">II.</td>
+<td valign="top" class="xd19e193"><a href="#ch02">The Monday
+Story</a></td>
+<td valign="top" class="xd19e192">14</td>
+</tr>
+<tr valign="top">
+<td valign="top" class="xd19e192">III.</td>
+<td valign="top" class="xd19e193"><a href="#ch03">The Tuesday
+Story</a></td>
+<td valign="top" class="xd19e192">18</td>
+</tr>
+<tr valign="top">
+<td valign="top" class="xd19e192">IV.</td>
+<td valign="top" class="xd19e193"><a href="#ch04">The Wednesday and
+Thursday Story</a></td>
+<td valign="top" class="xd19e192">26</td>
+</tr>
+<tr valign="top">
+<td valign="top" class="xd19e192">V.</td>
+<td valign="top" class="xd19e193"><a href="#ch05">The Friday
+Story</a></td>
+<td valign="top" class="xd19e192">32</td>
+</tr>
+<tr valign="top">
+<td valign="top" class="xd19e192">VI.</td>
+<td valign="top" class="xd19e193"><a href="#ch06">The Saturday
+Story</a></td>
+<td valign="top" class="xd19e192">36</td>
+</tr>
+<tr valign="top">
+<td valign="top" class="xd19e192">VII.</td>
+<td valign="top" class="xd19e193"><a href="#ch07">Mahalaxmi and the Two
+Queens</a></td>
+<td valign="top" class="xd19e192">41</td>
+</tr>
+<tr valign="top">
+<td valign="top" class="xd19e192">VIII.</td>
+<td valign="top" class="xd19e193"><a href="#ch08">The Island
+Palace</a></td>
+<td valign="top" class="xd19e192">56</td>
+</tr>
+<tr valign="top">
+<td valign="top" class="xd19e192">IX.</td>
+<td valign="top" class="xd19e193"><a href="#ch09">Nagoba, the
+Snake-King</a></td>
+<td valign="top" class="xd19e192">63</td>
+</tr>
+<tr valign="top">
+<td valign="top" class="xd19e192">X.</td>
+<td valign="top" class="xd19e193"><a href="#ch10">Parwati and the
+Beggar-Man</a></td>
+<td valign="top" class="xd19e192">69</td>
+</tr>
+<tr valign="top">
+<td valign="top" class="xd19e192">XL</td>
+<td valign="top" class="xd19e193"><a href="#ch11">Parwati and the
+Brahman</a></td>
+<td valign="top" class="xd19e192">73</td>
+</tr>
+<tr valign="top">
+<td valign="top" class="xd19e192">XII.</td>
+<td valign="top" class="xd19e193"><a href="#ch12">Soma, the
+Washerwoman</a></td>
+<td valign="top" class="xd19e192">79</td>
+</tr>
+<tr valign="top">
+<td valign="top" class="xd19e192">XIII.</td>
+<td valign="top" class="xd19e193"><a href="#ch13">Vasishta and the Four
+Queens</a></td>
+<td valign="top" class="xd19e192">89</td>
+</tr>
+<tr valign="top">
+<td valign="top" class="xd19e192">XIV.</td>
+<td valign="top" class="xd19e193"><a href="#ch14">The Lamps and the
+King&rsquo;s Daughter-in-Law</a></td>
+<td valign="top" class="xd19e192">95</td>
+</tr>
+<tr valign="top">
+<td valign="top" class="xd19e192">XV.</td>
+<td valign="top" class="xd19e193"><a href="#ch15">Parwati and the
+Priest</a></td>
+<td valign="top" class="xd19e192">99</td>
+</tr>
+<tr valign="top">
+<td valign="top" class="xd19e192">XVI.</td>
+<td valign="top" class="xd19e193"><a href="#ch16">The Rishi and the
+Brahman</a></td>
+<td valign="top" class="xd19e192">107</td>
+</tr>
+<tr valign="top">
+<td valign="top" class="xd19e192">XVII.</td>
+<td valign="top" class="xd19e193"><a href="#ch17">The King and the
+Water-Goddesses</a></td>
+<td valign="top" class="xd19e192">112</td>
+</tr>
+<tr valign="top">
+<td valign="top" class="xd19e192">XVIII.</td>
+<td valign="top" class="xd19e193"><a href="#ch18">The Lid of the Sacred
+Casket</a></td>
+<td valign="top" class="xd19e192">115</td>
+</tr>
+<tr valign="top">
+<td valign="top" class="xd19e192">XIX.</td>
+<td valign="top" class="xd19e193"><a href="#ch19">The Brahman Wife and
+Her Seven Sons</a></td>
+<td valign="top" class="xd19e192">122</td>
+</tr>
+<tr valign="top">
+<td valign="top" class="xd19e192">XX.</td>
+<td valign="top" class="xd19e193"><a href="#ch20">The Golden
+Temple</a></td>
+<td valign="top" class="xd19e192">128</td>
+</tr>
+</table>
+</div>
+<p><span class="pagenum">[<a id="xd19e386" href="#xd19e386" name=
+"xd19e386">xiii</a>]</span></p>
+</div>
+<div class="div1"><span class="pagenum">[<a href=
+"#toc">Contents</a>]</span>
+<h2>Illustrations</h2>
+<ul>
+<li><a href="#p000">&ldquo;Gave memorial honours to his dead
+father&rdquo;</a> <span class=
+"tocPagenum"><i>Frontispiece</i></span></li>
+<li>&nbsp; <span class="tocPagenum"><span class="smallcaps">face
+page</span></span></li>
+<li><a href="#p022">&ldquo;It curled itself up inside the earthen
+jar&rdquo;</a> <span class="tocPagenum">22</span></li>
+<li><a href="#p032">&ldquo;And fill her lap with wheat cakes and bits
+of cocoa-nut&rdquo;</a> <span class="tocPagenum">32</span></li>
+<li><a href="#p039">&ldquo;And stuck them into a corner of the
+eaves&rdquo;</a> <span class="tocPagenum">39</span></li>
+<li><a href="#p068">&ldquo;They no longer wished to kill or bite the
+little daughter-in-law&rdquo;</a> <span class=
+"tocPagenum">68</span></li>
+<li><a href="#p071">&ldquo;They asked her what the reason was, and she
+told them&rdquo;</a> <span class="tocPagenum">71</span></li>
+<li><a href="#p106">&ldquo;She has lived here just as if she had been
+in her father&rsquo;s house&rdquo;</a> <span class=
+"tocPagenum">106</span></li>
+<li><a href="#p132">&ldquo;The god revealed himself to the king and his
+companions in all his glory and splendour&rdquo;</a> <span class=
+"tocPagenum">132</span></li>
+</ul>
+</div>
+</div>
+<span class="pagenum">[<a id="xd19e445" href="#xd19e445" name=
+"xd19e445">1</a>]</span>
+<div class="body">
+<div id="ch01" class="div1"><span class="pagenum">[<a href=
+"#toc">Contents</a>]</span>
+<h2>The Sunday Story</h2>
+<p>When Englishmen and Englishwomen are little boys and girls, they
+listen with open ears to the tales of Golden-hair and the three Bears,
+of Cinderella and the Prince, and of the Wolf and Little Red Riding
+Hood. As the boys and girls grow up, the stories fade gradually from
+their minds. But a time comes when they have children of their own. And
+then, to amuse the children, they can find no tales more thrilling than
+those which fascinated them in their own childhood. Thus the old
+nursery tales are handed down for centuries from generation to
+generation. Exactly the same process goes on in India, There, too, when
+little Indian boys and girls grow up and have little boys and girls of
+their own, they too tell to wide-eyed audiences the tales which they
+<span class="pagenum">[<a id="xd19e452" href="#xd19e452" name=
+"xd19e452">2</a>]</span>themselves found so thrilling in their own
+childhood. Indian nursery tales, it is true, have a more religious
+tinge than those of Europe, but they are none the less appreciated on
+that account. The first six stories in this little book purport to
+explain the connexion between the heavenly bodies and the days of the
+week. So each day of the week has its separate tale. And all through
+Shravan or August, probably because it is the wettest month in the
+year, Deccan mothers tell afresh every week-day that day&rsquo;s story.
+And little Deccan children listen to the tales as they fall due with
+the same unvarying attention. For in nurseries, Indian as well as
+English, tales are loved the better when no longer new, and where the
+end is well known to, and therefore the better understood by, the tiny
+round-eyed listeners.</p>
+<p>Now this is the tale which is told every Sunday<a class="noteref"
+id="xd19e456src" href="#xd19e456" name="xd19e456src">1</a> in Shravan:
+Once upon a time there <span class="pagenum">[<a id="xd19e462" href=
+"#xd19e462" name="xd19e462">3</a>]</span>was a town called Atpat, and
+in it there lived a poor Brahman. Every day he used to go into the
+woods to fetch sticks and to cut grass. One day he met there some
+nymphs and wood-fairies, who said that they were performing holy rites
+in honour of the sun. He asked, &ldquo;What are these rites?&rdquo;
+They replied, &ldquo;If we tell you, you will become proud and vain and
+you will not perform them properly.&rdquo; But the Brahman promised,
+&ldquo;No, I shall not become proud or vain and I shall observe the
+rites you tell me.&rdquo; They then told him that the month of Shravan
+was coming, and that on the first Sunday of Shravan he was to draw a
+picture of the sun with red sandal paste, that he was to offer to the
+drawing flowers and fruit, and that he should continue doing this for
+six months. Thereafter he should in various ways, which they told him,
+entertain guests and give alms to the poor.</p>
+<p>The Brahman went home and performed the rites to the letter, so that
+the sun-god was very pleased. Wealth came to the Brahman and he grew
+richer and richer, and at last the queen of the land sent for him. The
+poor Brahman began to tremble and shake all over, <span class=
+"pagenum">[<a id="xd19e466" href="#xd19e466" name=
+"xd19e466">4</a>]</span>but the queen said, &ldquo;Do not shake or
+tremble, but give your daughters in marriage to our house.&rdquo; The
+Brahman said, &ldquo;My daughters are poor; you will make them slaves
+or maid-servants.&rdquo; &ldquo;No,&rdquo; said the queen, &ldquo;I
+shall not make them slaves or maid-servants; I shall marry one to a
+king, and one to a minister.&rdquo; The Brahman agreed, and when the
+month of Margashish, or December, came he gave his two daughters in
+marriage, one to the king and one to the minister. Immediately after
+the marriage the Brahman said good-bye to his daughters, and did not
+see them again for twelve years. Then he visited the elder one, who had
+married the king. She gave him a wooden stand on which to sit while
+eating, and water in which to wash his feet, and then said,
+&ldquo;Papa, papa, there is pudding to eat, there is water to
+drink.&rdquo; But the Brahman said, &ldquo;Before I eat or drink, I
+must tell you my story.&rdquo; But his daughter said, &ldquo;Papa, I
+have no time to listen to your story; the king is going a-hunting, and
+I must not keep him waiting for his dinner.&rdquo; The Brahman thought
+this very disrespectful and went off in a great rage to <span class=
+"pagenum">[<a id="xd19e468" href="#xd19e468" name=
+"xd19e468">5</a>]</span>the house of his other daughter, who had
+married a minister. She welcomed her father and gave him a wooden stand
+on which to eat, and water to wash his feet, and said, &ldquo;Papa,
+papa, here is pudding to eat and here is water to drink.&rdquo; But the
+Brahman said, &ldquo;Before I eat or drink I must tell you my
+story.&rdquo; His daughter said, &ldquo;Of course, papa, tell it to me,
+and I shall listen as long as you like.&rdquo; Then she went into an
+inner room and she fetched six pearls. She took three herself and three
+she put in her father&rsquo;s hand. And he told her how he had met the
+nymphs and wood-fairies, who had told him to worship the sun-god, and
+she listened to it all without missing a syllable. Then the Brahman ate
+and drank and went back to his own house. His wife asked him about
+their two daughters. He told her everything and said, &ldquo;The elder
+one who would not listen to my story will come to grief.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>And so she did. For the king, her husband, took an army into a far
+country and never came back. But the daughter who had listened to the
+story lived well and happy. As time went on the undutiful daughter
+<span class="pagenum">[<a id="xd19e472" href="#xd19e472" name=
+"xd19e472">6</a>]</span>became poorer and poorer, until one day she
+said to her eldest son, &ldquo;Go to your aunt&rsquo;s house and beg of
+her to give you a present, and bring back whatever she gives
+you.&rdquo; Next Sunday the boy started and went to the village where
+his aunt lived. Standing by the village tank he called out, &ldquo;O
+maids, O slave-girls, whose maids and slave-girls are ye?&rdquo; They
+answered, &ldquo;We are the maids and the slave-girls of the
+minister.&rdquo; The boy said, &ldquo;Go and tell the minister&rsquo;s
+wife that her sister&rsquo;s son is here. Tell her that he is standing
+by the village tank, that his coat is tattered and that his garments
+are torn, and ask her to let him come into her house through the back
+door.&rdquo; The slave-girls took him in through the back door. His
+aunt had him bathed, and gave him clothes to wear, and food to eat, and
+drink, and a pumpkin hollowed out and filled with gold coins. As he
+left, she called to him, &ldquo;Do not drop it, do not forget it, but
+take it carefully home.&rdquo; But as the boy went home, the sun-god
+came disguised as a gardener and stole the pumpkin filled with gold.
+When the boy reached his mother&rsquo;s house she asked, &ldquo;Well,
+my son, what did your aunt give you?&rdquo; <span class=
+"pagenum">[<a id="xd19e474" href="#xd19e474" name=
+"xd19e474">7</a>]</span>He said, &ldquo;Fortune gave, but
+Karma<a class="noteref" id="xd19e476src" href="#xd19e476" name=
+"xd19e476src">2</a> took away; I lost everything my aunt bestowed on
+me.&rdquo; Next Sunday the second son went and stood by the village
+tank and called out, &ldquo;O slave-girls and maid-servants, who is
+your master?&rdquo; They said, &ldquo;Our master is the
+minister.&rdquo; &ldquo;Then tell the minister&rsquo;s wife that her
+nephew is here.&rdquo; He was taken in by the back door. He was bathed
+and clothed and given food and drink. As he was going, his aunt gave
+him a hollow stick full of gold coins and said, &ldquo;Do not drop it,
+do not forget it, mind it carefully and take it home.&rdquo; On the way
+the sun-god came in the guise of a cowherd and stole the stick. When
+the boy got home his mother asked him what he had brought. He said,
+&ldquo;Fortune gave, but Karma took away.&rdquo; On the third Sunday a
+third son went and stood by the village tank. His aunt received him
+like the others and had him bathed, clothed, and fed. As he was going
+away, she gave him a hollow cocoa-nut stuffed with gold coins and said,
+&ldquo;Do not drop it, do not forget it, but mind it carefully and take
+it home.&rdquo; On the way back he put down the <span class=
+"pagenum">[<a id="xd19e479" href="#xd19e479" name=
+"xd19e479">8</a>]</span>cocoa-nut on the edge of a well, and it toppled
+over and fell into the water with a great splash. When he reached his
+mother&rsquo;s house she asked him what his aunt&rsquo;s present was.
+He said, &ldquo;I have lost everything which fortune brought me.&rdquo;
+On the fourth Sunday the fourth son went. His aunt welcomed him like
+the others, and had him bathed and fed. When he left she gave him an
+earthen pot full of gold coins. But the sun-god came in the guise of a
+kite and snatched the pot away. When the boy reached home his mother
+asked him whether his aunt had given him anything. He said, &ldquo;I
+have lost everything which my aunt gave me.&rdquo; On the fifth Sunday
+the mother herself got up and went to her sister&rsquo;s village and
+stood by the tank. The minister&rsquo;s wife took her in through her
+back door and had her clothed and fed. Then the minister&rsquo;s wife
+told her that all her trouble had come through not listening to her
+father&rsquo;s story, and the minister&rsquo;s wife repeated it to her.
+The king&rsquo;s wife listened to it, and stayed with her sister until
+the following month of Shravan, or August, when she did fitting worship
+to the sun. <span class="pagenum">[<a id="xd19e481" href="#xd19e481"
+name="xd19e481">9</a>]</span></p>
+<p>Instantly good fortune came to her. After years of weary fighting,
+her husband, the king, at last overcame his enemies, and after taking
+great wealth from them turned homewards with his army. As he went
+towards his capital, he passed the village where the minister&rsquo;s
+wife lived. There he learnt that his queen was with her sister, so he
+sent for her with a befitting escort. &ldquo;O auntie, auntie,&rdquo;
+cried all the queen&rsquo;s little nephews and nieces, &ldquo;umbrellas
+have come for you, and horse-tails and guards and foot-soldiers.&rdquo;
+Every one rushed out to see, and the king and queen greeted each other
+after years of separation. The sisters gave each other gifts of
+clothes, and the king and his queen went away together. At the first
+halting-place the servants cooked the food. The queen filled the
+king&rsquo;s plate and then her own, and then she thought of the story
+which her sister had told her. She ordered her servants to go through
+the neighbouring village and bring in any one who was hungry and too
+poor to buy food. They found none such in the village, but on the way
+back they met a starving wood-cutter, and, bringing him to the queen,
+told him to <span class="pagenum">[<a id="xd19e484" href="#xd19e484"
+name="xd19e484">10</a>]</span>listen to the tale which she would tell
+him. The queen brought six pearls. Three she gave to the wood-cutter,
+and three she kept herself. Then she told him the story of her father
+and the wood-fairies. The wood-cutter listened with all attention, and
+as he listened his faggot of wood became all of gold. He went away
+delighted, promising to worship the sun in the way the wood-fairies had
+shown to the Brahman.</p>
+<p>Next day the cavalcade reached the second halting-place. Food was
+cooked; the queen filled the king&rsquo;s plate and then her own plate,
+and again she told her, servants to bring from the neighbouring village
+any one who was hungry and too poor to buy food. They came upon a petty
+farmer, whose well had dried up and whose crops had withered. He was
+sitting sadly by his field when they called him to go with them and
+listen to the queen&rsquo;s tale. He went with them to the camp. There
+the queen brought six pearls and gave three of them to the farmer and
+kept three of them herself. Then she told the story of her father and
+the wood-fairies. And as the farmer listened, all attention, the water
+began to pour <span class="pagenum">[<a id="xd19e488" href="#xd19e488"
+name="xd19e488">11</a>]</span>into the well, and the crop began to look
+fresh and green. He went away delighted, and promised to worship the
+sun in the way the wood-fairies had told the Brahman. Next day the
+cavalcade reached the third halting-place. Food was cooked, and the
+queen filled the king&rsquo;s plate and then her own plate. Then she
+told the servants to search in the neighbouring village for any one who
+was hungry and too poor to buy food. They met an old woman. Her eldest
+son had been lost in the forest. Her second son had been drowned in a
+pond. Her third son had died of snake-bite. They told her to come and
+listen to the queen&rsquo;s story. She went with them, and as she
+listened, all attention, first the son who had been lost in the forest
+walked into the camp, next the son who had been drowned in the pond,
+and last of all the son who had died of a snake-bite. The old woman
+went away crying with joy, and promising to worship the sun in the way
+the wood-fairies had instructed the Brahman. Next day the cavalcade
+reached the fourth halting-place. Food was cooked, and the queen first
+filled the king&rsquo;s plate and then her own. After dinner she sent
+her <span class="pagenum">[<a id="xd19e490" href="#xd19e490" name=
+"xd19e490">12</a>]</span>servants as before to bring in some poor and
+hungry man from the neighbouring village. They found a man whose eyes
+were so crooked that he could hardly see, who had no arms or legs, and
+who had not even a name. For he was only known as &ldquo;Lump of
+flesh.&rdquo; He was lying on his face, but when they brought him into
+camp, the queen had him placed on his back and had a jug of water
+poured over him. Then she took six pearls. Three she kept herself, and
+three she placed on the stomach of &ldquo;Lump of flesh.&rdquo; Then
+she told him the tale of her father and the wood-fairies. He listened,
+all attention, and as he listened his arms and legs grew out of his
+body, and hands and feet appeared at the ends of them. He too went away
+delighted, and he promised to worship the sun in the way the
+wood-fairies had told the Brahman.</p>
+<p>At the end of the next day&rsquo;s march the king and queen reached
+their home. Food was cooked, and as they sat down to dinner the sun-god
+himself appeared and joined them at their meal. The king had all the
+doors flung wide open, and ordered a fresh and far more splendid dinner
+to be prepared, with any <span class="pagenum">[<a id="xd19e494" href=
+"#xd19e494" name="xd19e494">13</a>]</span>number of dishes, each dish
+having six separate flavours. When it was served the sun-god and the
+king began to eat, but in the first mouthful the sun-god found a hair.
+He got very very angry, and called out, &ldquo;To what sinful woman
+does this hair belong?&rdquo; Then the poor queen remembered that
+during her twelve years of poverty she had always sat under the eaves
+combing her hair, and knew that it must have been one of her hairs
+which had got into the sun-god&rsquo;s food. She begged for mercy, but
+the sun-god would not forgive her until she had clothed herself in a
+black blanket, plucked a stick out of the eaves, and had gone outside
+the town and there thrown the stick and the hair over her left
+shoulder. Then the sun-god recovered his good-humour, and finished his
+dinner. And the Brahman, the king and queen, and the wood-cutter and
+the farmer whose well had dried up, and the old woman who had lost her
+children, and &ldquo;Lump of flesh&rdquo; with the cross eyes, they all
+remained in the favour of the sun-god and lived happily ever
+afterwards. <span class="pagenum">[<a id="xd19e496" href="#xd19e496"
+name="xd19e496">14</a>]</span></p>
+<div class="footnotes">
+<hr class="fnsep">
+<p class="footnote"><span class="label"><a class="noteref" id=
+"xd19e456" href="#xd19e456src" name="xd19e456">1</a></span> In India
+days of the week have the same mysterious connexion with the astral
+bodies that they have in Europe. Aditwar or Raviwar is sun&rsquo;s day
+(Sunday); Somwar is moon&rsquo;s day (Monday); Mangalwar is
+<span class="corr" id="xd19e458" title=
+"Source: Mar&rsquo;s">Mars&rsquo;</span> day (mardi); Budhwar is
+Mercury&rsquo;s day (mercredi); Brihaspatiwar is the day of Diespiter
+or Jupiter (jeudi); Shukrawar is Venus&rsquo; day (vendredi); Shaniwar
+is Saturn&rsquo;s day (Saturday).</p>
+<p class="footnote"><span class="label"><a class="noteref" id=
+"xd19e476" href="#xd19e476src" name="xd19e476">2</a></span> His bad
+actions in a former life.</p>
+</div>
+</div>
+<div id="ch02" class="div1"><span class="pagenum">[<a href=
+"#toc">Contents</a>]</span>
+<h2>The Monday Story</h2>
+<p>Once upon a time there was a town called Atpat. In it there lived a
+very saintly king. One day he formed the wish to fill the shrine of
+Shiva, the moon-god, with milk up to the ceiling. He consulted his
+chief minister, and the latter sent a crier through Atpat ordering,
+under terrible penalties, all the townspeople to bring every Monday all
+the milk in their houses and offer it to the god Shiva. The townspeople
+were frightened at the threatened punishments, and the next Monday they
+brought all the milk in Atpat to Shiva&rsquo;s shrine, not keeping a
+drop for their calves or even for their children. But although all the
+milk in Atpat was every Monday poured into Shiva&rsquo;s shrine, it yet
+did not become full to the ceiling. But one day an old woman came to
+the shrine. <span class="pagenum">[<a id="xd19e502" href="#xd19e502"
+name="xd19e502">15</a>]</span>She had done all her housework. She had
+fed all the children and had bathed all her little daughters-in-law.
+Then she took a few drops of milk, a little sandal-wood paste, and a
+few flowers, and half-a-dozen grains of rice and went to worship at
+Shiva&rsquo;s shrine. She prayed to Shiva, &ldquo;The little milk that
+I can offer is not likely to fill your shrine, seeing that all the milk
+offered by the king could not. Nevertheless I offer the milk with all
+my heart.&rdquo; She then got up and went back to her house. Then a
+strange thing happened. Directly the old woman turned her back, the
+shrine filled with milk right up to the ceiling. The priests ran and
+told the king, but none of them could say how it happened. The
+following Monday the king placed a soldier by the door; and again the
+old woman came and worshipped, and again the shrine filled with milk to
+the ceiling. The soldier ran and told the king, but could not explain
+the cause. The third Monday the king himself went and watched by the
+shrine. From his hiding-place he saw the old woman come up and noticed
+that the shrine filled with milk immediately after she had worshipped.
+He ran after her <span class="pagenum">[<a id="xd19e504" href=
+"#xd19e504" name="xd19e504">16</a>]</span>and caught her. The old woman
+begged the king to spare her life, and this he promised to do if she
+told the truth. She said, &ldquo;O King! you ordered all the milk in
+Atpat to be brought to Shiva&rsquo;s shrine. But what was the result?
+All the calves began lowing and all the children began crying, because
+they could get no milk. And all the grown-up people were so worried by
+the noise that they did not know what to do. Shiva was displeased at
+this, so He would not let the shrine fill. This, therefore, is what you
+should do. Let the children and the calves have their milk. Then take
+whatever is over to the shrine, and it will at once fill up to the
+ceiling.&rdquo; The king let the old woman go, and had it proclaimed by
+beat of drum that the townspeople were to bring to the shrine on the
+following Monday only the milk remaining after the children and the
+calves had been fed. The townspeople were delighted. The children
+stopped crying and the calves stopped lowing, and all the milk left by
+them was brought to Shiva&rsquo;s shrine. The king prayed long and
+earnestly, and when he looked up he saw that the shrine was full right
+up to the ceiling. He gave <span class="pagenum">[<a id="xd19e506"
+href="#xd19e506" name="xd19e506">17</a>]</span>the old woman a handsome
+present. And she went back to her home, and she did her housework, and
+then she bathed all her little daughters and all her little
+daughters-in-law. <span class="pagenum">[<a id="xd19e508" href=
+"#xd19e508" name="xd19e508">18</a>]</span></p>
+</div>
+<div id="ch03" class="div1"><span class="pagenum">[<a href=
+"#toc">Contents</a>]</span>
+<h2>The Tuesday Story</h2>
+<p>Once upon a time there was a town called Atpat.<a class="noteref"
+id="xd19e514src" href="#xd19e514" name="xd19e514src">1</a> In it there
+lived a bania who had no son. Every day a religious mendicant used to
+come to his house and call out, &ldquo;Alms! Alms! In the name of God,
+give me alms.&rdquo; But when the bania&rsquo;s wife offered him alms
+he refused them, because she had no children. She told her husband, who
+advised her to play a trick on the mendicant. She hid behind her door,
+and as he called out &ldquo;Alms! alms!&rdquo; she slipped a gold piece
+into his wallet. But the mendicant caught her and became very angry. He
+cursed her and told her that she would always remain without any
+children. <span class="pagenum">[<a id="xd19e517" href="#xd19e517"
+name="xd19e517">19</a>]</span>She was terrified and fell at his feet
+and begged for forgiveness. Then he pitied her and said, &ldquo;Tell
+your husband to put on blue clothes, mount a blue horse, and ride into
+the jungle. He should ride on until he meets a horse. He should then
+dismount and dig in the ground. He will in the end come to a temple to
+Parwati. He must pray to her and she will bestow a child on him.&rdquo;
+When her husband came back she told him what had happened. So he at
+once put on blue clothes, mounted a blue horse, and rode into the
+forest. He met the horse, dismounted, and began digging. At last he
+discovered a temple to Parwati, all of gold, with diamond pillars and a
+spire made of rubies. Inside was a statue of the goddess, and to it he
+prayed, saying, &ldquo;I have houses and cottages, cattle and horses,
+money and goods of all kinds, but I am very sad because I have no
+son.&rdquo; The goddess pitied him and asked, &ldquo;Which will you
+have, a son who will be good but will die young, or a son who will live
+long but will be born blind?&rdquo; The poor bania became greatly
+perplexed, but at last said, &ldquo;I choose a son who will be good but
+will die young,&rdquo; The goddess said, &ldquo;Very well. <span class=
+"pagenum">[<a id="xd19e519" href="#xd19e519" name=
+"xd19e519">20</a>]</span>Step behind me. There you will find an image
+of Ganpati. Behind it is a mango tree. Climb upon Ganpati&rsquo;s
+stomach and pick one mango. Go home and give it to your wife to eat,
+and your wish will be gratified.&rdquo; Parwati then disappeared. The
+bania climbed upon Ganpati&rsquo;s stomach and ate as many mangoes as
+he could. He next filled a large bundle full of mangoes and stepped
+down. But when he reached the ground he found that there was only one
+mango in the bundle. He climbed up again and refilled his bundle, but
+when he stepped down he again found only one mango. This happened three
+or four times. At last Ganpati got very sore and angry with having his
+stomach trampled on. So he shouted out, &ldquo;One mango is all
+you&rsquo;ll get. So be off home!&rdquo; The bania was frightened out
+of his wits and galloped home with his one mango. His wife ate it, and
+in nine months she presented her husband with a son. When the little
+boy was eight years old his sacred thread was put on, and his mother
+said, &ldquo;It is time to think of his marriage.&rdquo; But the bania
+said, &ldquo;I dare not marry him unless he first makes a pilgrimage to
+Benares.&rdquo; His <span class="pagenum">[<a id="xd19e521" href=
+"#xd19e521" name="xd19e521">21</a>]</span>maternal uncle agreed to take
+the little boy to Benares.</p>
+<div class="figure xd19e524width" id="p022"><img src="images/p022.jpg"
+alt="&ldquo;It curled itself up inside the earthen jar&rdquo;" width=
+"504" height="720">
+<p class="figureHead">&ldquo;It curled itself up inside the earthen
+jar&rdquo;</p>
+</div>
+<p>So off they started together, and some days later the uncle and
+nephew halted at a village where some little girls were playing. One of
+the little girls said to the other, &ldquo;You are nothing but a
+wretched little widow.&rdquo; But the other little girl said, &ldquo;Oh
+no! there are never any widows in our family. Mother worships Parwati
+and so I can never be a widow.&rdquo; The uncle heard this, and thought
+that if his nephew could only marry a little girl who could not become
+a widow, he would not die young. So he began to think how he could
+bring about the marriage. Now it so happened that the little girl was
+to be married that day. But in the morning the boy to whom she was
+betrothed fell ill. Her parents were in great trouble, but at last they
+thought that, rather than postpone the wedding and disappoint all the
+guests, it would be better to marry their little daughter to the first
+traveller who passed through the village. So they went to the
+rest-house to inquire if any one was there. There they found the uncle
+and nephew, and they married their <span class="pagenum">[<a id=
+"xd19e530" href="#xd19e530" name="xd19e530">22</a>]</span>little girl
+to the latter that very evening when the cows were homing. They drew on
+the wall a picture of Shiva and Parwati, and they put the children to
+bed beneath it. Parwati appeared to the little girl in her sleep. The
+goddess said, &ldquo;My child, a snake will come to bite your husband:
+give it milk to drink. Then put near it a new earthen jar. When the
+snake has finished drinking, it will enter the earthen jar. Then at
+once pull off your bodice and stuff it into the jar&rsquo;s mouth. Next
+morning give the jar to your mother.&rdquo; Next evening everything
+happened as Parwati had said. The snake came to bite her husband as he
+slept. But the little girl offered it milk, which it drank. After
+drinking, it curled itself up inside the earthen jar, and, the moment
+it did so, the little girl slipped off her bodice and stuffed it into
+the mouth of the jar. Next morning her husband gave her a ring, and she
+in exchange gave him a sweet-dish, and he and his uncle continued their
+journey to Benares. When they had gone, the little girl gave the
+earthen jar with the snake inside it to her mother. The mother took out
+the bodice, but instead of a snake a garland lay inside, and
+<span class="pagenum">[<a id="xd19e532" href="#xd19e532" name=
+"xd19e532">23</a>]</span>the mother put it round her little
+daughter&rsquo;s neck. Some weeks passed, but neither uncle nor nephew
+returned. So the little girl&rsquo;s parents grew anxious. The sick boy
+who was to have been her husband recovered, but she could no longer
+marry him, and the boy whom she had married had gone away and might
+never return. In despair the parents built a house, in which they
+entertained every traveller who passed by, hoping that sooner or later
+one of the travellers would prove to be their daughter&rsquo;s husband.
+To all of them the mother gave water; the daughter washed their feet;
+her brother gave them sandal-wood paste; and her father gave them
+betel-nut. But it was all in vain; none of the travellers&rsquo;
+fingers fitted the ring given to the little girl by her husband, nor
+could any of them produce the sweet-dish which she had given him in
+exchange.</p>
+<p>In the meantime the uncle and nephew had reached Benares and had
+given large sums in charity, and had visited all the holy places and
+had received the blessings of all the Brahmans. One day the little boy,
+fainted. And in a dream he saw the messenger of Yama, the god
+<span class="pagenum">[<a id="xd19e536" href="#xd19e536" name=
+"xd19e536">24</a>]</span>of death, come close to him as if to carry him
+off. Next he saw the goddess Parwati come to his rescue and, after a
+struggle, drive away Yama&rsquo;s messenger. When the boy woke up he
+told the dream to his uncle. The latter was overjoyed because he felt
+certain that now the boy would no longer die young. He told his nephew
+to get ready, and next day they left Benares. On their way home they
+passed by the village where the nephew had been married. As they were
+having breakfast near the village tank, a maid-servant invited them to
+come to the house which the girl&rsquo;s parents had built for the
+reception of travellers. At first the uncle declined, but when a palki
+was sent for them, he and his nephew entered it. When the little girl
+began to wash her husband&rsquo;s feet, she recognised him. She tried
+on the ring, which fitted his finger, and he in turn showed her the
+sweet-dish which she had given him. The parents were as pleased as
+possible, and they sent a messenger to invite the boy&rsquo;s parents.
+They came, and the boy&rsquo;s mother threw herself at her
+daughter-in-law&rsquo;s feet and thanked her for saving her son. Then
+there was a great feast and everybody <span class="pagenum">[<a id=
+"xd19e538" href="#xd19e538" name="xd19e538">25</a>]</span>was very
+happy indeed, and at the end they all worshipped Parwati,<a class=
+"noteref" id="xd19e540src" href="#xd19e540" name="xd19e540src">2</a> so
+she became as pleased as everybody else. <span class="pagenum">[<a id=
+"xd19e543" href="#xd19e543" name="xd19e543">26</a>]</span></p>
+<div class="footnotes">
+<hr class="fnsep">
+<p class="footnote"><span class="label"><a class="noteref" id=
+"xd19e514" href="#xd19e514src" name="xd19e514">1</a></span> All these
+stories take place in Atpat town. This literally means &ldquo;City
+Splendid.&rdquo; But in the tales it is simply a fabulous city.</p>
+<p class="footnote"><span class="label"><a class="noteref" id=
+"xd19e540" href="#xd19e540src" name="xd19e540">2</a></span> Although
+Tuesday is really the day of Mars, Mangal, this tale by a popular error
+connects the day with Mangalgauri or Parwati, Shiva&rsquo;s wife.</p>
+</div>
+</div>
+<div id="ch04" class="div1"><span class="pagenum">[<a href=
+"#toc">Contents</a>]</span>
+<h2>The Wednesday and Thursday Story</h2>
+<p>There was once upon a time a town called Atpat. In it there lived a
+prince who had seven sons and seven daughters-in-law. Every day there
+used to come to the prince&rsquo;s house two Brahmans, an uncle and a
+nephew. But when they asked for alms the daughters-in-law sent word
+that they were too busy to give them any. Some time afterwards the
+prince lost all his riches and became very poor. The two Brahmans again
+came to beg, but the elder daughter-in-law said to them, &ldquo;We are
+no longer busy, but we have nothing to give you. If we had, we should
+give it to you.&rdquo; The youngest daughter-in-law, however, was a
+clever little girl, and she thought to herself, &ldquo;The Brahmans
+will get very angry with us. <span class="pagenum">[<a id="xd19e549"
+href="#xd19e549" name="xd19e549">27</a>]</span>When we had money, we
+gave them nothing; and now we give them nothing because we have nothing
+to give.&rdquo; So she fell at the elder Brahman&rsquo;s feet and said,
+&ldquo;We have been very wicked and have deserved to become poor. But
+please forgive us and tell me how we may become rich as we were
+before.&rdquo; The elder Brahman said, &ldquo;Every Wednesday and every
+Thursday you must invite a Brahman to dinner. And if you have no money
+to pay for the dinner, draw a pair of cow&rsquo;s feet on your
+money-box. If you want grain for the dinner, draw a pair of cow&rsquo;s
+feet on your corn-bin. Then worship the feet and welcome the Brahmans.
+For you will find that you will have money in your box and grain in
+your corn-bin. And in time you will all get as rich as you were
+before.&rdquo; The little girl did what the Brahman told her. And
+whenever she invited Brahmans to dinner, she drew the cow&rsquo;s feet
+on the cash-box and on the corn-bin, and there was always money and
+grain sufficient for the meal.</p>
+<p>But some days later she fell asleep and dreamt that Budh<a class=
+"noteref" id="xd19e553src" href="#xd19e553" name="xd19e553src">1</a>
+and Brahaspati came to her <span class="pagenum">[<a id="xd19e556"
+href="#xd19e556" name="xd19e556">28</a>]</span>bedside and said,
+&ldquo;Little girl, little girl, your husband has been made king over a
+great country. Go to him, and, when you have found him, do not forget
+to worship us and to give feast to the Brahmans.&rdquo; Then the little
+girl woke up and she told the other six daughters-in-law. But they were
+jealous of her, and they became very angry; and they kicked her so
+often and boxed her ears so hard that she forgot all about drawing the
+cow&rsquo;s feet on her money-box and on the corn-bin. So she never
+found any money in the box or any corn in the bin. And every day they
+became poorer and poorer. First all the men servants ran away, then the
+male members of the family left, and at last the seven daughters-in-law
+were left alone in the house. They were starving, but they did not know
+how to get any food. One day they heard that a king in a neighbouring
+country wished to construct a tank and was calling for labourers. So
+they decided to go to the tank and work there just like common coolie
+women. Now who do you think the king was? He was the youngest son of
+the prince of Atpat and the husband of the youngest daughter-in-law.
+When the <span class="pagenum">[<a id="xd19e558" href="#xd19e558" name=
+"xd19e558">29</a>]</span>prince had lost all his money, his youngest
+son left the house and set off on a journey. As he travelled he came to
+a city, the king of which had just died without leaving any children or
+relatives. His subjects did not know how to choose a successor. At last
+they gave a garland of flowers to a she-elephant and turned it loose.
+The elephant walked straight to the prince&rsquo;s son and put the
+garland round his neck. The townspeople were very angry. They snatched
+away the garland and drove away the prince&rsquo;s son. They again gave
+the garland to the elephant, but the elephant again put the garland
+round the neck of the prince&rsquo;s son. The townspeople again
+snatched away the garland. But when the elephant put it round the young
+man&rsquo;s neck for the third time, they lifted him high in the air
+and declared him to be their king. At first he was so pleased at being
+king that he forgot all about his poor little wife. But one night Budh
+and Brahaspati appeared to him in a dream and reminded him of her and
+told him how poor she was. But he could not leave his kingdom to go and
+look for her. So he thought that he would dig a tank and call
+<span class="pagenum">[<a id="xd19e560" href="#xd19e560" name=
+"xd19e560">30</a>]</span>together labourers from every quarter. And
+every day he used to go to the tank and search among the labourers to
+see if his wife was there. One day he recognised his wife and called
+her to him. Then they told each other how Budh and Brahaspati had
+appeared to each of them in a dream. And the king was so delighted at
+finding his wife that he at once proclaimed her queen of the
+country.</p>
+<p>So the little daughter-in-law was crowned queen, but she did not let
+the other daughters-in-law who were also working at the tank know of
+her good fortune. As queen, she gave a great feast to all the workers
+on the tank. But in her own palace she took some wheat flour, and she
+kneaded it into shapes resembling human feet and human fists. And when
+the other daughters-in-law were with the crowd of workers eating at the
+feast, she went up to them, and to each daughter-in-law who had kicked
+her she gave a flour foot, and to each daughter-in-law who had struck
+her with her hands she gave a flour fist. Then the daughters-in-law
+recognised who the little queen was, and they fell at her feet
+<span class="pagenum">[<a id="xd19e564" href="#xd19e564" name=
+"xd19e564">31</a>]</span>and begged for her forgiveness. So the little
+queen forgave them and took them back with her into her husband&rsquo;s
+palace. And they all lived together happily ever afterwards.
+<span class="pagenum">[<a id="xd19e566" href="#xd19e566" name=
+"xd19e566">32</a>]</span></p>
+<div class="footnotes">
+<hr class="fnsep">
+<p class="footnote"><span class="label"><a class="noteref" id=
+"xd19e553" href="#xd19e553src" name="xd19e553">1</a></span> Budh is
+Mercury; Brahaspati is Jupiter.</p>
+</div>
+</div>
+<div id="ch05" class="div1"><span class="pagenum">[<a href=
+"#toc">Contents</a>]</span>
+<h2>The Friday Story</h2>
+<p>Once upon a time there was a town called Atpat. In it there lived a
+miserably poor Brahman. He had a wife who was as poor as he was. One
+day she felt her poverty so much that she went to a gossip of hers who
+lived close by and told her all about her troubles. The neighbour could
+suggest nothing better than that the poor woman should worship the
+goddess Shukra or Venus. So she told the Brahman woman to fast every
+Friday through the month of Shravan. Every Friday evening she should
+invite a married lady friend to her house. She should bathe her
+friend&rsquo;s feet. She should give her sweetened milk to drink and
+fill her lap with wheat cakes and bits of cocoa-nut. She should
+continue to worship Shukra in this way every Friday for a whole year,
+and in the end the goddess would certainly <span class=
+"pagenum">[<a id="xd19e572" href="#xd19e572" name=
+"xd19e572">33</a>]</span>do something for her. The Brahman woman
+thought the advice good, and every Friday she worshipped Shukra and had
+a married friend to dine with her just as her neighbour had advised
+her.</p>
+<div class="figure xd19e575width" id="p032"><img src="images/p032.jpg"
+alt=
+"&ldquo;And fill her lap with wheat cakes and bits of cocoa-nut&rdquo;"
+width="501" height="720">
+<p class="figureHead">&ldquo;And fill her lap with wheat cakes and bits
+of cocoa-nut&rdquo;</p>
+</div>
+<p>Now the Brahman woman had a rich brother living in the same town,
+who one day invited one thousand Brahmans to dine. At the same time he
+invited all the townspeople with the single exception of his sister.
+The poor lady thought that she must have been left out by accident, and
+that there would be no harm in going, even although uninvited. She put
+on her silk dining-clothes, and, taking her children with her, went off
+to the dinner. She seated herself close to her children, and was eating
+away when her brother came round serving ghee. When he saw his sister
+he shouted at her, &ldquo;You have neither nice clothes nor nice
+jewelry. You have made me a laughing-stock by coming as you have come.
+I shall not turn you out, but do not come to-morrow.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>Next day she did not want to go, but her children, who had enjoyed
+the previous day&rsquo;s feast, persuaded their mother to take them
+again to her brother&rsquo;s house. Once more <span class=
+"pagenum">[<a id="xd19e583" href="#xd19e583" name=
+"xd19e583">34</a>]</span>she went and sat down with her children among
+the rows of feasters. Her brother saw her as before when he came round
+serving the ghee. He shouted at her, &ldquo;A beggar woman must, I
+suppose, act like a village sow, and will not go away although told to.
+But do not come to-morrow. If you do, I&rsquo;ll have you turned
+out.&rdquo; Next day, however, she again went with her children to her
+brother&rsquo;s house. But near the entrance his servants caught her
+and turned her out before she could eat anything. She went home sad and
+hungry and prayed to Shukra. Now the goddess had been pleased with her
+devotion and so took pity on her. She helped the poor woman&rsquo;s
+husband so that he rapidly acquired great wealth. When her husband had
+become very rich she asked her brother to dinner. But the brother
+remembered how he had treated her and was ashamed to accept. He pressed
+her to dine with him first, and begged so hard that she at last
+consented. Next day she put on all her jewels and her finest clothes.
+Her brother gave her a wooden platform to sit on and plates made out of
+leaves from which to eat her dinner. Before she sat down she took off
+her gold-embroidered <span class="pagenum">[<a id="xd19e585" href=
+"#xd19e585" name="xd19e585">35</a>]</span>shawl and put it close to her
+plate. Her brother saw her, but thought she did it because she felt the
+room hot. She then placed her jewelry on the wooden platform. Her
+brother thought that she did it because she felt the jewelry heavy. She
+took a portion of rice and placed it on her necklace. She put a portion
+of vegetables on her pendant, and a sweet ball she placed on her
+jewelled star.</p>
+<p>Her brother at last asked her, &ldquo;What are you doing?&rdquo; She
+said, &ldquo;I am giving to the guests whom you really invited.&rdquo;
+But he did not understand, and asked, &ldquo;Why do you not begin to
+eat?&rdquo; She said, &ldquo;I have not been invited to this dinner. It
+was given in honour of my finery and not of me. I had my dinner the day
+when you gave the feast to the one thousand Brahmans.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>The brother felt thoroughly ashamed of himself. He threw himself at
+his sister&rsquo;s feet and begged for her forgiveness. So she forgave
+him and sat down to dinner. And the brother in turn went to her house
+and dined with her. And Shukra was pleased with both sister and
+brother, and they all lived happily ever afterwards. May I and my
+readers do the same. <span class="pagenum">[<a id="xd19e591" href=
+"#xd19e591" name="xd19e591">36</a>]</span></p>
+</div>
+<div id="ch06" class="div1"><span class="pagenum">[<a href=
+"#toc">Contents</a>]</span>
+<h2>The Saturday Story</h2>
+<p>Once upon a time there was a town-called Atpat. In it there lived a
+poor Brahman who had three daughters-in-law. He rose early even during
+the rainy season, and every day immediately after his morning meal he
+used to go to his field with his children and his daughters-in-law. One
+first Saturday in Shravan he got up as usual and said to the youngest
+of his daughters-in-law, &ldquo;To-day is Saturday; you had better stay
+at home, and although there is very little in the house, you must try
+to get some sort of a dinner ready. Go upstairs and scrape together all
+the grain there is in the grain-jars and make bread with it. For
+vegetables you had better gather grass and make some chutney out of
+clover leaves.&rdquo; When the Brahman had left, his <span class=
+"pagenum">[<a id="xd19e597" href="#xd19e597" name=
+"xd19e597">37</a>]</span>little daughter-in-law followed his orders as
+best she could. There was in the jar upstairs only grain for half an
+ordinary loaf. So she made tiny, tiny loaves and prepared some
+vegetables out of grass and made some clover chutney. Then she sat down
+to wait for the family&rsquo;s return from the field. As she did so,
+Saturn came disguised as a beggar all covered with sores, and cried,
+&ldquo;O Lady! I am aching all over: give me hot water to bathe in and
+oil to rub myself with, and then give me something to eat.&rdquo; The
+little daughter-in-law felt very sorry for the poor beggar. She went
+inside and got him a few drops of oil and warmed some water for his
+bath, and then gave him one of the tiny loaves to eat. The beggar ate
+it, and then gave her his blessing, saying, &ldquo;You will never want
+for anything.&rdquo; He then folded up the leaves from which he had
+eaten, stuck them into a corner of the eaves, and disappeared.</p>
+<p>Shortly afterwards the family came home and found a splendid dinner
+waiting for them. They said to themselves, &ldquo;Where did this all
+come from? There was practically nothing in the house.&rdquo; Next
+Saturday another daughter-in-law stayed at home. Again <span class=
+"pagenum">[<a id="xd19e601" href="#xd19e601" name=
+"xd19e601">38</a>]</span>Saturn in the guise of a beggar covered with
+sores came to the house. He asked as before for hot water, oil, and
+food. But his daughter-in-law said, &ldquo;I have nothing to give
+you.&rdquo; The god pressed her, saying, &ldquo;Give me a little of
+anything that you have.&rdquo; But the daughter-in-law repeated,
+&ldquo;I have nothing.&rdquo; The god replied, &ldquo;Very well, you
+will lose that little you have.&rdquo; With this threat he disappeared.
+But, when the daughter-in-law went upstairs to fetch grain for dinner,
+she could find nothing in any of the jars. Shortly afterwards the
+family came home, but there was no dinner for them. So they all got
+angry with the daughter-in-law, and, although she told them about the
+beggar, they scolded her harder than ever. A third Saturday came round,
+and a third daughter-in-law remained at home. Again Saturn came, and
+the third daughter-in-law behaved just as the second had done. She gave
+the god neither hot water, oil, nor food. And the god told her that she
+should lose the little she had. When the family came home there was no
+dinner for them, and they scolded the third daughter-in-law just as
+hard as they had scolded the second one.</p>
+<div class="figure xd19e604width" id="p039"><img src="images/p039.jpg"
+alt="&ldquo;And stuck them into a corner of the eaves&rdquo;" width=
+"507" height="720">
+<p class="figureHead">&ldquo;And stuck them into a corner of the
+eaves&rdquo;</p>
+</div>
+<p><span class="pagenum">[<a id="xd19e608" href="#xd19e608" name=
+"xd19e608">39</a>]</span></p>
+<p>The fourth Saturday it was once more the turn of the youngest
+daughter-in-law. Again Saturn came in the guise of a beggar covered
+with sores and asked for hot water, oil, and food. The little
+daughter-in-law gave them as she had done before, and the god blessed
+her, saying, &ldquo;God will make you rich and happy.&rdquo; Then he
+folded up the leaves from which he had eaten and stuck them into a
+corner of the eaves. When the little daughter-in-law went upstairs, she
+saw any amount of grain in the jars, and she prepared a splendid
+dinner. So when the family came home they were delighted. They could no
+longer restrain their curiosity, and exclaimed, &ldquo;Where did all
+this food come from?&rdquo; The little daughter-in-law told them about
+the beggar covered with sores and about his blessing. To test her
+story, they looked for the folded leaves which he had stuck into a
+corner of the roof. They found them, but when they pulled them out they
+were full of pearls and diamonds. Then the old Brahman guessed that the
+beggar was Saturn in disguise, and he also understood why, when the
+other two daughters-in-law gave him nothing and were cursed by him,
+there was <span class="pagenum">[<a id="xd19e611" href="#xd19e611"
+name="xd19e611">40</a>]</span>nothing for dinner. So they all knelt
+down and prayed to Saturn, and the god forgave the two-daughters-in-law
+who had given him nothing. And he was more pleased than ever with the
+little daughter-in-law who had befriended him. And so they all lived
+happily ever afterwards. And may Saturn be pleased with us all as he
+was with the little daughter-in-law. <span class="pagenum">[<a id=
+"xd19e613" href="#xd19e613" name="xd19e613">41</a>]</span></p>
+</div>
+<div id="ch07" class="div1"><span class="pagenum">[<a href=
+"#toc">Contents</a>]</span>
+<h2>Mahalaxmi and the Two Queens</h2>
+<p>Once upon a time there was a town called Atpat. In it there lived a
+king who had two queens. Of one of them he was very fond, but the other
+one he did not care for. The name of the favoured one was
+Patmadhavrani, and the name of the unloved one was Chimadevrani. Now
+the king had an enemy called Nandanbaneshwar. Such a terrible enemy he
+was too! He could jump into the clouds or dive into the bottom of the
+ocean. At one moment he would shoot up into heaven. At another he would
+sink down into hell, and through fear of his enemy, the king had become
+as dry and as thin as an old bit of stick. One day the king, in
+despair, assembled all his subjects and ordered them to seek out and
+kill Nandanbaneshwar. All the subjects said, <span class=
+"pagenum">[<a id="xd19e619" href="#xd19e619" name=
+"xd19e619">42</a>]</span>&ldquo;Certainly, certainly, O King,&rdquo;
+and began to search everywhere for Nandanbaneshwar. Now in Atpat there
+lived a poor woman who had one son. On hearing the orders of the king,
+he said to her, &ldquo;Mother, Mother, give me some bread, for I am
+going out to kill the king&rsquo;s enemy.&rdquo; The old woman said,
+&ldquo;Do not be silly; you are only a poor boy, and people will laugh
+at you. Here, take this bit of bread and go and eat it behind a
+tree.&rdquo; The boy said, &ldquo;Very well,&rdquo; and took the bread.
+But, after taking it, he joined the other villagers and went at their
+head to seek out and kill Nandanbaneshwar. But when evening fell they
+had not yet met Nandanbaneshwar, so all the villagers returned home.
+And when the king heard of their ill-success he was greatly grieved.
+But the old woman&rsquo;s son stayed in a wood outside the village. And
+lo and behold! just about midnight the serpent-maidens from
+Pat&acirc;la<a class="noteref" id="xd19e621src" href="#xd19e621" name=
+"xd19e621src">1</a> and the wood-nymphs came close to where he was and
+began to worship Mahalaxmi. The boy was at first terribly frightened,
+but at last he plucked up courage enough to ask, &ldquo;Ladies, ladies,
+what <span class="pagenum">[<a id="xd19e627" href="#xd19e627" name=
+"xd19e627">43</a>]</span>does one gain by worshipping Mahalaxmi?&rdquo;
+&ldquo;Whatever you lose you will find,&rdquo; said the serpent-maidens
+from Patala; &ldquo;and whatever you want you will get.&rdquo; The boy
+resolved that he too would worship Mahalaxmi. And he joined the
+serpent-maidens from Pat&acirc;la and the wood-nymphs, and all night
+long they blew on earthen pots to do the goddess honour; and the woods
+echoed and re-echoed with the deep-booming noise which they
+made.<a class="noteref" id="xd19e629src" href="#xd19e629" name=
+"xd19e629src">2</a></p>
+<p>At dawn Mahalaxmi revealed herself, and all of them, the boy
+included, prostrated themselves before her and asked for her blessing.
+She first blessed the serpent--maidens from Pat&acirc;la and then the
+wood-nymphs. And then she blessed the poor old woman&rsquo;s son and
+said, &ldquo;You will get half the kingdom of Atpat and half the
+king&rsquo;s treasure. He will build you a house as high as his own,
+and he will give you the name of &lsquo;Navalvat&rsquo; or
+&lsquo;Wonderways.&rsquo; For this very morning the king&rsquo;s mighty
+enemy will break his neck and be found lying dead in the king&rsquo;s
+courtyard,&rdquo; With these words <span class="pagenum">[<a id=
+"xd19e634" href="#xd19e634" name="xd19e634">44</a>]</span>the goddess
+vanished and flew to Kolhapur,<a class="noteref" id="xd19e636src" href=
+"#xd19e636" name="xd19e636src">3</a> and the old woman&rsquo;s son went
+home. Now at dawn Queen Patmadhavrani got up and went into the
+king&rsquo;s courtyard, and there she saw Nandanbaneshwar lying dead
+from a broken neck. She was overjoyed, and ran back into the palace to
+tell the king. The king inquired who had killed Nandanbaneshwar. Every
+one said that the old woman&rsquo;s son must have killed him, because
+he stayed behind when the others went home. The king sent for the old
+woman&rsquo;s son. He was very frightened, and when he reached the
+royal hall he called out, &ldquo;I have made no false charge against
+any one. I have done no one any harm. Why, therefore, O King, have you
+sent for me?&rdquo; &ldquo;Do not be afraid,&rdquo; said the king.
+&ldquo;My enemy Nandanbaneshwar is dead, and every one says that it is
+you who killed him. Tell me if this is true.&rdquo; &ldquo;No, O
+King,&rdquo; said the boy, &ldquo;he was killed by the arts of
+Mahalaxmi.&rdquo; &ldquo;Where did you meet her?&rdquo; asked the king.
+The boy said, &ldquo;I stayed when the other villagers returned home,
+and during the night there came the serpent-maidens from <span class=
+"pagenum">[<a id="xd19e639" href="#xd19e639" name=
+"xd19e639">45</a>]</span>Pat&acirc;la and the wood-nymphs. They taught
+me how to worship Mahalaxmi. In the morning she revealed herself and
+promised me that Nandanbaneshwar would be found lying dead, that you
+would give me half your kingdom and half your treasure, that you would
+build me a palace as high as your own, and that you would call me
+Navalvat or Wonderways.&rdquo; The king did as the goddess had
+foretold. He handed half his provinces and half his treasuries to
+Wonderways, and built him a palace of which the roof was exactly on the
+same level as that of his own palace.</p>
+<p>When Queen Patmadhavrani heard what had happened, she sent for
+Wonderways and asked him how to worship Mahalaxmi. And he told her all
+that he had seen the serpent-maidens of Pat&acirc;la do, and he also
+told her on the eighth day of the month of Ashwin<a class="noteref" id=
+"xd19e643src" href="#xd19e643" name="xd19e643src">4</a> to tie on her
+wrist a thread with sixteen strands in it, and to wear it continually
+for the rest of the month. When the 8th of Ashwin came, Queen
+Patmadhavrani dutifully tied round her wrist a thread of sixteen
+strands, and resolved to wear it every <span class="pagenum">[<a id=
+"xd19e646" href="#xd19e646" name="xd19e646">46</a>]</span>day for the
+rest of the month. But a day or two later the king came to Queen
+Patmadhavrani&rsquo;s apartments and began to play saripat<a class=
+"noteref" id="xd19e648src" href="#xd19e648" name="xd19e648src">5</a>
+with her. As they played he noticed the thread on her wrist and asked
+what it was. She told him how Wonderways had instructed her to tie it
+on. But the king got very angry and roared out, &ldquo;I have in my
+palace garlands and twine, bracelets, and hobbling-ropes. So throw away
+that wretched piece of thread. I will not let you wear it.&rdquo; The
+queen did as she was bid, and, pulling off the thread bracelet, threw
+it on the floor. Next morning the maids and the slave-girls began to
+sweep the palace, and among the sweepings one of them noticed the
+queen&rsquo;s thread bracelet. She picked it up and showed it to
+Wonderways, and he grew very wroth with Queen Patmadhavrani. He took
+the thread and at once went with it to the palace of the unloved Queen
+Chimadevrani. He told her what had happened, and she begged him to give
+the thread to her and to tell her how to worship Mahalaxmi. But he
+said, &ldquo;You will grow vain and get so conceited that you will not
+do what I tell you <span class="pagenum">[<a id="xd19e651" href=
+"#xd19e651" name="xd19e651">47</a>]</span>to do.&rdquo; But she
+promised that she would obey him in everything. So just as he had told
+the Queen Patmadhavrani, he told Queen Chimadevrani all the rites which
+he had seen the serpent-maidens from Patala and the wood-nymphs
+perform. Everything went on just the same for a whole year. But the
+next year on the 8th of Ashwin a very strange thing happened. The
+goddess Mahalaxmi disguised herself as an old beggar-woman and came to
+Atpat. First she went to the part of the palace where Queen
+Patmadhavrani lived. But no one there was paying the least honour to
+the goddess Mahalaxmi, although it was the 8th of Ashwin, and therefore
+specially sacred to her. Mahalaxmi was dreadfully put out at this, and
+when she saw Queen Patmadhavrani she said, &ldquo;Lady, lady,
+Patmadhavrani, mother of sons, what have you in your house
+to-day?&rdquo; The queen replied, &ldquo;I have nothing in my house
+to-day.&rdquo; The old woman went on, &ldquo;Lady, lady, Patmadhavrani,
+mother of sons, if you give this beggar-woman a little water, you will
+acquire merit sufficient for all your kingdom.&rdquo; But the queen
+replied, &ldquo;Even if I were to give you a copper cauldron
+<span class="pagenum">[<a id="xd19e653" href="#xd19e653" name=
+"xd19e653">48</a>]</span>of water it would not suffice for all my
+kingdom.&rdquo; The old woman then said, &ldquo;Lady, lady,
+Patmadhavrani, mother of sons, if you give this old beggar-woman a
+little rice and curds, you will gain enough merit for all your
+kingdom.&rdquo; The queen replied, &ldquo;Even if I were to give you a
+big dinner of nothing but rice and curds, I should not gain enough
+merit for all my kingdom.&rdquo; Then the old woman got very angry and
+cursed the queen, saying, &ldquo;You will become half a frog and half a
+human being, and you will stand outside your co-wife&rsquo;s bath-room
+and croak like a frog.&rdquo; But the queen did not mind her the least
+little bit, and she laughed so loud at the old woman that the noise was
+like two chains rattling together. Mahalaxmi went off in a great rage
+and entered Queen Chimadevrani&rsquo;s part of the palace. There she
+saw all the accessories of worship ready, and there was a beautiful
+image of Mahalaxmi leaning against the wall; The old woman cried,
+&ldquo;Lady, lady, Chimadevrani, mother of sons, what have you in your
+house to-day?&rdquo; &ldquo;To-day,&rdquo; said the queen, &ldquo;we
+are worshipping Mahalaxmi.&rdquo; Then the old beggar-woman said,
+&ldquo;I am Mahalaxmi.&rdquo; But <span class="pagenum">[<a id=
+"xd19e656" href="#xd19e656" name="xd19e656">49</a>]</span>the queen
+doubted and asked her, &ldquo;By what sign shall I know you?&rdquo; The
+goddess replied, &ldquo;In the morning I shall take the shape of a
+little girl. In the afternoon I shall take that of a young married
+woman. In the evening I shall become an old hag.&rdquo; After the
+goddess had taken all three shapes, Queen Chimadevrani called her into
+the palace and bathed and anointed her. She gave her a silk skirt and a
+platform to sit upon. Then she sent for Wonderways, and both of them
+worshipped the old beggar-woman and blew on earthen pots in her honour.
+The king heard the blowing on the pots and told a sepoy to find out why
+there was such a noise in Queen Chimadevrani&rsquo;s quarters. The
+sepoy went there, and when he saw what was happening joined also in the
+worship. After a little while he went back and told the king. The king
+said that he would go there too. He followed the sepoy, and Queen
+Chimadevrani came to the steps and met him and took him upstairs, where
+both played at saripat until dawn. And all the time Mahalaxmi sat by
+and watched them. At dawn Queen Chimadevrani asked Mahalaxmi for her
+blessing. She blessed the <span class="pagenum">[<a id="xd19e658" href=
+"#xd19e658" name="xd19e658">50</a>]</span>queen and said, &ldquo;The
+king will take you back with him to the palace, and your co-wife will
+become half frog, half human being, and will have to croak outside your
+bath-room while you bathe.&rdquo; But Queen Chimadevrani begged the
+goddess not to place such a terrible curse on Patmadhavrani. The
+goddess relented a little, but said, &ldquo;The king will drive her
+into the jungle for twelve years.&rdquo; At these words she vanished
+and flew to Kolhapur. When the sun rose the king placed Queen
+Chimadevrani in his chariot and drove her to his own part of the
+palace. He then sent a message to Queen Patmadhavrani asking her to
+join them. Shortly afterwards Queen Patmadhavrani appeared, dressed all
+in rags with a <span class="corr" id="xd19e660" title=
+"Source: skirit">skirt</span> round her legs and her hair all
+unfastened. On her head was a pot full of burning coal, and she began
+to shout and scream at the top of her voice. The king became very angry
+and roared out, &ldquo;Who is this that is shouting and screaming? Is
+it a ghost or a she-devil or what?&rdquo; The sepoys replied, &ldquo;O
+King, it is neither a ghost nor a she-devil, it is your Queen
+Patmadhavrani.&rdquo; &ldquo;Take her into the jungle,&rdquo; roared
+the king, &ldquo;and kill her there.&rdquo; <span class=
+"pagenum">[<a id="xd19e663" href="#xd19e663" name=
+"xd19e663">51</a>]</span>Then he went back into the palace and began to
+live in great happiness with Queen Chimadevrani. But the sepoys took
+Patmadhavrani into the jungle and told her that they had been ordered
+to kill her. She began to weep. The sepoys were kind-hearted men and
+they felt very sorry for her. They said, &ldquo;Lady, lady, do not
+weep. We have eaten bread and drunk water at your hands so we cannot
+kill you. We will leave you here, but you must never come back into the
+kingdom again.&rdquo; The sepoys left her and returned to Atpat. But
+the poor queen wandered on until she came to a distant town, where she
+entered a coppersmith&rsquo;s lane. Therein a coppersmith was making
+bangles for a beautiful young princess who had just been crowned queen
+of the city. But suddenly none of the bangles would join. He began to
+search for the cause, and asked his workmen whether any stranger had
+come near his house. The workmen looked about and found Queen
+Patmadhavrani in hiding close by. They told the coppersmith, and he and
+his men beat her soundly and drove her away. She ran into the lane of
+some weavers who were weaving a sari for the new queen. <span class=
+"pagenum">[<a id="xd19e665" href="#xd19e665" name=
+"xd19e665">52</a>]</span>Suddenly none of the looms would work. They
+began looking about to see if any stranger had come. After a little
+while they found the queen. So they beat her soundly and drove her
+away. Then she ran out of the town back into the jungle. There she
+wandered about until she came to the cave of a rishi or sage. The rishi
+was sitting lost in meditation. But she bided her time, and, when he
+went to bathe, she slipped into the cave and swept it and neaped it and
+tidied up all the utensils used by him for worship. Then she slipped
+out of the cave and ran back into the jungle. This went on every day
+for twelve years without the rishi showing that he was aware of what
+she was doing. But in his heart he was really pleased with her. And one
+day he called out in a loud voice, &ldquo;Who is it who sweeps and
+neaps my cave? Whoever she is, let her step forward.&rdquo; The queen
+stepped into the presence of the rishi and threw herself at his feet
+and said, &ldquo;If you promise not to punish me, I shall tell
+you.&rdquo; The rishi promised, and she told him her story. The rishi
+took out his magic books and, consulting them, learned that Mahalaxmi
+<span class="pagenum">[<a id="xd19e667" href="#xd19e667" name=
+"xd19e667">53</a>]</span>had cursed her. So he taught her how to
+worship Mahalaxmi, and all night long they blew on earthen pots and
+performed rites in her honour. At dawn she revealed herself and the
+queen asked her for her blessing. But the goddess was still very angry
+with the queen. Then the rishi joined her in begging the
+goddess&rsquo;s pardon, and at last she relented. She said to the
+queen, &ldquo;Put under that tree a foot-bath full of water,
+sandal-wood ointment, plates full of fruit, a stick of camphor, fans
+made of odorous grasses; and handle them all so that they retain the
+fragrance of some scent which the king will remember you used.
+To-morrow the king will come. He will be thirsty. He will send his
+sepoys to look for water. They will see all your things ready. And when
+they go back and tell him, he will come himself.&rdquo; Next morning,
+as the goddess had foretold, the king came. He saw the cool shade of
+the tree. He was tired with hunting, so he sat down and rested. He
+washed his feet in the foot-bath. He ate up all the fruit, drank the
+cold water, and sucked the stick of camphor. When he had rested to his
+heart&rsquo;s content, he asked the sepoy, &ldquo;How is it that
+<span class="pagenum">[<a id="xd19e670" href="#xd19e670" name=
+"xd19e670">54</a>]</span>in the water I drank, in the fruit I took, in
+the camphor I ate, I noticed a scent which Patmadhavrani always
+used?&rdquo; The sepoys replied, &ldquo;If the king promises to pardon
+us, we will tell him.&rdquo; The king promised. The sepoys then told
+him how they had not killed the queen, because they had eaten bread and
+had drunk water at her hands, but had let her go. The king told them to
+look and see if she was anywhere about. They searched and searched
+until they came to the rishi&rsquo;s cave. Then they ran back and told
+the king. The king rose, and going to the cave did homage to the rishi.
+The rishi accepted the homage and lectured him at great length. At last
+he ordered the king to prostrate himself before the queen. The king
+obeyed, and the rishi handed Patmadhavrani back to his care and blessed
+both her and her husband. The king put her in his chariot and took her
+to Atpat. Outside the town the king stopped his chariot and sent for
+Queen Chimadevrani Chimadevrani bathed and anointed herself, and put on
+all her silk clothes, her shawls, her embroideries, and her jewels. In
+front of her she placed all the horn-blowers of Atpat. And as she went
+<span class="pagenum">[<a id="xd19e672" href="#xd19e672" name=
+"xd19e672">55</a>]</span>to meet the king they blew their very loudest
+on their horns. The king was amazed when he heard the noise, and roared
+out, &ldquo;Who is coming with such pomp and splendour? Is it the
+serpent-maidens of Pat&acirc;la or is it the wood-nymphs who live in
+the heart of the forest?&rdquo; The sepoys said, &ldquo;O King, it is
+neither the serpent-maidens of Pat&acirc;la nor is it the wood-nymphs
+who live in the heart of the forest. It is Queen Chimadevrani, who is
+coming to meet you as you ordered.&rdquo; The king turned to
+Patmadhavrani and said, &ldquo;If you had come in this guise to meet
+me, instead of coming like a mad woman, you would never have suffered
+as you did.&rdquo; Queen Patmadhavrani said nothing, but sat still in
+the chariot, and the king lifted Queen Chimadevrani into the chariot,
+and all three entered the city. And as they entered, the horn-blowers
+blew so loud that every one was quite deafened. And the king lived from
+that time forth in perfect happiness with both his wives. And because
+of his happiness, he ruled so well that his subjects thought that King
+Ramchandra of Ayodhya had come back to rule over them. <span class=
+"pagenum">[<a id="xd19e674" href="#xd19e674" name=
+"xd19e674">56</a>]</span></p>
+<div class="footnotes">
+<hr class="fnsep">
+<p class="footnote"><span class="label"><a class="noteref" id=
+"xd19e621" href="#xd19e621src" name="xd19e621">1</a></span> For
+serpent-maidens of Pat&acirc;la see <a href="#n129.1">note to Story
+XX</a>.</p>
+<p class="footnote"><span class="label"><a class="noteref" id=
+"xd19e629" href="#xd19e629src" name="xd19e629">2</a></span> Mahalaxmi
+is always worshipped in this way. And it is a common practice for
+anyone who wants anything to blow on a pot and then wish for it.</p>
+<p class="footnote"><span class="label"><a class="noteref" id=
+"xd19e636" href="#xd19e636src" name="xd19e636">3</a></span> Kolhapur is
+the chief seat of the worship of Mahalaxmi.</p>
+<p class="footnote"><span class="label"><a class="noteref" id=
+"xd19e643" href="#xd19e643src" name="xd19e643">4</a></span> Ashwin
+corresponds approximately with October.</p>
+<p class="footnote"><span class="label"><a class="noteref" id=
+"xd19e648" href="#xd19e648src" name="xd19e648">5</a></span> A kind of
+draughts.</p>
+</div>
+</div>
+<div id="ch08" class="div1"><span class="pagenum">[<a href=
+"#toc">Contents</a>]</span>
+<h2>The Island Palace</h2>
+<p>Once upon a time there was a town called Atpat. In it there lived a
+Brahman. He had a disciple who used every day to go to the village pond
+and bathe and worship the god Shiva. On the way he had to walk through
+the sandy island in the dry bed of the river. And, as he went home
+across the island, he used to hear a voice cry, &ldquo;Shall I come?
+Shall I come? Shall I come?&rdquo;; but when he looked round he could
+see no one. The Brahman&rsquo;s disciple at last got so frightened that
+he withered up until he became as dry and as thin as a bone. At last
+the Brahman said, &ldquo;You have no wish to eat or drink; yet you are
+so thin. What is the reason?&rdquo; The boy replied, &ldquo;I neither
+wish to eat, nor want to eat, nor crave to eat. But I am frightened
+<span class="pagenum">[<a id="xd19e680" href="#xd19e680" name=
+"xd19e680">57</a>]</span>out of my wits. For whenever I come back from
+my bath I hear a voice behind me call out, &lsquo;Shall I come? Shall I
+come? Shall I come?&rsquo;; but when I look round there is no one
+there.&rdquo; The Brahman said, &ldquo;Do not be afraid, and when you
+next hear the voice, do not look behind you, but call out as boldly as
+you can, &lsquo;Come along, come along, come along.&rsquo;&rdquo; Next
+day the disciple went as usual to his bath in the village pond. He
+worshipped the god Shiva, and as he came home he heard the cry behind
+him, &ldquo;Shall I come? Shall I come? Shall I come?&rdquo; The boy
+was very frightened, but he did not look behind him. In a short time he
+mastered his fears, and then in a voice like a bull roaring he cried
+out, &ldquo;Come along, come along, come along.&rdquo; At last he
+reached home, calling all the time and without once looking behind
+him.</p>
+<p>The Brahman looked up as the disciple came in, and he saw that just
+behind was walking a young girl. He at once married the girl to his
+disciple and gave them a house to live in close by his own. Now, on the
+first Monday in the month of Shravan, or August, <span class=
+"pagenum">[<a id="xd19e684" href="#xd19e684" name=
+"xd19e684">58</a>]</span>the disciple got up and said to his wife,
+&ldquo;I am going out to worship the god Shiva. But do not wait for me.
+Just eat your breakfast directly you feel hungry.&rdquo; He went out,
+and in a little time his wife began to feel hungry. Nevertheless, she
+knew that, in spite of what her husband had said, she ought not to eat
+anything while he was worshipping Shiva. So she waited for a little
+time, but at last she got so terribly hungry that she could not wait
+any more. So she sat down and cooked her breakfast, and had just put
+one mouthful into her mouth when her husband came to the outer door.
+&ldquo;Wife, wife,&rdquo; he called, &ldquo;open the door!&rdquo; Then
+the little wife got very frightened. She pushed the uneaten breakfast
+under the bed, got up, washed her hands, and opened the door. She then
+told her husband that she had waited for him, and she cooked a fresh
+breakfast, which both ate one after the other. Next Monday exactly the
+same thing happened. The little wife cooked her breakfast and was just
+beginning it when her husband came. She then hid her uneaten breakfast
+under her bed and pretended that she had waited for his return. And on
+the <span class="pagenum">[<a id="xd19e686" href="#xd19e686" name=
+"xd19e686">59</a>]</span>two following Mondays the naughty little wife
+deceived her husband in just the same way.</p>
+<p>Now on the last Sunday in Shravan, when husband and wife went to lie
+down, the former noticed a light shining under the bed. He looked to
+see what it was, and saw several platefuls of jewels. He asked his wife
+whence they had come. Now they were really the uneaten breakfasts,
+which the god Shiva had turned into gold and jewels. But the naughty
+little wife got very frightened and told her husband a bigger story
+than ever. &ldquo;They are presents,&rdquo; she said, &ldquo;from my
+mother and father and their family.&rdquo; &ldquo;But where is your
+father&rsquo;s house?&rdquo; asked the husband. &ldquo;It is in the
+sandy island,&rdquo; said the little wife, &ldquo;which lies in the dry
+bed of the river.&rdquo; &ldquo;You must take me there,&rdquo; said her
+husband. Next morning they started off together. And the naughty little
+wife could hardly walk, she was so frightened. For she knew quite well
+that her father had no house in the sandy island. But on the way she
+prayed to Shiva, &ldquo;Please, please, god Shiva, create a house for
+my father in the sandy island which lies in the dry bed of the river,
+even if it be only for half an hour.&rdquo; <span class=
+"pagenum">[<a id="xd19e690" href="#xd19e690" name=
+"xd19e690">60</a>]</span></p>
+<p>At last the husband and wife came to the sandy island. And there, lo
+and behold! they saw a great big palace, and a splendidly dressed young
+man came forward and greeted the disciple as his brother-in-law. And a
+handsome old knight came forward and greeted the disciple as his
+son-in-law. And a beautiful young woman greeted the naughty little wife
+as the sister of her husband. And a lovely little girl ran up and
+embraced her and called her &ldquo;sister.&rdquo; And slave girls and
+maid-servants ran forward to offer her their service. A guard of
+soldiers kept watch by the palace, and at the door there were sentries,
+who made way for them as they passed. Inside the house the little wife
+and her husband were given platforms to sit upon, and a splendid feast
+was all ready prepared for them to eat. After they had feasted, they
+got up and said good-bye to the little wife&rsquo;s father and mother,
+and garlands of flowers were placed round their necks, and they started
+for their home. When they had gone half-way, the naughty little wife
+remembered that she had hung her garland on a peg and had forgotten to
+bring it with her. So she and her husband went back to the <span class=
+"pagenum">[<a id="xd19e693" href="#xd19e693" name=
+"xd19e693">61</a>]</span>sandy island. But when they got there, there
+was no palace, there were no soldiers to guard it, there were no
+sentries at the door, there were no maid-servants nor slave girls.
+There was nothing there but just a sandy island in the middle of a dry
+river-bed. And on the sand lay the garland which the naughty little
+wife had forgotten. She took it up and put it round her neck.</p>
+<p>But her husband asked her, &ldquo;What has happened to your
+father&rsquo;s house?&rdquo; The naughty little wife replied, all in
+tears, &ldquo;As it came, so it went. But if you promise to forgive me,
+I shall tell you.&rdquo; The husband promised. So she told him how
+every Monday she had felt so hungry and how she had cooked her
+breakfast, and then, on hearing her husband&rsquo;s voice, had pushed
+it under their bed. She also told him that the god Shiva had turned the
+food into gold and jewels. &ldquo;Then when you asked me,&rdquo; she
+went on, &ldquo;I felt so frightened that I said they were presents
+from my father and mother and the rest of my family. And when you made
+me take you to my father&rsquo;s house, I prayed the god Shiva to
+create, if only for half an hour, a house for my <span class=
+"pagenum">[<a id="xd19e697" href="#xd19e697" name=
+"xd19e697">62</a>]</span>father on the sandy island in the dry
+river-bed. And he graciously granted my request.&rdquo; Then the
+husband forgave the naughty little wife. And she became quite good and
+never told him any more stories. And they both went home and lived
+happily ever afterwards. <span class="pagenum">[<a id="xd19e699" href=
+"#xd19e699" name="xd19e699">63</a>]</span></p>
+</div>
+<div id="ch09" class="div1"><span class="pagenum">[<a href=
+"#toc">Contents</a>]</span>
+<h2>Nagoba, the Snake-King</h2>
+<p>Once upon a time there was a town called Atpat. In it there lived a
+Brahman who had seven little daughters-in-law. In the fulness of time
+the month of Shravan came and with it Nagpanchmi Day<a class="noteref"
+id="xd19e705src" href="#xd19e705" name="xd19e705src">1</a>. In honour
+of the festival, one little daughter-in-law went to her
+grandpapa&rsquo;s house, another went to her great grandpapa&rsquo;s
+house, another went to her father&rsquo;s house, until at last only the
+youngest daughter-in-law remained behind. Her father and mother were
+dead, and she had no uncles and no aunts and no little brothers or
+sisters. So the poor little daughter-in-law felt very sad and sat down
+and cried in a corner. Then she remembered that it was Nagpanchmi Day,
+and <span class="pagenum">[<a id="xd19e711" href="#xd19e711" name=
+"xd19e711">64</a>]</span>that it was a festival in honour of Nagoba,
+the great snake-king. So she prayed under her breath, &ldquo;Please,
+please, snake-king, come and pretend that you have been sent to fetch
+me to my father&rsquo;s house!&rdquo; And the great snake-king heard
+the prayer and felt quite sorry for the poor little daughter-in-law who
+was crying in the corner. He assumed the guise of a Brahman and came to
+the house where the little daughter-in-law was, and said that he had
+been sent to fetch her to her father&rsquo;s house. Her father-in-law
+was very much astonished. For he wondered why, if the new-comer really
+was a relative of the little daughter-in-law, he had never paid him a
+visit before. At last he asked the little daughter-in-law who the
+new-comer was. She did not know in the least. But she was so overjoyed
+that some one should have come for her that she at once answered,
+&ldquo;He is my mother&rsquo;s brother.&rdquo; Her father-in-law
+believed her and sent her off in the care of Nagoba, the snake-king.
+Still disguised as a Brahman, he took her to the entrance of his
+underground palace and there he told her who he was. He then reassumed
+his true appearance, and, expanding the mighty <span class=
+"pagenum">[<a id="xd19e713" href="#xd19e713" name=
+"xd19e713">65</a>]</span>hood behind his head, he seated the little
+girl on it and took her down to his splendid dwelling-house beneath the
+earth. In the central hall he presented her to the snake-queen and to
+all the snake-princes, and told them that in no circumstances whatever
+were they to bite the little daughter-in-law.</p>
+<p>One day the snake-queen was about to be confined. So she asked the
+little daughter-in-law to sit by her side with the lamp in her hand.
+The little daughter-in-law did so, and a little time afterwards the
+snake-queen gave birth to a fresh litter of little snake-princes. When
+the little daughter-in-law saw them all wriggling about, she was
+frightened out of her wits. She let the lamp slip out of her hands. It
+fell on the ground and burnt all the little snakes&rsquo; tails off.
+The snake-queen did her best to comfort them, but the stumps of the
+little princes&rsquo; tails ached so dreadfully that it was ever so
+long before the snake-queen could put them off to sleep. When the
+snake-king came home that evening, she told him what had happened. And
+she was so cross with the little daughter-in-law, that the snake-king
+had to promise that she should go back to her <span class=
+"pagenum">[<a id="xd19e717" href="#xd19e717" name=
+"xd19e717">66</a>]</span>father-in-law&rsquo;s house. A few days later,
+the snake-king assumed once again the guise of a Brahman, and, loading
+the little daughter-in-law with presents, took her back to her
+husband&rsquo;s home. In the course of time the little snake-princes
+grew up, but their tails never grew again. So their father, the
+snake-king, called one little prince, No-tail; and the second little
+prince, Cut-tail; and the third little prince, Dock-tail. And one day
+they asked the snake-queen how it was that their tails had been broken
+off. She told them how the little daughter-in-law had burnt them off by
+dropping the lamp on them.</p>
+<p>The snake-princes, when they heard their mother&rsquo;s answer, were
+terribly cross with the little daughter-in-law, and they vowed that
+they would be revenged on her. So they found out where she lived, and
+they sent a message to her house, saying that they were coming to pay
+her a visit. But they really meant to bite her to death directly they
+saw her. The little daughter-in-law was overjoyed when she heard that
+the snake-princes were coming to visit her. For ever since the
+snake-king had pretended to be her uncle, she always thought
+<span class="pagenum">[<a id="xd19e721" href="#xd19e721" name=
+"xd19e721">67</a>]</span>of little No-tail and little Cut-tail and
+little Dock-tail as if they had been her own cousins. Now it so
+happened that the very day on which they were expected at the little
+daughter-in-law&rsquo;s house was Nagpanchmi Day. The little
+daughter-in-law was sitting in the house all alone waiting for little
+Prince No-tail, little Prince Cut-tail, and little Prince Dock-tail.
+They were late in coming, so to pass the time she drew pictures of
+Nagoba, the snake-king, on her dining-platform and on the wall. When
+she had finished the pictures, she worshipped them and offered them
+milk and food. Then she prayed to the great snake-king, &ldquo;Please
+please, King Nagoba, guard from all hurt, wherever they may be, my
+little cousins No-tail and Cut-tail and Dock-tail.&rdquo; And last of
+all she prostrated herself at full length before the pictures which she
+had drawn on the wall and on her dining-platform.</p>
+<div class="figure xd19e724width" id="p068"><img src="images/p068.jpg"
+alt=
+"&ldquo;They no longer wished to kill or bite the little daughter-in-law&rdquo;"
+width="501" height="720">
+<p class="figureHead">&ldquo;They no longer wished to kill or bite the
+little daughter-in-law&rdquo;</p>
+</div>
+<p>In the meantime little Prince No-tail and little Prince Cut-tail and
+little Prince Dock-tail had come up without the little daughter-in-law
+noticing them. But when they saw the honour which she was paying their
+father, King Nagoba, and heard the prayer which <span class=
+"pagenum">[<a id="xd19e730" href="#xd19e730" name=
+"xd19e730">68</a>]</span>she had offered on their behalf, they no
+longer wished to kill or bite the little daughter-in-law. On the
+contrary, they made themselves known to her and stayed all that day in
+the house and were as good and as nice as possible. When night fell,
+they drank the milk which she had offered to the snake-king. And in its
+place they put a necklace with nine beautiful jewels in it. Before day
+broke they went away quietly and returned to their father&rsquo;s
+palace under the ground. Next morning when the little daughter-in-law
+woke up she saw the lovely necklace lying where the milk had been. She
+gave a shout of delight, and putting it round her neck, she ran all
+over the house showing it to everybody. And every one was perfectly
+charmed with it. And the snake-princes never again came to bite any one
+in that household. And the little daughter-in-law and her husband and
+her father-in-law and little Prince No-tail and little Prince Cut-tail
+and little Prince Dock-tail, they all lived happily for ever so long
+afterwards. <span class="pagenum">[<a id="xd19e732" href="#xd19e732"
+name="xd19e732">69</a>]</span></p>
+<div class="footnotes">
+<hr class="fnsep">
+<p class="footnote"><span class="label"><a class="noteref" id=
+"xd19e705" href="#xd19e705src" name="xd19e705">1</a></span> Nagpanchmi
+Day falls on Shravan Sud 5, <i>i.e.</i> the 5th day of the bright half
+of Shravan.</p>
+</div>
+</div>
+<div id="ch10" class="div1"><span class="pagenum">[<a href=
+"#toc">Contents</a>]</span>
+<h2>Parwati and the Beggar-Man</h2>
+<p>Once upon a time there was a town called Atpat. In It there lived a
+Brahman. He had seven daughters, and when they had reached a
+marriageable age he asked them who would arrange their marriages and
+bring them handsome husbands and make their fortunes. The six eldest
+daughters said, &ldquo;Papa, Papa, you of course. You will arrange our
+marriages and bring us handsome husbands and make our fortunes for
+us.&rdquo; But the youngest daughter was a naughty little girl. She got
+into a temper all about nothing, and she stamped her foot, and she
+turned her back on her father and said, &ldquo;I will arrange my own
+marriage, and I will get a handsome husband for myself, and I will make
+my fortune myself.&rdquo; The Brahman was very angry with her, and so
+how do you <span class="pagenum">[<a id="xd19e738" href="#xd19e738"
+name="xd19e738">70</a>]</span>think he punished her? He first searched
+about and found six rich and handsome boys. Then he married them with
+great pomp and display to his six eldest daughters. But the youngest
+girl he gave in marriage to a miserable beggar-man. You never saw such
+a beggar-man as he was! There was not a spot on his skin that was not
+black with leprosy, and his feet and hands had rotted right off. If you
+had seen him you would have said, &ldquo;If that beggar-man does not
+die to-day he will certainly die to-morrow. For he cannot possibly live
+any longer!&rdquo; When the marriage was celebrated, the little
+girl&rsquo;s mother filled her lap with pulse and then handed her over
+to the beggar-man to see what sort of fortune would be hers. But in a
+few days the beggar-man died. His corpse was taken to the
+burning-ground, and his little widow followed it. But when his
+relatives wanted to burn the body, she forbade them and told them to go
+away. For she said, &ldquo;My fortune is still to come, whatever it may
+be.&rdquo; They all got round her and tried to persuade her that there
+was no use in her staying by the corpse, but she would not mind what
+they said. At last they were <span class="pagenum">[<a id="xd19e740"
+href="#xd19e740" name="xd19e740">71</a>]</span>quite tired out and went
+home, leaving her in the burning-ground. When they had gone she took
+her husband&rsquo;s corpse on to her lap. Then she prayed to the god
+Shiva and said:</p>
+<div class="lgouter">
+<p class="line">&ldquo;My parents disown me. O why was I born</p>
+<p class="line">Both as orphan and widow to live all
+forlorn?&rdquo;</p>
+</div>
+<div class="figure xd19e748width" id="p071"><img src="images/p071.jpg"
+alt=
+"&ldquo;They asked her what the reason was, and she told them&rdquo;"
+width="501" height="720">
+<p class="figureHead">&ldquo;They asked her what the reason was, and
+she told them&rdquo;</p>
+</div>
+<p>As she prayed, she put the pulse which her mother had put into her
+lap grain by grain in the dead man&rsquo;s mouth. Then she sat there
+crying until midnight. Now it happened that on that very night Shiva
+and Parwati were in their chariot driving through the air over that
+very place. Parwati said suddenly to her husband, &ldquo;I hear a woman
+crying, let us go and see what it is.&rdquo; The god Shiva drove his
+chariot down to earth. He and Parwati got out and saw the
+Brahman&rsquo;s youngest daughter crying. They asked her what the
+reason was, and she told them. Then Parwati pitied her and said,
+&ldquo;Your aunt has acquired great merit by her piety and devotions.
+You go to her and get her to give you all her merit and so you will
+bring your husband back to life.&rdquo; The god Shiva and Parwati then
+mounted on their <span class="pagenum">[<a id="xd19e754" href=
+"#xd19e754" name="xd19e754">72</a>]</span>chariot and disappeared. Next
+morning the little widow left her husband&rsquo;s body, went to her
+aunt&rsquo;s house and begged her to give her all the merit which she
+had acquired, and told her the cause of the request. The aunt was very
+good and gave her all her own merit. The little widow then went back to
+the burning-ground and with its aid brought her husband back to life.
+But this time he was no longer a beggar-man black with leprosy and with
+feet and hands that had rotted away. He was a beautiful young man with
+well-shaped feet and a beautiful fair skin, and the little widow took
+her husband back to her father&rsquo;s house. &ldquo;Papa, Papa,&rdquo;
+she said, &ldquo;you turned me out, but the gods have brought me back,
+and good fortune came to me without your bringing it.&rdquo; The father
+was too frightened of Parwati to say anything, so he held his peace.
+And the little girl and her husband, the beggar-man, lived happily ever
+afterwards. <span class="pagenum">[<a id="xd19e756" href="#xd19e756"
+name="xd19e756">73</a>]</span></p>
+</div>
+<div id="ch11" class="div1"><span class="pagenum">[<a href=
+"#toc">Contents</a>]</span>
+<h2>Parwati and the Brahman</h2>
+<p>Once upon a time there was a town called Atpat. In it there lived a
+poor Brahman. When the month of Bhadrapad came round, every household
+bought little images of Parwati, and the women began to walk about the
+streets and sound gongs. When the poor Brahman&rsquo;s children saw
+this they went home and said to their mother, &ldquo;Mummy, Mummy,
+please buy us little images of Parwati like the other little boys and
+girls have.&rdquo; But their mother said, &ldquo;What is the use of my
+buying images of Parwati? If I do we shall have to make offerings, and
+there is absolutely nothing in the house. You run to papa and tell him
+to go into the bazaar and buy grain. If he buys grain I&rsquo;ll buy
+you images of Parwati.&rdquo; The children got up and ran to their
+father and cried out, &ldquo;Papa, Papa, <span class="pagenum">[<a id=
+"xd19e762" href="#xd19e762" name="xd19e762">74</a>]</span>Mama says
+that she will buy us images of Parwati if you will go into the bazaar
+and get food to offer to them.&rdquo; Their father at first searched
+all over the house but could find no grain. And then he looked in his
+purse but he could find no money with which to go to the bazaar and buy
+grain. But although he tried to explain this to his children, they
+would not listen to him. They screamed at him and shouted, &ldquo;Papa,
+Papa, Mummy says that she will buy us images of Parwati if you will get
+food to offer to them.&rdquo; &ldquo;Papa, Papa, why should we not have
+images of Parwati like the other little boys and girls.&rdquo; At last
+they bothered the poor Brahman so much that he felt worried to death.
+&ldquo;I love,&rdquo; he said, &ldquo;my children as if they were made
+of gold, but they will not mind what I say. They will not understand
+that it is nothing but poverty which prevents my buying food and
+offering it to Parwati. I might go out and beg, but when I do, no one
+ever gives me anything. Death is better than a life like this.&rdquo;
+With these words he got up and walked to the edge of the village pond
+and determined to drown himself. It was dark when he started, and
+half-way <span class="pagenum">[<a id="xd19e764" href="#xd19e764" name=
+"xd19e764">75</a>]</span>he met an old woman. She heard him coming and
+asked him who he was. He told her all his trouble, and said that he
+meant to jump into the pond to escape from his children. The woman
+comforted him and prevailed on him to turn home again. He took her
+home. His wife came to the door with a lamp and asked who she was. The
+husband did not like to say that he had only just met her on the road,
+so he said to his wife, &ldquo;She is my grandmother.&rdquo; The wife
+thereupon welcomed her and invited her to come in and stay to supper.
+But her heart felt as heavy as lead, for she knew that there was
+nothing to eat inside the house. When the old woman had seated herself
+inside the house, the Brahman&rsquo;s wife got up and, in despair, went
+to look inside the grain-pots. She knew they were empty, but she
+thought that she would first look into them once again. But, lo and
+behold! when she looked this time she found the grain-pots brimming
+over with grain. She called her husband, and they were both perfectly
+delighted. And the wife prepared bowls full of rice-gruel, and every
+one, children and all, ate the rice-gruel till the skins on their
+<span class="pagenum">[<a id="xd19e766" href="#xd19e766" name=
+"xd19e766">76</a>]</span>stomachs felt quite tight. And they went to
+bed as happy as possible. Next morning the old woman called to the
+Brahman, &ldquo;My son, my son, get me water for my bath and cook me a
+nice hot dinner, and please be quick about it, and do not start making
+objections.&rdquo; The Brahman got up and called his wife, and they got
+water for the old woman&rsquo;s bath, and then the Brahman went out to
+beg. When he had gone out before, no one had ever given him anything.
+But to-day every one ran out and gave him food and molasses and copper
+coins. Then he went back home in splendid spirits. His wife prepared a
+glorious dinner, and the children ate so much that the skin on their
+stomachs felt as tight as a kettle-drum. After breakfast the old woman
+said to the Brahman, &ldquo;To-morrow I want a milk-pudding for
+dinner.&rdquo; &ldquo;But, Grandmamma,&rdquo; said the Brahman,
+&ldquo;where shall I get the milk from?&rdquo; The old woman said,
+&ldquo;Don&rsquo;t worry about that. Just get up and hammer down as
+many pegs as you can in your courtyard. Then this evening, when the
+cattle come home, call to the village cows and buffaloes by name, and
+they will come to you, and if you milk them <span class=
+"pagenum">[<a id="xd19e768" href="#xd19e768" name=
+"xd19e768">77</a>]</span>you will get enough milk for my pudding
+to-morrow.&rdquo; The Brahman did as the old woman ordered him, and
+that evening he called to the cows and buffaloes by name to come to his
+courtyard. And from every direction the cows and buffaloes came running
+up. And behind them galloped all the little calves with their heels in
+the air and their tails stuck out straight behind them. At last the
+Brahman&rsquo;s courtyard was filled so full that no more cows or
+buffaloes could enter. And he milked them all, and next day his wife
+cooked a milk-pudding such as one would not see again if one lived a
+thousand years. And the children ate until they were so tired of eating
+that they just rolled over and went fast asleep. But that evening the
+old woman said, &ldquo;My son, my son, I want you to take me
+home.&rdquo; &ldquo;But, Grandmamma, Grandmamma,&rdquo; said the
+Brahman, &ldquo;how can I take you home, for I have had all this good
+luck only because of you. Directly you go away my good luck will
+vanish.&rdquo; &ldquo;Do not be afraid,&rdquo; said the old woman,
+&ldquo;for I am Parwati. If I bless you your good luck will never
+vanish. Therefore you must come with me and see me home.&rdquo;
+<span class="pagenum">[<a id="xd19e770" href="#xd19e770" name=
+"xd19e770">78</a>]</span>But the Brahman said, &ldquo;I do not want my
+good luck only to continue. I want it to increase.&rdquo; The old woman
+said, &ldquo;If you come with me I shall give you some sand. When you
+go back home, scatter it all over the house and over your jars and your
+pots, and put it inside your boxes and your cupboards, and scatter it
+all over your courtyard too, and you will find that your good luck will
+never be any less than it is now.&rdquo; The Brahman was satisfied with
+this. He worshipped the old woman and went with her towards the tank
+until she suddenly disappeared. He returned home and scattered sand all
+over his house and over his jars and his pots and inside his boxes and
+his cupboards, and from that day on, his good luck never left him. And
+his wealth increased, and his children increased. And they all lived
+happily ever afterwards. <span class="pagenum">[<a id="xd19e773" href=
+"#xd19e773" name="xd19e773">79</a>]</span></p>
+</div>
+<div id="ch12" class="div1"><span class="pagenum">[<a href=
+"#toc">Contents</a>]</span>
+<h2>Soma, the Washerwoman</h2>
+<p>Once upon a time there was a town called Atpat. In it there lived a
+poor Brahman who had seven sons and seven daughters-in-law. He had also
+one daughter called Gunvanti and a wife called Dhanvanti. Whenever a
+mendicant Brahman came to this house, it was the custom of all the
+ladies to give him alms and then prostrate themselves in front of him.
+One day a Brahman came, tall as a tree and shining like the sun. The
+seven daughters-in-law ran out as usual and gave him alms and then
+threw themselves at full length at his feet. The Brahman blessed them
+and said, &ldquo;Increase of children be yours; increase of wealth be
+yours; may your husbands cherish you all your lives.&rdquo; But the
+Brahman&rsquo;s daughter Gunvanti was a lazy little girl, and
+<span class="pagenum">[<a id="xd19e780" href="#xd19e780" name=
+"xd19e780">80</a>]</span>when the mendicant came she was still in bed.
+Her mother, Dhanvanti, rushed into her room and cried, &ldquo;Daughter,
+daughter, get up and give the Brahman alms,&rdquo; The little girl
+jumped up in a fright and ran out and put alms before him and
+prostrated herself at his feet. The mendicant blessed her and said,
+&ldquo;Observe the precepts of religion.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>The little girl ran back to her mother. &ldquo;Mother,
+Mother,&rdquo; she cried, &ldquo;Bhatji<a class="noteref" id=
+"xd19e784src" href="#xd19e784" name="xd19e784src">1</a> did not give me
+the same blessing as he gave to my sisters-in-law,&rdquo; Her mother
+said, &ldquo;Go back again and give him some more alms and see what he
+does,&rdquo; The little girl ran back, put some more alms before the
+mendicant, and again prostrating herself asked for his blessing. Once
+more he said, &ldquo;Observe the precepts of religion,&rdquo; Then
+Dhanvanti asked him why he gave her daughter such a strange blessing.
+The mendicant replied, &ldquo;Because widowhood will come upon her
+immediately after her marriage,&rdquo; Dhanvanti threw herself before
+the Brahman and grasped his feet and cried, weeping, &ldquo;Tell me how
+I may escape this evil; what shall I do to save my one little
+<span class="pagenum">[<a id="xd19e787" href="#xd19e787" name=
+"xd19e787">81</a>]</span>girl from becoming a widow?&rdquo; The Brahman
+pitied her and said, &ldquo;Lady, lady, do not weep; I shall give you a
+remedy by which to cure this evil. Across the seven seas there is an
+island. In it there lives a washerwoman called Soma. If you can fetch
+her to your daughter&rsquo;s wedding, she will escape the evil that
+threatens her. When the wedding is over, you must send Soma back with
+all honour to her house.&rdquo; With these words the mendicant took up
+his wallet and went to collect alms elsewhere. When her husband
+returned home Dhanvanti told him what had happened. &ldquo;Some
+one,&rdquo; she added, &ldquo;must go across the seven seas, to fetch
+Soma, the washerwoman.&rdquo; The father and mother called up their
+sons and said, &ldquo;Those of you who honour your parents will take
+your sister and cross the seven seas to bring Soma here.&rdquo; But all
+the sons turned to their mother and said, &ldquo;All you care about is
+your daughter. You do not love us the least little bit. So we shall not
+cross the seven seas and bring Soma here just on her account.&rdquo;
+The mother began to cry, and the father got very cross. He turned to
+his wife and said, &ldquo;From henceforth you <span class=
+"pagenum">[<a id="xd19e789" href="#xd19e789" name=
+"xd19e789">82</a>]</span>have no sons. To me our seven sons are as if
+they had never been born. But do not get frightened about our little
+girl I myself shall cross the seven seas and fetch Soma, the
+washerwoman.&rdquo; Then the youngest of the seven sons said to his
+father, &ldquo;Daddy, Daddy, you must not say that you have no sons
+when here we are, all seven of us. I shall take my sister Gunvanti with
+me, and we shall go and fetch Soma, the washerwoman.&rdquo; A few days
+later the two children prostrated themselves before their parents and
+began their voyage.</p>
+<p>In course of time they came to the seashore. But the wind was
+blowing, the waves were rolling in, and the foam was splashing over the
+rocks. The brother and sister could not imagine how they were to
+continue their journey. There was no one near to give them food, there
+was no one near to give them drink, and they could think of nothing
+better than to lie down and die. But they first resolved to pray to the
+god Shiva, &ldquo;Please, please, God Shiva,&rdquo; prayed the two
+children, &ldquo;get us out of this terrible trouble.&rdquo; After
+praying they went and sat under a banian tree, <span class=
+"pagenum">[<a id="xd19e793" href="#xd19e793" name=
+"xd19e793">83</a>]</span>and all day long they had nothing to eat or
+drink. Now on the very top of the banian tree was an eagle&rsquo;s
+nest, and in it there were several little eagles. When evening came,
+father eagle and mother eagle came home and began to feed their young.
+But the little eagles would not eat anything at all. Mother eagle said,
+&ldquo;Children, children, what is the matter?&rdquo; &ldquo;O Mummy,
+Mummy,&rdquo; cried the little eagles, &ldquo;two strangers have come
+to our house, and they are sitting under our tree, and they have had
+nothing to eat all day!&rdquo; Father eagle and mother eagle flew to
+the ground and began to ask the boy what his trouble was. &ldquo;Do not
+be frightened,&rdquo; said father eagle; &ldquo;whatever your business,
+I&rsquo;ll help you to get it done. Do not go to bed without supper.
+I&rsquo;ll bring you some fruit. Eat some of it yourself and give the
+rest to your little sister.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>The boy told father eagle what had happened, and how it was that
+they had to cross the seven seas. Father eagle said, &ldquo;I shall
+carry you both across directly you wake up to-morrow, and I shall put
+you down at Soma the washerwoman&rsquo;s door.&rdquo; Then the two
+children felt very happy and thanked the god <span class=
+"pagenum">[<a id="xd19e797" href="#xd19e797" name=
+"xd19e797">84</a>]</span>Shiva. And after eating father eagle&rsquo;s
+fruit, they lay down under the tree and fell fast asleep in no time.
+Next morning father eagle and mother eagle came down the tree, and
+father eagle took the boy on his back, and mother eagle took the girl
+on her back, and off they flew across the seven seas. The wind blew,
+and the waves rolled mountains high, and the foam splashed over the
+rocks. But father eagle and mother eagle flew straight on until they
+came to the door of Soma, the washerwoman. There they left the boy and
+girl and went back to the tree where the little eagles were waiting for
+them. The boy and girl were too frightened to walk into Soma&rsquo;s
+house, so they hid all that day, and next morning they got up at dawn
+and they swept the courtyard and neaped the floor with cow-dung. And
+then, before any one could see them, they ran away and hid. And this
+they did every day for a whole year.</p>
+<p>At last Soma one day called all her children and all her little
+daughters-in-law and said, &ldquo;Who among you gets up so early? Who
+sweeps my courtyard? Who clears my floor?&rdquo; All the children and
+all the little <span class="pagenum">[<a id="xd19e801" href="#xd19e801"
+name="xd19e801">85</a>]</span>daughters-in-law said, &ldquo;It is not
+I,&rdquo; &ldquo;It is not I,&rdquo; &ldquo;It is not I.&rdquo; Then
+Soma became very curious to know who it was. So the following night she
+did not go to bed. She sat up, but nothing happened until just after
+dawn. Then she saw the little Brahman girl sweeping the courtyard and
+her brother cleaning the floor. Soma got up and said, &ldquo;Children,
+who are you?&rdquo; They replied, &ldquo;We are Brahmans.&rdquo;
+&ldquo;But I am only a washerwoman,&rdquo; said Soma; &ldquo;I am a
+low-caste woman, why do you sweep my courtyard and neap my floor? It
+will be reckoned unto me as a sin If I accept the service of
+Brahmans.&rdquo; The boy said, &ldquo;This is my sister, and a Brahman
+has told us that unless you come to her wedding she will be widowed
+shortly after marriage. Our father and mother told us to go and bring
+you back with us. So, in order to make you pleased with us, we have
+been working as your servants.&rdquo; &ldquo;Do not work for me any
+more,&rdquo; said Soma, &ldquo;I shall gladly go to your
+wedding,&rdquo; She then called to her daughters-in-law and said,
+&ldquo;I am going to this child&rsquo;s wedding. But if any one of our
+relations dies when I am away, do not burn his <span class=
+"pagenum">[<a id="xd19e803" href="#xd19e803" name=
+"xd19e803">86</a>]</span>body until I come back.&rdquo; She went with
+the two Brahman children to the seashore. The wind was blowing, and the
+great waves were rolling in, and the foam was splashing over the rocks.
+But Soma took the boy under one arm and the girl under the other. She
+jumped far up into the sky and right over the seven seas, and when she
+got to the opposite shore she put the children down again. They led her
+to their father&rsquo;s house. Their mother Dhanvanti welcomed the
+washerwoman and fell at her feet to thank her for her coming. The
+youngest brother then went to Ujjain, and after making inquiries
+brought back a boy of suitable caste and age to be a husband for his
+sister. On an auspicious day the wedding was celebrated. But as the
+bridegroom and bride were throwing rice<a class="noteref" id=
+"xd19e805src" href="#xd19e805" name="xd19e805src">2</a> over each
+other, the bridegroom fainted. He fell on the ground and lay there
+motionless. The little bride did not know what to do, she was so
+frightened. And all the grown-up people were almost as frightened as
+she was. But Soma, the washerwoman, stepped forward and said, &ldquo;It
+is nothing, do not be afraid.&rdquo; She took some <span class=
+"pagenum">[<a id="xd19e808" href="#xd19e808" name=
+"xd19e808">87</a>]</span>water in her hand and sprinkled it over
+herself. Now the secret of Soma&rsquo;s power was this:--</p>
+<p>She had acquired great merit by observing every Monday the following
+practices: She would get up early, bathe, dress in silence, make
+various gifts to Brahmans, and then walk one hundred and eight times
+round a peepul tree. But now by sprinkling water over herself she had
+transferred the whole of her merit to Gunvanti. By this means the
+little bride had been able to restore her husband to life, and the
+wedding ceremony finished amidst the happiness of all. Soma then took
+leave to go, and started on her homeward journey. When she reached the
+seashore, the wind was blowing, and the great waves came rolling in,
+and the spray was splashing over the rocks. But now that she had given
+away all her merit to Gunvanti, she had none left by means of which she
+could jump across the seven seas. She sat down forlorn by the bank of a
+river. Then she got up, bathed in the water, and prayed to the god
+Vishnu. Next she took one hundred and eight sand-grains in her hand,
+and then walked one hundred and eight times <span class=
+"pagenum">[<a id="xd19e812" href="#xd19e812" name=
+"xd19e812">88</a>]</span>round a peepul tree by the river&rsquo;s edge.
+Instantly her powers returned to her, and going back to the shore, she
+sprang into the heavens and over the seven seas and alighted close to
+her own door. There all her little daughters-in-law ran out to meet her
+and cried, &ldquo;O Mother-in-law, Mother-in-law, we have been watching
+for you. For while you were away your sons, your husband, and all your
+sons-in-law died. But just as you told us to do, we did not burn their
+corpses, but kept them in the house. And now they have all suddenly
+come back to life.&rdquo; Soma questioned the little daughters-in-law
+and learnt that her sons and husband and sons-in-law had all died at
+the very moment when she gave her merit to Gunvanti, and that they had
+come back to life precisely when she finished her
+one-hundred-and-eighth turn round the peepul tree. And they were all so
+glad to have Soma back with them again, and for ever such a long time
+afterwards she and her family lived happily together. And the Brahman
+in his joy at his son-in-law&rsquo;s recovery forgave his disobedient
+sons, and they too all lived happily together ever afterwards.
+<span class="pagenum">[<a id="xd19e814" href="#xd19e814" name=
+"xd19e814">89</a>]</span></p>
+<div class="footnotes">
+<hr class="fnsep">
+<p class="footnote"><span class="label"><a class="noteref" id=
+"xd19e784" href="#xd19e784src" name="xd19e784">1</a></span> Bhatji is
+the name by which a mendicant Brahman is addressed.</p>
+<p class="footnote"><span class="label"><a class="noteref" id=
+"xd19e805" href="#xd19e805src" name="xd19e805">2</a></span> This is
+called the akshataropan.</p>
+</div>
+</div>
+<div id="ch13" class="div1"><span class="pagenum">[<a href=
+"#toc">Contents</a>]</span>
+<h2>Vasishta and the Four Queens</h2>
+<p>Once upon a time there was a town called Atpat. In it there ruled a
+king who had four wives. They were always quarrelling over the
+housework; so, in order to get some peace at home, the king himself
+divided the work between them. To the first queen he gave all the dairy
+work, to the second queen he gave all the cooking, to the third he gave
+the nursery, and he ordered the fourth to look after the royal
+wardrobe. At first all went well. But in a little while the first queen
+said to the third queen, &ldquo;Why should you have charge of the
+nursery? Why should you not work in the dairy?&rdquo; The second queen
+said to the fourth queen, &ldquo;Why should I have to do all the
+cooking?&rdquo; The third queen asked, &ldquo;Why should I have always
+to look after the children?&rdquo; <span class="pagenum">[<a id=
+"xd19e820" href="#xd19e820" name="xd19e820">90</a>]</span>And the
+fourth queen stamped her foot and said, &ldquo;I <i>won&rsquo;t</i>
+look after the king&rsquo;s clothes.&rdquo; And all day long they
+quarrelled and screamed at each other, and the poor king was more
+uncomfortable than ever. His face grew sad and careworn, and, from the
+time he got up to the time he went to bed, he could think of nothing
+but the way that his four queens were squabbling with each other.</p>
+<p>One day the rishi, or sage, Vasishta<a class="noteref" id=
+"xd19e827src" href="#xd19e827" name="xd19e827src">1</a> paid the king a
+visit. The king prostrated himself before the great sage and gave him a
+throne to sit upon. Vasishta looked at the king&rsquo;s face and saw
+how sad and careworn it was. He asked the cause, and the king told him.
+Then the rishi rose, and the king went with him to the palace of the
+four queens. When they reached it, they called to the queens to come
+out. The rishi then asked them why they quarrelled. The first queen
+cried out, &ldquo;Why should I have to do the dairy work?&rdquo; And
+the second queen cried out, &ldquo;Why should I be only a
+cook-woman?&rdquo; And the third cried <span class="pagenum">[<a id=
+"xd19e830" href="#xd19e830" name="xd19e830">91</a>]</span>out,
+&ldquo;Why should I have all the children to look after?&rdquo; And the
+fourth cried out, &ldquo;Why should I have all the bother of sorting
+out all the king&rsquo;s clothes?&rdquo; The king said, &ldquo;You must
+do these things because I ordered you to.&rdquo; But the queens did not
+mind a word that he said, and they all screamed together so loud that
+the king and the rishi had to put their fingers in their ears to save
+themselves from being deafened. For a while the rishi became absorbed
+in thought, and then he turned to the first queen and said, &ldquo;You
+have been placed in charge of the dairy, have you not?&rdquo; The first
+queen assented. &ldquo;Then listen to me,&rdquo; said Vasishta.
+&ldquo;In a former life you were a cow, and near the spot in the jungle
+where you used to graze was an altar to Shiva. And every day at noon
+you used to come and stand near it and let milk drop upon it. And,
+because in this way you honoured the god Shiva, you have in this life
+become one of the queens of the king of Atpat. But you did not in your
+former life attain to full merit. So the god Shiva directed the king to
+place you in charge of his dairy, and the king conveyed the god&rsquo;s
+directions to you. <span class="pagenum">[<a id="xd19e832" href=
+"#xd19e832" name="xd19e832">92</a>]</span>You should therefore obey
+them, and you should honour the king as if he were Shiva himself. In
+this way you will attain to full merit and ascend to Shiva&rsquo;s
+heaven, Kailas.&rdquo; Vasishta then blessed the first queen. She
+prostrated herself before him, and, giving up all thought of
+quarrelling, went away and busied herself with her dairy work.</p>
+<p>Then Vasishta turned to the second queen and asked, &ldquo;What are
+you quarrelling about?&rdquo; She replied, &ldquo;Why should I be just
+a cook-woman?&rdquo; The rishi thought for a while and said,
+&ldquo;Lady, in a former life you were the wife of a poor Brahman, and
+you used to beg your food from door to door. But every Monday you used
+to fast, and whatever grain you begged that day you used to cook and
+offer to the god Shiva. And he was pleased with your devotion.
+Therefore in this life he made you one of the queens of Atpat. And
+because you cooked for the god Shiva, he directed the king to put you
+in charge of his kitchen. Therefore, obey the god&rsquo;s directions
+and give a great feast to all in Atpat. In this way you will gain the
+favour of Shiva, and he will take you with him to Kailas.&rdquo; Then
+he blessed the second <span class="pagenum">[<a id="xd19e836" href=
+"#xd19e836" name="xd19e836">93</a>]</span>queen, and she prostrated
+herself and went off quite cheerfully to cook the king&rsquo;s
+dinner.</p>
+<p>The sage next turned to the third queen and asked, &ldquo;What are
+you quarrelling about?&rdquo; The queen answered, &ldquo;Why should I
+do nothing but fiddle about the nursery?&rdquo; Vasishta thought for a
+while and said, &ldquo;In a former life, O Queen, you were a maid of a
+jungle tribe. Every Monday you used to fast yourself and offer the
+choicest fruits that you picked to the god Shiva. In return for them he
+has made you a queen, and he has entrusted the king&rsquo;s children to
+you. Therefore look after them and be kind to them, and in the end he
+will take you to live with him in Kailas.&rdquo; The rishi then blessed
+the third queen, and she prostrated herself before him. Then she ran
+off, her face all smiles, to play with the king&rsquo;s children.</p>
+<p>Vasishta last of all turned to the fourth queen and said,
+&ldquo;What are you quarrelling about?&rdquo; She answered, &ldquo;Why
+should I do nothing but look after the king&rsquo;s clothes?&rdquo; The
+rishi said, &ldquo;In a former life, O Queen, you were a kite that flew
+high up in the heavens. Beneath where you used to fly was an altar to
+<span class="pagenum">[<a id="xd19e842" href="#xd19e842" name=
+"xd19e842">94</a>]</span>Shiva, and every day at noon you would spread
+your wings over it and shade it from the sun&rsquo;s heat. So the god
+was pleased with you and in this life made you one of the queens of
+Atpat. As you spread your wings over Shiva&rsquo;s altar, so now a
+canopy hangs over your bed. And just as you served Shiva, now do
+service to the king, your husband. And you will thereby gain full merit
+and in the end reach Kailas.&rdquo; Then the rishi blessed her, and she
+went off quite gaily to attend to the king&rsquo;s clothes.</p>
+<p>And the four queens never quarrelled any more, but lived happily
+ever afterwards with the king. And all little girls who hear this story
+should try to be as good as the queens were after Vasishta had cured
+them of their squabbling. <span class="pagenum">[<a id="xd19e846" href=
+"#xd19e846" name="xd19e846">95</a>]</span></p>
+<div class="footnotes">
+<hr class="fnsep">
+<p class="footnote"><span class="label"><a class="noteref" id=
+"xd19e827" href="#xd19e827src" name="xd19e827">1</a></span> Vasishta
+was the family priest of King Dasaratha, father of Ramchandra. After
+death he became one of the stars in the constellation of the Great
+Bear.</p>
+</div>
+</div>
+<div id="ch14" class="div1"><span class="pagenum">[<a href=
+"#toc">Contents</a>]</span>
+<h2>The Lamps and the King&rsquo;s Daughter-in-Law</h2>
+<p>Once upon a time there was a town called Atpat. In it there lived a
+king who had one little daughter-in-law. Now she was a very greedy
+little girl, and one day when some sweetmeats were got ready for all
+the family she went quietly and ate them all up herself. Then she got
+very frightened, for she knew that, if the king knew what she had done,
+he would order her to be well slapped. So, when the family began asking
+where the sweetmeats were she said that the mice had eaten them. And
+then every one began abusing the mice, saying what horrid little
+wretches they were, and what a good thing it would be if the cat caught
+and ate them up. But, when the mice heard all this, they were very
+angry with the little daughter-in-law for <span class="pagenum">[<a id=
+"xd19e852" href="#xd19e852" name="xd19e852">96</a>]</span>bringing a
+false charge against them, and they all met together and vowed that
+they would be revenged on her. Some days later the king invited a guest
+to his house, and the same night the mice went into the little
+daughter-in-law&rsquo;s room and dragged out one of her bodices and put
+it across the guest&rsquo;s bed. Next morning the bodice was discovered
+in the stranger&rsquo;s bed, and the little daughter-in-law was utterly
+disgraced. Her father-in-law and all her brothers-in-law scolded her
+dreadfully, and at last the king drove her out of the house. Now it so
+happened that it had till then always been the work of the little
+daughter-in-law to look after the lamps in the king&rsquo;s palace.
+Every morning she used to rub them well and trim the wicks. She used to
+light them herself and neap the burners with sugar-candy, and on
+Divali<a class="noteref" id="xd19e854src" href="#xd19e854" name=
+"xd19e854src">1</a> Day she used to worship them and make them suitable
+offerings. But, directly the little daughter-in-law was driven away,
+none of the lamps were any longer cared for. On the next Divali Day the
+king was returning from a hunt, and he camped under a tree. Suddenly he
+saw all the lamps <span class="pagenum">[<a id="xd19e857" href=
+"#xd19e857" name="xd19e857">97</a>]</span>in his town of Atpat come and
+settle on its branches. One lamp after another told what was happening
+in its house--when there had been a dinner party, what there had been
+to eat, who had been invited, how they themselves had been cared for,
+and what honours they had received on Divali Day. After all the other
+lamps had told their story, the big lamp from the king&rsquo;s palace
+began, &ldquo;Brother lamps, I do not know how to tell you. For none
+among you is so wretched as I am. In former years I was the most
+fortunate of all the lamps in Atpat. No other lamp had such honours
+paid it as I had, and this year I have to drag out my days In
+unspeakable misery.&rdquo; All the other lamps tried to comfort it, and
+asked it how it was that ill-fortune had overtaken it. &ldquo;O brother
+lamps, how can I tell you?&rdquo; repeated the big lamp. &ldquo;I am
+the chief among the lamps that shine In the palace of the King of
+Atpat. One day the king&rsquo;s little daughter-in-law ate some
+sweetmeats and to save herself blamed the mice. To revenge themselves,
+they in turn brought a false charge against her by putting her bodice
+on the bed of one of the king&rsquo;s guests. So she was disgraced and
+<span class="pagenum">[<a id="xd19e859" href="#xd19e859" name=
+"xd19e859">98</a>]</span>driven out of the house. And after she left
+ill-fortune came upon me. For every year it was she who worshipped me
+and paid me honour; and wherever she is I wish her well, and I give her
+my blessing.&rdquo; The king listened attentively to the talk between
+the lamps, and thus he learnt that his daughter-in-law was innocent. He
+went home and asked whether there was any other evidence against her
+besides her bodice. And when he learnt that there was none, and that no
+one had seen anything happen between her and the king&rsquo;s guest, he
+sent a messenger for her and had her brought home. And he begged her
+pardon for the past, and gave her full authority over all his
+household; and the king lived and ruled ever afterwards as wisely and
+as well as King Ramchandra of Ayodhya. And if any one brings a false
+charge against any of us, may the lamps save us as they did the
+king&rsquo;s little daughter-in-law. <span class="pagenum">[<a id=
+"xd19e861" href="#xd19e861" name="xd19e861">99</a>]</span></p>
+<div class="footnotes">
+<hr class="fnsep">
+<p class="footnote"><span class="label"><a class="noteref" id=
+"xd19e854" href="#xd19e854src" name="xd19e854">1</a></span> Divali is
+the feast of lamps in the month of Kartih.</p>
+</div>
+</div>
+<div id="ch15" class="div1"><span class="pagenum">[<a href=
+"#toc">Contents</a>]</span>
+<h2>Parwati and the Priest</h2>
+<p>Once upon a time there was a town called Atpat. In it there was a
+temple to the god Shiva. One day when Shiva and his wife Parwati were
+walking about they happened to come to this temple. They sat down there
+and began to play saripat.<a class="noteref" id="xd19e867src" href=
+"#xd19e867" name="xd19e867src">1</a> After some time Parwati seeing a
+priest close by asked him who had won, she or Shiva.
+&ldquo;Shiva,&rdquo; the priest replied. Parwati became very angry and
+cursed him, so that he became a leper, and the pains which overtook him
+were absolutely unendurable. One day a band of Apsaras<a class=
+"noteref" id="xd19e870src" href="#xd19e870" name="xd19e870src">2</a>
+came down from heaven to the temple. They saw that the priest who lived
+in it was a leper, and they asked him the reason. He told them
+<span class="pagenum">[<a id="xd19e873" href="#xd19e873" name=
+"xd19e873">100</a>]</span>how Parwati had cursed him. They replied,
+&ldquo;Do not be afraid; do as we tell you and you will get rid of your
+leprosy. Fast all next Monday, bathe that evening, worship the god
+Shiva, and then get half a pound of flour and mix it with treacle and
+ghee and eat it for dinner. But whatever you do, eat no salt all day.
+Do this for sixteen Mondays in succession, and on the seventeenth
+Monday get five pounds of flour, mix with it ghee and treacle, and
+offer it to Shiva inside this temple. Then divide it into three parts;
+leave one for the god, distribute a second among the Brahmans or give
+it to your cows, and take the third home to be eaten by you and your
+family.&rdquo; The Apsaras disappeared, and the priest followed their
+instructions and became quite well. Some time afterwards Shiva and
+Parwati came again to the temple. Parwati saw the priest cured of his
+leprosy and asked him how he had got rid of it. He told her exactly
+what he had done. She was very much surprised, and thought that if she
+did the same she might win back her son Kartakswami,<a class="noteref"
+id="xd19e875src" href="#xd19e875" name="xd19e875src">3</a> who had
+quarrelled with her and had run off in a rage. <span class=
+"pagenum">[<a id="xd19e881" href="#xd19e881" name=
+"xd19e881">101</a>]</span>On the seventeenth Monday Kartakswami
+suddenly appeared, and both of them were reconciled. Later on,
+Kartakswami asked Parwati how she had brought him back, and Parwati
+told him. Now Kartakswami had a Brahman friend who had gone into a
+far-off country, and Kartakswami met him by accident shortly
+afterwards. He told the Brahman how the priest had cured himself of
+leprosy, and how he and Parwati had become reconciled. So the Brahman
+also practised the same rites for seventeen Mondays. He then set out
+for a distant country. As he travelled he came to a town. Now it
+happened that in that town arrangements were being made for the
+marriage of the king&rsquo;s daughter. Several princes had come from
+far-off countries to compete for her hand, and the king had erected a
+splendid pavilion for the royal betrothal. But he would not himself
+choose a prince to be his daughter&rsquo;s husband. He ordered that a
+garland should be placed on a she-elephant&rsquo;s trunk, and that the
+prince round whose neck the she-elephant threw the garland should be
+chosen to marry the king&rsquo;s daughter. But the she-elephant passed
+by all the princes in turn, until she came <span class=
+"pagenum">[<a id="xd19e884" href="#xd19e884" name=
+"xd19e884">102</a>]</span>to where the Brahman stood. For he had come
+with the crowds of people to see the royal betrothal. Then the
+she-elephant stopped and put the garland round the Brahman&rsquo;s
+neck. The king ordered the Brahman to step forward, and he married him
+to his daughter. Some years later when the princess grew up, and she
+and the Brahman began to live together, she asked her husband by what
+merit he had succeeded in winning her for his wife, and he told her.
+And she in turn practised the same rites for seventeen Mondays. Nine
+months later a beautiful baby boy was born to her; and when he in turn
+grew up she told him the rites which she had practised to obtain him.
+And he in turn began to perform them. On the sixteenth Monday he set
+out for a journey. As he travelled in a distant country he came to a
+town over which ruled a king who had no son and only one daughter. The
+king had for a long time past been searching for a beautiful and
+virtuous young man, resolved when he found him to hand over to him his
+kingdom and marry him to his daughter. As the Brahman&rsquo;s son
+entered the town the king saw him and noticed on him <span class=
+"pagenum">[<a id="xd19e886" href="#xd19e886" name=
+"xd19e886">103</a>]</span>all the marks of royal origin. So he summoned
+him to his house and married him to his daughter and seated him on his
+own throne. Now the next Monday was the seventeenth Monday since the
+Brahman&rsquo;s son had begun the rites which the Apsaras had told to
+the priest. That morning he got up and went to the temple and sent a
+message home to his wife that she should send him five sers of flour
+mixed with ghee and treacle. But the queen was too proud to do this.
+For she feared that the people in the street would laugh at her if she
+sent her husband five sers of flour mixed with ghee and treacle. So
+instead she sent him five hundred rupees in a plate. But because the
+flour and ghee and treacle were not sent, the king was unable to
+complete his ceremonial, and it was all spoilt. And the god Shiva
+instead of being pleased became very angry indeed. And he told the king
+that, if he kept the queen as his wife, he would lose his kingdom and
+die a beggar. Next day the king sent for his chief minister and told
+him what had happened. At first the minister said, &ldquo;The kingdom
+belongs to the queen&rsquo;s father. If you drive her out your
+<span class="pagenum">[<a id="xd19e888" href="#xd19e888" name=
+"xd19e888">104</a>]</span>subjects will hate you.&rdquo; But the king
+replied, &ldquo;Yes, but not to obey the god&rsquo;s command is a worse
+thing still.&rdquo; At last the minister agreed with the king, and the
+order went forth that the queen should be driven out of the city. So
+the queen was driven out and became quite poor and wandered along the
+road. At last she came to a distant town and lodged there with an old
+woman, who gave her food and drink. One day the old woman sent the
+queen out to sell fruit puddings. As she went into the bazaar a great
+wind came and carried off the fruit puddings. When she returned to the
+old woman&rsquo;s house, the queen told her what had happened, and the
+old woman drove her out of the house. Then she went and lodged with an
+oilman, who had great jars full of oil. But one day she went and looked
+inside the jars, and all the oil disappeared. So the oilman drove her
+off out of the house. The queen left the town and walked along until
+she came to a river with abundant water in it. But directly her eyes
+fell on the water, it all flowed away and left the water-bed quite dry.
+She then journeyed on until she came to a beautiful lake, but when her
+glance rested <span class="pagenum">[<a id="xd19e890" href="#xd19e890"
+name="xd19e890">105</a>]</span>on the lake, it became full of worms,
+and the water began to stink. And, when the cowherds came as usual to
+water their cattle, the cattle would not drink the stinking water, and
+they had to go home thirsty. By chance a Gosavi, or holy man, came that
+way and saw the queen, and she told him her story. The holy man took
+her to his house and treated her as his own daughter, and she did her
+best to serve him faithfully. But, at whatever thing she looked, it
+would either disappear or become full of worms and maggots. At last the
+holy man searched for the cause of this by means of his inner
+knowledge. And thus he learnt that she had incurred the sin of spoiling
+the worship of Shiva, which the Apsaras had first taught the priest.
+Unless that sin were atoned for, her evil glance would never be
+purified. So the holy man prayed to the god Shiva, and the god was
+pleased with him; and when the holy man interceded with him on the
+queen&rsquo;s behalf, the god said that he would forgive her if she
+began and completed properly the rites which she had spoiled when her
+husband was performing them. The queen did so, and the god&rsquo;s
+anger vanished. Suddenly there rose in <span class="pagenum">[<a id=
+"xd19e892" href="#xd19e892" name="xd19e892">106</a>]</span>the heart of
+her husband, the king, a wish to see his queen, and he sent out
+messengers on every side to look for her. At last one of the messengers
+saw the queen in the holy man&rsquo;s hermitage and went back and told
+the king. The king was overjoyed, and, taking his chief minister with
+him, he journeyed to the hermitage. He threw himself at the holy
+man&rsquo;s feet and then loaded him with presents. And the holy man
+was pleased and said, &ldquo;O King, I have treated your wife exactly
+as if she had been my own daughter. She has lived here just as if she
+had been in her father&rsquo;s house. Now take her with you back again
+and once more go through the marriage ceremony with her.&rdquo; The
+king consented, and both he and the queen prostrated themselves before
+the holy man, and then they both returned to Atpat. And they celebrated
+their home-coming with the greatest splendour. And the rest of the
+king&rsquo;s reign was as happy as possible. And we shall be just as
+happy if we honour Shiva like the King of Atpat did.</p>
+<div class="figure xd19e895width" id="p106"><img src="images/p106.jpg"
+alt=
+"&ldquo;She has lived here just as if she had been in her father&rsquo;s house&rdquo;"
+width="501" height="720">
+<p class="figureHead">&ldquo;She has lived here just as if she had been
+in her father&rsquo;s house&rdquo;</p>
+</div>
+<p><span class="pagenum">[<a id="xd19e899" href="#xd19e899" name=
+"xd19e899">107</a>]</span></p>
+<div class="footnotes">
+<hr class="fnsep">
+<p class="footnote"><span class="label"><a class="noteref" id=
+"xd19e867" href="#xd19e867src" name="xd19e867">1</a></span> Saripat is
+a kind of draughts.</p>
+<p class="footnote"><span class="label"><a class="noteref" id=
+"xd19e870" href="#xd19e870src" name="xd19e870">2</a></span> Apsaras are
+attendants on the gods.</p>
+<p class="footnote"><span class="label"><a class="noteref" id=
+"xd19e875" href="#xd19e875src" name="xd19e875">3</a></span> Kartakswami
+was really Parwati&rsquo;s step-son (see <a href=
+"#pre">Preface</a>).</p>
+</div>
+</div>
+<div id="ch16" class="div1"><span class="pagenum">[<a href=
+"#toc">Contents</a>]</span>
+<h2>The Rishi and the Brahman</h2>
+<p>Once upon a time there was a town called Atpat. In it there lived a
+Brahman. For many years he lived happily and cultivated his fields of
+rice and grain. But one day his wife gave up the observances imposed on
+her, and, as a result, the whole house was stained by her conduct, and
+pollution hung like a black cloud over it. Her husband should have
+driven her out, but he had not the heart to do so. So he, too, incurred
+the blame of his wife&rsquo;s sin. In course of time they died, and, as
+a punishment for their wickedness, the husband became in his next life
+a bullock, and the wife became a dog. But the gods so far relented as
+to find them a home in the house of their only son.</p>
+<p>Now the son was a very pious man, who never failed in his religious
+rites. He worshipped <span class="pagenum">[<a id="xd19e907" href=
+"#xd19e907" name="xd19e907">108</a>]</span>the gods, gave memorial
+honours to his dead father, and welcomed to his house every Brahman who
+passed by. One year, on the anniversary of his father&rsquo;s death, he
+told his wife to prepare a milk-pudding in honour of the dead, and
+announced that he would invite Brahmans to partake of it. The wife was
+as pious as her husband and never failed to obey his commands. So she
+made a big milk-pudding, and she boiled vegetables and stewed fruits.
+But just as she had finished and was about to invite her husband and
+his Brahman guests to begin their feast, the dog saw that a snake had
+entered the grain-jar, which had not been properly shut, and that it
+had left its poisonous trail all over the grain from which the
+milk-pudding had been prepared. The dog at once realised that, if the
+Brahmans who had been invited to the memorial feast ate the poisoned
+grain, they would die, and that the sin of Brahman murder would be
+incurred by the host, her son. So she suddenly rushed up and put her
+foot right into the middle of the milk-pudding. The son&rsquo;s wife
+was very angry. She threw a red-hot coal at the dog with such skill
+that it dropped on to the <span class="pagenum">[<a id="xd19e909" href=
+"#xd19e909" name="xd19e909">109</a>]</span>middle of her back and burnt
+a big hole in it. Then the son&rsquo;s wife cooked a fresh milk-pudding
+and fed the Brahmans. But she was so cross with the dog that she would
+not give her the smallest possible scrap. So the poor dog remained
+hungry all day. When night fell she went to the bullock who had been
+her husband and began to howl as loudly as she could. The bullock asked
+her what the matter was. She told him how she had seen that a snake had
+poisoned the grain, and how, to prevent the Brahmans dying and her son
+incurring the sin of their death, she had put her paw into the middle
+of the milk-pudding; how her daughter-in-law had been angry and had
+burnt a hole in her back with a live coal, and how her back hurt so
+that she did not know what to do. The bullock answered, &ldquo;You are
+suffering for the pollution with which you darkened our house in a
+former life, and, because I let you remain in the house and touched
+you, I too am suffering, and I have become a bullock. Only to-day my
+son fastened me to his plough, tied up my mouth, and beat me, I too
+have, like you, had nothing to eat all day. Thus all my son&rsquo;s
+memorial <span class="pagenum">[<a id="xd19e911" href="#xd19e911" name=
+"xd19e911">110</a>]</span>services are useless.&rdquo; Now the son
+happened to be passing by the stable and heard this conversation. He at
+once fetched the bullock some grass and the dog some food, and he
+brought them both water to drink; and then he went to bed very sad at
+heart. Next morning he got up early and went into a dark forest until
+at last he came to the hermitage of a rishi. He prostrated himself
+before the rishi, who asked him why he was so sad. The Brahman&rsquo;s
+son said, &ldquo;I am sad because my father has been born again as a
+bullock and my mother as a dog. Pray tell me how I can get their
+release,&rdquo; The rishi said, &ldquo;There is only one way to help
+them. You must worship the seven sages who have their home in the Great
+Bear.&rdquo;<a class="noteref" id="xd19e913src" href="#xd19e913" name=
+"xd19e913src">1</a> And he told the Brahman&rsquo;s son the ceremonies
+which he should observe, and how he should worship the seven sages
+continually every month of Bhadrapad, or September, for seven years.
+The Brahman&rsquo;s son obeyed the rishi, and at the end of the seven
+years a fiery <span class="pagenum">[<a id="xd19e919" href="#xd19e919"
+name="xd19e919">111</a>]</span>chariot came down from heaven. The
+bullock suddenly became a handsome man, and the dog became a handsome
+woman. They both seated themselves in the chariot and were carried off
+to live with the sages who have their home for ever in the Great Bear.
+<span class="pagenum">[<a id="xd19e922" href="#xd19e922" name=
+"xd19e922">112</a>]</span></p>
+<div class="footnotes">
+<hr class="fnsep">
+<p class="footnote"><span class="label"><a class="noteref" id=
+"xd19e913" href="#xd19e913src" name="xd19e913">1</a></span> The Indians
+do not associate the Great Bear constellation with a bear, but they
+believe it to be the habitation of seven rishis. The seven rishis vary
+in different works. In the Mahabharat the names given are Marichi,
+Atri, Angiras, Pulaha, Kratu, Pulatya, and <span class="corr" id=
+"xd19e915" title="Source: Vashista">Vasishta</span>.</p>
+</div>
+</div>
+<div id="ch17" class="div1"><span class="pagenum">[<a href=
+"#toc">Contents</a>]</span>
+<h2>The King and the Water-Goddesses</h2>
+<p>Once upon a time there was a town called Atpat. Over it there ruled
+a king. One day he founded a new village, and close by he built a
+village tank. But no matter how hard he tried he could not get it
+filled with water. So he prayed to the water-goddesses to help him, and
+the water-goddesses were pleased and said, &ldquo;O King, O King,
+sacrifice to us the eldest son of your daughter-in-law, and the tank
+will fill with water.&rdquo; The king heard it and went home very
+troubled. He was ready to sacrifice his grandson; for though he loved
+the boy, yet he knew that the life of one was less than the welfare of
+many. But he knew that his daughter-in-law would never agree. At last
+he thought of a trick. He went up to her and said,
+&ldquo;Daughter-in-law, it is a long time since you went to see your
+parents. You had <span class="pagenum">[<a id="xd19e928" href=
+"#xd19e928" name="xd19e928">113</a>]</span>better go and pay them a
+visit and leave your eldest boy behind. I shall look after him
+here.&rdquo; The daughter-in-law consented and went to visit her
+parents, leaving her son behind. The king waited for a favourable day
+and then bathed and anointed his grandson. He gave a feast in his
+honour and covered his body with costly jewelry. He then took him into
+the middle of the pond and made him lie down on a bed and told him not
+to stir. The water-goddesses were pleased, and a great mass of water
+suddenly rushed into the tank, and it was filled right up to the brink.
+After a time the daughter-in-law came back from her father&rsquo;s
+house and brought her brother with her. They asked where her son was,
+but they could get no information. Whenever they asked the king, he did
+nothing but say how the water had come into the tank, and what a
+beautiful tank it was, and how happy it would make all the villagers.
+At last the daughter-in-law guessed what had happened, and when the
+seventh day of the bright half of the month of Shravan, or August, came
+round, she and her brother went to the edge of the tank and began to
+worship the water-goddesses. She took a <span class="pagenum">[<a id=
+"xd19e930" href="#xd19e930" name="xd19e930">114</a>]</span>cucumber
+leaf, and on it she placed some curds and rice. Next she mixed with
+them some butter and a farthing&rsquo;s worth of betel-nut. Then she
+told her brother to pray, &ldquo;O Goddess, Mother of All, if any one
+of our family is drowned in the tank please give him back to us.&rdquo;
+He did so and then threw the offering into the lake. Then they both
+turned to go home. But as she was turning homewards, she felt some one
+pull her by the legs. She looked down and saw that it was her missing
+son. When she saw him she dragged him with all her might to the bank,
+and then she and her brother walked home with him. When the king heard
+that she was coming, together with her missing son, he wondered
+greatly, and going to her he fell at her feet and said, &ldquo;O my
+daughter, I offered your son to the water-goddesses; how has he come
+back again?&rdquo; She said, &ldquo;I worshipped the water-goddesses
+and made offerings to them. Then my son came out of the water, and I
+lifted him up and drew him to the shore.&rdquo; The king was overjoyed
+and showed the greatest favour to his daughter-in-law. And she and her
+little son lived happily ever afterwards. <span class="pagenum">[<a id=
+"xd19e932" href="#xd19e932" name="xd19e932">115</a>]</span></p>
+</div>
+<div id="ch18" class="div1"><span class="pagenum">[<a href=
+"#toc">Contents</a>]</span>
+<h2>The Lid of the Sacred Casket</h2>
+<p>Once upon a time there was a town called Atpat. In it there lived a
+Brahman who had two twin sons. While they were still quite young, the
+twins&rsquo; parents died, and their relatives stole from them all
+their property and then turned them out of the house. The twins
+wandered along until they came to a town. It was then noon, and the
+boys were weary with walking and were tortured with hunger and thirst.
+As they entered the town, a Brahman came out of his door to throw food
+to the crows. He saw the two boys and called them in, fed them, and
+then made them tell him their story. When he heard it he resolved to
+provide for them, and he lodged them in his house and taught them to
+recite <span class="pagenum">[<a id="xd19e938" href="#xd19e938" name=
+"xd19e938">116</a>]</span>the Vedas. On Lalita Panchmi Day the Brahman
+began to perform certain ceremonies. His pupils asked him why he did
+so. The sage replied that by doing so one could attain to wealth,
+knowledge, and to the wish of one&rsquo;s heart. The boys begged him to
+instruct them, and they quickly learnt how to worship the goddess
+Parwati. Not long afterwards the Brahman provided them with wives, and
+they returned to their own city, acquired wealth, and were very happy.
+A year or two later the twins separated. But the elder was a wise boy
+and never forgot to worship the goddess Parwati on Lalita Panchmi Day.
+So he retained the riches which he had gained. But the younger was
+foolish and forgot all about it, so the goddess began to dislike him,
+and he lost all his money. And at last he became so poor that he and
+his wife had to give up their house and go and live on the charity of
+his elder brother. One day the elder brother&rsquo;s wife spoke so
+crossly and said such nasty things to the younger twin, that he felt
+that he could not stay in the house any longer. And he remembered then
+that of recent years he had entirely forgotten to <span class=
+"pagenum">[<a id="xd19e940" href="#xd19e940" name=
+"xd19e940">117</a>]</span>worship Parwati. He felt very penitent, and
+he decided that somehow or other he would win back the goddess&rsquo;s
+favour. Taking his wife with him, he left his brother&rsquo;s house and
+journeyed to a distant country. At last he came near a town, and,
+meeting a cowherd, the younger twin asked him what its name was. The
+cowherd said, &ldquo;The town is called Upang.&rdquo; &ldquo;Who is the
+king?&rdquo; asked the younger twin. The cowherd replied, &ldquo;He
+also is called Upang.&rdquo; The wanderer then asked whether there was
+any place where he and his wife could lodge. The cowherd told him that
+in the town there was a temple of Parwati, and close to it was a
+rest-house where the wanderer and his wife could lodge. The cowherd
+directed them to the rest-house. And before lying down the younger twin
+worshipped Parwati in the temple and begged her pardon for his previous
+neglect. Parwati felt sorry for him, and that night she appeared to him
+in a dream. She told him to go to King Upang&rsquo;s palace and to beg
+from him the lid of the sacred casket in which the accessories of
+worship were kept. He should, thereafter, always pray to it, and in the
+end he would come <span class="pagenum">[<a id="xd19e942" href=
+"#xd19e942" name="xd19e942">118</a>]</span>by his heart&rsquo;s desire.
+The younger twin woke up, and the same morning he went to King
+Upang&rsquo;s palace and begged from him the lid of the sacred casket
+in which were kept the accessories of worship. The king at first
+refused, but when the younger twin told the king of his dream the king
+consented. The Brahman took the lid home, worshipped it, and, just as
+the goddess had foretold, he came by his heart&rsquo;s desire. Property
+and happiness returned, and a year later his wife bore him a daughter.
+As the years passed the little girl grew up. One day she took the lid
+of the sacred casket and went with some playmates to play and bathe by
+the bank of a river. Suddenly the corpse of a Brahman came floating by.
+Seeing it, the little girl took the lid of the casket and for fun began
+to splash water on it. Such was the power of the sacred lid, that the
+corpse instantly became alive again and became a Brahman, tall as a
+tree and beautiful as the sun. The little girl fell in love with him on
+the spot and told him that he must become her husband.
+&ldquo;But,&rdquo; said the Brahman, &ldquo;how shall I manage
+it?&rdquo; The little girl said, &ldquo;Come home with me at
+<span class="pagenum">[<a id="xd19e944" href="#xd19e944" name=
+"xd19e944">119</a>]</span>dinner-time, take as usual water<a class=
+"noteref" id="xd19e946src" href="#xd19e946" name="xd19e946src">1</a> in
+your hand, but do not sip it. Then my daddy will ask you,
+&lsquo;Bhatji, Bhatji, why do you not sip the water in your
+hand?&rsquo; You must reply, &lsquo;I am ready to dine if you marry me
+to your daughter. If you will not, I shall get up and go away.&rsquo;
+Then he will consent to our marriage.&rdquo; The Brahman agreed, and he
+went home with the little girl, and everything happened as she had
+planned. To prevent the Brahman from getting up without any food, the
+little girl&rsquo;s father agreed to their marriage. When a favourable
+day came they were married, and when she was old enough the little girl
+went to her husband&rsquo;s house. As she went she carried off the lid
+of the sacred casket of King Upang. But, because it had gone, her
+father lost all his wealth and fell once more into the greatest
+poverty. His wife went to her daughter&rsquo;s house and asked for it
+back, but she refused to give it up. The wife was very angry and every
+day began to hate her son-in-law more and more. But for him, as she
+thought, the little girl would <span class="pagenum">[<a id="xd19e950"
+href="#xd19e950" name="xd19e950">120</a>]</span>never have married and
+would not have stolen the lid of the sacred casket. One day the wife
+met her son-in-law on the road, and she gave him such a fearful slap in
+the face that he instantly fell on the ground and became a corpse
+again. His mother-in-law then-snatched from him the lid of the casket,
+which he happened to have in his hand, and ran away home. There he lay
+until the little girl, his wife, began to search for him. When she
+found him she prayed to the goddess, and by her aid and by means of the
+merit which she had acquired by worshipping the lid of the casket while
+she had it, she restored her husband to life. But the twin and his wife
+went on becoming poorer and poorer. And at last they went back to his
+brother&rsquo;s house and asked him why it was that the younger twin
+was always losing his wealth as fast as he gained it. The elder brother
+listened to the whole story and then he said, &ldquo;I do not wonder at
+it. First you lost the lid of the casket, then, in order to get it
+back, your wife killed a Brahman. Your only chance now is to worship
+Parwati harder than ever, and perhaps in the end you may recover your
+good estate.&rdquo; So <span class="pagenum">[<a id="xd19e952" href=
+"#xd19e952" name="xd19e952">121</a>]</span>the younger brother went
+home and worshipped Parwati with greater vigour than ever. And at last
+she relented and gave him her blessing. He recovered his wealth and
+came by all that his heart desired. And he and his wife lived happily
+ever afterwards. <span class="pagenum">[<a id="xd19e954" href=
+"#xd19e954" name="xd19e954">122</a>]</span></p>
+<div class="footnotes">
+<hr class="fnsep">
+<p class="footnote"><span class="label"><a class="noteref" id=
+"xd19e946" href="#xd19e946src" name="xd19e946">1</a></span> Aposhani.
+This is the water which a Brahman sips from his hand before and after
+his meal.</p>
+</div>
+</div>
+<div id="ch19" class="div1"><span class="pagenum">[<a href=
+"#toc">Contents</a>]</span>
+<h2>The Brahman Wife and Her Seven Sons</h2>
+<p>Once upon a time there was a town called Atpat. In it there lived a
+poor Brahman who used always to perform Shradh or memorial ceremonies
+to his father on the last day of the month of Shravan. When performing
+these ceremonies he always invited other Brahmans to dine. But it so
+happened that on every last day of the month of Shravan,<a class=
+"noteref" id="xd19e960src" href="#xd19e960" name="xd19e960src">1</a>
+from the day of his father&rsquo;s death onwards, his daughter-in-law
+gave birth to a little boy. And just as the Brahmans had begun to enjoy
+their dinner, the child would die. So all the Shradh ceremonies had to
+cease, and the poor Brahmans <span class="pagenum">[<a id="xd19e963"
+href="#xd19e963" name="xd19e963">123</a>]</span>had to be sent away
+feeling most dreadfully hungry. This happened regularly for six years.
+But, when the seventh little boy was born only to die just as his
+guests were beginning to enjoy their dinner, the poor Brahman lost all
+patience. He took the newly-born child and placed it in his
+daughter-in-law&rsquo;s lap and then drove her out of the house and
+into the jungle. The poor woman walked along until she came to a great,
+dark forest. In it she met the wife of a hobgoblin,<a class="noteref"
+id="xd19e965src" href="#xd19e965" name="xd19e965src">2</a> who asked,
+&ldquo;Lady, Lady, whose wife are you, and why do you come here? Run
+away as quickly as you can. For, if my husband the hobgoblin sees you,
+he will tear you to pieces and gobble you up.&rdquo; The poor woman
+said she was the daughter-in-law of a Brahman, and explained how every
+year she had given birth to a son on the last day of Shravan, how it
+had died in the middle of the Shradh feast, and how at last her
+father-in-law had put the child in her lap and had driven her from home
+and into the forest. The hobgoblin&rsquo;s wife repeated, &ldquo;If you
+value your life at all, go away.&rdquo; The <span class=
+"pagenum">[<a id="xd19e968" href="#xd19e968" name=
+"xd19e968">124</a>]</span>Brahman woman began to cry, until at last the
+hobgoblin&rsquo;s wife had pity on her and said, &ldquo;Do not be
+afraid; walk a little way until you come to an altar to the god Shiva,
+Close by is a bel<a class="noteref" id="xd19e970src" href="#xd19e970"
+name="xd19e970src">3</a> tree; climb into it and hide among the
+branches. To-night the serpent-maidens from Pat&acirc;la and the
+wood-nymphs, together with a train of seven demon Asuras,<a class=
+"noteref" id="xd19e974src" href="#xd19e974" name="xd19e974src">4</a>
+will come and worship at the altar. After making their offerings to the
+god, they will call out, &lsquo;Is there any uninvited guest present to
+whom we can make a gift?&rsquo; You must then call out in reply,
+&lsquo;Yes, I am here.&rsquo; They will see you and question you, and
+you must tell them all your story.&rdquo; The poor Brahman woman
+agreed. She walked on until she came to the god Shiva&rsquo;s altar.
+She climbed into the branches of the bel tree. She remained there until
+midnight came. Suddenly the serpent-maidens from Pat&acirc;la and the
+wood-nymphs, accompanied by a <span class="pagenum">[<a id="xd19e980"
+href="#xd19e980" name="xd19e980">125</a>]</span>train of seven demon
+Asuras, came and worshipped at the altar. After making offerings to the
+god they called out, &ldquo;Is there any uninvited guest present to
+whom we can make a gift?&rdquo; The Brahman woman at once climbed down
+the bel tree and called out in answer, &ldquo;Yes, I am here,&rdquo;
+The serpent-maidens from P&acirc;tala and the wood-nymphs, greatly
+surprised, asked her who she was, and she told them all her story. Then
+the serpent-maidens of P&acirc;tala and the wood-nymphs ordered their
+train of demon Asuras to go and search for the seven sons of the
+Brahman woman. The seven demon Asuras spurred their horses and rode off
+in all directions. In a little time the giant captain of the demon
+guards rode up carrying in his arms the body of a little boy of six.
+Then another rode up carrying the body of a little boy of five. And
+four others rode up carrying a little boy of four, a little boy of
+three, a little boy of two, and a little boy only one year old. Last of
+all the seventh demon Asura rode up with a newly-born baby boy. The
+demons placed the bodies in front of the serpent-maidens from
+Pat&acirc;la and of the wood-nymphs. And first of <span class=
+"pagenum">[<a id="xd19e982" href="#xd19e982" name=
+"xd19e982">126</a>]</span>all the little boy of six came to life and
+got up and ran to his mother. Next the little boy of five, and then the
+little boy of four, and then the little boy of three came to life and
+ran to their mother. Then the little boy of two came to life and got
+up, but he could only walk to his mother. Next the little one-year-old
+boy came to life, but he could not get up, so he lay on his back and
+kicked up his legs. And last of all the newly-born baby came to life,
+but he could not even kick up his legs. And they were all delighted to
+see their mother, and she was overjoyed to have all her sons again. But
+the serpent-maidens from Pat&acirc;la and the wood-nymphs warned her
+that she must pray to the sixty-four Yoginis, the attendants who wait
+on Durga, the Goddess of Death, or else her children would be snatched
+from her again. And they told her to pray her hardest, for her prayer
+had to travel down to the depths of Hell. So the Brahman woman prayed
+her hardest to the sixty-four Yoginis, and then she prostrated herself
+before the serpent-maidens from Pat&acirc;la, and the wood-nymphs, and
+their train of demon Asuras. And then she took the little one-year-old
+boy <span class="pagenum">[<a id="xd19e984" href="#xd19e984" name=
+"xd19e984">127</a>]</span>on her hip, and the newly-born baby boy in
+her arms, and she walked with her other five sons to the village. When
+the villagers saw her coming they ran and said to the Brahman,
+&ldquo;Bhatji, Bhatji, your daughter-in-law is coming back home.&rdquo;
+And the Brahman became very angry and vowed that he would drive her
+away again. So he watched for her coming. But first of all he saw
+walking towards his house a little boy of six, and then a little boy of
+five, and then a little boy of four, and then two other little boys of
+three and two. Last of all he saw his daughter-in-law with a
+one-year-old boy on her hip and a newly-born baby in her arms. He rose
+and fetched a cauldron of water and two handfuls of rice from his
+house. And he waved his hands filled with rice round the heads of his
+daughter-in-law and of all her children, and last of all he washed
+their feet. In this way he welcomed back to his house his grandchildren
+and their mother. And he made her tell him all her story; and she, and
+her children, and the Brahman spent the rest of their lives in great
+peace and perfect happiness. <span class="pagenum">[<a id="xd19e986"
+href="#xd19e986" name="xd19e986">128</a>]</span></p>
+<div class="footnotes">
+<hr class="fnsep">
+<p class="footnote"><span class="label"><a class="noteref" id=
+"xd19e960" href="#xd19e960src" name="xd19e960">1</a></span> Shravan
+corresponds roughly with August. The death of the child nullified all
+the virtue of the Shradh feast, which had at once to be stopped.</p>
+<p class="footnote"><span class="label"><a class="noteref" id=
+"xd19e965" href="#xd19e965src" name="xd19e965">2</a></span> Zhoting is
+really the unquiet ghost of a Musulman, but hobgoblin is probably a
+sufficiently close translation.</p>
+<p class="footnote"><span class="label"><a class="noteref" id=
+"xd19e970" href="#xd19e970src" name="xd19e970">3</a></span> A tree
+sacred to Shiva.</p>
+<p class="footnote"><span class="label"><a class="noteref" id=
+"xd19e974" href="#xd19e974src" name="xd19e974">4</a></span> The Asuras,
+who are now reckoned petty demons, had once upon a time a much higher
+position. They are the same as Ahura-Magda, the Jupiter of the
+Iranians. The latter, curiously enough, degraded the Devas or Hindu
+Gods to the subordinate place of demons. (Cf. Rawlinson&rsquo;s
+<i>Bactria</i>, page 21.)</p>
+</div>
+</div>
+<div id="ch20" class="div1"><span class="pagenum">[<a href=
+"#toc">Contents</a>]</span>
+<h2>The Golden Temple</h2>
+<p>Once upon a time there was a town called Atpat. In it there reigned
+a king who had four daughters-in-law. He loved three of them very
+dearly, but the fourth, who was an ugly little girl, he did not like at
+all. To the three daughters-in-law he gave nice food and fine clothes.
+But to the ugly little daughter-in-law he gave nothing but scraps from
+his table and thick, coarse clothes to wear. He would not even let her
+sleep inside the house, but made her sleep in the stable and look after
+the cows. The poor ugly daughter-in-law grew so unhappy that, when the
+first Monday in Shravan<a class="noteref" id="xd19e992src" href=
+"#xd19e992" name="xd19e992src">1</a> came, she ran out of the palace,
+and out of the town, and then away as fast as her fat little legs would
+carry her. At last she <span class="pagenum">[<a id="xd19e995" href=
+"#xd19e995" name="xd19e995">129</a>]</span>went and hid herself in the
+woods. Now it so happened that that very day a band of
+serpent-maidens<a class="noteref" id="n129.1src" href="#n129.1" name=
+"n129.1src">2</a> had come up from Patala. After wandering through the
+forest and bathing in the running streams, they had joined a bevy of
+wood-nymphs and were coming in her direction. At first she was too
+terrified to say a single word. But at last she asked, &ldquo;Ladies,
+ladies, where are you going?&rdquo; &ldquo;To the temple of
+Shiva,&rdquo; they replied, &ldquo;to worship the god. For by doing
+that, one wins the love of one&rsquo;s husband, one obtains children,
+and one comes by the wish of one&rsquo;s heart.&rdquo; When the ugly
+daughter-in-law heard that by doing what the serpent-maidens and the
+wood-nymphs were about to do she could win love for herself, she at
+once thought that in this way she, too, might win the love of her
+father-in-law. So she told the serpent-maidens of Patala and the
+wood-nymphs that she would go with them. They went deeper and deeper
+into the forest until at last they came to a temple of the god Shiva.
+There the serpent-maidens <span class="pagenum">[<a id="xd19e1000"
+href="#xd19e1000" name="xd19e1000">130</a>]</span>and the wood-nymphs
+offered to the god rice, betel-nut, incense, flowers, and the leaves of
+the bel tree. The ugly little daughter-in-law did just as they did. And
+when she had finished she cried out, &ldquo;O God Shiva, please, please
+vouchsafe my prayer also, and make my father-in-law and my
+mother-in-law, my brothers-in-law and my sisters-in-law like me as much
+as they now dislike me.&rdquo; That evening she went home and fasted,
+and all the scraps which they threw to her from the king&rsquo;s table
+she gave to her favourite cow. And then she sat by herself and prayed
+to the god Shiva. The following Monday she once more ran out of the
+palace and out of the town and into the woods as fast as her fat little
+legs would carry her. There she met again the serpent-maidens of
+Pat&acirc;la and the bevy of wood-nymphs and went with them to the
+temple of Shiva in the distant heart of the forest. The first time the
+serpent-maidens and the wood-nymphs had given her the incense and the
+flowers, the rice and the betel-nut, and the leaves of the bel tree,
+with which to perform her worship. But they had told her that the next
+time she must bring <span class="pagenum">[<a id="xd19e1002" href=
+"#xd19e1002" name="xd19e1002">131</a>]</span>them herself. So when she
+ran away on the second Monday in Shravan she brought with her incense
+and flowers, rice and betel-nut and bel-tree leaves, and after offering
+them and some sesamums to the god she once more prayed, &ldquo;O God
+Shiva, please, please grant my prayer and make my father-in-law and my
+mother-in-law, my brothers-in-law and my sisters-in-law like me as much
+as they now dislike me.&rdquo; Then she went home and fasted, and
+giving all her dinner to her favourite cow she sat by herself and
+prayed to Shiva. That evening the king asked her who the god was whom
+she was honouring, and where he lived. The ugly little daughter-in-law
+replied, &ldquo;Afar off my god lives, and the roads to him are hard,
+and the paths to him are full of thorns. Where snakes abound and where
+tigers lie in wait, there is his temple.&rdquo; The third Monday in
+Shravan, the ugly little daughter-in-law again started from the palace
+with her flowers and incense, her betel-nut and bel leaves, her rice
+and sesamum, in order to meet the serpent-maidens of Pat&acirc;la and
+the bevy of wood-nymphs, and with them to worship the god in the hidden
+depths of the forest. This time the king and <span class=
+"pagenum">[<a id="xd19e1005" href="#xd19e1005" name=
+"xd19e1005">132</a>]</span>her other male relatives followed her and
+said to her, &ldquo;Ugly little daughter-in-law, take us with you and
+show us your god.&rdquo; But the temple of Shiva was ever so far from
+the king&rsquo;s palace. The ugly daughter-in-law did not mind, for she
+was used to cruel treatment. She had also walked to the temple twice
+before, and her feet had got as hard as two little stones. But the king
+and his relatives were tired to death; and their feet swelled up to the
+size of an elephant&rsquo;s, and they became as full of thorns as the
+back of a porcupine. And they muttered to each other, &ldquo;How on
+earth does that ugly little daughter-in-law manage to walk as she does
+through the heart of the forest?&rdquo; The ugly daughter-in-law at
+last felt sorry for them. She prayed to the god Shiva to build a temple
+near at hand. The god consented, and, with the help of the
+serpent-maidens of Pat&acirc;la and of the wood-nymphs, he created
+suddenly a beautiful temple all of pure, yellow gold. Its pillars were
+studded with jewels, and the jars in it were all of crystal. In the
+middle there rose from the ground an altar to the god Shiva. And last
+of all the god revealed himself to the <span class="pagenum">[<a id=
+"xd19e1007" href="#xd19e1007" name="xd19e1007">133</a>]</span>king and
+his companions in all his glory and splendour. For a moment only they
+saw him; and then he vanished. The king and his companions stared, too
+astonished to move or speak. But the ugly little daughter-in-law
+prostrated herself and offered to the god flowers and incense. Then she
+cried out, &ldquo;O God Shiva, please, please vouchsafe my prayer and
+make my father-in-law and my mother-in-law, my brothers-in-law and my
+sisters-in-law like me as much as they now dislike me.&rdquo; When the
+king heard her prayer his heart softened to her, and he spoke kindly to
+her and gave her jewelry and trinkets. In a little while he took off
+his turban and, placing it on a peg, walked out to look at a lovely
+lake which, unnoticed by any one before, now stretched out close by the
+temple. And behind him strolled out his companions. But when they had
+gone out of sight, the beautiful golden temple by the lake vanished for
+ever. After looking at the lake the king came back to fetch his turban
+which he had left in the temple. But he could not find the beautiful
+temple all of pure, yellow gold, with its jewel-studded pillars and its
+crystal jars. <span class="pagenum">[<a id="xd19e1009" href=
+"#xd19e1009" name="xd19e1009">134</a>]</span>The king asked the little
+daughter-in-law the cause. She said nothing, but straightway walked
+deeper into the forest. And the king and his companions, although weary
+to death, followed her. At last they came to the temple where she had
+worshipped, together with the serpent-maidens from Pat&acirc;la and the
+bevy of wood-nymphs. It was a tiny temple, and inside it there was a
+rough altar. At the foot of the altar lay the flowers which the ugly
+daughter-in-law had offered to the god, and close by on a peg hung the
+turban left by the king. Again the king asked his daughter-in-law the
+meaning of what had happened. She replied, &ldquo;This temple that you
+see is my own poor little temple. But, because of my prayers, the god
+Shiva showed himself to you in the beautiful temple, all of pure,
+yellow gold, with its jewel-studded pillars and its crystal
+jars.&rdquo; When the king heard her reply, he grew more pleased than
+ever with the daughter-in-law whom formerly he had so disliked. And
+because the god had revealed himself at her prayer, the king, to do her
+honour, sent for his royal palanquin and had her carried home in state.
+And the ugly little daughter-in-law <span class="pagenum">[<a id=
+"xd19e1011" href="#xd19e1011" name="xd19e1011">135</a>]</span>became
+out of the four the king&rsquo;s favourite. And he was so much nicer to
+her than he was to his other three daughters-in-law that they became as
+jealous as cats. But the king and the ugly little daughter-in-law did
+not mind them the least little bit. And they both lived happily ever
+afterwards.</p>
+<div class="figure xd19e1014width" id="p132"><img src="images/p132.jpg"
+alt=
+"&ldquo;The god revealed himself to the king and his companions in all his glory and splendour&rdquo;"
+width="503" height="720">
+<p class="figureHead">&ldquo;The god revealed himself to the king and
+his companions in all his glory and splendour&rdquo;</p>
+</div>
+<p class="trailer xd19e1018"><i>The End</i></p>
+<div class="footnotes">
+<hr class="fnsep">
+<p class="footnote"><span class="label"><a class="noteref" id=
+"xd19e992" href="#xd19e992src" name="xd19e992">1</a></span> Shravan =
+August.</p>
+<p class="footnote"><span class="label"><a class="noteref" id="n129.1"
+href="#n129.1src" name="n129.1">2</a></span> Nag-kanya. These are the
+maidens of the race of the Nagas, who are said to have sprung from
+Kadru, wife of Kasyapa. One of them, Ulupi, married the hero Arjuna.
+They live in Pat&acirc;la, the lowest of the seven underground
+regions.</p>
+</div>
+</div>
+</div>
+<div class="back">
+<div class="div1"><span class="pagenum">[<a href=
+"#toc">Contents</a>]</span>
+<p class="xd19e117"><i>Printed by</i> <span class="smallcaps">R. &amp;
+R. Clark, Limited,</span> <i>Edingburgh.</i></p>
+<div class="transcribernote">
+<h2>Colophon</h2>
+<h3>Availability</h3>
+<p>U.S. Public Domain, since published in 1914.</p>
+<p>Produced by Jeroen Hellingman and the Distributed Proofreading Team
+from page images provided by the Million Books Project.</p>
+<p>Several scans of this work are available on-line in The Internet
+Archive: <a class="exlink" title="External link" href=
+"http://www.archive.org/details/deccannurserytal00kincrich">1</a>
+<a class="exlink" title="External link" href=
+"http://www.archive.org/details/deccannurserytal00kinc">2</a> <a class=
+"exlink" title="External link" href=
+"http://www.archive.org/details/cu31924028147415">3</a> <a class=
+"exlink" title="External link" href=
+"http://www.archive.org/details/DeccanNurseryTales">4</a> <a class=
+"exlink" title="External link" href=
+"http://www.archive.org/details/deccannurserytal034941mbp">5</a>.</p>
+<p>Project Gutenberg catalog page: <a class="pglink" href=
+"http://www.gutenberg.org/etext/11167">11167</a>.</p>
+<h3>Encoding</h3>
+<h3>Revision History</h3>
+<ul>
+<li>2004-02-19 Added TEI tagging.</li>
+<li>2009-12-18 Revisited and added illustrations.</li>
+</ul>
+<h3>External References</h3>
+<p>This Project Gutenberg eBook contains external references. These
+links may not work for you.</p>
+<h3>Corrections</h3>
+<p>The following corrections have been applied to the text:</p>
+<table width="75%" summary=
+"Overview of corrections applied to the text.">
+<tr>
+<th>Page</th>
+<th>Source</th>
+<th>Correction</th>
+</tr>
+<tr>
+<td class="width20"><a class="pageref" href="#xd19e178">ix</a></td>
+<td class="width40">as</td>
+<td class="width40">[<i>Deleted</i>]</td>
+</tr>
+<tr>
+<td class="width20"><a class="pageref" href="#xd19e458">2</a></td>
+<td class="width40">Mar&rsquo;s</td>
+<td class="width40">Mars&rsquo;</td>
+</tr>
+<tr>
+<td class="width20"><a class="pageref" href="#xd19e660">50</a></td>
+<td class="width40">skirit</td>
+<td class="width40">skirt</td>
+</tr>
+<tr>
+<td class="width20"><a class="pageref" href="#xd19e915">110</a></td>
+<td class="width40">Vashista</td>
+<td class="width40">Vasishta</td>
+</tr>
+</table>
+</div>
+</div>
+</div>
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+<pre>
+
+
+
+
+
+End of Project Gutenberg's Deccan Nursery Tales, by Charles Augustus Kincaid
+
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+</pre>
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+</body>
+</html>
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+Project Gutenberg's Deccan Nursery Tales, by Charles Augustus Kincaid
+
+This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and with
+almost no restrictions whatsoever.  You may copy it, give it away or
+re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included
+with this eBook or online at www.gutenberg.org
+
+
+Title: Deccan Nursery Tales
+       or, Fairy Tales from the South
+
+Author: Charles Augustus Kincaid
+
+Illustrator: M. V. Dhurandhar
+
+Release Date: December 21, 2009 [EBook #11167]
+
+Language: English
+
+Character set encoding: ISO-8859-1
+
+*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK DECCAN NURSERY TALES ***
+
+
+
+
+Produced by Jeroen Hellingman and the Distributed
+Proofreaders Team from scans of the Million Books Project.
+
+
+
+
+
+
+                      Deccan Nursery Tales
+                               or
+                   Fairy Tales from the South
+
+
+                               by
+
+                      C.A. Kincaid, C.V.O.
+
+
+
+                             1914.
+
+
+
+
+                        To my little son
+
+                             Dennis
+
+                Whose interest in these stories
+          first induced me to offer them to the public
+         this little volume is affectionately inscribed
+
+
+
+PREFACE
+
+These stories first appeared in the Times of India newspaper, and my
+acknowledgments are due to the editor for his courtesy in permitting
+their publication.
+
+I have translated all of them as literally as possible from the
+original Marathi. But, owing to the difference between Marathi and
+English canons of taste, I have had in a very few places slightly
+to change the sense. In some places, owing to the obscurity of the
+original text, I have had to amplify the translation. In other places
+I have had to cut short the descriptions of Hindu rites and ceremonies
+so as to avoid wearying the English reader.
+
+It may not be out of place to say just a word about the Indian gods
+mentioned in the stories. It must be remembered that the main Hindu
+gods are three in number. They are all sprung from a common origin,
+Brahma, but they are quite separate beings. They do not form a trinity,
+i.e. three in one or one in three. And each of them has a wife and a
+family. The following genealogical tree will, I hope, help the reader.
+
+
+    Brahma
+        Shiva = Parwati
+            Ganpati
+              = the daughters of Agni
+            Kartakswami [1]
+        Vishnu = Mahalaxmi
+        Brahmadev = Saraswati
+
+
+Of the above gods, Shiva, his son Kartakswami, and his wife Parwati,
+Vishnu and his wife Mahalaxmi only are mentioned in the following
+stories. Besides these, however, the Sun and Moon and the five
+principal planets obtain a certain amount of worship. The Sun is
+worshipped every morning by every orthodox Hindu. And Shani or Saturn
+inspires a wholesome fear, for his glance is supposed to bring ill
+fortune. Then again, besides the main gods, the world according
+to Hindu belief, which in this respect closely resembles that of
+the ancient Greeks, is peopled with Asuras (demons), Devkanya
+(wood-nymphs), Nag-kanya (the serpent-maidens of Patâla), and
+Gandharwas (a kind of cherubim). The first three of these find a
+place in the ensuing fairy tales.
+
+The scientific doctrine is that Shiva is the destroyer and Vishnu
+the preserver of life, and that Brahmadev is the creative spirit. In
+practice, however, Brahmadev is almost entirely disregarded, while the
+Hindus worship Shiva, Vishnu, Parwati, or Mahalaxmi just as   they feel
+inclined, or as the particular sect to which they belong requires them.
+
+Lastly, it must be borne in mind that the Hindu year consists of
+twelve lunar months. In the Deccan the year begins with Chaitra,
+corresponding roughly with April. The months then succeed each other
+in the following order: Vaishak, Jesht, Ashad, Shravan, Bhadrapad,
+Ashwin, Kartih, Margshish, Paush, Mag, Phalgun, Each month begins on
+the first day of the new moon and is divided into two parts. The first
+half comprises the period from the new moon to the full moon. This is
+the bright half of the month. The second half comprises the period
+from the full moon to the new moon. This is the dark half of the
+month. The lunar months are made to correspond with the solar year by
+the interposition of an "adhik" or intercalary month every third year.
+
+C.A.K.
+
+
+
+CONTENTS
+
+
+    I.      The Sunday Story
+    II.     The Monday Story
+    III.    The Tuesday Story
+    IV.     The Wednesday and Thursday Story
+    V.      The Friday Story
+    VI.     The Saturday Story
+    VII.    Mahalaxmi and the Two Queens
+    VIII.   The Island Palace
+    IX.     Nagoba, the Snake-King
+    X.      Parwati and the Beggar-Man
+    XL      Parwati and the Brahman
+    XII.    Soma, the Washerwoman
+    XIII.   Vasishta and the Four Queens
+    XIV.    The Lamps and the King's Daughter-in-Law
+    XV.     Parwati and the Priest
+    XVI.    The Rishi and the Brahman
+    XVII.   The King and the Water-Goddesses
+    XVIII.  The Lid of the Sacred Casket
+    XIX.    The Brahman Wife and Her Seven Sons
+    XX.     The Golden Temple
+
+
+
+ILLUSTRATIONS
+
+
+"Gave memorial honours to his dead father"
+"It curled itself up inside the earthen jar"
+"And fill her lap with wheat cakes and bits of cocoa-nut"
+"And stuck them into a corner of the eaves"
+"They no longer wished to kill or bite the little daughter-in-law"
+"They asked her what the reason was, and she told them"
+"She has lived here just as if she had been in her father's house"
+"The god revealed himself to the king and his companions in all his
+glory and splendour"
+
+
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER I
+
+The Sunday Story
+
+When Englishmen and Englishwomen are little boys and girls, they
+listen with open ears to the tales of Golden-hair and the three Bears,
+of Cinderella and the Prince, and of the Wolf and Little Red Riding
+Hood. As the boys and girls grow up, the stories fade gradually from
+their minds. But a time comes when they have children of their own. And
+then, to amuse the children, they can find no tales more thrilling
+than those which fascinated them in their own childhood. Thus the
+old nursery tales are handed down for centuries from generation to
+generation. Exactly the same process goes on in India, There, too, when
+little Indian boys and girls grow up and have little boys and girls of
+their own, they too tell to wide-eyed audiences the tales which they
+themselves found so thrilling in their own childhood. Indian nursery
+tales, it is true, have a more religious tinge than those of Europe,
+but they are none the less appreciated on that account. The first six
+stories in this little book purport to explain the connexion between
+the heavenly bodies and the days of the week. So each day of the week
+has its separate tale. And all through Shravan or August, probably
+because it is the wettest month in the year, Deccan mothers tell afresh
+every week-day that day's story. And little Deccan children listen
+to the tales as they fall due with the same unvarying attention. For
+in nurseries, Indian as well as English, tales are loved the better
+when no longer new, and where the end is well known to, and therefore
+the better understood by, the tiny round-eyed listeners.
+
+Now this is the tale which is told every Sunday [2] in Shravan: Once
+upon a time there was a town called Atpat, and in it there lived a
+poor Brahman. Every day he used to go into the woods to fetch sticks
+and to cut grass. One day he met there some nymphs and wood-fairies,
+who said that they were performing holy rites in honour of the sun. He
+asked, "What are these rites?" They replied, "If we tell you, you will
+become proud and vain and you will not perform them properly." But the
+Brahman promised, "No, I shall not become proud or vain and I shall
+observe the rites you tell me." They then told him that the month of
+Shravan was coming, and that on the first Sunday of Shravan he was
+to draw a picture of the sun with red sandal paste, that he was to
+offer to the drawing flowers and fruit, and that he should continue
+doing this for six months. Thereafter he should in various ways,
+which they told him, entertain guests and give alms to the poor.
+
+The Brahman went home and performed the rites to the letter, so that
+the sun-god was very pleased. Wealth came to the Brahman and he grew
+richer and richer, and at last the queen of the land sent for him. The
+poor Brahman began to tremble and shake all over, but the queen said,
+"Do not shake or tremble, but give your daughters in marriage to our
+house." The Brahman said, "My daughters are poor; you will make them
+slaves or maid-servants." "No," said the queen, "I shall not make
+them slaves or maid-servants; I shall marry one to a king, and one to
+a minister." The Brahman agreed, and when the month of Margashish,
+or December, came he gave his two daughters in marriage, one to the
+king and one to the minister. Immediately after the marriage the
+Brahman said good-bye to his daughters, and did not see them again
+for twelve years. Then he visited the elder one, who had married the
+king. She gave him a wooden stand on which to sit while eating, and
+water in which to wash his feet, and then said, "Papa, papa, there
+is pudding to eat, there is water to drink." But the Brahman said,
+"Before I eat or drink, I must tell you my story." But his daughter
+said, "Papa, I have no time to listen to your story; the king is
+going a-hunting, and I must not keep him waiting for his dinner." The
+Brahman thought this very disrespectful and went off in a great rage
+to the house of his other daughter, who had married a minister. She
+welcomed her father and gave him a wooden stand on which to eat,
+and water to wash his feet, and said, "Papa, papa, here is pudding to
+eat and here is water to drink." But the Brahman said, "Before I eat
+or drink I must tell you my story." His daughter said, "Of course,
+papa, tell it to me, and I shall listen as long as you like." Then
+she went into an inner room and she fetched six pearls. She took three
+herself and three she put in her father's hand. And he told her how he
+had met the nymphs and wood-fairies, who had told him to worship the
+sun-god, and she listened to it all without missing a syllable. Then
+the Brahman ate and drank and went back to his own house. His wife
+asked him about their two daughters. He told her everything and said,
+"The elder one who would not listen to my story will come to grief."
+
+And so she did. For the king, her husband, took an army into a
+far country and never came back. But the daughter who had listened
+to the story lived well and happy. As time went on the undutiful
+daughter became poorer and poorer, until one day she said to her
+eldest son, "Go to your aunt's house and beg of her to give you a
+present, and bring back whatever she gives you." Next Sunday the
+boy started and went to the village where his aunt lived. Standing
+by the village tank he called out, "O maids, O slave-girls, whose
+maids and slave-girls are ye?" They answered, "We are the maids and
+the slave-girls of the minister." The boy said, "Go and tell the
+minister's wife that her sister's son is here. Tell her that he is
+standing by the village tank, that his coat is tattered and that
+his garments are torn, and ask her to let him come into her house
+through the back door." The slave-girls took him in through the
+back door. His aunt had him bathed, and gave him clothes to wear,
+and food to eat, and drink, and a pumpkin hollowed out and filled
+with gold coins. As he left, she called to him, "Do not drop it, do
+not forget it, but take it carefully home." But as the boy went home,
+the sun-god came disguised as a gardener and stole the pumpkin filled
+with gold. When the boy reached his mother's house she asked, "Well,
+my son, what did your aunt give you?" He said, "Fortune gave, but Karma
+[3] took away; I lost everything my aunt bestowed on me." Next Sunday
+the second son went and stood by the village tank and called out,
+"O slave-girls and maid-servants, who is your master?" They said,
+"Our master is the minister." "Then tell the minister's wife that
+her nephew is here." He was taken in by the back door. He was bathed
+and clothed and given food and drink. As he was going, his aunt gave
+him a hollow stick full of gold coins and said, "Do not drop it,
+do not forget it, mind it carefully and take it home." On the way
+the sun-god came in the guise of a cowherd and stole the stick. When
+the boy got home his mother asked him what he had brought. He said,
+"Fortune gave, but Karma took away." On the third Sunday a third son
+went and stood by the village tank. His aunt received him like the
+others and had him bathed, clothed, and fed. As he was going away,
+she gave him a hollow cocoa-nut stuffed with gold coins and said,
+"Do not drop it, do not forget it, but mind it carefully and take it
+home." On the way back he put down the cocoa-nut on the edge of a well,
+and it toppled over and fell into the water with a great splash. When
+he reached his mother's house she asked him what his aunt's present
+was. He said, "I have lost everything which fortune brought me." On
+the fourth Sunday the fourth son went. His aunt welcomed him like
+the others, and had him bathed and fed. When he left she gave him an
+earthen pot full of gold coins. But the sun-god came in the guise
+of a kite and snatched the pot away. When the boy reached home his
+mother asked him whether his aunt had given him anything. He said,
+"I have lost everything which my aunt gave me." On the fifth Sunday
+the mother herself got up and went to her sister's village and stood
+by the tank. The minister's wife took her in through her back door
+and had her clothed and fed. Then the minister's wife told her that
+all her trouble had come through not listening to her father's story,
+and the minister's wife repeated it to her. The king's wife listened
+to it, and stayed with her sister until the following month of Shravan,
+or August, when she did fitting worship to the sun.
+
+Instantly good fortune came to her. After years of weary fighting, her
+husband, the king, at last overcame his enemies, and after taking great
+wealth from them turned homewards with his army. As he went towards his
+capital, he passed the village where the minister's wife lived. There he
+learnt that his queen was with her sister, so he sent for her with a
+befitting escort. "O auntie, auntie," cried all the queen's little
+nephews and nieces, "umbrellas have come for you, and horse-tails and
+guards and foot-soldiers." Every one rushed out to see, and the king and
+queen greeted each other after years of separation. The sisters gave
+each other gifts of clothes, and the king and his queen went away
+together. At the first halting-place the servants cooked the food. The
+queen filled the king's plate and then her own, and then she thought of
+the story which her sister had told her. She ordered her servants to go
+through the neighbouring village and bring in any one who was hungry and
+too poor to buy food. They found none such in the village, but on the
+way back they met a starving wood-cutter, and, bringing him to the
+queen, told him to listen to the tale which she would tell him. The
+queen brought six pearls. Three she gave to the wood-cutter, and three
+she kept herself. Then she told him the story of her father and the
+wood-fairies. The wood-cutter listened with all attention, and as he
+listened his faggot of wood became all of gold. He went away delighted,
+promising to worship the sun in the way the wood-fairies had shown to
+the Brahman.
+
+Next day the cavalcade reached the second halting-place. Food was
+cooked; the queen filled the king's plate and then her own plate, and
+again she told her, servants to bring from the neighbouring village any
+one who was hungry and too poor to buy food. They came upon a petty
+farmer, whose well had dried up and whose crops had withered. He was
+sitting sadly by his field when they called him to go with them and
+listen to the queen's tale. He went with them to the camp. There the
+queen brought six pearls and gave three of them to the farmer and
+kept three of them herself. Then she told the story of her father
+and the wood-fairies. And as the farmer listened, all attention,
+the water began to pour into the well, and the crop began to look
+fresh and green. He went away delighted, and promised to worship the
+sun in the way the wood-fairies had told the Brahman. Next day the
+cavalcade reached the third halting-place. Food was cooked, and the
+queen filled the king's plate and then her own plate. Then she told
+the servants to search in the neighbouring village for any one who
+was hungry and too poor to buy food. They met an old woman. Her eldest
+son had been lost in the forest. Her second son had been drowned in a
+pond. Her third son had died of snake-bite. They told her to come and
+listen to the queen's story. She went with them, and as she listened,
+all attention, first the son who had been lost in the forest walked
+into the camp, next the son who had been drowned in the pond, and
+last of all the son who had died of a snake-bite. The old woman went
+away crying with joy, and promising to worship the sun in the way
+the wood-fairies had instructed the Brahman. Next day the cavalcade
+reached the fourth halting-place. Food was cooked, and the queen first
+filled the king's plate and then her own. After dinner she sent her
+servants as before to bring in some poor and hungry man from the
+neighbouring village. They found a man whose eyes were so crooked
+that he could hardly see, who had no arms or legs, and who had not
+even a name. For he was only known as "Lump of flesh." He was lying
+on his face, but when they brought him into camp, the queen had him
+placed on his back and had a jug of water poured over him. Then she
+took six pearls. Three she kept herself, and three she placed on the
+stomach of "Lump of flesh." Then she told him the tale of her father
+and the wood-fairies. He listened, all attention, and as he listened
+his arms and legs grew out of his body, and hands and feet appeared
+at the ends of them. He too went away delighted, and he promised to
+worship the sun in the way the wood-fairies had told the Brahman.
+
+At the end of the next day's march the king and queen reached their
+home. Food was cooked, and as they sat down to dinner the sun-god
+himself appeared and joined them at their meal. The king had all
+the doors flung wide open, and ordered a fresh and far more splendid
+dinner to be prepared, with any number of dishes, each dish having
+six separate flavours. When it was served the sun-god and the king
+began to eat, but in the first mouthful the sun-god found a hair. He
+got very very angry, and called out, "To what sinful woman does this
+hair belong?" Then the poor queen remembered that during her twelve
+years of poverty she had always sat under the eaves combing her hair,
+and knew that it must have been one of her hairs which had got into
+the sun-god's food. She begged for mercy, but the sun-god would
+not forgive her until she had clothed herself in a black blanket,
+plucked a stick out of the eaves, and had gone outside the town and
+there thrown the stick and the hair over her left shoulder. Then the
+sun-god recovered his good-humour, and finished his dinner. And the
+Brahman, the king and queen, and the wood-cutter and the farmer whose
+well had dried up, and the old woman who had lost her children, and
+"Lump of flesh" with the cross eyes, they all remained in the favour
+of the sun-god and lived happily ever afterwards.
+
+
+
+CHAPTER II
+
+The Monday Story
+
+Once upon a time there was a town called Atpat. In it there lived a
+very saintly king. One day he formed the wish to fill the shrine of
+Shiva, the moon-god, with milk up to the ceiling. He consulted his
+chief minister, and the latter sent a crier through Atpat ordering,
+under terrible penalties, all the townspeople to bring every Monday all
+the milk in their houses and offer it to the god Shiva. The townspeople
+were frightened at the threatened punishments, and the next Monday
+they brought all the milk in Atpat to Shiva's shrine, not keeping a
+drop for their calves or even for their children. But although all the
+milk in Atpat was every Monday poured into Shiva's shrine, it yet did
+not become full to the ceiling. But one day an old woman came to the
+shrine. She had done all her housework. She had fed all the children
+and had bathed all her little daughters-in-law. Then she took a few
+drops of milk, a little sandal-wood paste, and a few flowers, and
+half-a-dozen grains of rice and went to worship at Shiva's shrine. She
+prayed to Shiva, "The little milk that I can offer is not likely to
+fill your shrine, seeing that all the milk offered by the king could
+not. Nevertheless I offer the milk with all my heart." She then got
+up and went back to her house. Then a strange thing happened. Directly
+the old woman turned her back, the shrine filled with milk right up to
+the ceiling. The priests ran and told the king, but none of them could
+say how it happened. The following Monday the king placed a soldier
+by the door; and again the old woman came and worshipped, and again
+the shrine filled with milk to the ceiling. The soldier ran and told
+the king, but could not explain the cause. The third Monday the king
+himself went and watched by the shrine. From his hiding-place he saw
+the old woman come up and noticed that the shrine filled with milk
+immediately after she had worshipped. He ran after her and caught
+her. The old woman begged the king to spare her life, and this he
+promised to do if she told the truth. She said, "O King! you ordered
+all the milk in Atpat to be brought to Shiva's shrine. But what was
+the result? All the calves began lowing and all the children began
+crying, because they could get no milk. And all the grown-up people
+were so worried by the noise that they did not know what to do. Shiva
+was displeased at this, so He would not let the shrine fill. This,
+therefore, is what you should do. Let the children and the calves
+have their milk. Then take whatever is over to the shrine, and it
+will at once fill up to the ceiling." The king let the old woman go,
+and had it proclaimed by beat of drum that the townspeople were to
+bring to the shrine on the following Monday only the milk remaining
+after the children and the calves had been fed. The townspeople were
+delighted. The children stopped crying and the calves stopped lowing,
+and all the milk left by them was brought to Shiva's shrine. The
+king prayed long and earnestly, and when he looked up he saw that
+the shrine was full right up to the ceiling. He gave the old woman
+a handsome present. And she went back to her home, and she did her
+housework, and then she bathed all her little daughters and all her
+little daughters-in-law.
+
+
+
+CHAPTER III
+
+The Tuesday Story
+
+Once upon a time there was a town called Atpat. [4] In it there lived
+a bania who had no son. Every day a religious mendicant used to come
+to his house and call out, "Alms! Alms! In the name of God, give me
+alms." But when the bania's wife offered him alms he refused them,
+because she had no children. She told her husband, who advised her
+to play a trick on the mendicant. She hid behind her door, and as he
+called out "Alms! alms!" she slipped a gold piece into his wallet. But
+the mendicant caught her and became very angry. He cursed her and
+told her that she would always remain without any children. She
+was terrified and fell at his feet and begged for forgiveness. Then
+he pitied her and said, "Tell your husband to put on blue clothes,
+mount a blue horse, and ride into the jungle. He should ride on until
+he meets a horse. He should then dismount and dig in the ground. He
+will in the end come to a temple to Parwati. He must pray to her and
+she will bestow a child on him." When her husband came back she told
+him what had happened. So he at once put on blue clothes, mounted a
+blue horse, and rode into the forest. He met the horse, dismounted,
+and began digging. At last he discovered a temple to Parwati, all of
+gold, with diamond pillars and a spire made of rubies. Inside was a
+statue of the goddess, and to it he prayed, saying, "I have houses and
+cottages, cattle and horses, money and goods of all kinds, but I am
+very sad because I have no son." The goddess pitied him and asked,
+"Which will you have, a son who will be good but will die young,
+or a son who will live long but will be born blind?" The poor bania
+became greatly perplexed, but at last said, "I choose a son who will be
+good but will die young,"  The goddess said, "Very well. Step behind
+me. There you will find an image of Ganpati. Behind it is a mango
+tree. Climb upon Ganpati's stomach and pick one mango. Go home and give
+it to your wife to eat, and your wish will be gratified." Parwati then
+disappeared. The bania climbed upon Ganpati's stomach and ate as many
+mangoes as he could. He next filled a large bundle full of mangoes
+and stepped down. But when he reached the ground he found that there
+was only one mango in the bundle. He climbed up again and refilled his
+bundle, but when he stepped down he again found only one mango. This
+happened three or four times. At last Ganpati got very sore and angry
+with having his stomach trampled on. So he shouted out, "One mango is
+all you'll get. So be off home!" The bania was frightened out of his
+wits and galloped home with his one mango. His wife ate it, and in nine
+months she presented her husband with a son. When the little boy was
+eight years old his sacred thread was put on, and his mother said,
+"It is time to think of his marriage." But the bania said, "I dare
+not marry him unless he first makes a pilgrimage to Benares." His
+maternal uncle agreed to take the little boy to Benares.
+
+So off they started together, and some days later the uncle and nephew
+halted at a village where some little girls were playing. One of
+the little girls said to the other, "You are nothing but a wretched
+little widow." But the other little girl said, "Oh no! there are
+never any widows in our family. Mother worships Parwati and so I
+can never be a widow." The uncle heard this, and thought that if his
+nephew could only marry a little girl who could not become a widow,
+he would not die young. So he began to think how he could bring
+about the marriage. Now it so happened that the little girl was
+to be married that day. But in the morning the boy to whom she was
+betrothed fell ill. Her parents were in great trouble, but at last
+they thought that, rather than postpone the wedding and disappoint
+all the guests, it would be better to marry their little daughter to
+the first traveller who passed through the village. So they went to
+the rest-house to inquire if any one was there. There they found the
+uncle and nephew, and they married their little girl to the latter
+that very evening when the cows were homing. They drew on the wall
+a picture of Shiva and Parwati, and they put the children to bed
+beneath it. Parwati appeared to the little girl in her sleep. The
+goddess said, "My child, a snake will come to bite your husband: give
+it milk to drink. Then put near it a new earthen jar. When the snake
+has finished drinking, it will enter the earthen jar. Then at once
+pull off your bodice and stuff it into the jar's mouth. Next morning
+give the jar to your mother." Next evening everything happened as
+Parwati had said. The snake came to bite her husband as he slept. But
+the little girl offered it milk, which it drank. After drinking,
+it curled itself up inside the earthen jar, and, the moment it did
+so, the little girl slipped off her bodice and stuffed it into the
+mouth of the jar. Next morning her husband gave her a ring, and she
+in exchange gave him a sweet-dish, and he and his uncle continued
+their journey to Benares. When they had gone, the little girl gave the
+earthen jar with the snake inside it to her mother. The mother took
+out the bodice, but instead of a snake a garland lay inside, and the
+mother put it round her little daughter's neck. Some weeks passed,
+but neither uncle nor nephew returned. So the little girl's parents
+grew anxious. The sick boy who was to have been her husband recovered,
+but she could no longer marry him, and the boy whom she had married
+had gone away and might never return. In despair the parents built
+a house, in which they entertained every traveller who passed by,
+hoping that sooner or later one of the travellers would prove to be
+their daughter's husband. To all of them the mother gave water; the
+daughter washed their feet; her brother gave them sandal-wood paste;
+and her father gave them betel-nut. But it was all in vain; none of
+the travellers' fingers fitted the ring given to the little girl by
+her husband, nor could any of them produce the sweet-dish which she
+had given him in exchange.
+
+In the meantime the uncle and nephew had reached Benares and had
+given large sums in charity, and had visited all the holy places
+and had received the blessings of all the Brahmans. One day the
+little boy, fainted. And in a dream he saw the messenger of Yama,
+the god of death, come close to him as if to carry him off. Next he
+saw the goddess Parwati come to his rescue and, after a struggle,
+drive away Yama's messenger. When the boy woke up he told the dream to
+his uncle. The latter was overjoyed because he felt certain that now
+the boy would no longer die young. He told his nephew to get ready,
+and next day they left Benares. On their way home they passed by
+the village where the nephew had been married. As they were having
+breakfast near the village tank, a maid-servant invited them to come
+to the house which the girl's parents had built for the reception of
+travellers. At first the uncle declined, but when a palki was sent
+for them, he and his nephew entered it. When the little girl began to
+wash her husband's feet, she recognised him. She tried on the ring,
+which fitted his finger, and he in turn showed her the sweet-dish
+which she had given him. The parents were as pleased as possible, and
+they sent a messenger to invite the boy's parents. They came, and the
+boy's mother threw herself at her daughter-in-law's feet and thanked
+her for saving her son. Then there was a great feast and everybody
+was very happy indeed, and at the end they all worshipped Parwati,
+[5] so she became as pleased as everybody else.
+
+
+
+CHAPTER IV
+
+The Wednesday and Thursday Story
+
+There was once upon a time a town called Atpat. In it there lived
+a prince who had seven sons and seven daughters-in-law. Every day
+there used to come to the prince's house two Brahmans, an uncle and a
+nephew. But when they asked for alms the daughters-in-law sent word
+that they were too busy to give them any. Some time afterwards the
+prince lost all his riches and became very poor. The two Brahmans
+again came to beg, but the elder daughter-in-law said to them,
+"We are no longer busy, but we have nothing to give you. If we had,
+we should give it to you." The youngest daughter-in-law, however,
+was a clever little girl, and she thought to herself, "The Brahmans
+will get very angry with us. When we had money, we gave them nothing;
+and now we give them nothing because we have nothing to give." So she
+fell at the elder Brahman's feet and said, "We have been very wicked
+and have deserved to become poor. But please forgive us and tell me
+how we may become rich as we were before." The elder Brahman said,
+"Every Wednesday and every Thursday you must invite a Brahman to
+dinner. And if you have no money to pay for the dinner, draw a pair
+of cow's feet on your money-box. If you want grain for the dinner,
+draw a pair of cow's feet on your corn-bin. Then worship the feet and
+welcome the Brahmans. For you will find that you will have money in
+your box and grain in your corn-bin. And in time you will all get as
+rich as you were before." The little girl did what the Brahman told
+her. And whenever she invited Brahmans to dinner, she drew the cow's
+feet on the cash-box and on the corn-bin, and there was always money
+and grain sufficient for the meal.
+
+But some days later she fell asleep and dreamt that Budh [6] and
+Brahaspati came to her bedside and said, "Little girl, little girl,
+your husband has been made king over a great country. Go to him, and,
+when you have found him, do not forget to worship us and to give feast
+to the Brahmans." Then the little girl woke up and she told the other
+six daughters-in-law. But they were jealous of her, and they became
+very angry; and they kicked her so often and boxed her ears so hard
+that she forgot all about drawing the cow's feet on her money-box and
+on the corn-bin. So she never found any money in the box or any corn
+in the bin. And every day they became poorer and poorer. First all the
+men servants ran away, then the male members of the family left, and
+at last the seven daughters-in-law were left alone in the house. They
+were starving, but they did not know how to get any food. One day
+they heard that a king in a neighbouring country wished to construct
+a tank and was calling for labourers. So they decided to go to the
+tank and work there just like common coolie women. Now who do you
+think the king was? He was the youngest son of the prince of Atpat
+and the husband of the youngest daughter-in-law. When the prince had
+lost all his money, his youngest son left the house and set off on
+a journey. As he travelled he came to a city, the king of which had
+just died without leaving any children or relatives. His subjects
+did not know how to choose a successor. At last they gave a garland
+of flowers to a she-elephant and turned it loose. The elephant walked
+straight to the prince's son and put the garland round his neck. The
+townspeople were very angry. They snatched away the garland and drove
+away the prince's son. They again gave the garland to the elephant,
+but the elephant again put the garland round the neck of the prince's
+son. The townspeople again snatched away the garland. But when the
+elephant put it round the young man's neck for the third time, they
+lifted him high in the air and declared him to be their king. At first
+he was so pleased at being king that he forgot all about his poor
+little wife. But one night Budh and Brahaspati appeared to him in a
+dream and reminded him of her and told him how poor she was. But he
+could not leave his kingdom to go and look for her. So he thought that
+he would dig a tank and call together labourers from every quarter. And
+every day he used to go to the tank and search among the labourers to
+see if his wife was there. One day he recognised his wife and called
+her to him. Then they told each other how Budh and Brahaspati had
+appeared to each of them in a dream. And the king was so delighted at
+finding his wife that he at once proclaimed her queen of the country.
+
+So the little daughter-in-law was crowned queen, but she did not let
+the other daughters-in-law who were also working at the tank know of
+her good fortune. As queen, she gave a great feast to all the workers
+on the tank. But in her own palace she took some wheat flour, and
+she kneaded it into shapes resembling human feet and human fists. And
+when the other daughters-in-law were with the crowd of workers eating
+at the feast, she went up to them, and to each daughter-in-law who
+had kicked her she gave a flour foot, and to each daughter-in-law
+who had struck her with her hands she gave a flour fist. Then the
+daughters-in-law recognised who the little queen was, and they fell at
+her feet and begged for her forgiveness. So the little queen forgave
+them and took them back with her into her husband's palace. And they
+all lived together happily ever afterwards.
+
+
+
+CHAPTER V
+
+The Friday Story
+
+Once upon a time there was a town called Atpat. In it there lived a
+miserably poor Brahman. He had a wife who was as poor as he was. One
+day she felt her poverty so much that she went to a gossip of hers
+who lived close by and told her all about her troubles. The neighbour
+could suggest nothing better than that the poor woman should worship
+the goddess Shukra or Venus. So she told the Brahman woman to fast
+every Friday through the month of Shravan. Every Friday evening she
+should invite a married lady friend to her house. She should bathe her
+friend's feet. She should give her sweetened milk to drink and fill
+her lap with wheat cakes and bits of cocoa-nut. She should continue
+to worship Shukra in this way every Friday for a whole year, and in
+the end the goddess would certainly do something for her. The Brahman
+woman thought the advice good, and every Friday she worshipped Shukra
+and had a married friend to dine with her just as her neighbour had
+advised her.
+
+Now the Brahman woman had a rich brother living in the same town,
+who one day invited one thousand Brahmans to dine. At the same
+time he invited all the townspeople with the single exception of
+his sister. The poor lady thought that she must have been left out
+by accident, and that there would be no harm in going, even although
+uninvited. She put on her silk dining-clothes, and, taking her children
+with her, went off to the dinner. She seated herself close to her
+children, and was eating away when her brother came round serving
+ghee. When he saw his sister he shouted at her, "You have neither nice
+clothes nor nice jewelry. You have made me a laughing-stock by coming
+as you have come. I shall not turn you out, but do not come to-morrow."
+
+Next day she did not want to go, but her children, who had enjoyed
+the previous day's feast, persuaded their mother to take them again
+to her brother's house. Once more she went and sat down with her
+children among the rows of feasters. Her brother saw her as before
+when he came round serving the ghee. He shouted at her, "A beggar
+woman must, I suppose, act like a village sow, and will not go away
+although told to. But do not come to-morrow. If you do, I'll have you
+turned out." Next day, however, she again went with her children to
+her brother's house. But near the entrance his servants caught her
+and turned her out before she could eat anything. She went home sad
+and hungry and prayed to Shukra. Now the goddess had been pleased
+with her devotion and so took pity on her. She helped the poor
+woman's husband so that he rapidly acquired great wealth. When her
+husband had become very rich she asked her brother to dinner. But
+the brother remembered how he had treated her and was ashamed to
+accept. He pressed her to dine with him first, and begged so hard
+that she at last consented. Next day she put on all her jewels and
+her finest clothes. Her brother gave her a wooden platform to sit on
+and plates made out of leaves from which to eat her dinner. Before
+she sat down she took off her gold-embroidered shawl and put it
+close to her plate. Her brother saw her, but thought she did it
+because she felt the room hot. She then placed her jewelry on the
+wooden platform. Her brother thought that she did it because she
+felt the jewelry heavy. She took a portion of rice and placed it on
+her necklace. She put a portion of vegetables on her pendant, and a
+sweet ball she placed on her jewelled star.
+
+Her brother at last asked her, "What are you doing?" She said,
+"I am giving to the guests whom you really invited." But he did
+not understand, and asked, "Why do you not begin to eat?" She said,
+"I have not been invited to this dinner. It was given in honour of
+my finery and not of me. I had my dinner the day when you gave the
+feast to the one thousand Brahmans."
+
+The brother felt thoroughly ashamed of himself. He threw himself at
+his sister's feet and begged for her forgiveness. So she forgave him
+and sat down to dinner. And the brother in turn went to her house and
+dined with her. And Shukra was pleased with both sister and brother,
+and they all lived happily ever afterwards. May I and my readers do
+the same.
+
+
+
+CHAPTER VI
+
+The Saturday Story
+
+Once upon a time there was a town-called Atpat. In it there lived a
+poor Brahman who had three daughters-in-law. He rose early even during
+the rainy season, and every day immediately after his morning meal he
+used to go to his field with his children and his daughters-in-law. One
+first Saturday in Shravan he got up as usual and said to the youngest
+of his daughters-in-law, "To-day is Saturday; you had better stay
+at home, and although there is very little in the house, you must
+try to get some sort of a dinner ready. Go upstairs and scrape
+together all the grain there is in the grain-jars and make bread
+with it. For vegetables you had better gather grass and make some
+chutney out of clover leaves." When the Brahman had left, his little
+daughter-in-law followed his orders as best she could. There was in the
+jar upstairs only grain for half an ordinary loaf. So she made tiny,
+tiny loaves and prepared some vegetables out of grass and made some
+clover chutney. Then she sat down to wait for the family's return
+from the field. As she did so, Saturn came disguised as a beggar all
+covered with sores, and cried, "O Lady! I am aching all over: give
+me hot water to bathe in and oil to rub myself with, and then give me
+something to eat." The little daughter-in-law felt very sorry for the
+poor beggar. She went inside and got him a few drops of oil and warmed
+some water for his bath, and then gave him one of the tiny loaves to
+eat. The beggar ate it, and then gave her his blessing, saying, "You
+will never want for anything." He then folded up the leaves from which
+he had eaten, stuck them into a corner of the eaves, and disappeared.
+
+Shortly afterwards the family came home and found a splendid dinner
+waiting for them. They said to themselves, "Where did this all come
+from? There was practically nothing in the house." Next Saturday
+another daughter-in-law stayed at home. Again Saturn in the guise
+of a beggar covered with sores came to the house. He asked as
+before for hot water, oil, and food. But his daughter-in-law said,
+"I have nothing to give you." The god pressed her, saying, "Give me a
+little of anything that you have." But the daughter-in-law repeated,
+"I have nothing." The god replied, "Very well, you will lose that
+little you have." With this threat he disappeared. But, when the
+daughter-in-law went upstairs to fetch grain for dinner, she could
+find nothing in any of the jars. Shortly afterwards the family came
+home, but there was no dinner for them. So they all got angry with
+the daughter-in-law, and, although she told them about the beggar,
+they scolded her harder than ever. A third Saturday came round, and
+a third daughter-in-law remained at home. Again Saturn came, and the
+third daughter-in-law behaved just as the second had done. She gave
+the god neither hot water, oil, nor food. And the god told her that
+she should lose the little she had. When the family came home there
+was no dinner for them, and they scolded the third daughter-in-law
+just as hard as they had scolded the second one.
+
+The fourth Saturday it was once more the
+turn of the youngest daughter-in-law. Again
+Saturn came in the guise of a beggar covered
+with sores and asked for hot water, oil, and
+food. The little daughter-in-law gave them
+as she had done before, and the god blessed
+her, saying, "God will make you rich and
+happy." Then he folded up the leaves from
+which he had eaten and stuck them into a
+corner of the eaves. When the little daughter-in-law
+went upstairs, she saw any amount of
+grain in the jars, and she prepared a splendid
+dinner. So when the family came home they
+were delighted. They could no longer restrain
+their curiosity, and exclaimed, "Where did all
+this food come from?" The little daughter-in-law
+told them about the beggar covered with
+sores and about his blessing. To test her
+story, they looked for the folded leaves which
+he had stuck into a corner of the roof. They
+found them, but when they pulled them out
+they were full of pearls and diamonds. Then
+the old Brahman guessed that the beggar was
+Saturn in disguise, and he also understood why,
+when the other two daughters-in-law gave him
+nothing and were cursed by him, there was
+nothing for dinner. So they all knelt down
+and prayed to Saturn, and the god forgave the
+two-daughters-in-law who had given him
+nothing. And he was more pleased than ever
+with the little daughter-in-law who had befriended
+him. And so they all lived happily
+ever afterwards. And may Saturn be pleased
+with us all as he was with the little daughter-in-law.
+
+
+
+CHAPTER VII
+
+Mahalaxmi and the Two Queens
+
+Once upon a time there was a town called Atpat. In it there lived
+a king who had two queens. Of one of them he was very fond, but
+the other one he did not care for. The name of the favoured one was
+Patmadhavrani, and the name of the unloved one was Chimadevrani. Now
+the king had an enemy called Nandanbaneshwar. Such a terrible enemy
+he was too! He could jump into the clouds or dive into the bottom of
+the ocean. At one moment he would shoot up into heaven. At another he
+would sink down into hell, and through fear of his enemy, the king had
+become as dry and as thin as an old bit of stick. One day the king, in
+despair, assembled all his subjects and ordered them to seek out and
+kill Nandanbaneshwar. All the subjects said, "Certainly, certainly,
+O King," and began to search everywhere for Nandanbaneshwar. Now in
+Atpat there lived a poor woman who had one son. On hearing the orders
+of the king, he said to her, "Mother, Mother, give me some bread,
+for I am going out to kill the king's enemy." The old woman said,
+"Do not be silly; you are only a poor boy, and people will laugh
+at you. Here, take this bit of bread and go and eat it behind a
+tree." The boy said, "Very well," and took the bread. But, after
+taking it, he joined the other villagers and went at their head to
+seek out and kill Nandanbaneshwar. But when evening fell they had
+not yet met Nandanbaneshwar, so all the villagers returned home. And
+when the king heard of their ill-success he was greatly grieved. But
+the old woman's son stayed in a wood outside the village. And lo
+and behold! just about midnight the serpent-maidens from Patâla [7]
+and the wood-nymphs came close to where he was and began to worship
+Mahalaxmi. The boy was at first terribly frightened, but at last he
+plucked up courage enough to ask, "Ladies, ladies, what does one gain
+by worshipping Mahalaxmi?" "Whatever you lose you will find," said the
+serpent-maidens from Patala; "and whatever you want you will get." The
+boy resolved that he too would worship Mahalaxmi. And he joined the
+serpent-maidens from Patâla and the wood-nymphs, and all night long
+they blew on earthen pots to do the goddess honour; and the woods
+echoed and re-echoed with the deep-booming noise which they made. [8]
+
+At dawn Mahalaxmi revealed herself, and all of them, the boy included,
+prostrated themselves before her and asked for her blessing. She first
+blessed the serpent--maidens from Patâla and then the wood-nymphs. And
+then she blessed the poor old woman's son and said, "You will get half
+the kingdom of Atpat and half the king's treasure. He will build you a
+house as high as his own, and he will give you the name of 'Navalvat'
+or 'Wonderways.' For this very morning the king's mighty enemy will
+break his neck and be found lying dead in the king's courtyard,"
+With these words the goddess vanished and flew to Kolhapur, [9] and
+the old woman's son went home. Now at dawn Queen Patmadhavrani got up
+and went into the king's courtyard, and there she saw Nandanbaneshwar
+lying dead from a broken neck. She was overjoyed, and ran back
+into the palace to tell the king. The king inquired who had killed
+Nandanbaneshwar. Every one said that the old woman's son must have
+killed him, because he stayed behind when the others went home. The
+king sent for the old woman's son. He was very frightened, and when
+he reached the royal hall he called out, "I have made no false charge
+against any one. I have done no one any harm. Why, therefore, O King,
+have you sent for me?" "Do not be afraid," said the king. "My enemy
+Nandanbaneshwar is dead, and every one says that it is you who killed
+him. Tell me if this is true." "No, O King," said the boy, "he was
+killed by the arts of Mahalaxmi." "Where did you meet her?" asked the
+king. The boy said, "I stayed when the other villagers returned home,
+and during the night there came the serpent-maidens from Patâla and the
+wood-nymphs. They taught me how to worship Mahalaxmi. In the morning
+she revealed herself and promised me that Nandanbaneshwar would be
+found lying dead, that you would give me half your kingdom and half
+your treasure, that you would build me a palace as high as your own,
+and that you would call me Navalvat or Wonderways." The king did as
+the goddess had foretold. He handed half his provinces and half his
+treasuries to Wonderways, and built him a palace of which the roof
+was exactly on the same level as that of his own palace.
+
+When Queen Patmadhavrani heard what had happened, she sent for
+Wonderways and asked him how to worship Mahalaxmi. And he told
+her all that he had seen the serpent-maidens of Patâla do, and
+he also told her on the eighth day of the month of Ashwin [10] to
+tie on her wrist a thread with sixteen strands in it, and to wear
+it continually for the rest of the month. When the 8th of Ashwin
+came, Queen Patmadhavrani dutifully tied round her wrist a thread of
+sixteen strands, and resolved to wear it every day for the rest of the
+month. But a day or two later the king came to Queen Patmadhavrani's
+apartments and began to play saripat [11] with her. As they played
+he noticed the thread on her wrist and asked what it was. She told
+him how Wonderways had instructed her to tie it on. But the king got
+very angry and roared out, "I have in my palace garlands and twine,
+bracelets, and hobbling-ropes. So throw away that wretched piece of
+thread. I will not let you wear it." The queen did as she was bid, and,
+pulling off the thread bracelet, threw it on the floor. Next morning
+the maids and the slave-girls began to sweep the palace, and among
+the sweepings one of them noticed the queen's thread bracelet. She
+picked it up and showed it to Wonderways, and he grew very wroth with
+Queen Patmadhavrani. He took the thread and at once went with it to
+the palace of the unloved Queen Chimadevrani. He told her what had
+happened, and she begged him to give the thread to her and to tell
+her how to worship Mahalaxmi. But he said, "You will grow vain and
+get so conceited that you will not do what I tell you to do." But
+she promised that she would obey him in everything. So just as he had
+told the Queen Patmadhavrani, he told Queen Chimadevrani all the rites
+which he had seen the serpent-maidens from Patala and the wood-nymphs
+perform. Everything went on just the same for a whole year. But the
+next year on the 8th of Ashwin a very strange thing happened. The
+goddess Mahalaxmi disguised herself as an old beggar-woman and
+came to Atpat. First she went to the part of the palace where Queen
+Patmadhavrani lived. But no one there was paying the least honour
+to the goddess Mahalaxmi, although it was the 8th of Ashwin, and
+therefore specially sacred to her. Mahalaxmi was dreadfully put out
+at this, and when she saw Queen Patmadhavrani she said, "Lady, lady,
+Patmadhavrani, mother of sons, what have you in your house to-day?" The
+queen replied, "I have nothing in my house to-day." The old woman
+went on, "Lady, lady, Patmadhavrani, mother of sons, if you give
+this beggar-woman a little water, you will acquire merit sufficient
+for all your kingdom." But the queen replied, "Even if I were to
+give you a copper cauldron of water it would not suffice for all my
+kingdom." The old woman then said, "Lady, lady, Patmadhavrani, mother
+of sons, if you give this old beggar-woman a little rice and curds,
+you will gain enough merit for all your kingdom." The queen replied,
+"Even if I were to give you a big dinner of nothing but rice and curds,
+I should not gain enough merit for all my kingdom." Then the old woman
+got very angry and cursed the queen, saying, "You will become half a
+frog and half a human being, and you will stand outside your co-wife's
+bath-room and croak like a frog." But the queen did not mind her the
+least little bit, and she laughed so loud at the old woman that the
+noise was like two chains rattling together. Mahalaxmi went off in a
+great rage and entered Queen Chimadevrani's part of the palace. There
+she saw all the accessories of worship ready, and there was a beautiful
+image of Mahalaxmi leaning against the wall; The old woman cried,
+"Lady, lady, Chimadevrani, mother of sons, what have you in your house
+to-day?" "To-day," said the queen, "we are worshipping Mahalaxmi." Then
+the old beggar-woman said, "I am Mahalaxmi." But the queen doubted and
+asked her, "By what sign shall I know you?" The goddess replied, "In
+the morning I shall take the shape of a little girl. In the afternoon
+I shall take that of a young married woman. In the evening I shall
+become an old hag." After the goddess had taken all three shapes,
+Queen Chimadevrani called her into the palace and bathed and anointed
+her. She gave her a silk skirt and a platform to sit upon. Then she
+sent for Wonderways, and both of them worshipped the old beggar-woman
+and blew on earthen pots in her honour. The king heard the blowing
+on the pots and told a sepoy to find out why there was such a noise
+in Queen Chimadevrani's quarters. The sepoy went there, and when he
+saw what was happening joined also in the worship. After a little
+while he went back and told the king. The king said that he would
+go there too. He followed the sepoy, and Queen Chimadevrani came
+to the steps and met him and took him upstairs, where both played
+at saripat until dawn. And all the time Mahalaxmi sat by and watched
+them. At dawn Queen Chimadevrani asked Mahalaxmi for her blessing. She
+blessed the queen and said, "The king will take you back with him to
+the palace, and your co-wife will become half frog, half human being,
+and will have to croak outside your bath-room while you bathe." But
+Queen Chimadevrani begged the goddess not to place such a terrible
+curse on Patmadhavrani. The goddess relented a little, but said,
+"The king will drive her into the jungle for twelve years." At these
+words she vanished and flew to Kolhapur. When the sun rose the king
+placed Queen Chimadevrani in his chariot and drove her to his own
+part of the palace. He then sent a message to Queen Patmadhavrani
+asking her to join them. Shortly afterwards Queen Patmadhavrani
+appeared, dressed all in rags with a skirt round her legs and her
+hair all unfastened. On her head was a pot full of burning coal,
+and she began to shout and scream at the top of her voice. The king
+became very angry and roared out, "Who is this that is shouting
+and screaming? Is it a ghost or a she-devil or what?" The sepoys
+replied, "O King, it is neither a ghost nor a she-devil, it is your
+Queen Patmadhavrani." "Take her into the jungle," roared the king,
+"and kill her there." Then he went back into the palace and began
+to live in great happiness with Queen Chimadevrani. But the sepoys
+took Patmadhavrani into the jungle and told her that they had been
+ordered to kill her. She began to weep. The sepoys were kind-hearted
+men and they felt very sorry for her. They said, "Lady, lady, do not
+weep. We have eaten bread and drunk water at your hands so we cannot
+kill you. We will leave you here, but you must never come back into
+the kingdom again." The sepoys left her and returned to Atpat. But
+the poor queen wandered on until she came to a distant town, where
+she entered a coppersmith's lane. Therein a coppersmith was making
+bangles for a beautiful young princess who had just been crowned
+queen of the city. But suddenly none of the bangles would join. He
+began to search for the cause, and asked his workmen whether any
+stranger had come near his house. The workmen looked about and found
+Queen Patmadhavrani in hiding close by. They told the coppersmith,
+and he and his men beat her soundly and drove her away. She ran
+into the lane of some weavers who were weaving a sari for the new
+queen. Suddenly none of the looms would work. They began looking
+about to see if any stranger had come. After a little while they found
+the queen. So they beat her soundly and drove her away. Then she ran
+out of the town back into the jungle. There she wandered about until
+she came to the cave of a rishi or sage. The rishi was sitting lost
+in meditation. But she bided her time, and, when he went to bathe,
+she slipped into the cave and swept it and neaped it and tidied up
+all the utensils used by him for worship. Then she slipped out of
+the cave and ran back into the jungle. This went on every day for
+twelve years without the rishi showing that he was aware of what she
+was doing. But in his heart he was really pleased with her. And one
+day he called out in a loud voice, "Who is it who sweeps and neaps my
+cave? Whoever she is, let her step forward." The queen stepped into
+the presence of the rishi and threw herself at his feet and said, "If
+you promise not to punish me, I shall tell you." The rishi promised,
+and she told him her story. The rishi took out his magic books and,
+consulting them, learned that Mahalaxmi had cursed her. So he taught
+her how to worship Mahalaxmi, and all night long they blew on earthen
+pots and performed rites in her honour. At dawn she revealed herself
+and the queen asked her for her blessing. But the goddess was still
+very angry with the queen. Then the rishi joined her in begging the
+goddess's pardon, and at last she relented. She said to the queen,
+"Put under that tree a foot-bath full of water, sandal-wood ointment,
+plates full of fruit, a stick of camphor, fans made of odorous
+grasses; and handle them all so that they retain the fragrance of
+some scent which the king will remember you used. To-morrow the king
+will come. He will be thirsty. He will send his sepoys to look for
+water. They will see all your things ready. And when they go back and
+tell him, he will come himself." Next morning, as the goddess had
+foretold, the king came. He saw the cool shade of the tree. He was
+tired with hunting, so he sat down and rested. He washed his feet
+in the foot-bath. He ate up all the fruit, drank the cold water,
+and sucked the stick of camphor. When he had rested to his heart's
+content, he asked the sepoy, "How is it that in the water I drank,
+in the fruit I took, in the camphor I ate, I noticed a scent which
+Patmadhavrani always used?" The sepoys replied, "If the king promises
+to pardon us, we will tell him." The king promised. The sepoys then
+told him how they had not killed the queen, because they had eaten
+bread and had drunk water at her hands, but had let her go. The king
+told them to look and see if she was anywhere about. They searched
+and searched until they came to the rishi's cave. Then they ran back
+and told the king. The king rose, and going to the cave did homage to
+the rishi. The rishi accepted the homage and lectured him at great
+length. At last he ordered the king to prostrate himself before the
+queen. The king obeyed, and the rishi handed Patmadhavrani back to
+his care and blessed both her and her husband. The king put her in
+his chariot and took her to Atpat. Outside the town the king stopped
+his chariot and sent for Queen Chimadevrani Chimadevrani bathed
+and anointed herself, and put on all her silk clothes, her shawls,
+her embroideries, and her jewels. In front of her she placed all the
+horn-blowers of Atpat. And as she went to meet the king they blew their
+very loudest on their horns. The king was amazed when he heard the
+noise, and roared out, "Who is coming with such pomp and splendour? Is
+it the serpent-maidens of Patâla or is it the wood-nymphs who live
+in the heart of the forest?" The sepoys said, "O King, it is neither
+the serpent-maidens of Patâla nor is it the wood-nymphs who live in
+the heart of the forest. It is Queen Chimadevrani, who is coming to
+meet you as you ordered." The king turned to Patmadhavrani and said,
+"If you had come in this guise to meet me, instead of coming like a mad
+woman, you would never have suffered as you did." Queen Patmadhavrani
+said nothing, but sat still in the chariot, and the king lifted Queen
+Chimadevrani into the chariot, and all three entered the city. And as
+they entered, the horn-blowers blew so loud that every one was quite
+deafened. And the king lived from that time forth in perfect happiness
+with both his wives. And because of his happiness, he ruled so well
+that his subjects thought that King Ramchandra of Ayodhya had come
+back to rule over them.
+
+
+
+CHAPTER VIII
+
+The Island Palace
+
+Once upon a time there was a town called Atpat. In it there lived a
+Brahman. He had a disciple who used every day to go to the village pond
+and bathe and worship the god Shiva. On the way he had to walk through
+the sandy island in the dry bed of the river. And, as he went home
+across the island, he used to hear a voice cry, "Shall I come? Shall I
+come? Shall I come?"; but when he looked round he could see no one. The
+Brahman's disciple at last got so frightened that he withered up until
+he became as dry and as thin as a bone. At last the Brahman said,
+"You have no wish to eat or drink; yet you are so thin. What is the
+reason?" The boy replied, "I neither wish to eat, nor want to eat,
+nor crave to eat. But I am frightened out of my wits. For whenever
+I come back from my bath I hear a voice behind me call out, 'Shall I
+come? Shall I come? Shall I come?'; but when I look round there is no
+one there." The Brahman said, "Do not be afraid, and when you next hear
+the voice, do not look behind you, but call out as boldly as you can,
+'Come along, come along, come along.'" Next day the disciple went as
+usual to his bath in the village pond. He worshipped the god Shiva,
+and as he came home he heard the cry behind him, "Shall I come? Shall
+I come? Shall I come?" The boy was very frightened, but he did not
+look behind him. In a short time he mastered his fears, and then in
+a voice like a bull roaring he cried out, "Come along, come along,
+come along." At last he reached home, calling all the time and without
+once looking behind him.
+
+The Brahman looked up as the disciple came in, and he saw that just
+behind was walking a young girl. He at once married the girl to his
+disciple and gave them a house to live in close by his own. Now, on
+the first Monday in the month of Shravan, or August, the disciple
+got up and said to his wife, "I am going out to worship the god
+Shiva. But do not wait for me. Just eat your breakfast directly you
+feel hungry."  He went out, and in a little time his wife began
+to feel hungry. Nevertheless, she knew that, in spite of what
+her husband had said, she ought not to eat anything while he was
+worshipping Shiva. So she waited for a little time, but at last she
+got so terribly hungry that she could not wait any more. So she sat
+down and cooked her breakfast, and had just put one mouthful into
+her mouth when her husband came to the outer door. "Wife, wife," he
+called, "open the door!" Then the little wife got very frightened. She
+pushed the uneaten breakfast under the bed, got up, washed her hands,
+and opened the door. She then told her husband that she had waited
+for him, and she cooked a fresh breakfast, which both ate one after
+the other. Next Monday exactly the same thing happened. The little
+wife cooked her breakfast and was just beginning it when her husband
+came. She then hid her uneaten breakfast under her bed and pretended
+that she had waited for his return. And on the two following Mondays
+the naughty little wife deceived her husband in just the same way.
+
+Now on the last Sunday in Shravan, when husband and wife went to lie
+down, the former noticed a light shining under the bed. He looked to
+see what it was, and saw several platefuls of jewels. He asked his wife
+whence they had come. Now they were really the uneaten breakfasts,
+which the god Shiva had turned into gold and jewels. But the naughty
+little wife got very frightened and told her husband a bigger story
+than ever. "They are presents," she said, "from my mother and father
+and their family." "But where is your father's house?" asked the
+husband. "It is in the sandy island," said the little wife, "which
+lies in the dry bed of the river." "You must take me there," said her
+husband. Next morning they started off together. And the naughty little
+wife could hardly walk, she was so frightened. For she knew quite well
+that her father had no house in the sandy island. But on the way she
+prayed to Shiva, "Please, please, god Shiva, create a house for my
+father in the sandy island which lies in the dry bed of the river,
+even if it be only for half an hour."
+
+At last the husband and wife came to the sandy island. And there, lo
+and behold! they saw a great big palace, and a splendidly dressed young
+man came forward and greeted the disciple as his brother-in-law. And
+a handsome old knight came forward and greeted the disciple as his
+son-in-law. And a beautiful young woman greeted the naughty little
+wife as the sister of her husband. And a lovely little girl ran up and
+embraced her and called her "sister." And slave girls and maid-servants
+ran forward to offer her their service. A guard of soldiers kept
+watch by the palace, and at the door there were sentries, who made
+way for them as they passed. Inside the house the little wife and
+her husband were given platforms to sit upon, and a splendid feast
+was all ready prepared for them to eat. After they had feasted, they
+got up and said good-bye to the little wife's father and mother, and
+garlands of flowers were placed round their necks, and they started
+for their home. When they had gone half-way, the naughty little wife
+remembered that she had hung her garland on a peg and had forgotten
+to bring it with her. So she and her husband went back to the sandy
+island. But when they got there, there was no palace, there were no
+soldiers to guard it, there were no sentries at the door, there were
+no maid-servants nor slave girls. There was nothing there but just
+a sandy island in the middle of a dry river-bed. And on the sand lay
+the garland which the naughty little wife had forgotten. She took it
+up and put it round her neck.
+
+But her husband asked her, "What has happened to your father's
+house?" The naughty little wife replied, all in tears, "As it came,
+so it went. But if you promise to forgive me, I shall tell you." The
+husband promised. So she told him how every Monday she had felt so
+hungry and how she had cooked her breakfast, and then, on hearing her
+husband's voice, had pushed it under their bed. She also told him that
+the god Shiva had turned the food into gold and jewels. "Then when you
+asked me," she went on, "I felt so frightened that I said they were
+presents from my father and mother and the rest of my family. And
+when you made me take you to my father's house, I prayed the god
+Shiva to create, if only for half an hour, a house for my father on
+the sandy island in the dry river-bed. And he graciously granted my
+request." Then the husband forgave the naughty little wife. And she
+became quite good and never told him any more stories. And they both
+went home and lived happily ever afterwards.
+
+
+
+CHAPTER IX
+
+Nagoba, the Snake-King
+
+Once upon a time there was a town called Atpat. In it there lived
+a Brahman who had seven little daughters-in-law. In the fulness of
+time the month of Shravan came and with it Nagpanchmi Day [12]. In
+honour of the festival, one little daughter-in-law went to her
+grandpapa's house, another went to her great grandpapa's house,
+another went to her father's house, until at last only the youngest
+daughter-in-law remained behind. Her father and mother were dead,
+and she had no uncles and no aunts and no little brothers or
+sisters. So the poor little daughter-in-law felt very sad and
+sat down and cried in a corner. Then she remembered that it was
+Nagpanchmi Day, and that it was a festival in honour of Nagoba, the
+great snake-king. So she prayed under her breath, "Please, please,
+snake-king, come and pretend that you have been sent to fetch me
+to my father's house!" And the great snake-king heard the prayer
+and felt quite sorry for the poor little daughter-in-law who was
+crying in the corner. He assumed the guise of a Brahman and came to
+the house where the little daughter-in-law was, and said that he had
+been sent to fetch her to her father's house. Her father-in-law was
+very much astonished. For he wondered why, if the new-comer really
+was a relative of the little daughter-in-law, he had never paid him
+a visit before. At last he asked the little daughter-in-law who the
+new-comer was. She did not know in the least. But she was so overjoyed
+that some one should have come for her that she at once answered,
+"He is my mother's brother." Her father-in-law believed her and sent
+her off in the care of Nagoba, the snake-king. Still disguised as a
+Brahman, he took her to the entrance of his underground palace and
+there he told her who he was. He then reassumed his true appearance,
+and, expanding the mighty hood behind his head, he seated the little
+girl on it and took her down to his splendid dwelling-house beneath
+the earth. In the central hall he presented her to the snake-queen
+and to all the snake-princes, and told them that in no circumstances
+whatever were they to bite the little daughter-in-law.
+
+One day the snake-queen was about to be confined. So she asked
+the little daughter-in-law to sit by her side with the lamp in
+her hand. The little daughter-in-law did so, and a little time
+afterwards the snake-queen gave birth to a fresh litter of little
+snake-princes. When the little daughter-in-law saw them all wriggling
+about, she was frightened out of her wits. She let the lamp slip
+out of her hands. It fell on the ground and burnt all the little
+snakes' tails off. The snake-queen did her best to comfort them,
+but the stumps of the little princes' tails ached so dreadfully that
+it was ever so long before the snake-queen could put them off to
+sleep. When the snake-king came home that evening, she told him what
+had happened. And she was so cross with the little daughter-in-law,
+that the snake-king had to promise that she should go back to her
+father-in-law's house. A few days later, the snake-king assumed once
+again the guise of a Brahman, and, loading the little daughter-in-law
+with presents, took her back to her husband's home. In the course of
+time the little snake-princes grew up, but their tails never grew
+again. So their father, the snake-king, called one little prince,
+No-tail; and the second little prince, Cut-tail; and the third little
+prince, Dock-tail. And one day they asked the snake-queen how it was
+that their tails had been broken off. She told them how the little
+daughter-in-law had burnt them off by dropping the lamp on them.
+
+The snake-princes, when they heard their mother's answer, were
+terribly cross with the little daughter-in-law, and they vowed that
+they would be revenged on her. So they found out where she lived,
+and they sent a message to her house, saying that they were coming to
+pay her a visit. But they really meant to bite her to death directly
+they saw her. The little daughter-in-law was overjoyed when she heard
+that the snake-princes were coming to visit her. For ever since the
+snake-king had pretended to be her uncle, she always thought of little
+No-tail and little Cut-tail and little Dock-tail as if they had been
+her own cousins. Now it so happened that the very day on which they
+were expected at the little daughter-in-law's house was Nagpanchmi
+Day. The little daughter-in-law was sitting in the house all alone
+waiting for little Prince No-tail, little Prince Cut-tail, and little
+Prince Dock-tail. They were late in coming, so to pass the time she
+drew pictures of Nagoba, the snake-king, on her dining-platform and on
+the wall. When she had finished the pictures, she worshipped them and
+offered them milk and food. Then she prayed to the great snake-king,
+"Please please, King Nagoba, guard from all hurt, wherever they may
+be, my little cousins No-tail and Cut-tail and Dock-tail." And last
+of all she prostrated herself at full length before the pictures
+which she had drawn on the wall and on her dining-platform.
+
+In the meantime little Prince No-tail and little Prince Cut-tail and
+little Prince Dock-tail had come up without the little daughter-in-law
+noticing them. But when they saw the honour which she was paying
+their father, King Nagoba, and heard the prayer which she had offered
+on their behalf, they no longer wished to kill or bite the little
+daughter-in-law. On the contrary, they made themselves known to
+her and stayed all that day in the house and were as good and as
+nice as possible. When night fell, they drank the milk which she
+had offered to the snake-king. And in its place they put a necklace
+with nine beautiful jewels in it. Before day broke they went away
+quietly and returned to their father's palace under the ground. Next
+morning when the little daughter-in-law woke up she saw the lovely
+necklace lying where the milk had been. She gave a shout of delight,
+and putting it round her neck, she ran all over the house showing it
+to everybody. And every one was perfectly charmed with it. And the
+snake-princes never again came to bite any one in that household. And
+the little daughter-in-law and her husband and her father-in-law and
+little Prince No-tail and little Prince Cut-tail and little Prince
+Dock-tail, they all lived happily for ever so long afterwards.
+
+
+
+CHAPTER X
+
+Parwati and the Beggar-Man
+
+Once upon a time there was a town called Atpat. In It there lived
+a Brahman. He had seven daughters, and when they had reached a
+marriageable age he asked them who would arrange their marriages
+and bring them handsome husbands and make their fortunes. The six
+eldest daughters said, "Papa, Papa, you of course. You will arrange
+our marriages and bring us handsome husbands and make our fortunes
+for us." But the youngest daughter was a naughty little girl. She
+got into a temper all about nothing, and she stamped her foot, and
+she turned her back on her father and said, "I will arrange my own
+marriage, and I will get a handsome husband for myself, and I will
+make my fortune myself." The Brahman was very angry with her, and so
+how do you think he punished her? He first searched about and found
+six rich and handsome boys. Then he married them with great pomp and
+display to his six eldest daughters. But the youngest girl he gave in
+marriage to a miserable beggar-man. You never saw such a beggar-man
+as he was! There was not a spot on his skin that was not black with
+leprosy, and his feet and hands had rotted right off. If you had seen
+him you would have said, "If that beggar-man does not die to-day
+he will certainly die to-morrow. For he cannot possibly live any
+longer!" When the marriage was celebrated, the little girl's mother
+filled her lap with pulse and then handed her over to the beggar-man
+to see what sort of fortune would be hers. But in a few days the
+beggar-man died. His corpse was taken to the burning-ground, and
+his little widow followed it. But when his relatives wanted to burn
+the body, she forbade them and told them to go away. For she said,
+"My fortune is still to come, whatever it may be." They all got round
+her and tried to persuade her that there was no use in her staying by
+the corpse, but she would not mind what they said. At last they were
+quite tired out and went home, leaving her in the burning-ground. When
+they had gone she took her husband's corpse on to her lap. Then she
+prayed to the god Shiva and said:
+
+
+    "My parents disown me. O why was I born
+    Both as orphan and widow to live all forlorn?"
+
+
+As she prayed, she put the pulse which her mother had put into her
+lap grain by grain in the dead man's mouth. Then she sat there crying
+until midnight. Now it happened that on that very night Shiva and
+Parwati were in their chariot driving through the air over that very
+place. Parwati said suddenly to her husband, "I hear a woman crying,
+let us go and see what it is." The god Shiva drove his chariot down to
+earth. He and Parwati got out and saw the Brahman's youngest daughter
+crying. They asked her what the reason was, and she told them. Then
+Parwati pitied her and said, "Your aunt has acquired great merit by
+her piety and devotions. You go to her and get her to give you all
+her merit and so you will bring your husband back to life." The god
+Shiva and Parwati then mounted on their chariot and disappeared. Next
+morning the little widow left her husband's body, went to her aunt's
+house and begged her to give her all the merit which she had acquired,
+and told her the cause of the request. The aunt was very good and
+gave her all her own merit. The little widow then went back to the
+burning-ground and with its aid brought her husband back to life. But
+this time he was no longer a beggar-man black with leprosy and with
+feet and hands that had rotted away. He was a beautiful young man
+with well-shaped feet and a beautiful fair skin, and the little widow
+took her husband back to her father's house. "Papa, Papa," she said,
+"you turned me out, but the gods have brought me back, and good fortune
+came to me without your bringing it." The father was too frightened
+of Parwati to say anything, so he held his peace. And the little girl
+and her husband, the beggar-man, lived happily ever afterwards.
+
+
+
+CHAPTER XI
+
+Parwati and the Brahman
+
+Once upon a time there was a town called Atpat. In it there lived a
+poor Brahman. When the month of Bhadrapad came round, every household
+bought little images of Parwati, and the women began to walk about
+the streets and sound gongs. When the poor Brahman's children saw
+this they went home and said to their mother, "Mummy, Mummy, please
+buy us little images of Parwati like the other little boys and girls
+have." But their mother said, "What is the use of my buying images
+of Parwati? If I do we shall have to make offerings, and there is
+absolutely nothing in the house. You run to papa and tell him to go
+into the bazaar and buy grain. If he buys grain I'll buy you images of
+Parwati." The children got up and ran to their father and cried out,
+"Papa, Papa, Mama says that she will buy us images of Parwati if you
+will go into the bazaar and get food to offer to them." Their father
+at first searched all over the house but could find no grain. And
+then he looked in his purse but he could find no money with which to
+go to the bazaar and buy grain. But although he tried to explain this
+to his children, they would not listen to him. They screamed at him
+and shouted, "Papa, Papa, Mummy says that she will buy us images of
+Parwati if you will get food to offer to them." "Papa, Papa, why should
+we not have images of Parwati like the other little boys and girls." At
+last they bothered the poor Brahman so much that he felt worried to
+death. "I love," he said, "my children as if they were made of gold,
+but they will not mind what I say. They will not understand that it
+is nothing but poverty which prevents my buying food and offering it
+to Parwati. I might go out and beg, but when I do, no one ever gives
+me anything. Death is better than a life like this." With these words
+he got up and walked to the edge of the village pond and determined
+to drown himself. It was dark when he started, and half-way he met
+an old woman. She heard him coming and asked him who he was. He told
+her all his trouble, and said that he meant to jump into the pond to
+escape from his children. The woman comforted him and prevailed on him
+to turn home again. He took her home. His wife came to the door with
+a lamp and asked who she was. The husband did not like to say that he
+had only just met her on the road, so he said to his wife, "She is my
+grandmother." The wife thereupon welcomed her and invited her to come
+in and stay to supper. But her heart felt as heavy as lead, for she
+knew that there was nothing to eat inside the house. When the old woman
+had seated herself inside the house, the Brahman's wife got up and, in
+despair, went to look inside the grain-pots. She knew they were empty,
+but she thought that she would first look into them once again. But,
+lo and behold! when she looked this time she found the grain-pots
+brimming over with grain. She called her husband, and they were both
+perfectly delighted. And the wife prepared bowls full of rice-gruel,
+and every one, children and all, ate the rice-gruel till the skins
+on their stomachs felt quite tight. And they went to bed as happy as
+possible. Next morning the old woman called to the Brahman, "My son,
+my son, get me water for my bath and cook me a nice hot dinner, and
+please be quick about it, and do not start making objections." The
+Brahman got up and called his wife, and they got water for the old
+woman's bath, and then the Brahman went out to beg. When he had gone
+out before, no one had ever given him anything. But to-day every one
+ran out and gave him food and molasses and copper coins. Then he went
+back home in splendid spirits. His wife prepared a glorious dinner, and
+the children ate so much that the skin on their stomachs felt as tight
+as a kettle-drum. After breakfast the old woman said to the Brahman,
+"To-morrow I want a milk-pudding for dinner." "But, Grandmamma," said
+the Brahman, "where shall I get the milk from?" The old woman said,
+"Don't worry about that. Just get up and hammer down as many pegs as
+you can in your courtyard. Then this evening, when the cattle come
+home, call to the village cows and buffaloes by name, and they will
+come to you, and if you milk them you will get enough milk for my
+pudding to-morrow." The Brahman did as the old woman ordered him,
+and that evening he called to the cows and buffaloes by name to come
+to his courtyard. And from every direction the cows and buffaloes came
+running up. And behind them galloped all the little calves with their
+heels in the air and their tails stuck out straight behind them. At
+last the Brahman's courtyard was filled so full that no more cows or
+buffaloes could enter. And he milked them all, and next day his wife
+cooked a milk-pudding such as one would not see again if one lived a
+thousand years. And the children ate until they were so tired of eating
+that they just rolled over and went fast asleep. But that evening the
+old woman said, "My son, my son, I want you to take me home." "But,
+Grandmamma, Grandmamma," said the Brahman, "how can I take you home,
+for I have had all this good luck only because of you. Directly you go
+away my good luck will vanish." "Do not be afraid," said the old woman,
+"for I am Parwati. If I bless you your good luck will never
+vanish. Therefore you must come with me and see me home." But the
+Brahman said, "I do not want my good luck only to continue. I want
+it to increase." The old woman said, "If you come with me I shall
+give you some sand. When you go back home, scatter it all over the
+house and over your jars and your pots, and put it inside your boxes
+and your cupboards, and scatter it all over your courtyard too, and
+you will find that your good luck will never be any less than it is
+now." The Brahman was satisfied with this. He worshipped the old woman
+and went with her towards the tank until she suddenly disappeared. He
+returned home and scattered sand all over his house and over his
+jars and his pots and inside his boxes and his cupboards, and from
+that day on, his good luck never left him. And his wealth increased,
+and his children increased. And they all lived happily ever afterwards.
+
+
+
+CHAPTER XII
+
+Soma, the Washerwoman
+
+Once upon a time there was a town called Atpat. In it there lived a
+poor Brahman who had seven sons and seven daughters-in-law. He had also
+one daughter called Gunvanti and a wife called Dhanvanti. Whenever
+a mendicant Brahman came to this house, it was the custom of all
+the ladies to give him alms and then prostrate themselves in front
+of him. One day a Brahman came, tall as a tree and shining like the
+sun. The seven daughters-in-law ran out as usual and gave him alms
+and then threw themselves at full length at his feet. The Brahman
+blessed them and said, "Increase of children be yours; increase of
+wealth be yours; may your husbands cherish you all your lives." But
+the Brahman's daughter Gunvanti was a lazy little girl, and when the
+mendicant came she was still in bed. Her mother, Dhanvanti, rushed
+into her room and cried, "Daughter, daughter, get up and give the
+Brahman alms," The little girl jumped up in a fright and ran out and
+put alms before him and prostrated herself at his feet. The mendicant
+blessed her and said, "Observe the precepts of religion."
+
+The little girl ran back to her mother. "Mother, Mother," she cried,
+"Bhatji [13] did not give me the same blessing as he gave to my
+sisters-in-law," Her mother said, "Go back again and give him some
+more alms and see what he does," The little girl ran back, put
+some more alms before the mendicant, and again prostrating herself
+asked for his blessing. Once more he said, "Observe the precepts
+of religion," Then Dhanvanti asked him why he gave her daughter
+such a strange blessing. The mendicant replied, "Because widowhood
+will come upon her immediately after her marriage," Dhanvanti threw
+herself before the Brahman and grasped his feet and cried, weeping,
+"Tell me how I may escape this evil; what shall I do to save my one
+little girl from becoming a widow?" The Brahman pitied her and said,
+"Lady, lady, do not weep; I shall give you a remedy by which to cure
+this evil. Across the seven seas there is an island. In it there lives
+a washerwoman called Soma. If you can fetch her to your daughter's
+wedding, she will escape the evil that threatens her. When the wedding
+is over, you must send Soma back with all honour to her house." With
+these words the mendicant took up his wallet and went to collect alms
+elsewhere. When her husband returned home Dhanvanti told him what had
+happened. "Some one," she added, "must go across the seven seas, to
+fetch Soma, the washerwoman." The father and mother called up their
+sons and said, "Those of you who honour your parents will take your
+sister and cross the seven seas to bring Soma here." But all the
+sons turned to their mother and said, "All you care about is your
+daughter. You do not love us the least little bit. So we shall not
+cross the seven seas and bring Soma here just on her account." The
+mother began to cry, and the father got very cross. He turned to his
+wife and said, "From henceforth you have no sons. To me our seven sons
+are as if they had never been born. But do not get frightened about
+our little girl I myself shall cross the seven seas and fetch Soma, the
+washerwoman." Then the youngest of the seven sons said to his father,
+"Daddy, Daddy, you must not say that you have no sons when here we are,
+all seven of us. I shall take my sister Gunvanti with me, and we shall
+go and fetch Soma, the washerwoman." A few days later the two children
+prostrated themselves before their parents and began their voyage.
+
+In course of time they came to the seashore. But the wind was
+blowing, the waves were rolling in, and the foam was splashing over
+the rocks. The brother and sister could not imagine how they were to
+continue their journey. There was no one near to give them food, there
+was no one near to give them drink, and they could think of nothing
+better than to lie down and die. But they first resolved to pray to
+the god Shiva, "Please, please, God Shiva," prayed the two children,
+"get us out of this terrible trouble." After praying they went and
+sat under a banian tree, and all day long they had nothing to eat or
+drink. Now on the very top of the banian tree was an eagle's nest,
+and in it there were several little eagles. When evening came, father
+eagle and mother eagle came home and began to feed their young. But
+the little eagles would not eat anything at all. Mother eagle said,
+"Children, children, what is the matter?" "O Mummy, Mummy," cried
+the little eagles, "two strangers have come to our house, and they
+are sitting under our tree, and they have had nothing to eat all
+day!" Father eagle and mother eagle flew to the ground and began to
+ask the boy what his trouble was. "Do not be frightened," said father
+eagle; "whatever your business, I'll help you to get it done. Do not
+go to bed without supper. I'll bring you some fruit. Eat some of it
+yourself and give the rest to your little sister."
+
+The boy told father eagle what had happened, and how it was that they
+had to cross the seven seas. Father eagle said, "I shall carry you
+both across directly you wake up to-morrow, and I shall put you down
+at Soma the washerwoman's door." Then the two children felt very happy
+and thanked the god Shiva. And after eating father eagle's fruit,
+they lay down under the tree and fell fast asleep in no time. Next
+morning father eagle and mother eagle came down the tree, and father
+eagle took the boy on his back, and mother eagle took the girl on
+her back, and off they flew across the seven seas. The wind blew,
+and the waves rolled mountains high, and the foam splashed over the
+rocks. But father eagle and mother eagle flew straight on until they
+came to the door of Soma, the washerwoman. There they left the boy and
+girl and went back to the tree where the little eagles were waiting
+for them. The boy and girl were too frightened to walk into Soma's
+house, so they hid all that day, and next morning they got up at dawn
+and they swept the courtyard and neaped the floor with cow-dung. And
+then, before any one could see them, they ran away and hid. And this
+they did every day for a whole year.
+
+At last Soma one day called all her children and all her little
+daughters-in-law and said, "Who among you gets up so early? Who sweeps
+my courtyard? Who clears my floor?" All the children and all the
+little daughters-in-law said, "It is not I," "It is not I," "It is not
+I." Then Soma became very curious to know who it was. So the following
+night she did not go to bed. She sat up, but nothing happened until
+just after dawn. Then she saw the little Brahman girl sweeping the
+courtyard and her brother cleaning the floor. Soma got up and said,
+"Children, who are you?" They replied, "We are Brahmans." "But I am
+only a washerwoman," said Soma; "I am a low-caste woman, why do you
+sweep my courtyard and neap my floor? It will be reckoned unto me
+as a sin If I accept the service of Brahmans." The boy said, "This
+is my sister, and a Brahman has told us that unless you come to her
+wedding she will be widowed shortly after marriage. Our father and
+mother told us to go and bring you back with us. So, in order to make
+you pleased with us, we have been working as your servants." "Do not
+work for me any more," said Soma, "I shall gladly go to your wedding,"
+She then called to her daughters-in-law and said, "I am going to this
+child's wedding. But if any one of our relations dies when I am away,
+do not burn his body until I come back." She went with the two Brahman
+children to the seashore. The wind was blowing, and the great waves
+were rolling in, and the foam was splashing over the rocks. But Soma
+took the boy under one arm and the girl under the other. She jumped
+far up into the sky and right over the seven seas, and when she got
+to the opposite shore she put the children down again. They led her to
+their father's house. Their mother Dhanvanti welcomed the washerwoman
+and fell at her feet to thank her for her coming. The youngest brother
+then went to Ujjain, and after making inquiries brought back a boy of
+suitable caste and age to be a husband for his sister. On an auspicious
+day the wedding was celebrated. But as the bridegroom and bride were
+throwing rice [14] over each other, the bridegroom fainted. He fell
+on the ground and lay there motionless. The little bride did not know
+what to do, she was so frightened. And all the grown-up people were
+almost as frightened as she was. But Soma, the washerwoman, stepped
+forward and said, "It is nothing, do not be afraid." She took some
+water in her hand and sprinkled it over herself. Now the secret of
+Soma's power was this:--
+
+She had acquired great merit by observing every Monday the following
+practices: She would get up early, bathe, dress in silence, make
+various gifts to Brahmans, and then walk one hundred and eight times
+round a peepul tree. But now by sprinkling water over herself she had
+transferred the whole of her merit to Gunvanti. By this means the
+little bride had been able to restore her husband to life, and the
+wedding ceremony finished amidst the happiness of all. Soma then took
+leave to go, and started on her homeward journey. When she reached the
+seashore, the wind was blowing, and the great waves came rolling in,
+and the spray was splashing over the rocks. But now that she had given
+away all her merit to Gunvanti, she had none left by means of which she
+could jump across the seven seas. She sat down forlorn by the bank of
+a river. Then she got up, bathed in the water, and prayed to the god
+Vishnu. Next she took one hundred and eight sand-grains in her hand,
+and then walked one hundred and eight times round a peepul tree by
+the river's edge. Instantly her powers returned to her, and going back
+to the shore, she sprang into the heavens and over the seven seas and
+alighted close to her own door. There all her little daughters-in-law
+ran out to meet her and cried, "O Mother-in-law, Mother-in-law, we
+have been watching for you. For while you were away your sons, your
+husband, and all your sons-in-law died. But just as you told us to do,
+we did not burn their corpses, but kept them in the house. And now
+they have all suddenly come back to life." Soma questioned the little
+daughters-in-law and learnt that her sons and husband and sons-in-law
+had all died at the very moment when she gave her merit to Gunvanti,
+and that they had come back to life precisely when she finished her
+one-hundred-and-eighth turn round the peepul tree. And they were all so
+glad to have Soma back with them again, and for ever such a long time
+afterwards she and her family lived happily together. And the Brahman
+in his joy at his son-in-law's recovery forgave his disobedient sons,
+and they too all lived happily together ever afterwards.
+
+
+
+CHAPTER XIII
+
+Vasishta and the Four Queens
+
+Once upon a time there was a town called Atpat. In it there ruled
+a king who had four wives. They were always quarrelling over the
+housework; so, in order to get some peace at home, the king himself
+divided the work between them. To the first queen he gave all the
+dairy work, to the second queen he gave all the cooking, to the
+third he gave the nursery, and he ordered the fourth to look after
+the royal wardrobe. At first all went well. But in a little while
+the first queen said to the third queen, "Why should you have charge
+of the nursery? Why should you not work in the dairy?" The second
+queen said to the fourth queen, "Why should I have to do all the
+cooking?" The third queen asked, "Why should I have always to look
+after the children?" And the fourth queen stamped her foot and said, "I
+won't look after the king's clothes." And all day long they quarrelled
+and screamed at each other, and the poor king was more uncomfortable
+than ever. His face grew sad and careworn, and, from the time he got
+up to the time he went to bed, he could think of nothing but the way
+that his four queens were squabbling with each other.
+
+One day the rishi, or sage, Vasishta [15] paid the king a visit. The
+king prostrated himself before the great sage and gave him a throne
+to sit upon. Vasishta looked at the king's face and saw how sad and
+careworn it was. He asked the cause, and the king told him. Then
+the rishi rose, and the king went with him to the palace of the
+four queens. When they reached it, they called to the queens to come
+out. The rishi then asked them why they quarrelled. The first queen
+cried out, "Why should I have to do the dairy work?" And the second
+queen cried out, "Why should I be only a cook-woman?" And the third
+cried out, "Why should I have all the children to look after?" And the
+fourth cried out, "Why should I have all the bother of sorting out all
+the king's clothes?" The king said, "You must do these things because
+I ordered you to." But the queens did not mind a word that he said,
+and they all screamed together so loud that the king and the rishi
+had to put their fingers in their ears to save themselves from being
+deafened. For a while the rishi became absorbed in thought, and then
+he turned to the first queen and said, "You have been placed in charge
+of the dairy, have you not?" The first queen assented. "Then listen
+to me," said Vasishta. "In a former life you were a cow, and near the
+spot in the jungle where you used to graze was an altar to Shiva. And
+every day at noon you used to come and stand near it and let milk
+drop upon it. And, because in this way you honoured the god Shiva, you
+have in this life become one of the queens of the king of Atpat. But
+you did not in your former life attain to full merit.  So the god
+Shiva directed the king to place you in charge of his dairy, and the
+king conveyed the god's directions to you. You should therefore obey
+them, and you should honour the king as if he were Shiva himself. In
+this way you will attain to full merit and ascend to Shiva's heaven,
+Kailas." Vasishta then blessed the first queen. She prostrated herself
+before him, and, giving up all thought of quarrelling, went away and
+busied herself with her dairy work.
+
+Then Vasishta turned to the second queen and asked, "What are
+you quarrelling about?" She replied, "Why should I be just a
+cook-woman?" The rishi thought for a while and said, "Lady, in a
+former life you were the wife of a poor Brahman, and you used to beg
+your food from door to door. But every Monday you used to fast, and
+whatever grain you begged that day you used to cook and offer to the
+god Shiva. And he was pleased with your devotion. Therefore in this
+life he made you one of the queens of Atpat. And because you cooked
+for the god Shiva, he directed the king to put you in charge of his
+kitchen. Therefore, obey the god's directions and give a great feast
+to all in Atpat. In this way you will gain the favour of Shiva, and he
+will take you with him to Kailas." Then he blessed the second queen,
+and she prostrated herself and went off quite cheerfully to cook the
+king's dinner.
+
+The sage next turned to the third queen and asked, "What are you
+quarrelling about?" The queen answered, "Why should I do nothing but
+fiddle about the nursery?" Vasishta thought for a while and said,
+"In a former life, O Queen, you were a maid of a jungle tribe. Every
+Monday you used to fast yourself and offer the choicest fruits that
+you picked to the god Shiva. In return for them he has made you a
+queen, and he has entrusted the king's children to you. Therefore
+look after them and be kind to them, and in the end he will take you
+to live with him in Kailas." The rishi then blessed the third queen,
+and she prostrated herself before him. Then she ran off, her face
+all smiles, to play with the king's children.
+
+Vasishta last of all turned to the fourth queen and said, "What are
+you quarrelling about?" She answered, "Why should I do nothing but
+look after the king's clothes?" The rishi said, "In a former life,
+O Queen, you were a kite that flew high up in the heavens. Beneath
+where you used to fly was an altar to Shiva, and every day at noon
+you would spread your wings over it and shade it from the sun's
+heat. So the god was pleased with you and in this life made you one
+of the queens of Atpat. As you spread your wings over Shiva's altar,
+so now a canopy hangs over your bed. And just as you served Shiva,
+now do service to the king, your husband. And you will thereby gain
+full merit and in the end reach Kailas." Then the rishi blessed her,
+and she went off quite gaily to attend to the king's clothes.
+
+And the four queens never quarrelled any more, but lived happily ever
+afterwards with the king. And all little girls who hear this story
+should try to be as good as the queens were after Vasishta had cured
+them of their squabbling.
+
+
+
+CHAPTER XIV
+
+The Lamps and the King's Daughter-in-Law
+
+Once upon a time there was a town called Atpat. In it there lived a
+king who had one little daughter-in-law. Now she was a very greedy
+little girl, and one day when some sweetmeats were got ready for all
+the family she went quietly and ate them all up herself. Then she
+got very frightened, for she knew that, if the king knew what she
+had done, he would order her to be well slapped. So, when the family
+began asking where the sweetmeats were she said that the mice had
+eaten them. And then every one began abusing the mice, saying what
+horrid little wretches they were, and what a good thing it would be
+if the cat caught and ate them up. But, when the mice heard all this,
+they were very angry with the little daughter-in-law for bringing a
+false charge against them, and they all met together and vowed that
+they would be revenged on her. Some days later the king invited a
+guest to his house, and the same night the mice went into the little
+daughter-in-law's room and dragged out one of her bodices and put
+it across the guest's bed. Next morning the bodice was discovered
+in the stranger's bed, and the little daughter-in-law was utterly
+disgraced. Her father-in-law and all her brothers-in-law scolded her
+dreadfully, and at last the king drove her out of the house. Now it
+so happened that it had till then always been the work of the little
+daughter-in-law to look after the lamps in the king's palace. Every
+morning she used to rub them well and trim the wicks. She used to light
+them herself and neap the burners with sugar-candy, and on Divali [16]
+Day she used to worship them and make them suitable offerings. But,
+directly the little daughter-in-law was driven away, none of the
+lamps were any longer cared for. On the next Divali Day the king was
+returning from a hunt, and he camped under a tree. Suddenly he saw all
+the lamps in his town of Atpat come and settle on its branches. One
+lamp after another told what was happening in its house--when there had
+been a dinner party, what there had been to eat, who had been invited,
+how they themselves had been cared for, and what honours they had
+received on Divali Day. After all the other lamps had told their story,
+the big lamp from the king's palace began, "Brother lamps, I do not
+know how to tell you. For none among you is so wretched as I am. In
+former years I was the most fortunate of all the lamps in Atpat. No
+other lamp had such honours paid it as I had, and this year I have
+to drag out my days In unspeakable misery." All the other lamps tried
+to comfort it, and asked it how it was that ill-fortune had overtaken
+it. "O brother lamps, how can I tell you?" repeated the big lamp. "I
+am the chief among the lamps that shine In the palace of the King of
+Atpat. One day the king's little daughter-in-law ate some sweetmeats
+and to save herself blamed the mice. To revenge themselves, they in
+turn brought a false charge against her by putting her bodice on the
+bed of one of the king's guests. So she was disgraced and driven out
+of the house. And after she left ill-fortune came upon me. For every
+year it was she who worshipped me and paid me honour; and wherever she
+is I wish her well, and I give her my blessing." The king listened
+attentively to the talk between the lamps, and thus he learnt that
+his daughter-in-law was innocent. He went home and asked whether
+there was any other evidence against her besides her bodice. And
+when he learnt that there was none, and that no one had seen anything
+happen between her and the king's guest, he sent a messenger for her
+and had her brought home. And he begged her pardon for the past, and
+gave her full authority over all his household; and the king lived
+and ruled ever afterwards as wisely and as well as King Ramchandra
+of Ayodhya. And if any one brings a false charge against any of us,
+may the lamps save us as they did the king's little daughter-in-law.
+
+
+
+CHAPTER XV
+
+Parwati and the Priest
+
+Once upon a time there was a town called Atpat. In it there was a
+temple to the god Shiva. One day when Shiva and his wife Parwati
+were walking about they happened to come to this temple. They sat
+down there and began to play saripat. [17] After some time Parwati
+seeing a priest close by asked him who had won, she or Shiva. "Shiva,"
+the priest replied. Parwati became very angry and cursed him, so that
+he became a leper, and the pains which overtook him were absolutely
+unendurable. One day a band of Apsaras [18] came down from heaven to
+the temple. They saw that the priest who lived in it was a leper,
+and they asked him the reason. He told them how Parwati had cursed
+him. They replied, "Do not be afraid; do as we tell you and you will
+get rid of your leprosy. Fast all next Monday, bathe that evening,
+worship the god Shiva, and then get half a pound of flour and mix
+it with treacle and ghee and eat it for dinner. But whatever you do,
+eat no salt all day. Do this for sixteen Mondays in succession, and
+on the seventeenth Monday get five pounds of flour, mix with it ghee
+and treacle, and offer it to Shiva inside this temple. Then divide it
+into three parts; leave one for the god, distribute a second among
+the Brahmans or give it to your cows, and take the third home to
+be eaten by you and your family." The Apsaras disappeared, and the
+priest followed their instructions and became quite well. Some time
+afterwards Shiva and Parwati came again to the temple. Parwati saw
+the priest cured of his leprosy and asked him how he had got rid of
+it. He told her exactly what he had done. She was very much surprised,
+and thought that if she did the same she might win back her son
+Kartakswami, [19] who had quarrelled with her and had run off in a
+rage. On the seventeenth Monday Kartakswami suddenly appeared, and
+both of them were reconciled. Later on, Kartakswami asked Parwati how
+she had brought him back, and Parwati told him. Now Kartakswami had a
+Brahman friend who had gone into a far-off country, and Kartakswami
+met him by accident shortly afterwards. He told the Brahman how the
+priest had cured himself of leprosy, and how he and Parwati had become
+reconciled. So the Brahman also practised the same rites for seventeen
+Mondays. He then set out for a distant country. As he travelled he
+came to a town. Now it happened that in that town arrangements were
+being made for the marriage of the king's daughter. Several princes
+had come from far-off countries to compete for her hand, and the king
+had erected a splendid pavilion for the royal betrothal. But he would
+not himself choose a prince to be his daughter's husband. He ordered
+that a garland should be placed on a she-elephant's trunk, and that
+the prince round whose neck the she-elephant threw the garland should
+be chosen to marry the king's daughter. But the she-elephant passed
+by all the princes in turn, until she came to where the Brahman
+stood. For he had come with the crowds of people to see the royal
+betrothal. Then the she-elephant stopped and put the garland round
+the Brahman's neck. The king ordered the Brahman to step forward, and
+he married him to his daughter. Some years later when the princess
+grew up, and she and the Brahman began to live together, she asked
+her husband by what merit he had succeeded in winning her for his
+wife, and he told her. And she in turn practised the same rites for
+seventeen Mondays. Nine months later a beautiful baby boy was born to
+her; and when he in turn grew up she told him the rites which she had
+practised to obtain him. And he in turn began to perform them. On the
+sixteenth Monday he set out for a journey. As he travelled in a distant
+country he came to a town over which ruled a king who had no son and
+only one daughter. The king had for a long time past been searching
+for a beautiful and virtuous young man, resolved when he found him to
+hand over to him his kingdom and marry him to his daughter. As the
+Brahman's son entered the town the king saw him and noticed on him
+all the marks of royal origin. So he summoned him to his house and
+married him to his daughter and seated him on his own throne. Now
+the next Monday was the seventeenth Monday since the Brahman's son
+had begun the rites which the Apsaras had told to the priest. That
+morning he got up and went to the temple and sent a message home to
+his wife that she should send him five sers of flour mixed with ghee
+and treacle. But the queen was too proud to do this. For she feared
+that the people in the street would laugh at her if she sent her
+husband five sers of flour mixed with ghee and treacle. So instead
+she sent him five hundred rupees in a plate. But because the flour
+and ghee and treacle were not sent, the king was unable to complete
+his ceremonial, and it was all spoilt. And the god Shiva instead of
+being pleased became very angry indeed. And he told the king that,
+if he kept the queen as his wife, he would lose his kingdom and die
+a beggar. Next day the king sent for his chief minister and told him
+what had happened. At first the minister said, "The kingdom belongs
+to the queen's father. If you drive her out your subjects will hate
+you." But the king replied, "Yes, but not to obey the god's command
+is a worse thing still." At last the minister agreed with the king,
+and the order went forth that the queen should be driven out of the
+city. So the queen was driven out and became quite poor and wandered
+along the road. At last she came to a distant town and lodged there
+with an old woman, who gave her food and drink. One day the old woman
+sent the queen out to sell fruit puddings. As she went into the bazaar
+a great wind came and carried off the fruit puddings. When she returned
+to the old woman's house, the queen told her what had happened, and
+the old woman drove her out of the house. Then she went and lodged
+with an oilman, who had great jars full of oil. But one day she went
+and looked inside the jars, and all the oil disappeared. So the oilman
+drove her off out of the house. The queen left the town and walked
+along until she came to a river with abundant water in it. But directly
+her eyes fell on the water, it all flowed away and left the water-bed
+quite dry. She then journeyed on until she came to a beautiful lake,
+but when her glance rested on the lake, it became full of worms, and
+the water began to stink. And, when the cowherds came as usual to
+water their cattle, the cattle would not drink the stinking water,
+and they had to go home thirsty. By chance a Gosavi, or holy man,
+came that way and saw the queen, and she told him her story. The
+holy man took her to his house and treated her as his own daughter,
+and she did her best to serve him faithfully. But, at whatever thing
+she looked, it would either disappear or become full of worms and
+maggots. At last the holy man searched for the cause of this by means
+of his inner knowledge. And thus he learnt that she had incurred the
+sin of spoiling the worship of Shiva, which the Apsaras had first
+taught the priest. Unless that sin were atoned for, her evil glance
+would never be purified. So the holy man prayed to the god Shiva,
+and the god was pleased with him; and when the holy man interceded
+with him on the queen's behalf, the god said that he would forgive her
+if she began and completed properly the rites which she had spoiled
+when her husband was performing them. The queen did so, and the god's
+anger vanished. Suddenly there rose in the heart of her husband, the
+king, a wish to see his queen, and he sent out messengers on every
+side to look for her. At last one of the messengers saw the queen in
+the holy man's hermitage and went back and told the king. The king
+was overjoyed, and, taking his chief minister with him, he journeyed
+to the hermitage. He threw himself at the holy man's feet and then
+loaded him with presents. And the holy man was pleased and said,
+"O King, I have treated your wife exactly as if she had been my own
+daughter. She has lived here just as if she had been in her father's
+house. Now take her with you back again and once more go through the
+marriage ceremony with her." The king consented, and both he and the
+queen prostrated themselves before the holy man, and then they both
+returned to Atpat. And they celebrated their home-coming with the
+greatest splendour. And the rest of the king's reign was as happy as
+possible. And we shall be just as happy if we honour Shiva like the
+King of Atpat did.
+
+
+
+CHAPTER XVI
+
+The Rishi and the Brahman
+
+Once upon a time there was a town called Atpat. In it there lived a
+Brahman. For many years he lived happily and cultivated his fields of
+rice and grain. But one day his wife gave up the observances imposed
+on her, and, as a result, the whole house was stained by her conduct,
+and pollution hung like a black cloud over it. Her husband should
+have driven her out, but he had not the heart to do so. So he, too,
+incurred the blame of his wife's sin. In course of time they died,
+and, as a punishment for their wickedness, the husband became in his
+next life a bullock, and the wife became a dog. But the gods so far
+relented as to find them a home in the house of their only son.
+
+Now the son was a very pious man, who never failed in his religious
+rites. He worshipped the gods, gave memorial honours to his dead
+father, and welcomed to his house every Brahman who passed by. One
+year, on the anniversary of his father's death, he told his wife
+to prepare a milk-pudding in honour of the dead, and announced that
+he would invite Brahmans to partake of it. The wife was as pious as
+her husband and never failed to obey his commands. So she made a big
+milk-pudding, and she boiled vegetables and stewed fruits. But just as
+she had finished and was about to invite her husband and his Brahman
+guests to begin their feast, the dog saw that a snake had entered the
+grain-jar, which had not been properly shut, and that it had left its
+poisonous trail all over the grain from which the milk-pudding had been
+prepared. The dog at once realised that, if the Brahmans who had been
+invited to the memorial feast ate the poisoned grain, they would die,
+and that the sin of Brahman murder would be incurred by the host,
+her son. So she suddenly rushed up and put her foot right into the
+middle of the milk-pudding. The son's wife was very angry. She threw
+a red-hot coal at the dog with such skill that it dropped on to the
+middle of her back and burnt a big hole in it. Then the son's wife
+cooked a fresh milk-pudding and fed the Brahmans. But she was so
+cross with the dog that she would not give her the smallest possible
+scrap. So the poor dog remained hungry all day. When night fell she
+went to the bullock who had been her husband and began to howl as
+loudly as she could. The bullock asked her what the matter was. She
+told him how she had seen that a snake had poisoned the grain, and
+how, to prevent the Brahmans dying and her son incurring the sin of
+their death, she had put her paw into the middle of the milk-pudding;
+how her daughter-in-law had been angry and had burnt a hole in her
+back with a live coal, and how her back hurt so that she did not know
+what to do. The bullock answered, "You are suffering for the pollution
+with which you darkened our house in a former life, and, because I
+let you remain in the house and touched you, I too am suffering, and
+I have become a bullock. Only to-day my son fastened me to his plough,
+tied up my mouth, and beat me, I too have, like you, had nothing to eat
+all day. Thus all my son's memorial services are useless." Now the son
+happened to be passing by the stable and heard this conversation. He
+at once fetched the bullock some grass and the dog some food, and he
+brought them both water to drink; and then he went to bed very sad at
+heart. Next morning he got up early and went into a dark forest until
+at last he came to the hermitage of a rishi. He prostrated himself
+before the rishi, who asked him why he was so sad. The Brahman's son
+said, "I am sad because my father has been born again as a bullock
+and my mother as a dog. Pray tell me how I can get their release," The
+rishi said, "There is only one way to help them. You must worship the
+seven sages who have their home in the Great Bear." [20] And he told
+the Brahman's son the ceremonies which he should observe, and how he
+should worship the seven sages continually every month of Bhadrapad, or
+September, for seven years. The Brahman's son obeyed the rishi, and at
+the end of the seven years a fiery chariot came down from heaven. The
+bullock suddenly became a handsome man, and the dog became a handsome
+woman. They both seated themselves in the chariot and were carried off
+to live with the sages who have their home for ever in the Great Bear.
+
+
+
+CHAPTER XVII
+
+The King and the Water-Goddesses
+
+Once upon a time there was a town called Atpat. Over it there ruled
+a king. One day he founded a new village, and close by he built a
+village tank. But no matter how hard he tried he could not get it
+filled with water. So he prayed to the water-goddesses to help him,
+and the water-goddesses were pleased and said, "O King, O King,
+sacrifice to us the eldest son of your daughter-in-law, and the
+tank will fill with water." The king heard it and went home very
+troubled. He was ready to sacrifice his grandson; for though he loved
+the boy, yet he knew that the life of one was less than the welfare of
+many. But he knew that his daughter-in-law would never agree. At last
+he thought of a trick. He went up to her and said, "Daughter-in-law,
+it is a long time since you went to see your parents. You had better
+go and pay them a visit and leave your eldest boy behind. I shall look
+after him here." The daughter-in-law consented and went to visit her
+parents, leaving her son behind. The king waited for a favourable
+day and then bathed and anointed his grandson. He gave a feast in
+his honour and covered his body with costly jewelry. He then took
+him into the middle of the pond and made him lie down on a bed and
+told him not to stir. The water-goddesses were pleased, and a great
+mass of water suddenly rushed into the tank, and it was filled right
+up to the brink. After a time the daughter-in-law came back from her
+father's house and brought her brother with her. They asked where her
+son was, but they could get no information. Whenever they asked the
+king, he did nothing but say how the water had come into the tank,
+and what a beautiful tank it was, and how happy it would make all
+the villagers. At last the daughter-in-law guessed what had happened,
+and when the seventh day of the bright half of the month of Shravan,
+or August, came round, she and her brother went to the edge of the
+tank and began to worship the water-goddesses. She took a cucumber
+leaf, and on it she placed some curds and rice. Next she mixed
+with them some butter and a farthing's worth of betel-nut. Then she
+told her brother to pray, "O Goddess, Mother of All, if any one of
+our family is drowned in the tank please give him back to us." He
+did so and then threw the offering into the lake. Then they both
+turned to go home. But as she was turning homewards, she felt some
+one pull her by the legs. She looked down and saw that it was her
+missing son. When she saw him she dragged him with all her might to
+the bank, and then she and her brother walked home with him. When
+the king heard that she was coming, together with her missing son,
+he wondered greatly, and going to her he fell at her feet and said,
+"O my daughter, I offered your son to the water-goddesses; how has
+he come back again?" She said, "I worshipped the water-goddesses
+and made offerings to them. Then my son came out of the water, and
+I lifted him up and drew him to the shore." The king was overjoyed
+and showed the greatest favour to his daughter-in-law. And she and
+her little son lived happily ever afterwards.
+
+
+
+CHAPTER XVIII
+
+The Lid of the Sacred Casket
+
+Once upon a time there was a town called Atpat. In it there lived a
+Brahman who had two twin sons. While they were still quite young,
+the twins' parents died, and their relatives stole from them all
+their property and then turned them out of the house. The twins
+wandered along until they came to a town. It was then noon, and
+the boys were weary with walking and were tortured with hunger and
+thirst. As they entered the town, a Brahman came out of his door
+to throw food to the crows. He saw the two boys and called them in,
+fed them, and then made them tell him their story. When he heard it
+he resolved to provide for them, and he lodged them in his house and
+taught them to recite the Vedas. On Lalita Panchmi Day the Brahman
+began to perform certain ceremonies. His pupils asked him why he did
+so. The sage replied that by doing so one could attain to wealth,
+knowledge, and to the wish of one's heart. The boys begged him to
+instruct them, and they quickly learnt how to worship the goddess
+Parwati. Not long afterwards the Brahman provided them with wives,
+and they returned to their own city, acquired wealth, and were very
+happy. A year or two later the twins separated. But the elder was a
+wise boy and never forgot to worship the goddess Parwati on Lalita
+Panchmi Day. So he retained the riches which he had gained. But the
+younger was foolish and forgot all about it, so the goddess began to
+dislike him, and he lost all his money. And at last he became so poor
+that he and his wife had to give up their house and go and live on
+the charity of his elder brother. One day the elder brother's wife
+spoke so crossly and said such nasty things to the younger twin,
+that he felt that he could not stay in the house any longer. And he
+remembered then that of recent years he had entirely forgotten to
+worship Parwati. He felt very penitent, and he decided that somehow or
+other he would win back the goddess's favour. Taking his wife with him,
+he left his brother's house and journeyed to a distant country. At
+last he came near a town, and, meeting a cowherd, the younger twin
+asked him what its name was. The cowherd said, "The town is called
+Upang." "Who is the king?" asked the younger twin. The cowherd replied,
+"He also is called Upang." The wanderer then asked whether there was
+any place where he and his wife could lodge. The cowherd told him
+that in the town there was a temple of Parwati, and close to it
+was a rest-house where the wanderer and his wife could lodge. The
+cowherd directed them to the rest-house. And before lying down the
+younger twin worshipped Parwati in the temple and begged her pardon
+for his previous neglect. Parwati felt sorry for him, and that night
+she appeared to him in a dream. She told him to go to King Upang's
+palace and to beg from him the lid of the sacred casket in which
+the accessories of worship were kept. He should, thereafter, always
+pray to it, and in the end he would come by his heart's desire. The
+younger twin woke up, and the same morning he went to King Upang's
+palace and begged from him the lid of the sacred casket in which were
+kept the accessories of worship. The king at first refused, but when
+the younger twin told the king of his dream the king consented. The
+Brahman took the lid home, worshipped it, and, just as the goddess
+had foretold, he came by his heart's desire. Property and happiness
+returned, and a year later his wife bore him a daughter. As the years
+passed the little girl grew up. One day she took the lid of the sacred
+casket and went with some playmates to play and bathe by the bank of
+a river. Suddenly the corpse of a Brahman came floating by. Seeing
+it, the little girl took the lid of the casket and for fun began to
+splash water on it. Such was the power of the sacred lid, that the
+corpse instantly became alive again and became a Brahman, tall as a
+tree and beautiful as the sun. The little girl fell in love with him
+on the spot and told him that he must become her husband. "But," said
+the Brahman, "how shall I manage it?" The little girl said, "Come home
+with me at dinner-time, take as usual water [21] in your hand, but do
+not sip it. Then my daddy will ask you, 'Bhatji, Bhatji, why do you
+not sip the water in your hand?' You must reply, 'I am ready to dine
+if you marry me to your daughter. If you will not, I shall get up and
+go away.' Then he will consent to our marriage." The Brahman agreed,
+and he went home with the little girl, and everything happened as she
+had planned. To prevent the Brahman from getting up without any food,
+the little girl's father agreed to their marriage. When a favourable
+day came they were married, and when she was old enough the little
+girl went to her husband's house. As she went she carried off the
+lid of the sacred casket of King Upang. But, because it had gone,
+her father lost all his wealth and fell once more into the greatest
+poverty. His wife went to her daughter's house and asked for it
+back, but she refused to give it up. The wife was very angry and
+every day began to hate her son-in-law more and more. But for him,
+as she thought, the little girl would never have married and would
+not have stolen the lid of the sacred casket. One day the wife met
+her son-in-law on the road, and she gave him such a fearful slap in
+the face that he instantly fell on the ground and became a corpse
+again. His mother-in-law then-snatched from him the lid of the casket,
+which he happened to have in his hand, and ran away home. There he
+lay until the little girl, his wife, began to search for him. When
+she found him she prayed to the goddess, and by her aid and by means
+of the merit which she had acquired by worshipping the lid of the
+casket while she had it, she restored her husband to life. But the
+twin and his wife went on becoming poorer and poorer. And at last
+they went back to his brother's house and asked him why it was that
+the younger twin was always losing his wealth as fast as he gained
+it. The elder brother listened to the whole story and then he said,
+"I do not wonder at it. First you lost the lid of the casket, then,
+in order to get it back, your wife killed a Brahman. Your only chance
+now is to worship Parwati harder than ever, and perhaps in the end
+you may recover your good estate." So the younger brother went home
+and worshipped Parwati with greater vigour than ever. And at last
+she relented and gave him her blessing. He recovered his wealth and
+came by all that his heart desired. And he and his wife lived happily
+ever afterwards.
+
+
+
+CHAPTER XIX
+
+The Brahman Wife and Her Seven Sons
+
+Once upon a time there was a town called Atpat. In it there lived a
+poor Brahman who used always to perform Shradh or memorial ceremonies
+to his father on the last day of the month of Shravan. When performing
+these ceremonies he always invited other Brahmans to dine. But it so
+happened that on every last day of the month of Shravan, [22] from the
+day of his father's death onwards, his daughter-in-law gave birth to a
+little boy. And just as the Brahmans had begun to enjoy their dinner,
+the child would die. So all the Shradh ceremonies had to cease,
+and the poor Brahmans had to be sent away feeling most dreadfully
+hungry. This happened regularly for six years. But, when the seventh
+little boy was born only to die just as his guests were beginning
+to enjoy their dinner, the poor Brahman lost all patience. He took
+the newly-born child and placed it in his daughter-in-law's lap and
+then drove her out of the house and into the jungle. The poor woman
+walked along until she came to a great, dark forest. In it she met the
+wife of a hobgoblin, [23] who asked, "Lady, Lady, whose wife are you,
+and why do you come here? Run away as quickly as you can. For, if my
+husband the hobgoblin sees you, he will tear you to pieces and gobble
+you up." The poor woman said she was the daughter-in-law of a Brahman,
+and explained how every year she had given birth to a son on the last
+day of Shravan, how it had died in the middle of the Shradh feast,
+and how at last her father-in-law had put the child in her lap and
+had driven her from home and into the forest. The hobgoblin's wife
+repeated, "If you value your life at all, go away." The Brahman
+woman began to cry, until at last the hobgoblin's wife had pity on
+her and said, "Do not be afraid; walk a little way until you come to
+an altar to the god Shiva, Close by is a bel [24] tree; climb into it
+and hide among the branches. To-night the serpent-maidens from Patâla
+and the wood-nymphs, together with a train of seven demon Asuras,
+[25] will come and worship at the altar. After making their offerings
+to the god, they will call out, 'Is there any uninvited guest present
+to whom we can make a gift?' You must then call out in reply, 'Yes,
+I am here.' They will see you and question you, and you must tell them
+all your story." The poor Brahman woman agreed. She walked on until
+she came to the god Shiva's altar. She climbed into the branches of
+the bel tree. She remained there until midnight came. Suddenly the
+serpent-maidens from Patâla and the wood-nymphs, accompanied by a
+train of seven demon Asuras, came and worshipped at the altar. After
+making offerings to the god they called out, "Is there any uninvited
+guest present to whom we can make a gift?" The Brahman woman at once
+climbed down the bel tree and called out in answer, "Yes, I am here,"
+The serpent-maidens from Pâtala and the wood-nymphs, greatly surprised,
+asked her who she was, and she told them all her story. Then the
+serpent-maidens of Pâtala and the wood-nymphs ordered their train
+of demon Asuras to go and search for the seven sons of the Brahman
+woman. The seven demon Asuras spurred their horses and rode off in all
+directions. In a little time the giant captain of the demon guards
+rode up carrying in his arms the body of a little boy of six. Then
+another rode up carrying the body of a little boy of five. And four
+others rode up carrying a little boy of four, a little boy of three,
+a little boy of two, and a little boy only one year old. Last of
+all the seventh demon Asura rode up with a newly-born baby boy. The
+demons placed the bodies in front of the serpent-maidens from Patâla
+and of the wood-nymphs. And first of all the little boy of six came to
+life and got up and ran to his mother. Next the little boy of five,
+and then the little boy of four, and then the little boy of three
+came to life and ran to their mother. Then the little boy of two
+came to life and got up, but he could only walk to his mother. Next
+the little one-year-old boy came to life, but he could not get up,
+so he lay on his back and kicked up his legs. And last of all the
+newly-born baby came to life, but he could not even kick up his
+legs. And they were all delighted to see their mother, and she was
+overjoyed to have all her sons again. But the serpent-maidens from
+Patâla and the wood-nymphs warned her that she must pray to the
+sixty-four Yoginis, the attendants who wait on Durga, the Goddess
+of Death, or else her children would be snatched from her again. And
+they told her to pray her hardest, for her prayer had to travel down
+to the depths of Hell. So the Brahman woman prayed her hardest to
+the sixty-four Yoginis, and then she prostrated herself before the
+serpent-maidens from Patâla, and the wood-nymphs, and their train of
+demon Asuras. And then she took the little one-year-old boy on her hip,
+and the newly-born baby boy in her arms, and she walked with her other
+five sons to the village. When the villagers saw her coming they ran
+and said to the Brahman, "Bhatji, Bhatji, your daughter-in-law is
+coming back home." And the Brahman became very angry and vowed that
+he would drive her away again. So he watched for her coming. But
+first of all he saw walking towards his house a little boy of six,
+and then a little boy of five, and then a little boy of four, and
+then two other little boys of three and two. Last of all he saw his
+daughter-in-law with a one-year-old boy on her hip and a newly-born
+baby in her arms. He rose and fetched a cauldron of water and two
+handfuls of rice from his house. And he waved his hands filled with
+rice round the heads of his daughter-in-law and of all her children,
+and last of all he washed their feet. In this way he welcomed back to
+his house his grandchildren and their mother. And he made her tell
+him all her story; and she, and her children, and the Brahman spent
+the rest of their lives in great peace and perfect happiness.
+
+
+
+CHAPTER XX
+
+The Golden Temple
+
+Once upon a time there was a town called Atpat. In it there reigned a
+king who had four daughters-in-law. He loved three of them very dearly,
+but the fourth, who was an ugly little girl, he did not like at all. To
+the three daughters-in-law he gave nice food and fine clothes. But
+to the ugly little daughter-in-law he gave nothing but scraps from
+his table and thick, coarse clothes to wear. He would not even let her
+sleep inside the house, but made her sleep in the stable and look after
+the cows. The poor ugly daughter-in-law grew so unhappy that, when the
+first Monday in Shravan [26] came, she ran out of the palace, and out
+of the town, and then away as fast as her fat little legs would carry
+her. At last she went and hid herself in the woods. Now it so happened
+that that very day a band of serpent-maidens [27] had come up from
+Patala. After wandering through the forest and bathing in the running
+streams, they had joined a bevy of wood-nymphs and were coming in her
+direction. At first she was too terrified to say a single word. But at
+last she asked, "Ladies, ladies, where are you going?" "To the temple
+of Shiva," they replied, "to worship the god. For by doing that, one
+wins the love of one's husband, one obtains children, and one comes by
+the wish of one's heart." When the ugly daughter-in-law heard that by
+doing what the serpent-maidens and the wood-nymphs were about to do
+she could win love for herself, she at once thought that in this way
+she, too, might win the love of her father-in-law. So she told the
+serpent-maidens of Patala and the wood-nymphs that she would go with
+them. They went deeper and deeper into the forest until at last they
+came to a temple of the god Shiva. There the serpent-maidens and the
+wood-nymphs offered to the god rice, betel-nut, incense, flowers, and
+the leaves of the bel tree. The ugly little daughter-in-law did just
+as they did. And when she had finished she cried out, "O God Shiva,
+please, please vouchsafe my prayer also, and make my father-in-law
+and my mother-in-law, my brothers-in-law and my sisters-in-law like
+me as much as they now dislike me." That evening she went home and
+fasted, and all the scraps which they threw to her from the king's
+table she gave to her favourite cow. And then she sat by herself and
+prayed to the god Shiva. The following Monday she once more ran out of
+the palace and out of the town and into the woods as fast as her fat
+little legs would carry her. There she met again the serpent-maidens
+of Patâla and the bevy of wood-nymphs and went with them to the
+temple of Shiva in the distant heart of the forest. The first time the
+serpent-maidens and the wood-nymphs had given her the incense and the
+flowers, the rice and the betel-nut, and the leaves of the bel tree,
+with which to perform her worship. But they had told her that the
+next time she must bring them herself. So when she ran away on the
+second Monday in Shravan she brought with her incense and flowers,
+rice and betel-nut and bel-tree leaves, and after offering them and
+some sesamums to the god she once more prayed, "O God Shiva, please,
+please grant my prayer and make my father-in-law and my mother-in-law,
+my brothers-in-law and my sisters-in-law like me as much as they now
+dislike me." Then she went home and fasted, and giving all her dinner
+to her favourite cow she sat by herself and prayed to Shiva. That
+evening the king asked her who the god was whom she was honouring,
+and where he lived. The ugly little daughter-in-law replied, "Afar
+off my god lives, and the roads to him are hard, and the paths to him
+are full of thorns. Where snakes abound and where tigers lie in wait,
+there is his temple." The third Monday in Shravan, the ugly little
+daughter-in-law again started from the palace with her flowers and
+incense, her betel-nut and bel leaves, her rice and sesamum, in order
+to meet the serpent-maidens of Patâla and the bevy of wood-nymphs, and
+with them to worship the god in the hidden depths of the forest. This
+time the king and her other male relatives followed her and said
+to her, "Ugly little daughter-in-law, take us with you and show us
+your god." But the temple of Shiva was ever so far from the king's
+palace. The ugly daughter-in-law did not mind, for she was used to
+cruel treatment. She had also walked to the temple twice before, and
+her feet had got as hard as two little stones. But the king and his
+relatives were tired to death; and their feet swelled up to the size
+of an elephant's, and they became as full of thorns as the back of a
+porcupine. And they muttered to each other, "How on earth does that
+ugly little daughter-in-law manage to walk as she does through the
+heart of the forest?" The ugly daughter-in-law at last felt sorry for
+them. She prayed to the god Shiva to build a temple near at hand. The
+god consented, and, with the help of the serpent-maidens of Patâla
+and of the wood-nymphs, he created suddenly a beautiful temple all of
+pure, yellow gold. Its pillars were studded with jewels, and the jars
+in it were all of crystal. In the middle there rose from the ground
+an altar to the god Shiva. And last of all the god revealed himself
+to the king and his companions in all his glory and splendour. For
+a moment only they saw him; and then he vanished. The king and his
+companions stared, too astonished to move or speak. But the ugly
+little daughter-in-law prostrated herself and offered to the god
+flowers and incense. Then she cried out, "O God Shiva, please, please
+vouchsafe my prayer and make my father-in-law and my mother-in-law,
+my brothers-in-law and my sisters-in-law like me as much as they now
+dislike me." When the king heard her prayer his heart softened to her,
+and he spoke kindly to her and gave her jewelry and trinkets. In a
+little while he took off his turban and, placing it on a peg, walked
+out to look at a lovely lake which, unnoticed by any one before,
+now stretched out close by the temple. And behind him strolled out
+his companions. But when they had gone out of sight, the beautiful
+golden temple by the lake vanished for ever. After looking at the
+lake the king came back to fetch his turban which he had left in
+the temple. But he could not find the beautiful temple all of pure,
+yellow gold, with its jewel-studded pillars and its crystal jars. The
+king asked the little daughter-in-law the cause. She said nothing,
+but straightway walked deeper into the forest. And the king and his
+companions, although weary to death, followed her. At last they came to
+the temple where she had worshipped, together with the serpent-maidens
+from Patâla and the bevy of wood-nymphs. It was a tiny temple,
+and inside it there was a rough altar. At the foot of the altar lay
+the flowers which the ugly daughter-in-law had offered to the god,
+and close by on a peg hung the turban left by the king. Again the
+king asked his daughter-in-law the meaning of what had happened. She
+replied, "This temple that you see is my own poor little temple. But,
+because of my prayers, the god Shiva showed himself to you in the
+beautiful temple, all of pure, yellow gold, with its jewel-studded
+pillars and its crystal jars." When the king heard her reply, he grew
+more pleased than ever with the daughter-in-law whom formerly he had
+so disliked. And because the god had revealed himself at her prayer,
+the king, to do her honour, sent for his royal palanquin and had her
+carried home in state. And the ugly little daughter-in-law became out
+of the four the king's favourite. And he was so much nicer to her than
+he was to his other three daughters-in-law that they became as jealous
+as cats. But the king and the ugly little daughter-in-law did not mind
+them the least little bit. And they both lived happily ever afterwards.
+
+
+
+NOTES
+
+[1] For an account of the birth of Kartakswami see The Tale of the
+Tulsi Plants p. 93.
+
+[2] In India days of the week have the same mysterious connexion
+with the astral bodies that they have in Europe. Aditwar or Raviwar
+is sun's day (Sunday); Somwar is moon's day (Monday); Mangalwar is
+Mars' day (mardi); Budhwar is Mercury's day (mercredi); Brihaspatiwar
+is the day of Diespiter or Jupiter (jeudi); Shukrawar is Venus' day
+(vendredi); Shaniwar is Saturn's day (Saturday).
+
+[3] His bad actions in a former life.
+
+[4] All these stories take place in Atpat town. This literally means
+"City Splendid." But in the tales it is simply a fabulous city.
+
+[5] Although Tuesday is really the day of Mars, Mangal, this tale
+by a popular error connects the day with Mangalgauri or Parwati,
+Shiva's wife.
+
+[6] Budh is Mercury; Brahaspati is Jupiter.
+
+[7] For serpent-maidens of Patâla see note to Story XX.
+
+[8] Mahalaxmi is always worshipped in this way. And it is a common
+practice for anyone who wants anything to blow on a pot and then wish
+for it.
+
+[9] Kolhapur is the chief seat of the worship of Mahalaxmi.
+
+[10] Ashwin corresponds approximately with October.
+
+[11] A kind of draughts.
+
+[12] Nagpanchmi Day falls on Shravan Sud 5, i.e. the 5th day of the
+bright half of Shravan.
+
+[13] Bhatji is the name by which a mendicant Brahman is addressed.
+
+[14] This is called the akshataropan.
+
+[15] Vasishta was the family priest of King Dasaratha, father of
+Ramchandra. After death he became one of the stars in the constellation
+of the Great Bear.
+
+[16] Divali is the feast of lamps in the month of Kartih.
+
+[17] Saripat is a kind of draughts.
+
+[18] Apsaras are attendants on the gods.
+
+[19] Kartakswami was really Parwati's step-son (see Preface).
+
+[20] The Indians do not associate the Great Bear constellation with a
+bear, but they believe it to be the habitation of seven rishis. The
+seven rishis vary in different works. In the Mahabharat the names
+given are Marichi, Atri, Angiras, Pulaha, Kratu, Pulatya, and Vasishta.
+
+[21] Aposhani. This is the water which a Brahman sips from his hand
+before and after his meal.
+
+[22] Shravan corresponds roughly with August. The death of the child
+nullified all the virtue of the Shradh feast, which had at once to
+be stopped.
+
+[23] Zhoting is really the unquiet ghost of a Musulman, but hobgoblin
+is probably a sufficiently close translation.
+
+[24] A tree sacred to Shiva.
+
+[25] The Asuras, who are now reckoned petty demons, had once upon
+a time a much higher position. They are the same as Ahura-Magda,
+the Jupiter of the Iranians. The latter, curiously enough,
+degraded the Devas or Hindu Gods to the subordinate place of
+demons. (Cf. Rawlinson's Bactria, page 21.)
+
+[26] Shravan = August.
+
+[27] Nag-kanya. These are the maidens of the race of the Nagas, who
+are said to have sprung from Kadru, wife of Kasyapa. One of them,
+Ulupi, married the hero Arjuna. They live in Patâla, the lowest of
+the seven underground regions.
+
+
+THE END
+
+
+
+
+
+End of Project Gutenberg's Deccan Nursery Tales, by Charles Augustus Kincaid
+
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+Project Gutenberg's Deccan Nursery Tales, by Charles Augustus Kincaid
+
+This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and with
+almost no restrictions whatsoever.  You may copy it, give it away or
+re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included
+with this eBook or online at www.gutenberg.org
+
+
+Title: Deccan Nursery Tales
+       or, Fairy Tales from the South
+
+Author: Charles Augustus Kincaid
+
+Illustrator: M. V. Dhurandhar
+
+Release Date: December 21, 2009 [EBook #11167]
+
+Language: English
+
+Character set encoding: ASCII
+
+*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK DECCAN NURSERY TALES ***
+
+
+
+
+Produced by Jeroen Hellingman and the Distributed
+Proofreaders Team from scans of the Million Books Project.
+
+
+
+
+
+
+                      Deccan Nursery Tales
+                               or
+                   Fairy Tales from the South
+
+
+                               by
+
+                      C.A. Kincaid, C.V.O.
+
+
+
+                             1914.
+
+
+
+
+                        To my little son
+
+                             Dennis
+
+                Whose interest in these stories
+          first induced me to offer them to the public
+         this little volume is affectionately inscribed
+
+
+
+PREFACE
+
+These stories first appeared in the Times of India newspaper, and my
+acknowledgments are due to the editor for his courtesy in permitting
+their publication.
+
+I have translated all of them as literally as possible from the
+original Marathi. But, owing to the difference between Marathi and
+English canons of taste, I have had in a very few places slightly
+to change the sense. In some places, owing to the obscurity of the
+original text, I have had to amplify the translation. In other places
+I have had to cut short the descriptions of Hindu rites and ceremonies
+so as to avoid wearying the English reader.
+
+It may not be out of place to say just a word about the Indian gods
+mentioned in the stories. It must be remembered that the main Hindu
+gods are three in number. They are all sprung from a common origin,
+Brahma, but they are quite separate beings. They do not form a trinity,
+i.e. three in one or one in three. And each of them has a wife and a
+family. The following genealogical tree will, I hope, help the reader.
+
+
+    Brahma
+        Shiva = Parwati
+            Ganpati
+              = the daughters of Agni
+            Kartakswami [1]
+        Vishnu = Mahalaxmi
+        Brahmadev = Saraswati
+
+
+Of the above gods, Shiva, his son Kartakswami, and his wife Parwati,
+Vishnu and his wife Mahalaxmi only are mentioned in the following
+stories. Besides these, however, the Sun and Moon and the five
+principal planets obtain a certain amount of worship. The Sun is
+worshipped every morning by every orthodox Hindu. And Shani or Saturn
+inspires a wholesome fear, for his glance is supposed to bring ill
+fortune. Then again, besides the main gods, the world according
+to Hindu belief, which in this respect closely resembles that of
+the ancient Greeks, is peopled with Asuras (demons), Devkanya
+(wood-nymphs), Nag-kanya (the serpent-maidens of Patala), and
+Gandharwas (a kind of cherubim). The first three of these find a
+place in the ensuing fairy tales.
+
+The scientific doctrine is that Shiva is the destroyer and Vishnu
+the preserver of life, and that Brahmadev is the creative spirit. In
+practice, however, Brahmadev is almost entirely disregarded, while the
+Hindus worship Shiva, Vishnu, Parwati, or Mahalaxmi just as   they feel
+inclined, or as the particular sect to which they belong requires them.
+
+Lastly, it must be borne in mind that the Hindu year consists of
+twelve lunar months. In the Deccan the year begins with Chaitra,
+corresponding roughly with April. The months then succeed each other
+in the following order: Vaishak, Jesht, Ashad, Shravan, Bhadrapad,
+Ashwin, Kartih, Margshish, Paush, Mag, Phalgun, Each month begins on
+the first day of the new moon and is divided into two parts. The first
+half comprises the period from the new moon to the full moon. This is
+the bright half of the month. The second half comprises the period
+from the full moon to the new moon. This is the dark half of the
+month. The lunar months are made to correspond with the solar year by
+the interposition of an "adhik" or intercalary month every third year.
+
+C.A.K.
+
+
+
+CONTENTS
+
+
+    I.      The Sunday Story
+    II.     The Monday Story
+    III.    The Tuesday Story
+    IV.     The Wednesday and Thursday Story
+    V.      The Friday Story
+    VI.     The Saturday Story
+    VII.    Mahalaxmi and the Two Queens
+    VIII.   The Island Palace
+    IX.     Nagoba, the Snake-King
+    X.      Parwati and the Beggar-Man
+    XL      Parwati and the Brahman
+    XII.    Soma, the Washerwoman
+    XIII.   Vasishta and the Four Queens
+    XIV.    The Lamps and the King's Daughter-in-Law
+    XV.     Parwati and the Priest
+    XVI.    The Rishi and the Brahman
+    XVII.   The King and the Water-Goddesses
+    XVIII.  The Lid of the Sacred Casket
+    XIX.    The Brahman Wife and Her Seven Sons
+    XX.     The Golden Temple
+
+
+
+ILLUSTRATIONS
+
+
+"Gave memorial honours to his dead father"
+"It curled itself up inside the earthen jar"
+"And fill her lap with wheat cakes and bits of cocoa-nut"
+"And stuck them into a corner of the eaves"
+"They no longer wished to kill or bite the little daughter-in-law"
+"They asked her what the reason was, and she told them"
+"She has lived here just as if she had been in her father's house"
+"The god revealed himself to the king and his companions in all his
+glory and splendour"
+
+
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER I
+
+The Sunday Story
+
+When Englishmen and Englishwomen are little boys and girls, they
+listen with open ears to the tales of Golden-hair and the three Bears,
+of Cinderella and the Prince, and of the Wolf and Little Red Riding
+Hood. As the boys and girls grow up, the stories fade gradually from
+their minds. But a time comes when they have children of their own. And
+then, to amuse the children, they can find no tales more thrilling
+than those which fascinated them in their own childhood. Thus the
+old nursery tales are handed down for centuries from generation to
+generation. Exactly the same process goes on in India, There, too, when
+little Indian boys and girls grow up and have little boys and girls of
+their own, they too tell to wide-eyed audiences the tales which they
+themselves found so thrilling in their own childhood. Indian nursery
+tales, it is true, have a more religious tinge than those of Europe,
+but they are none the less appreciated on that account. The first six
+stories in this little book purport to explain the connexion between
+the heavenly bodies and the days of the week. So each day of the week
+has its separate tale. And all through Shravan or August, probably
+because it is the wettest month in the year, Deccan mothers tell afresh
+every week-day that day's story. And little Deccan children listen
+to the tales as they fall due with the same unvarying attention. For
+in nurseries, Indian as well as English, tales are loved the better
+when no longer new, and where the end is well known to, and therefore
+the better understood by, the tiny round-eyed listeners.
+
+Now this is the tale which is told every Sunday [2] in Shravan: Once
+upon a time there was a town called Atpat, and in it there lived a
+poor Brahman. Every day he used to go into the woods to fetch sticks
+and to cut grass. One day he met there some nymphs and wood-fairies,
+who said that they were performing holy rites in honour of the sun. He
+asked, "What are these rites?" They replied, "If we tell you, you will
+become proud and vain and you will not perform them properly." But the
+Brahman promised, "No, I shall not become proud or vain and I shall
+observe the rites you tell me." They then told him that the month of
+Shravan was coming, and that on the first Sunday of Shravan he was
+to draw a picture of the sun with red sandal paste, that he was to
+offer to the drawing flowers and fruit, and that he should continue
+doing this for six months. Thereafter he should in various ways,
+which they told him, entertain guests and give alms to the poor.
+
+The Brahman went home and performed the rites to the letter, so that
+the sun-god was very pleased. Wealth came to the Brahman and he grew
+richer and richer, and at last the queen of the land sent for him. The
+poor Brahman began to tremble and shake all over, but the queen said,
+"Do not shake or tremble, but give your daughters in marriage to our
+house." The Brahman said, "My daughters are poor; you will make them
+slaves or maid-servants." "No," said the queen, "I shall not make
+them slaves or maid-servants; I shall marry one to a king, and one to
+a minister." The Brahman agreed, and when the month of Margashish,
+or December, came he gave his two daughters in marriage, one to the
+king and one to the minister. Immediately after the marriage the
+Brahman said good-bye to his daughters, and did not see them again
+for twelve years. Then he visited the elder one, who had married the
+king. She gave him a wooden stand on which to sit while eating, and
+water in which to wash his feet, and then said, "Papa, papa, there
+is pudding to eat, there is water to drink." But the Brahman said,
+"Before I eat or drink, I must tell you my story." But his daughter
+said, "Papa, I have no time to listen to your story; the king is
+going a-hunting, and I must not keep him waiting for his dinner." The
+Brahman thought this very disrespectful and went off in a great rage
+to the house of his other daughter, who had married a minister. She
+welcomed her father and gave him a wooden stand on which to eat,
+and water to wash his feet, and said, "Papa, papa, here is pudding to
+eat and here is water to drink." But the Brahman said, "Before I eat
+or drink I must tell you my story." His daughter said, "Of course,
+papa, tell it to me, and I shall listen as long as you like." Then
+she went into an inner room and she fetched six pearls. She took three
+herself and three she put in her father's hand. And he told her how he
+had met the nymphs and wood-fairies, who had told him to worship the
+sun-god, and she listened to it all without missing a syllable. Then
+the Brahman ate and drank and went back to his own house. His wife
+asked him about their two daughters. He told her everything and said,
+"The elder one who would not listen to my story will come to grief."
+
+And so she did. For the king, her husband, took an army into a
+far country and never came back. But the daughter who had listened
+to the story lived well and happy. As time went on the undutiful
+daughter became poorer and poorer, until one day she said to her
+eldest son, "Go to your aunt's house and beg of her to give you a
+present, and bring back whatever she gives you." Next Sunday the
+boy started and went to the village where his aunt lived. Standing
+by the village tank he called out, "O maids, O slave-girls, whose
+maids and slave-girls are ye?" They answered, "We are the maids and
+the slave-girls of the minister." The boy said, "Go and tell the
+minister's wife that her sister's son is here. Tell her that he is
+standing by the village tank, that his coat is tattered and that
+his garments are torn, and ask her to let him come into her house
+through the back door." The slave-girls took him in through the
+back door. His aunt had him bathed, and gave him clothes to wear,
+and food to eat, and drink, and a pumpkin hollowed out and filled
+with gold coins. As he left, she called to him, "Do not drop it, do
+not forget it, but take it carefully home." But as the boy went home,
+the sun-god came disguised as a gardener and stole the pumpkin filled
+with gold. When the boy reached his mother's house she asked, "Well,
+my son, what did your aunt give you?" He said, "Fortune gave, but Karma
+[3] took away; I lost everything my aunt bestowed on me." Next Sunday
+the second son went and stood by the village tank and called out,
+"O slave-girls and maid-servants, who is your master?" They said,
+"Our master is the minister." "Then tell the minister's wife that
+her nephew is here." He was taken in by the back door. He was bathed
+and clothed and given food and drink. As he was going, his aunt gave
+him a hollow stick full of gold coins and said, "Do not drop it,
+do not forget it, mind it carefully and take it home." On the way
+the sun-god came in the guise of a cowherd and stole the stick. When
+the boy got home his mother asked him what he had brought. He said,
+"Fortune gave, but Karma took away." On the third Sunday a third son
+went and stood by the village tank. His aunt received him like the
+others and had him bathed, clothed, and fed. As he was going away,
+she gave him a hollow cocoa-nut stuffed with gold coins and said,
+"Do not drop it, do not forget it, but mind it carefully and take it
+home." On the way back he put down the cocoa-nut on the edge of a well,
+and it toppled over and fell into the water with a great splash. When
+he reached his mother's house she asked him what his aunt's present
+was. He said, "I have lost everything which fortune brought me." On
+the fourth Sunday the fourth son went. His aunt welcomed him like
+the others, and had him bathed and fed. When he left she gave him an
+earthen pot full of gold coins. But the sun-god came in the guise
+of a kite and snatched the pot away. When the boy reached home his
+mother asked him whether his aunt had given him anything. He said,
+"I have lost everything which my aunt gave me." On the fifth Sunday
+the mother herself got up and went to her sister's village and stood
+by the tank. The minister's wife took her in through her back door
+and had her clothed and fed. Then the minister's wife told her that
+all her trouble had come through not listening to her father's story,
+and the minister's wife repeated it to her. The king's wife listened
+to it, and stayed with her sister until the following month of Shravan,
+or August, when she did fitting worship to the sun.
+
+Instantly good fortune came to her. After years of weary fighting, her
+husband, the king, at last overcame his enemies, and after taking great
+wealth from them turned homewards with his army. As he went towards his
+capital, he passed the village where the minister's wife lived. There he
+learnt that his queen was with her sister, so he sent for her with a
+befitting escort. "O auntie, auntie," cried all the queen's little
+nephews and nieces, "umbrellas have come for you, and horse-tails and
+guards and foot-soldiers." Every one rushed out to see, and the king and
+queen greeted each other after years of separation. The sisters gave
+each other gifts of clothes, and the king and his queen went away
+together. At the first halting-place the servants cooked the food. The
+queen filled the king's plate and then her own, and then she thought of
+the story which her sister had told her. She ordered her servants to go
+through the neighbouring village and bring in any one who was hungry and
+too poor to buy food. They found none such in the village, but on the
+way back they met a starving wood-cutter, and, bringing him to the
+queen, told him to listen to the tale which she would tell him. The
+queen brought six pearls. Three she gave to the wood-cutter, and three
+she kept herself. Then she told him the story of her father and the
+wood-fairies. The wood-cutter listened with all attention, and as he
+listened his faggot of wood became all of gold. He went away delighted,
+promising to worship the sun in the way the wood-fairies had shown to
+the Brahman.
+
+Next day the cavalcade reached the second halting-place. Food was
+cooked; the queen filled the king's plate and then her own plate, and
+again she told her, servants to bring from the neighbouring village any
+one who was hungry and too poor to buy food. They came upon a petty
+farmer, whose well had dried up and whose crops had withered. He was
+sitting sadly by his field when they called him to go with them and
+listen to the queen's tale. He went with them to the camp. There the
+queen brought six pearls and gave three of them to the farmer and
+kept three of them herself. Then she told the story of her father
+and the wood-fairies. And as the farmer listened, all attention,
+the water began to pour into the well, and the crop began to look
+fresh and green. He went away delighted, and promised to worship the
+sun in the way the wood-fairies had told the Brahman. Next day the
+cavalcade reached the third halting-place. Food was cooked, and the
+queen filled the king's plate and then her own plate. Then she told
+the servants to search in the neighbouring village for any one who
+was hungry and too poor to buy food. They met an old woman. Her eldest
+son had been lost in the forest. Her second son had been drowned in a
+pond. Her third son had died of snake-bite. They told her to come and
+listen to the queen's story. She went with them, and as she listened,
+all attention, first the son who had been lost in the forest walked
+into the camp, next the son who had been drowned in the pond, and
+last of all the son who had died of a snake-bite. The old woman went
+away crying with joy, and promising to worship the sun in the way
+the wood-fairies had instructed the Brahman. Next day the cavalcade
+reached the fourth halting-place. Food was cooked, and the queen first
+filled the king's plate and then her own. After dinner she sent her
+servants as before to bring in some poor and hungry man from the
+neighbouring village. They found a man whose eyes were so crooked
+that he could hardly see, who had no arms or legs, and who had not
+even a name. For he was only known as "Lump of flesh." He was lying
+on his face, but when they brought him into camp, the queen had him
+placed on his back and had a jug of water poured over him. Then she
+took six pearls. Three she kept herself, and three she placed on the
+stomach of "Lump of flesh." Then she told him the tale of her father
+and the wood-fairies. He listened, all attention, and as he listened
+his arms and legs grew out of his body, and hands and feet appeared
+at the ends of them. He too went away delighted, and he promised to
+worship the sun in the way the wood-fairies had told the Brahman.
+
+At the end of the next day's march the king and queen reached their
+home. Food was cooked, and as they sat down to dinner the sun-god
+himself appeared and joined them at their meal. The king had all
+the doors flung wide open, and ordered a fresh and far more splendid
+dinner to be prepared, with any number of dishes, each dish having
+six separate flavours. When it was served the sun-god and the king
+began to eat, but in the first mouthful the sun-god found a hair. He
+got very very angry, and called out, "To what sinful woman does this
+hair belong?" Then the poor queen remembered that during her twelve
+years of poverty she had always sat under the eaves combing her hair,
+and knew that it must have been one of her hairs which had got into
+the sun-god's food. She begged for mercy, but the sun-god would
+not forgive her until she had clothed herself in a black blanket,
+plucked a stick out of the eaves, and had gone outside the town and
+there thrown the stick and the hair over her left shoulder. Then the
+sun-god recovered his good-humour, and finished his dinner. And the
+Brahman, the king and queen, and the wood-cutter and the farmer whose
+well had dried up, and the old woman who had lost her children, and
+"Lump of flesh" with the cross eyes, they all remained in the favour
+of the sun-god and lived happily ever afterwards.
+
+
+
+CHAPTER II
+
+The Monday Story
+
+Once upon a time there was a town called Atpat. In it there lived a
+very saintly king. One day he formed the wish to fill the shrine of
+Shiva, the moon-god, with milk up to the ceiling. He consulted his
+chief minister, and the latter sent a crier through Atpat ordering,
+under terrible penalties, all the townspeople to bring every Monday all
+the milk in their houses and offer it to the god Shiva. The townspeople
+were frightened at the threatened punishments, and the next Monday
+they brought all the milk in Atpat to Shiva's shrine, not keeping a
+drop for their calves or even for their children. But although all the
+milk in Atpat was every Monday poured into Shiva's shrine, it yet did
+not become full to the ceiling. But one day an old woman came to the
+shrine. She had done all her housework. She had fed all the children
+and had bathed all her little daughters-in-law. Then she took a few
+drops of milk, a little sandal-wood paste, and a few flowers, and
+half-a-dozen grains of rice and went to worship at Shiva's shrine. She
+prayed to Shiva, "The little milk that I can offer is not likely to
+fill your shrine, seeing that all the milk offered by the king could
+not. Nevertheless I offer the milk with all my heart." She then got
+up and went back to her house. Then a strange thing happened. Directly
+the old woman turned her back, the shrine filled with milk right up to
+the ceiling. The priests ran and told the king, but none of them could
+say how it happened. The following Monday the king placed a soldier
+by the door; and again the old woman came and worshipped, and again
+the shrine filled with milk to the ceiling. The soldier ran and told
+the king, but could not explain the cause. The third Monday the king
+himself went and watched by the shrine. From his hiding-place he saw
+the old woman come up and noticed that the shrine filled with milk
+immediately after she had worshipped. He ran after her and caught
+her. The old woman begged the king to spare her life, and this he
+promised to do if she told the truth. She said, "O King! you ordered
+all the milk in Atpat to be brought to Shiva's shrine. But what was
+the result? All the calves began lowing and all the children began
+crying, because they could get no milk. And all the grown-up people
+were so worried by the noise that they did not know what to do. Shiva
+was displeased at this, so He would not let the shrine fill. This,
+therefore, is what you should do. Let the children and the calves
+have their milk. Then take whatever is over to the shrine, and it
+will at once fill up to the ceiling." The king let the old woman go,
+and had it proclaimed by beat of drum that the townspeople were to
+bring to the shrine on the following Monday only the milk remaining
+after the children and the calves had been fed. The townspeople were
+delighted. The children stopped crying and the calves stopped lowing,
+and all the milk left by them was brought to Shiva's shrine. The
+king prayed long and earnestly, and when he looked up he saw that
+the shrine was full right up to the ceiling. He gave the old woman
+a handsome present. And she went back to her home, and she did her
+housework, and then she bathed all her little daughters and all her
+little daughters-in-law.
+
+
+
+CHAPTER III
+
+The Tuesday Story
+
+Once upon a time there was a town called Atpat. [4] In it there lived
+a bania who had no son. Every day a religious mendicant used to come
+to his house and call out, "Alms! Alms! In the name of God, give me
+alms." But when the bania's wife offered him alms he refused them,
+because she had no children. She told her husband, who advised her
+to play a trick on the mendicant. She hid behind her door, and as he
+called out "Alms! alms!" she slipped a gold piece into his wallet. But
+the mendicant caught her and became very angry. He cursed her and
+told her that she would always remain without any children. She
+was terrified and fell at his feet and begged for forgiveness. Then
+he pitied her and said, "Tell your husband to put on blue clothes,
+mount a blue horse, and ride into the jungle. He should ride on until
+he meets a horse. He should then dismount and dig in the ground. He
+will in the end come to a temple to Parwati. He must pray to her and
+she will bestow a child on him." When her husband came back she told
+him what had happened. So he at once put on blue clothes, mounted a
+blue horse, and rode into the forest. He met the horse, dismounted,
+and began digging. At last he discovered a temple to Parwati, all of
+gold, with diamond pillars and a spire made of rubies. Inside was a
+statue of the goddess, and to it he prayed, saying, "I have houses and
+cottages, cattle and horses, money and goods of all kinds, but I am
+very sad because I have no son." The goddess pitied him and asked,
+"Which will you have, a son who will be good but will die young,
+or a son who will live long but will be born blind?" The poor bania
+became greatly perplexed, but at last said, "I choose a son who will be
+good but will die young,"  The goddess said, "Very well. Step behind
+me. There you will find an image of Ganpati. Behind it is a mango
+tree. Climb upon Ganpati's stomach and pick one mango. Go home and give
+it to your wife to eat, and your wish will be gratified." Parwati then
+disappeared. The bania climbed upon Ganpati's stomach and ate as many
+mangoes as he could. He next filled a large bundle full of mangoes
+and stepped down. But when he reached the ground he found that there
+was only one mango in the bundle. He climbed up again and refilled his
+bundle, but when he stepped down he again found only one mango. This
+happened three or four times. At last Ganpati got very sore and angry
+with having his stomach trampled on. So he shouted out, "One mango is
+all you'll get. So be off home!" The bania was frightened out of his
+wits and galloped home with his one mango. His wife ate it, and in nine
+months she presented her husband with a son. When the little boy was
+eight years old his sacred thread was put on, and his mother said,
+"It is time to think of his marriage." But the bania said, "I dare
+not marry him unless he first makes a pilgrimage to Benares." His
+maternal uncle agreed to take the little boy to Benares.
+
+So off they started together, and some days later the uncle and nephew
+halted at a village where some little girls were playing. One of
+the little girls said to the other, "You are nothing but a wretched
+little widow." But the other little girl said, "Oh no! there are
+never any widows in our family. Mother worships Parwati and so I
+can never be a widow." The uncle heard this, and thought that if his
+nephew could only marry a little girl who could not become a widow,
+he would not die young. So he began to think how he could bring
+about the marriage. Now it so happened that the little girl was
+to be married that day. But in the morning the boy to whom she was
+betrothed fell ill. Her parents were in great trouble, but at last
+they thought that, rather than postpone the wedding and disappoint
+all the guests, it would be better to marry their little daughter to
+the first traveller who passed through the village. So they went to
+the rest-house to inquire if any one was there. There they found the
+uncle and nephew, and they married their little girl to the latter
+that very evening when the cows were homing. They drew on the wall
+a picture of Shiva and Parwati, and they put the children to bed
+beneath it. Parwati appeared to the little girl in her sleep. The
+goddess said, "My child, a snake will come to bite your husband: give
+it milk to drink. Then put near it a new earthen jar. When the snake
+has finished drinking, it will enter the earthen jar. Then at once
+pull off your bodice and stuff it into the jar's mouth. Next morning
+give the jar to your mother." Next evening everything happened as
+Parwati had said. The snake came to bite her husband as he slept. But
+the little girl offered it milk, which it drank. After drinking,
+it curled itself up inside the earthen jar, and, the moment it did
+so, the little girl slipped off her bodice and stuffed it into the
+mouth of the jar. Next morning her husband gave her a ring, and she
+in exchange gave him a sweet-dish, and he and his uncle continued
+their journey to Benares. When they had gone, the little girl gave the
+earthen jar with the snake inside it to her mother. The mother took
+out the bodice, but instead of a snake a garland lay inside, and the
+mother put it round her little daughter's neck. Some weeks passed,
+but neither uncle nor nephew returned. So the little girl's parents
+grew anxious. The sick boy who was to have been her husband recovered,
+but she could no longer marry him, and the boy whom she had married
+had gone away and might never return. In despair the parents built
+a house, in which they entertained every traveller who passed by,
+hoping that sooner or later one of the travellers would prove to be
+their daughter's husband. To all of them the mother gave water; the
+daughter washed their feet; her brother gave them sandal-wood paste;
+and her father gave them betel-nut. But it was all in vain; none of
+the travellers' fingers fitted the ring given to the little girl by
+her husband, nor could any of them produce the sweet-dish which she
+had given him in exchange.
+
+In the meantime the uncle and nephew had reached Benares and had
+given large sums in charity, and had visited all the holy places
+and had received the blessings of all the Brahmans. One day the
+little boy, fainted. And in a dream he saw the messenger of Yama,
+the god of death, come close to him as if to carry him off. Next he
+saw the goddess Parwati come to his rescue and, after a struggle,
+drive away Yama's messenger. When the boy woke up he told the dream to
+his uncle. The latter was overjoyed because he felt certain that now
+the boy would no longer die young. He told his nephew to get ready,
+and next day they left Benares. On their way home they passed by
+the village where the nephew had been married. As they were having
+breakfast near the village tank, a maid-servant invited them to come
+to the house which the girl's parents had built for the reception of
+travellers. At first the uncle declined, but when a palki was sent
+for them, he and his nephew entered it. When the little girl began to
+wash her husband's feet, she recognised him. She tried on the ring,
+which fitted his finger, and he in turn showed her the sweet-dish
+which she had given him. The parents were as pleased as possible, and
+they sent a messenger to invite the boy's parents. They came, and the
+boy's mother threw herself at her daughter-in-law's feet and thanked
+her for saving her son. Then there was a great feast and everybody
+was very happy indeed, and at the end they all worshipped Parwati,
+[5] so she became as pleased as everybody else.
+
+
+
+CHAPTER IV
+
+The Wednesday and Thursday Story
+
+There was once upon a time a town called Atpat. In it there lived
+a prince who had seven sons and seven daughters-in-law. Every day
+there used to come to the prince's house two Brahmans, an uncle and a
+nephew. But when they asked for alms the daughters-in-law sent word
+that they were too busy to give them any. Some time afterwards the
+prince lost all his riches and became very poor. The two Brahmans
+again came to beg, but the elder daughter-in-law said to them,
+"We are no longer busy, but we have nothing to give you. If we had,
+we should give it to you." The youngest daughter-in-law, however,
+was a clever little girl, and she thought to herself, "The Brahmans
+will get very angry with us. When we had money, we gave them nothing;
+and now we give them nothing because we have nothing to give." So she
+fell at the elder Brahman's feet and said, "We have been very wicked
+and have deserved to become poor. But please forgive us and tell me
+how we may become rich as we were before." The elder Brahman said,
+"Every Wednesday and every Thursday you must invite a Brahman to
+dinner. And if you have no money to pay for the dinner, draw a pair
+of cow's feet on your money-box. If you want grain for the dinner,
+draw a pair of cow's feet on your corn-bin. Then worship the feet and
+welcome the Brahmans. For you will find that you will have money in
+your box and grain in your corn-bin. And in time you will all get as
+rich as you were before." The little girl did what the Brahman told
+her. And whenever she invited Brahmans to dinner, she drew the cow's
+feet on the cash-box and on the corn-bin, and there was always money
+and grain sufficient for the meal.
+
+But some days later she fell asleep and dreamt that Budh [6] and
+Brahaspati came to her bedside and said, "Little girl, little girl,
+your husband has been made king over a great country. Go to him, and,
+when you have found him, do not forget to worship us and to give feast
+to the Brahmans." Then the little girl woke up and she told the other
+six daughters-in-law. But they were jealous of her, and they became
+very angry; and they kicked her so often and boxed her ears so hard
+that she forgot all about drawing the cow's feet on her money-box and
+on the corn-bin. So she never found any money in the box or any corn
+in the bin. And every day they became poorer and poorer. First all the
+men servants ran away, then the male members of the family left, and
+at last the seven daughters-in-law were left alone in the house. They
+were starving, but they did not know how to get any food. One day
+they heard that a king in a neighbouring country wished to construct
+a tank and was calling for labourers. So they decided to go to the
+tank and work there just like common coolie women. Now who do you
+think the king was? He was the youngest son of the prince of Atpat
+and the husband of the youngest daughter-in-law. When the prince had
+lost all his money, his youngest son left the house and set off on
+a journey. As he travelled he came to a city, the king of which had
+just died without leaving any children or relatives. His subjects
+did not know how to choose a successor. At last they gave a garland
+of flowers to a she-elephant and turned it loose. The elephant walked
+straight to the prince's son and put the garland round his neck. The
+townspeople were very angry. They snatched away the garland and drove
+away the prince's son. They again gave the garland to the elephant,
+but the elephant again put the garland round the neck of the prince's
+son. The townspeople again snatched away the garland. But when the
+elephant put it round the young man's neck for the third time, they
+lifted him high in the air and declared him to be their king. At first
+he was so pleased at being king that he forgot all about his poor
+little wife. But one night Budh and Brahaspati appeared to him in a
+dream and reminded him of her and told him how poor she was. But he
+could not leave his kingdom to go and look for her. So he thought that
+he would dig a tank and call together labourers from every quarter. And
+every day he used to go to the tank and search among the labourers to
+see if his wife was there. One day he recognised his wife and called
+her to him. Then they told each other how Budh and Brahaspati had
+appeared to each of them in a dream. And the king was so delighted at
+finding his wife that he at once proclaimed her queen of the country.
+
+So the little daughter-in-law was crowned queen, but she did not let
+the other daughters-in-law who were also working at the tank know of
+her good fortune. As queen, she gave a great feast to all the workers
+on the tank. But in her own palace she took some wheat flour, and
+she kneaded it into shapes resembling human feet and human fists. And
+when the other daughters-in-law were with the crowd of workers eating
+at the feast, she went up to them, and to each daughter-in-law who
+had kicked her she gave a flour foot, and to each daughter-in-law
+who had struck her with her hands she gave a flour fist. Then the
+daughters-in-law recognised who the little queen was, and they fell at
+her feet and begged for her forgiveness. So the little queen forgave
+them and took them back with her into her husband's palace. And they
+all lived together happily ever afterwards.
+
+
+
+CHAPTER V
+
+The Friday Story
+
+Once upon a time there was a town called Atpat. In it there lived a
+miserably poor Brahman. He had a wife who was as poor as he was. One
+day she felt her poverty so much that she went to a gossip of hers
+who lived close by and told her all about her troubles. The neighbour
+could suggest nothing better than that the poor woman should worship
+the goddess Shukra or Venus. So she told the Brahman woman to fast
+every Friday through the month of Shravan. Every Friday evening she
+should invite a married lady friend to her house. She should bathe her
+friend's feet. She should give her sweetened milk to drink and fill
+her lap with wheat cakes and bits of cocoa-nut. She should continue
+to worship Shukra in this way every Friday for a whole year, and in
+the end the goddess would certainly do something for her. The Brahman
+woman thought the advice good, and every Friday she worshipped Shukra
+and had a married friend to dine with her just as her neighbour had
+advised her.
+
+Now the Brahman woman had a rich brother living in the same town,
+who one day invited one thousand Brahmans to dine. At the same
+time he invited all the townspeople with the single exception of
+his sister. The poor lady thought that she must have been left out
+by accident, and that there would be no harm in going, even although
+uninvited. She put on her silk dining-clothes, and, taking her children
+with her, went off to the dinner. She seated herself close to her
+children, and was eating away when her brother came round serving
+ghee. When he saw his sister he shouted at her, "You have neither nice
+clothes nor nice jewelry. You have made me a laughing-stock by coming
+as you have come. I shall not turn you out, but do not come to-morrow."
+
+Next day she did not want to go, but her children, who had enjoyed
+the previous day's feast, persuaded their mother to take them again
+to her brother's house. Once more she went and sat down with her
+children among the rows of feasters. Her brother saw her as before
+when he came round serving the ghee. He shouted at her, "A beggar
+woman must, I suppose, act like a village sow, and will not go away
+although told to. But do not come to-morrow. If you do, I'll have you
+turned out." Next day, however, she again went with her children to
+her brother's house. But near the entrance his servants caught her
+and turned her out before she could eat anything. She went home sad
+and hungry and prayed to Shukra. Now the goddess had been pleased
+with her devotion and so took pity on her. She helped the poor
+woman's husband so that he rapidly acquired great wealth. When her
+husband had become very rich she asked her brother to dinner. But
+the brother remembered how he had treated her and was ashamed to
+accept. He pressed her to dine with him first, and begged so hard
+that she at last consented. Next day she put on all her jewels and
+her finest clothes. Her brother gave her a wooden platform to sit on
+and plates made out of leaves from which to eat her dinner. Before
+she sat down she took off her gold-embroidered shawl and put it
+close to her plate. Her brother saw her, but thought she did it
+because she felt the room hot. She then placed her jewelry on the
+wooden platform. Her brother thought that she did it because she
+felt the jewelry heavy. She took a portion of rice and placed it on
+her necklace. She put a portion of vegetables on her pendant, and a
+sweet ball she placed on her jewelled star.
+
+Her brother at last asked her, "What are you doing?" She said,
+"I am giving to the guests whom you really invited." But he did
+not understand, and asked, "Why do you not begin to eat?" She said,
+"I have not been invited to this dinner. It was given in honour of
+my finery and not of me. I had my dinner the day when you gave the
+feast to the one thousand Brahmans."
+
+The brother felt thoroughly ashamed of himself. He threw himself at
+his sister's feet and begged for her forgiveness. So she forgave him
+and sat down to dinner. And the brother in turn went to her house and
+dined with her. And Shukra was pleased with both sister and brother,
+and they all lived happily ever afterwards. May I and my readers do
+the same.
+
+
+
+CHAPTER VI
+
+The Saturday Story
+
+Once upon a time there was a town-called Atpat. In it there lived a
+poor Brahman who had three daughters-in-law. He rose early even during
+the rainy season, and every day immediately after his morning meal he
+used to go to his field with his children and his daughters-in-law. One
+first Saturday in Shravan he got up as usual and said to the youngest
+of his daughters-in-law, "To-day is Saturday; you had better stay
+at home, and although there is very little in the house, you must
+try to get some sort of a dinner ready. Go upstairs and scrape
+together all the grain there is in the grain-jars and make bread
+with it. For vegetables you had better gather grass and make some
+chutney out of clover leaves." When the Brahman had left, his little
+daughter-in-law followed his orders as best she could. There was in the
+jar upstairs only grain for half an ordinary loaf. So she made tiny,
+tiny loaves and prepared some vegetables out of grass and made some
+clover chutney. Then she sat down to wait for the family's return
+from the field. As she did so, Saturn came disguised as a beggar all
+covered with sores, and cried, "O Lady! I am aching all over: give
+me hot water to bathe in and oil to rub myself with, and then give me
+something to eat." The little daughter-in-law felt very sorry for the
+poor beggar. She went inside and got him a few drops of oil and warmed
+some water for his bath, and then gave him one of the tiny loaves to
+eat. The beggar ate it, and then gave her his blessing, saying, "You
+will never want for anything." He then folded up the leaves from which
+he had eaten, stuck them into a corner of the eaves, and disappeared.
+
+Shortly afterwards the family came home and found a splendid dinner
+waiting for them. They said to themselves, "Where did this all come
+from? There was practically nothing in the house." Next Saturday
+another daughter-in-law stayed at home. Again Saturn in the guise
+of a beggar covered with sores came to the house. He asked as
+before for hot water, oil, and food. But his daughter-in-law said,
+"I have nothing to give you." The god pressed her, saying, "Give me a
+little of anything that you have." But the daughter-in-law repeated,
+"I have nothing." The god replied, "Very well, you will lose that
+little you have." With this threat he disappeared. But, when the
+daughter-in-law went upstairs to fetch grain for dinner, she could
+find nothing in any of the jars. Shortly afterwards the family came
+home, but there was no dinner for them. So they all got angry with
+the daughter-in-law, and, although she told them about the beggar,
+they scolded her harder than ever. A third Saturday came round, and
+a third daughter-in-law remained at home. Again Saturn came, and the
+third daughter-in-law behaved just as the second had done. She gave
+the god neither hot water, oil, nor food. And the god told her that
+she should lose the little she had. When the family came home there
+was no dinner for them, and they scolded the third daughter-in-law
+just as hard as they had scolded the second one.
+
+The fourth Saturday it was once more the
+turn of the youngest daughter-in-law. Again
+Saturn came in the guise of a beggar covered
+with sores and asked for hot water, oil, and
+food. The little daughter-in-law gave them
+as she had done before, and the god blessed
+her, saying, "God will make you rich and
+happy." Then he folded up the leaves from
+which he had eaten and stuck them into a
+corner of the eaves. When the little daughter-in-law
+went upstairs, she saw any amount of
+grain in the jars, and she prepared a splendid
+dinner. So when the family came home they
+were delighted. They could no longer restrain
+their curiosity, and exclaimed, "Where did all
+this food come from?" The little daughter-in-law
+told them about the beggar covered with
+sores and about his blessing. To test her
+story, they looked for the folded leaves which
+he had stuck into a corner of the roof. They
+found them, but when they pulled them out
+they were full of pearls and diamonds. Then
+the old Brahman guessed that the beggar was
+Saturn in disguise, and he also understood why,
+when the other two daughters-in-law gave him
+nothing and were cursed by him, there was
+nothing for dinner. So they all knelt down
+and prayed to Saturn, and the god forgave the
+two-daughters-in-law who had given him
+nothing. And he was more pleased than ever
+with the little daughter-in-law who had befriended
+him. And so they all lived happily
+ever afterwards. And may Saturn be pleased
+with us all as he was with the little daughter-in-law.
+
+
+
+CHAPTER VII
+
+Mahalaxmi and the Two Queens
+
+Once upon a time there was a town called Atpat. In it there lived
+a king who had two queens. Of one of them he was very fond, but
+the other one he did not care for. The name of the favoured one was
+Patmadhavrani, and the name of the unloved one was Chimadevrani. Now
+the king had an enemy called Nandanbaneshwar. Such a terrible enemy
+he was too! He could jump into the clouds or dive into the bottom of
+the ocean. At one moment he would shoot up into heaven. At another he
+would sink down into hell, and through fear of his enemy, the king had
+become as dry and as thin as an old bit of stick. One day the king, in
+despair, assembled all his subjects and ordered them to seek out and
+kill Nandanbaneshwar. All the subjects said, "Certainly, certainly,
+O King," and began to search everywhere for Nandanbaneshwar. Now in
+Atpat there lived a poor woman who had one son. On hearing the orders
+of the king, he said to her, "Mother, Mother, give me some bread,
+for I am going out to kill the king's enemy." The old woman said,
+"Do not be silly; you are only a poor boy, and people will laugh
+at you. Here, take this bit of bread and go and eat it behind a
+tree." The boy said, "Very well," and took the bread. But, after
+taking it, he joined the other villagers and went at their head to
+seek out and kill Nandanbaneshwar. But when evening fell they had
+not yet met Nandanbaneshwar, so all the villagers returned home. And
+when the king heard of their ill-success he was greatly grieved. But
+the old woman's son stayed in a wood outside the village. And lo
+and behold! just about midnight the serpent-maidens from Patala [7]
+and the wood-nymphs came close to where he was and began to worship
+Mahalaxmi. The boy was at first terribly frightened, but at last he
+plucked up courage enough to ask, "Ladies, ladies, what does one gain
+by worshipping Mahalaxmi?" "Whatever you lose you will find," said the
+serpent-maidens from Patala; "and whatever you want you will get." The
+boy resolved that he too would worship Mahalaxmi. And he joined the
+serpent-maidens from Patala and the wood-nymphs, and all night long
+they blew on earthen pots to do the goddess honour; and the woods
+echoed and re-echoed with the deep-booming noise which they made. [8]
+
+At dawn Mahalaxmi revealed herself, and all of them, the boy included,
+prostrated themselves before her and asked for her blessing. She first
+blessed the serpent--maidens from Patala and then the wood-nymphs. And
+then she blessed the poor old woman's son and said, "You will get half
+the kingdom of Atpat and half the king's treasure. He will build you a
+house as high as his own, and he will give you the name of 'Navalvat'
+or 'Wonderways.' For this very morning the king's mighty enemy will
+break his neck and be found lying dead in the king's courtyard,"
+With these words the goddess vanished and flew to Kolhapur, [9] and
+the old woman's son went home. Now at dawn Queen Patmadhavrani got up
+and went into the king's courtyard, and there she saw Nandanbaneshwar
+lying dead from a broken neck. She was overjoyed, and ran back
+into the palace to tell the king. The king inquired who had killed
+Nandanbaneshwar. Every one said that the old woman's son must have
+killed him, because he stayed behind when the others went home. The
+king sent for the old woman's son. He was very frightened, and when
+he reached the royal hall he called out, "I have made no false charge
+against any one. I have done no one any harm. Why, therefore, O King,
+have you sent for me?" "Do not be afraid," said the king. "My enemy
+Nandanbaneshwar is dead, and every one says that it is you who killed
+him. Tell me if this is true." "No, O King," said the boy, "he was
+killed by the arts of Mahalaxmi." "Where did you meet her?" asked the
+king. The boy said, "I stayed when the other villagers returned home,
+and during the night there came the serpent-maidens from Patala and the
+wood-nymphs. They taught me how to worship Mahalaxmi. In the morning
+she revealed herself and promised me that Nandanbaneshwar would be
+found lying dead, that you would give me half your kingdom and half
+your treasure, that you would build me a palace as high as your own,
+and that you would call me Navalvat or Wonderways." The king did as
+the goddess had foretold. He handed half his provinces and half his
+treasuries to Wonderways, and built him a palace of which the roof
+was exactly on the same level as that of his own palace.
+
+When Queen Patmadhavrani heard what had happened, she sent for
+Wonderways and asked him how to worship Mahalaxmi. And he told
+her all that he had seen the serpent-maidens of Patala do, and
+he also told her on the eighth day of the month of Ashwin [10] to
+tie on her wrist a thread with sixteen strands in it, and to wear
+it continually for the rest of the month. When the 8th of Ashwin
+came, Queen Patmadhavrani dutifully tied round her wrist a thread of
+sixteen strands, and resolved to wear it every day for the rest of the
+month. But a day or two later the king came to Queen Patmadhavrani's
+apartments and began to play saripat [11] with her. As they played
+he noticed the thread on her wrist and asked what it was. She told
+him how Wonderways had instructed her to tie it on. But the king got
+very angry and roared out, "I have in my palace garlands and twine,
+bracelets, and hobbling-ropes. So throw away that wretched piece of
+thread. I will not let you wear it." The queen did as she was bid, and,
+pulling off the thread bracelet, threw it on the floor. Next morning
+the maids and the slave-girls began to sweep the palace, and among
+the sweepings one of them noticed the queen's thread bracelet. She
+picked it up and showed it to Wonderways, and he grew very wroth with
+Queen Patmadhavrani. He took the thread and at once went with it to
+the palace of the unloved Queen Chimadevrani. He told her what had
+happened, and she begged him to give the thread to her and to tell
+her how to worship Mahalaxmi. But he said, "You will grow vain and
+get so conceited that you will not do what I tell you to do." But
+she promised that she would obey him in everything. So just as he had
+told the Queen Patmadhavrani, he told Queen Chimadevrani all the rites
+which he had seen the serpent-maidens from Patala and the wood-nymphs
+perform. Everything went on just the same for a whole year. But the
+next year on the 8th of Ashwin a very strange thing happened. The
+goddess Mahalaxmi disguised herself as an old beggar-woman and
+came to Atpat. First she went to the part of the palace where Queen
+Patmadhavrani lived. But no one there was paying the least honour
+to the goddess Mahalaxmi, although it was the 8th of Ashwin, and
+therefore specially sacred to her. Mahalaxmi was dreadfully put out
+at this, and when she saw Queen Patmadhavrani she said, "Lady, lady,
+Patmadhavrani, mother of sons, what have you in your house to-day?" The
+queen replied, "I have nothing in my house to-day." The old woman
+went on, "Lady, lady, Patmadhavrani, mother of sons, if you give
+this beggar-woman a little water, you will acquire merit sufficient
+for all your kingdom." But the queen replied, "Even if I were to
+give you a copper cauldron of water it would not suffice for all my
+kingdom." The old woman then said, "Lady, lady, Patmadhavrani, mother
+of sons, if you give this old beggar-woman a little rice and curds,
+you will gain enough merit for all your kingdom." The queen replied,
+"Even if I were to give you a big dinner of nothing but rice and curds,
+I should not gain enough merit for all my kingdom." Then the old woman
+got very angry and cursed the queen, saying, "You will become half a
+frog and half a human being, and you will stand outside your co-wife's
+bath-room and croak like a frog." But the queen did not mind her the
+least little bit, and she laughed so loud at the old woman that the
+noise was like two chains rattling together. Mahalaxmi went off in a
+great rage and entered Queen Chimadevrani's part of the palace. There
+she saw all the accessories of worship ready, and there was a beautiful
+image of Mahalaxmi leaning against the wall; The old woman cried,
+"Lady, lady, Chimadevrani, mother of sons, what have you in your house
+to-day?" "To-day," said the queen, "we are worshipping Mahalaxmi." Then
+the old beggar-woman said, "I am Mahalaxmi." But the queen doubted and
+asked her, "By what sign shall I know you?" The goddess replied, "In
+the morning I shall take the shape of a little girl. In the afternoon
+I shall take that of a young married woman. In the evening I shall
+become an old hag." After the goddess had taken all three shapes,
+Queen Chimadevrani called her into the palace and bathed and anointed
+her. She gave her a silk skirt and a platform to sit upon. Then she
+sent for Wonderways, and both of them worshipped the old beggar-woman
+and blew on earthen pots in her honour. The king heard the blowing
+on the pots and told a sepoy to find out why there was such a noise
+in Queen Chimadevrani's quarters. The sepoy went there, and when he
+saw what was happening joined also in the worship. After a little
+while he went back and told the king. The king said that he would
+go there too. He followed the sepoy, and Queen Chimadevrani came
+to the steps and met him and took him upstairs, where both played
+at saripat until dawn. And all the time Mahalaxmi sat by and watched
+them. At dawn Queen Chimadevrani asked Mahalaxmi for her blessing. She
+blessed the queen and said, "The king will take you back with him to
+the palace, and your co-wife will become half frog, half human being,
+and will have to croak outside your bath-room while you bathe." But
+Queen Chimadevrani begged the goddess not to place such a terrible
+curse on Patmadhavrani. The goddess relented a little, but said,
+"The king will drive her into the jungle for twelve years." At these
+words she vanished and flew to Kolhapur. When the sun rose the king
+placed Queen Chimadevrani in his chariot and drove her to his own
+part of the palace. He then sent a message to Queen Patmadhavrani
+asking her to join them. Shortly afterwards Queen Patmadhavrani
+appeared, dressed all in rags with a skirt round her legs and her
+hair all unfastened. On her head was a pot full of burning coal,
+and she began to shout and scream at the top of her voice. The king
+became very angry and roared out, "Who is this that is shouting
+and screaming? Is it a ghost or a she-devil or what?" The sepoys
+replied, "O King, it is neither a ghost nor a she-devil, it is your
+Queen Patmadhavrani." "Take her into the jungle," roared the king,
+"and kill her there." Then he went back into the palace and began
+to live in great happiness with Queen Chimadevrani. But the sepoys
+took Patmadhavrani into the jungle and told her that they had been
+ordered to kill her. She began to weep. The sepoys were kind-hearted
+men and they felt very sorry for her. They said, "Lady, lady, do not
+weep. We have eaten bread and drunk water at your hands so we cannot
+kill you. We will leave you here, but you must never come back into
+the kingdom again." The sepoys left her and returned to Atpat. But
+the poor queen wandered on until she came to a distant town, where
+she entered a coppersmith's lane. Therein a coppersmith was making
+bangles for a beautiful young princess who had just been crowned
+queen of the city. But suddenly none of the bangles would join. He
+began to search for the cause, and asked his workmen whether any
+stranger had come near his house. The workmen looked about and found
+Queen Patmadhavrani in hiding close by. They told the coppersmith,
+and he and his men beat her soundly and drove her away. She ran
+into the lane of some weavers who were weaving a sari for the new
+queen. Suddenly none of the looms would work. They began looking
+about to see if any stranger had come. After a little while they found
+the queen. So they beat her soundly and drove her away. Then she ran
+out of the town back into the jungle. There she wandered about until
+she came to the cave of a rishi or sage. The rishi was sitting lost
+in meditation. But she bided her time, and, when he went to bathe,
+she slipped into the cave and swept it and neaped it and tidied up
+all the utensils used by him for worship. Then she slipped out of
+the cave and ran back into the jungle. This went on every day for
+twelve years without the rishi showing that he was aware of what she
+was doing. But in his heart he was really pleased with her. And one
+day he called out in a loud voice, "Who is it who sweeps and neaps my
+cave? Whoever she is, let her step forward." The queen stepped into
+the presence of the rishi and threw herself at his feet and said, "If
+you promise not to punish me, I shall tell you." The rishi promised,
+and she told him her story. The rishi took out his magic books and,
+consulting them, learned that Mahalaxmi had cursed her. So he taught
+her how to worship Mahalaxmi, and all night long they blew on earthen
+pots and performed rites in her honour. At dawn she revealed herself
+and the queen asked her for her blessing. But the goddess was still
+very angry with the queen. Then the rishi joined her in begging the
+goddess's pardon, and at last she relented. She said to the queen,
+"Put under that tree a foot-bath full of water, sandal-wood ointment,
+plates full of fruit, a stick of camphor, fans made of odorous
+grasses; and handle them all so that they retain the fragrance of
+some scent which the king will remember you used. To-morrow the king
+will come. He will be thirsty. He will send his sepoys to look for
+water. They will see all your things ready. And when they go back and
+tell him, he will come himself." Next morning, as the goddess had
+foretold, the king came. He saw the cool shade of the tree. He was
+tired with hunting, so he sat down and rested. He washed his feet
+in the foot-bath. He ate up all the fruit, drank the cold water,
+and sucked the stick of camphor. When he had rested to his heart's
+content, he asked the sepoy, "How is it that in the water I drank,
+in the fruit I took, in the camphor I ate, I noticed a scent which
+Patmadhavrani always used?" The sepoys replied, "If the king promises
+to pardon us, we will tell him." The king promised. The sepoys then
+told him how they had not killed the queen, because they had eaten
+bread and had drunk water at her hands, but had let her go. The king
+told them to look and see if she was anywhere about. They searched
+and searched until they came to the rishi's cave. Then they ran back
+and told the king. The king rose, and going to the cave did homage to
+the rishi. The rishi accepted the homage and lectured him at great
+length. At last he ordered the king to prostrate himself before the
+queen. The king obeyed, and the rishi handed Patmadhavrani back to
+his care and blessed both her and her husband. The king put her in
+his chariot and took her to Atpat. Outside the town the king stopped
+his chariot and sent for Queen Chimadevrani Chimadevrani bathed
+and anointed herself, and put on all her silk clothes, her shawls,
+her embroideries, and her jewels. In front of her she placed all the
+horn-blowers of Atpat. And as she went to meet the king they blew their
+very loudest on their horns. The king was amazed when he heard the
+noise, and roared out, "Who is coming with such pomp and splendour? Is
+it the serpent-maidens of Patala or is it the wood-nymphs who live
+in the heart of the forest?" The sepoys said, "O King, it is neither
+the serpent-maidens of Patala nor is it the wood-nymphs who live in
+the heart of the forest. It is Queen Chimadevrani, who is coming to
+meet you as you ordered." The king turned to Patmadhavrani and said,
+"If you had come in this guise to meet me, instead of coming like a mad
+woman, you would never have suffered as you did." Queen Patmadhavrani
+said nothing, but sat still in the chariot, and the king lifted Queen
+Chimadevrani into the chariot, and all three entered the city. And as
+they entered, the horn-blowers blew so loud that every one was quite
+deafened. And the king lived from that time forth in perfect happiness
+with both his wives. And because of his happiness, he ruled so well
+that his subjects thought that King Ramchandra of Ayodhya had come
+back to rule over them.
+
+
+
+CHAPTER VIII
+
+The Island Palace
+
+Once upon a time there was a town called Atpat. In it there lived a
+Brahman. He had a disciple who used every day to go to the village pond
+and bathe and worship the god Shiva. On the way he had to walk through
+the sandy island in the dry bed of the river. And, as he went home
+across the island, he used to hear a voice cry, "Shall I come? Shall I
+come? Shall I come?"; but when he looked round he could see no one. The
+Brahman's disciple at last got so frightened that he withered up until
+he became as dry and as thin as a bone. At last the Brahman said,
+"You have no wish to eat or drink; yet you are so thin. What is the
+reason?" The boy replied, "I neither wish to eat, nor want to eat,
+nor crave to eat. But I am frightened out of my wits. For whenever
+I come back from my bath I hear a voice behind me call out, 'Shall I
+come? Shall I come? Shall I come?'; but when I look round there is no
+one there." The Brahman said, "Do not be afraid, and when you next hear
+the voice, do not look behind you, but call out as boldly as you can,
+'Come along, come along, come along.'" Next day the disciple went as
+usual to his bath in the village pond. He worshipped the god Shiva,
+and as he came home he heard the cry behind him, "Shall I come? Shall
+I come? Shall I come?" The boy was very frightened, but he did not
+look behind him. In a short time he mastered his fears, and then in
+a voice like a bull roaring he cried out, "Come along, come along,
+come along." At last he reached home, calling all the time and without
+once looking behind him.
+
+The Brahman looked up as the disciple came in, and he saw that just
+behind was walking a young girl. He at once married the girl to his
+disciple and gave them a house to live in close by his own. Now, on
+the first Monday in the month of Shravan, or August, the disciple
+got up and said to his wife, "I am going out to worship the god
+Shiva. But do not wait for me. Just eat your breakfast directly you
+feel hungry."  He went out, and in a little time his wife began
+to feel hungry. Nevertheless, she knew that, in spite of what
+her husband had said, she ought not to eat anything while he was
+worshipping Shiva. So she waited for a little time, but at last she
+got so terribly hungry that she could not wait any more. So she sat
+down and cooked her breakfast, and had just put one mouthful into
+her mouth when her husband came to the outer door. "Wife, wife," he
+called, "open the door!" Then the little wife got very frightened. She
+pushed the uneaten breakfast under the bed, got up, washed her hands,
+and opened the door. She then told her husband that she had waited
+for him, and she cooked a fresh breakfast, which both ate one after
+the other. Next Monday exactly the same thing happened. The little
+wife cooked her breakfast and was just beginning it when her husband
+came. She then hid her uneaten breakfast under her bed and pretended
+that she had waited for his return. And on the two following Mondays
+the naughty little wife deceived her husband in just the same way.
+
+Now on the last Sunday in Shravan, when husband and wife went to lie
+down, the former noticed a light shining under the bed. He looked to
+see what it was, and saw several platefuls of jewels. He asked his wife
+whence they had come. Now they were really the uneaten breakfasts,
+which the god Shiva had turned into gold and jewels. But the naughty
+little wife got very frightened and told her husband a bigger story
+than ever. "They are presents," she said, "from my mother and father
+and their family." "But where is your father's house?" asked the
+husband. "It is in the sandy island," said the little wife, "which
+lies in the dry bed of the river." "You must take me there," said her
+husband. Next morning they started off together. And the naughty little
+wife could hardly walk, she was so frightened. For she knew quite well
+that her father had no house in the sandy island. But on the way she
+prayed to Shiva, "Please, please, god Shiva, create a house for my
+father in the sandy island which lies in the dry bed of the river,
+even if it be only for half an hour."
+
+At last the husband and wife came to the sandy island. And there, lo
+and behold! they saw a great big palace, and a splendidly dressed young
+man came forward and greeted the disciple as his brother-in-law. And
+a handsome old knight came forward and greeted the disciple as his
+son-in-law. And a beautiful young woman greeted the naughty little
+wife as the sister of her husband. And a lovely little girl ran up and
+embraced her and called her "sister." And slave girls and maid-servants
+ran forward to offer her their service. A guard of soldiers kept
+watch by the palace, and at the door there were sentries, who made
+way for them as they passed. Inside the house the little wife and
+her husband were given platforms to sit upon, and a splendid feast
+was all ready prepared for them to eat. After they had feasted, they
+got up and said good-bye to the little wife's father and mother, and
+garlands of flowers were placed round their necks, and they started
+for their home. When they had gone half-way, the naughty little wife
+remembered that she had hung her garland on a peg and had forgotten
+to bring it with her. So she and her husband went back to the sandy
+island. But when they got there, there was no palace, there were no
+soldiers to guard it, there were no sentries at the door, there were
+no maid-servants nor slave girls. There was nothing there but just
+a sandy island in the middle of a dry river-bed. And on the sand lay
+the garland which the naughty little wife had forgotten. She took it
+up and put it round her neck.
+
+But her husband asked her, "What has happened to your father's
+house?" The naughty little wife replied, all in tears, "As it came,
+so it went. But if you promise to forgive me, I shall tell you." The
+husband promised. So she told him how every Monday she had felt so
+hungry and how she had cooked her breakfast, and then, on hearing her
+husband's voice, had pushed it under their bed. She also told him that
+the god Shiva had turned the food into gold and jewels. "Then when you
+asked me," she went on, "I felt so frightened that I said they were
+presents from my father and mother and the rest of my family. And
+when you made me take you to my father's house, I prayed the god
+Shiva to create, if only for half an hour, a house for my father on
+the sandy island in the dry river-bed. And he graciously granted my
+request." Then the husband forgave the naughty little wife. And she
+became quite good and never told him any more stories. And they both
+went home and lived happily ever afterwards.
+
+
+
+CHAPTER IX
+
+Nagoba, the Snake-King
+
+Once upon a time there was a town called Atpat. In it there lived
+a Brahman who had seven little daughters-in-law. In the fulness of
+time the month of Shravan came and with it Nagpanchmi Day [12]. In
+honour of the festival, one little daughter-in-law went to her
+grandpapa's house, another went to her great grandpapa's house,
+another went to her father's house, until at last only the youngest
+daughter-in-law remained behind. Her father and mother were dead,
+and she had no uncles and no aunts and no little brothers or
+sisters. So the poor little daughter-in-law felt very sad and
+sat down and cried in a corner. Then she remembered that it was
+Nagpanchmi Day, and that it was a festival in honour of Nagoba, the
+great snake-king. So she prayed under her breath, "Please, please,
+snake-king, come and pretend that you have been sent to fetch me
+to my father's house!" And the great snake-king heard the prayer
+and felt quite sorry for the poor little daughter-in-law who was
+crying in the corner. He assumed the guise of a Brahman and came to
+the house where the little daughter-in-law was, and said that he had
+been sent to fetch her to her father's house. Her father-in-law was
+very much astonished. For he wondered why, if the new-comer really
+was a relative of the little daughter-in-law, he had never paid him
+a visit before. At last he asked the little daughter-in-law who the
+new-comer was. She did not know in the least. But she was so overjoyed
+that some one should have come for her that she at once answered,
+"He is my mother's brother." Her father-in-law believed her and sent
+her off in the care of Nagoba, the snake-king. Still disguised as a
+Brahman, he took her to the entrance of his underground palace and
+there he told her who he was. He then reassumed his true appearance,
+and, expanding the mighty hood behind his head, he seated the little
+girl on it and took her down to his splendid dwelling-house beneath
+the earth. In the central hall he presented her to the snake-queen
+and to all the snake-princes, and told them that in no circumstances
+whatever were they to bite the little daughter-in-law.
+
+One day the snake-queen was about to be confined. So she asked
+the little daughter-in-law to sit by her side with the lamp in
+her hand. The little daughter-in-law did so, and a little time
+afterwards the snake-queen gave birth to a fresh litter of little
+snake-princes. When the little daughter-in-law saw them all wriggling
+about, she was frightened out of her wits. She let the lamp slip
+out of her hands. It fell on the ground and burnt all the little
+snakes' tails off. The snake-queen did her best to comfort them,
+but the stumps of the little princes' tails ached so dreadfully that
+it was ever so long before the snake-queen could put them off to
+sleep. When the snake-king came home that evening, she told him what
+had happened. And she was so cross with the little daughter-in-law,
+that the snake-king had to promise that she should go back to her
+father-in-law's house. A few days later, the snake-king assumed once
+again the guise of a Brahman, and, loading the little daughter-in-law
+with presents, took her back to her husband's home. In the course of
+time the little snake-princes grew up, but their tails never grew
+again. So their father, the snake-king, called one little prince,
+No-tail; and the second little prince, Cut-tail; and the third little
+prince, Dock-tail. And one day they asked the snake-queen how it was
+that their tails had been broken off. She told them how the little
+daughter-in-law had burnt them off by dropping the lamp on them.
+
+The snake-princes, when they heard their mother's answer, were
+terribly cross with the little daughter-in-law, and they vowed that
+they would be revenged on her. So they found out where she lived,
+and they sent a message to her house, saying that they were coming to
+pay her a visit. But they really meant to bite her to death directly
+they saw her. The little daughter-in-law was overjoyed when she heard
+that the snake-princes were coming to visit her. For ever since the
+snake-king had pretended to be her uncle, she always thought of little
+No-tail and little Cut-tail and little Dock-tail as if they had been
+her own cousins. Now it so happened that the very day on which they
+were expected at the little daughter-in-law's house was Nagpanchmi
+Day. The little daughter-in-law was sitting in the house all alone
+waiting for little Prince No-tail, little Prince Cut-tail, and little
+Prince Dock-tail. They were late in coming, so to pass the time she
+drew pictures of Nagoba, the snake-king, on her dining-platform and on
+the wall. When she had finished the pictures, she worshipped them and
+offered them milk and food. Then she prayed to the great snake-king,
+"Please please, King Nagoba, guard from all hurt, wherever they may
+be, my little cousins No-tail and Cut-tail and Dock-tail." And last
+of all she prostrated herself at full length before the pictures
+which she had drawn on the wall and on her dining-platform.
+
+In the meantime little Prince No-tail and little Prince Cut-tail and
+little Prince Dock-tail had come up without the little daughter-in-law
+noticing them. But when they saw the honour which she was paying
+their father, King Nagoba, and heard the prayer which she had offered
+on their behalf, they no longer wished to kill or bite the little
+daughter-in-law. On the contrary, they made themselves known to
+her and stayed all that day in the house and were as good and as
+nice as possible. When night fell, they drank the milk which she
+had offered to the snake-king. And in its place they put a necklace
+with nine beautiful jewels in it. Before day broke they went away
+quietly and returned to their father's palace under the ground. Next
+morning when the little daughter-in-law woke up she saw the lovely
+necklace lying where the milk had been. She gave a shout of delight,
+and putting it round her neck, she ran all over the house showing it
+to everybody. And every one was perfectly charmed with it. And the
+snake-princes never again came to bite any one in that household. And
+the little daughter-in-law and her husband and her father-in-law and
+little Prince No-tail and little Prince Cut-tail and little Prince
+Dock-tail, they all lived happily for ever so long afterwards.
+
+
+
+CHAPTER X
+
+Parwati and the Beggar-Man
+
+Once upon a time there was a town called Atpat. In It there lived
+a Brahman. He had seven daughters, and when they had reached a
+marriageable age he asked them who would arrange their marriages
+and bring them handsome husbands and make their fortunes. The six
+eldest daughters said, "Papa, Papa, you of course. You will arrange
+our marriages and bring us handsome husbands and make our fortunes
+for us." But the youngest daughter was a naughty little girl. She
+got into a temper all about nothing, and she stamped her foot, and
+she turned her back on her father and said, "I will arrange my own
+marriage, and I will get a handsome husband for myself, and I will
+make my fortune myself." The Brahman was very angry with her, and so
+how do you think he punished her? He first searched about and found
+six rich and handsome boys. Then he married them with great pomp and
+display to his six eldest daughters. But the youngest girl he gave in
+marriage to a miserable beggar-man. You never saw such a beggar-man
+as he was! There was not a spot on his skin that was not black with
+leprosy, and his feet and hands had rotted right off. If you had seen
+him you would have said, "If that beggar-man does not die to-day
+he will certainly die to-morrow. For he cannot possibly live any
+longer!" When the marriage was celebrated, the little girl's mother
+filled her lap with pulse and then handed her over to the beggar-man
+to see what sort of fortune would be hers. But in a few days the
+beggar-man died. His corpse was taken to the burning-ground, and
+his little widow followed it. But when his relatives wanted to burn
+the body, she forbade them and told them to go away. For she said,
+"My fortune is still to come, whatever it may be." They all got round
+her and tried to persuade her that there was no use in her staying by
+the corpse, but she would not mind what they said. At last they were
+quite tired out and went home, leaving her in the burning-ground. When
+they had gone she took her husband's corpse on to her lap. Then she
+prayed to the god Shiva and said:
+
+
+    "My parents disown me. O why was I born
+    Both as orphan and widow to live all forlorn?"
+
+
+As she prayed, she put the pulse which her mother had put into her
+lap grain by grain in the dead man's mouth. Then she sat there crying
+until midnight. Now it happened that on that very night Shiva and
+Parwati were in their chariot driving through the air over that very
+place. Parwati said suddenly to her husband, "I hear a woman crying,
+let us go and see what it is." The god Shiva drove his chariot down to
+earth. He and Parwati got out and saw the Brahman's youngest daughter
+crying. They asked her what the reason was, and she told them. Then
+Parwati pitied her and said, "Your aunt has acquired great merit by
+her piety and devotions. You go to her and get her to give you all
+her merit and so you will bring your husband back to life." The god
+Shiva and Parwati then mounted on their chariot and disappeared. Next
+morning the little widow left her husband's body, went to her aunt's
+house and begged her to give her all the merit which she had acquired,
+and told her the cause of the request. The aunt was very good and
+gave her all her own merit. The little widow then went back to the
+burning-ground and with its aid brought her husband back to life. But
+this time he was no longer a beggar-man black with leprosy and with
+feet and hands that had rotted away. He was a beautiful young man
+with well-shaped feet and a beautiful fair skin, and the little widow
+took her husband back to her father's house. "Papa, Papa," she said,
+"you turned me out, but the gods have brought me back, and good fortune
+came to me without your bringing it." The father was too frightened
+of Parwati to say anything, so he held his peace. And the little girl
+and her husband, the beggar-man, lived happily ever afterwards.
+
+
+
+CHAPTER XI
+
+Parwati and the Brahman
+
+Once upon a time there was a town called Atpat. In it there lived a
+poor Brahman. When the month of Bhadrapad came round, every household
+bought little images of Parwati, and the women began to walk about
+the streets and sound gongs. When the poor Brahman's children saw
+this they went home and said to their mother, "Mummy, Mummy, please
+buy us little images of Parwati like the other little boys and girls
+have." But their mother said, "What is the use of my buying images
+of Parwati? If I do we shall have to make offerings, and there is
+absolutely nothing in the house. You run to papa and tell him to go
+into the bazaar and buy grain. If he buys grain I'll buy you images of
+Parwati." The children got up and ran to their father and cried out,
+"Papa, Papa, Mama says that she will buy us images of Parwati if you
+will go into the bazaar and get food to offer to them." Their father
+at first searched all over the house but could find no grain. And
+then he looked in his purse but he could find no money with which to
+go to the bazaar and buy grain. But although he tried to explain this
+to his children, they would not listen to him. They screamed at him
+and shouted, "Papa, Papa, Mummy says that she will buy us images of
+Parwati if you will get food to offer to them." "Papa, Papa, why should
+we not have images of Parwati like the other little boys and girls." At
+last they bothered the poor Brahman so much that he felt worried to
+death. "I love," he said, "my children as if they were made of gold,
+but they will not mind what I say. They will not understand that it
+is nothing but poverty which prevents my buying food and offering it
+to Parwati. I might go out and beg, but when I do, no one ever gives
+me anything. Death is better than a life like this." With these words
+he got up and walked to the edge of the village pond and determined
+to drown himself. It was dark when he started, and half-way he met
+an old woman. She heard him coming and asked him who he was. He told
+her all his trouble, and said that he meant to jump into the pond to
+escape from his children. The woman comforted him and prevailed on him
+to turn home again. He took her home. His wife came to the door with
+a lamp and asked who she was. The husband did not like to say that he
+had only just met her on the road, so he said to his wife, "She is my
+grandmother." The wife thereupon welcomed her and invited her to come
+in and stay to supper. But her heart felt as heavy as lead, for she
+knew that there was nothing to eat inside the house. When the old woman
+had seated herself inside the house, the Brahman's wife got up and, in
+despair, went to look inside the grain-pots. She knew they were empty,
+but she thought that she would first look into them once again. But,
+lo and behold! when she looked this time she found the grain-pots
+brimming over with grain. She called her husband, and they were both
+perfectly delighted. And the wife prepared bowls full of rice-gruel,
+and every one, children and all, ate the rice-gruel till the skins
+on their stomachs felt quite tight. And they went to bed as happy as
+possible. Next morning the old woman called to the Brahman, "My son,
+my son, get me water for my bath and cook me a nice hot dinner, and
+please be quick about it, and do not start making objections." The
+Brahman got up and called his wife, and they got water for the old
+woman's bath, and then the Brahman went out to beg. When he had gone
+out before, no one had ever given him anything. But to-day every one
+ran out and gave him food and molasses and copper coins. Then he went
+back home in splendid spirits. His wife prepared a glorious dinner, and
+the children ate so much that the skin on their stomachs felt as tight
+as a kettle-drum. After breakfast the old woman said to the Brahman,
+"To-morrow I want a milk-pudding for dinner." "But, Grandmamma," said
+the Brahman, "where shall I get the milk from?" The old woman said,
+"Don't worry about that. Just get up and hammer down as many pegs as
+you can in your courtyard. Then this evening, when the cattle come
+home, call to the village cows and buffaloes by name, and they will
+come to you, and if you milk them you will get enough milk for my
+pudding to-morrow." The Brahman did as the old woman ordered him,
+and that evening he called to the cows and buffaloes by name to come
+to his courtyard. And from every direction the cows and buffaloes came
+running up. And behind them galloped all the little calves with their
+heels in the air and their tails stuck out straight behind them. At
+last the Brahman's courtyard was filled so full that no more cows or
+buffaloes could enter. And he milked them all, and next day his wife
+cooked a milk-pudding such as one would not see again if one lived a
+thousand years. And the children ate until they were so tired of eating
+that they just rolled over and went fast asleep. But that evening the
+old woman said, "My son, my son, I want you to take me home." "But,
+Grandmamma, Grandmamma," said the Brahman, "how can I take you home,
+for I have had all this good luck only because of you. Directly you go
+away my good luck will vanish." "Do not be afraid," said the old woman,
+"for I am Parwati. If I bless you your good luck will never
+vanish. Therefore you must come with me and see me home." But the
+Brahman said, "I do not want my good luck only to continue. I want
+it to increase." The old woman said, "If you come with me I shall
+give you some sand. When you go back home, scatter it all over the
+house and over your jars and your pots, and put it inside your boxes
+and your cupboards, and scatter it all over your courtyard too, and
+you will find that your good luck will never be any less than it is
+now." The Brahman was satisfied with this. He worshipped the old woman
+and went with her towards the tank until she suddenly disappeared. He
+returned home and scattered sand all over his house and over his
+jars and his pots and inside his boxes and his cupboards, and from
+that day on, his good luck never left him. And his wealth increased,
+and his children increased. And they all lived happily ever afterwards.
+
+
+
+CHAPTER XII
+
+Soma, the Washerwoman
+
+Once upon a time there was a town called Atpat. In it there lived a
+poor Brahman who had seven sons and seven daughters-in-law. He had also
+one daughter called Gunvanti and a wife called Dhanvanti. Whenever
+a mendicant Brahman came to this house, it was the custom of all
+the ladies to give him alms and then prostrate themselves in front
+of him. One day a Brahman came, tall as a tree and shining like the
+sun. The seven daughters-in-law ran out as usual and gave him alms
+and then threw themselves at full length at his feet. The Brahman
+blessed them and said, "Increase of children be yours; increase of
+wealth be yours; may your husbands cherish you all your lives." But
+the Brahman's daughter Gunvanti was a lazy little girl, and when the
+mendicant came she was still in bed. Her mother, Dhanvanti, rushed
+into her room and cried, "Daughter, daughter, get up and give the
+Brahman alms," The little girl jumped up in a fright and ran out and
+put alms before him and prostrated herself at his feet. The mendicant
+blessed her and said, "Observe the precepts of religion."
+
+The little girl ran back to her mother. "Mother, Mother," she cried,
+"Bhatji [13] did not give me the same blessing as he gave to my
+sisters-in-law," Her mother said, "Go back again and give him some
+more alms and see what he does," The little girl ran back, put
+some more alms before the mendicant, and again prostrating herself
+asked for his blessing. Once more he said, "Observe the precepts
+of religion," Then Dhanvanti asked him why he gave her daughter
+such a strange blessing. The mendicant replied, "Because widowhood
+will come upon her immediately after her marriage," Dhanvanti threw
+herself before the Brahman and grasped his feet and cried, weeping,
+"Tell me how I may escape this evil; what shall I do to save my one
+little girl from becoming a widow?" The Brahman pitied her and said,
+"Lady, lady, do not weep; I shall give you a remedy by which to cure
+this evil. Across the seven seas there is an island. In it there lives
+a washerwoman called Soma. If you can fetch her to your daughter's
+wedding, she will escape the evil that threatens her. When the wedding
+is over, you must send Soma back with all honour to her house." With
+these words the mendicant took up his wallet and went to collect alms
+elsewhere. When her husband returned home Dhanvanti told him what had
+happened. "Some one," she added, "must go across the seven seas, to
+fetch Soma, the washerwoman." The father and mother called up their
+sons and said, "Those of you who honour your parents will take your
+sister and cross the seven seas to bring Soma here." But all the
+sons turned to their mother and said, "All you care about is your
+daughter. You do not love us the least little bit. So we shall not
+cross the seven seas and bring Soma here just on her account." The
+mother began to cry, and the father got very cross. He turned to his
+wife and said, "From henceforth you have no sons. To me our seven sons
+are as if they had never been born. But do not get frightened about
+our little girl I myself shall cross the seven seas and fetch Soma, the
+washerwoman." Then the youngest of the seven sons said to his father,
+"Daddy, Daddy, you must not say that you have no sons when here we are,
+all seven of us. I shall take my sister Gunvanti with me, and we shall
+go and fetch Soma, the washerwoman." A few days later the two children
+prostrated themselves before their parents and began their voyage.
+
+In course of time they came to the seashore. But the wind was
+blowing, the waves were rolling in, and the foam was splashing over
+the rocks. The brother and sister could not imagine how they were to
+continue their journey. There was no one near to give them food, there
+was no one near to give them drink, and they could think of nothing
+better than to lie down and die. But they first resolved to pray to
+the god Shiva, "Please, please, God Shiva," prayed the two children,
+"get us out of this terrible trouble." After praying they went and
+sat under a banian tree, and all day long they had nothing to eat or
+drink. Now on the very top of the banian tree was an eagle's nest,
+and in it there were several little eagles. When evening came, father
+eagle and mother eagle came home and began to feed their young. But
+the little eagles would not eat anything at all. Mother eagle said,
+"Children, children, what is the matter?" "O Mummy, Mummy," cried
+the little eagles, "two strangers have come to our house, and they
+are sitting under our tree, and they have had nothing to eat all
+day!" Father eagle and mother eagle flew to the ground and began to
+ask the boy what his trouble was. "Do not be frightened," said father
+eagle; "whatever your business, I'll help you to get it done. Do not
+go to bed without supper. I'll bring you some fruit. Eat some of it
+yourself and give the rest to your little sister."
+
+The boy told father eagle what had happened, and how it was that they
+had to cross the seven seas. Father eagle said, "I shall carry you
+both across directly you wake up to-morrow, and I shall put you down
+at Soma the washerwoman's door." Then the two children felt very happy
+and thanked the god Shiva. And after eating father eagle's fruit,
+they lay down under the tree and fell fast asleep in no time. Next
+morning father eagle and mother eagle came down the tree, and father
+eagle took the boy on his back, and mother eagle took the girl on
+her back, and off they flew across the seven seas. The wind blew,
+and the waves rolled mountains high, and the foam splashed over the
+rocks. But father eagle and mother eagle flew straight on until they
+came to the door of Soma, the washerwoman. There they left the boy and
+girl and went back to the tree where the little eagles were waiting
+for them. The boy and girl were too frightened to walk into Soma's
+house, so they hid all that day, and next morning they got up at dawn
+and they swept the courtyard and neaped the floor with cow-dung. And
+then, before any one could see them, they ran away and hid. And this
+they did every day for a whole year.
+
+At last Soma one day called all her children and all her little
+daughters-in-law and said, "Who among you gets up so early? Who sweeps
+my courtyard? Who clears my floor?" All the children and all the
+little daughters-in-law said, "It is not I," "It is not I," "It is not
+I." Then Soma became very curious to know who it was. So the following
+night she did not go to bed. She sat up, but nothing happened until
+just after dawn. Then she saw the little Brahman girl sweeping the
+courtyard and her brother cleaning the floor. Soma got up and said,
+"Children, who are you?" They replied, "We are Brahmans." "But I am
+only a washerwoman," said Soma; "I am a low-caste woman, why do you
+sweep my courtyard and neap my floor? It will be reckoned unto me
+as a sin If I accept the service of Brahmans." The boy said, "This
+is my sister, and a Brahman has told us that unless you come to her
+wedding she will be widowed shortly after marriage. Our father and
+mother told us to go and bring you back with us. So, in order to make
+you pleased with us, we have been working as your servants." "Do not
+work for me any more," said Soma, "I shall gladly go to your wedding,"
+She then called to her daughters-in-law and said, "I am going to this
+child's wedding. But if any one of our relations dies when I am away,
+do not burn his body until I come back." She went with the two Brahman
+children to the seashore. The wind was blowing, and the great waves
+were rolling in, and the foam was splashing over the rocks. But Soma
+took the boy under one arm and the girl under the other. She jumped
+far up into the sky and right over the seven seas, and when she got
+to the opposite shore she put the children down again. They led her to
+their father's house. Their mother Dhanvanti welcomed the washerwoman
+and fell at her feet to thank her for her coming. The youngest brother
+then went to Ujjain, and after making inquiries brought back a boy of
+suitable caste and age to be a husband for his sister. On an auspicious
+day the wedding was celebrated. But as the bridegroom and bride were
+throwing rice [14] over each other, the bridegroom fainted. He fell
+on the ground and lay there motionless. The little bride did not know
+what to do, she was so frightened. And all the grown-up people were
+almost as frightened as she was. But Soma, the washerwoman, stepped
+forward and said, "It is nothing, do not be afraid." She took some
+water in her hand and sprinkled it over herself. Now the secret of
+Soma's power was this:--
+
+She had acquired great merit by observing every Monday the following
+practices: She would get up early, bathe, dress in silence, make
+various gifts to Brahmans, and then walk one hundred and eight times
+round a peepul tree. But now by sprinkling water over herself she had
+transferred the whole of her merit to Gunvanti. By this means the
+little bride had been able to restore her husband to life, and the
+wedding ceremony finished amidst the happiness of all. Soma then took
+leave to go, and started on her homeward journey. When she reached the
+seashore, the wind was blowing, and the great waves came rolling in,
+and the spray was splashing over the rocks. But now that she had given
+away all her merit to Gunvanti, she had none left by means of which she
+could jump across the seven seas. She sat down forlorn by the bank of
+a river. Then she got up, bathed in the water, and prayed to the god
+Vishnu. Next she took one hundred and eight sand-grains in her hand,
+and then walked one hundred and eight times round a peepul tree by
+the river's edge. Instantly her powers returned to her, and going back
+to the shore, she sprang into the heavens and over the seven seas and
+alighted close to her own door. There all her little daughters-in-law
+ran out to meet her and cried, "O Mother-in-law, Mother-in-law, we
+have been watching for you. For while you were away your sons, your
+husband, and all your sons-in-law died. But just as you told us to do,
+we did not burn their corpses, but kept them in the house. And now
+they have all suddenly come back to life." Soma questioned the little
+daughters-in-law and learnt that her sons and husband and sons-in-law
+had all died at the very moment when she gave her merit to Gunvanti,
+and that they had come back to life precisely when she finished her
+one-hundred-and-eighth turn round the peepul tree. And they were all so
+glad to have Soma back with them again, and for ever such a long time
+afterwards she and her family lived happily together. And the Brahman
+in his joy at his son-in-law's recovery forgave his disobedient sons,
+and they too all lived happily together ever afterwards.
+
+
+
+CHAPTER XIII
+
+Vasishta and the Four Queens
+
+Once upon a time there was a town called Atpat. In it there ruled
+a king who had four wives. They were always quarrelling over the
+housework; so, in order to get some peace at home, the king himself
+divided the work between them. To the first queen he gave all the
+dairy work, to the second queen he gave all the cooking, to the
+third he gave the nursery, and he ordered the fourth to look after
+the royal wardrobe. At first all went well. But in a little while
+the first queen said to the third queen, "Why should you have charge
+of the nursery? Why should you not work in the dairy?" The second
+queen said to the fourth queen, "Why should I have to do all the
+cooking?" The third queen asked, "Why should I have always to look
+after the children?" And the fourth queen stamped her foot and said, "I
+won't look after the king's clothes." And all day long they quarrelled
+and screamed at each other, and the poor king was more uncomfortable
+than ever. His face grew sad and careworn, and, from the time he got
+up to the time he went to bed, he could think of nothing but the way
+that his four queens were squabbling with each other.
+
+One day the rishi, or sage, Vasishta [15] paid the king a visit. The
+king prostrated himself before the great sage and gave him a throne
+to sit upon. Vasishta looked at the king's face and saw how sad and
+careworn it was. He asked the cause, and the king told him. Then
+the rishi rose, and the king went with him to the palace of the
+four queens. When they reached it, they called to the queens to come
+out. The rishi then asked them why they quarrelled. The first queen
+cried out, "Why should I have to do the dairy work?" And the second
+queen cried out, "Why should I be only a cook-woman?" And the third
+cried out, "Why should I have all the children to look after?" And the
+fourth cried out, "Why should I have all the bother of sorting out all
+the king's clothes?" The king said, "You must do these things because
+I ordered you to." But the queens did not mind a word that he said,
+and they all screamed together so loud that the king and the rishi
+had to put their fingers in their ears to save themselves from being
+deafened. For a while the rishi became absorbed in thought, and then
+he turned to the first queen and said, "You have been placed in charge
+of the dairy, have you not?" The first queen assented. "Then listen
+to me," said Vasishta. "In a former life you were a cow, and near the
+spot in the jungle where you used to graze was an altar to Shiva. And
+every day at noon you used to come and stand near it and let milk
+drop upon it. And, because in this way you honoured the god Shiva, you
+have in this life become one of the queens of the king of Atpat. But
+you did not in your former life attain to full merit.  So the god
+Shiva directed the king to place you in charge of his dairy, and the
+king conveyed the god's directions to you. You should therefore obey
+them, and you should honour the king as if he were Shiva himself. In
+this way you will attain to full merit and ascend to Shiva's heaven,
+Kailas." Vasishta then blessed the first queen. She prostrated herself
+before him, and, giving up all thought of quarrelling, went away and
+busied herself with her dairy work.
+
+Then Vasishta turned to the second queen and asked, "What are
+you quarrelling about?" She replied, "Why should I be just a
+cook-woman?" The rishi thought for a while and said, "Lady, in a
+former life you were the wife of a poor Brahman, and you used to beg
+your food from door to door. But every Monday you used to fast, and
+whatever grain you begged that day you used to cook and offer to the
+god Shiva. And he was pleased with your devotion. Therefore in this
+life he made you one of the queens of Atpat. And because you cooked
+for the god Shiva, he directed the king to put you in charge of his
+kitchen. Therefore, obey the god's directions and give a great feast
+to all in Atpat. In this way you will gain the favour of Shiva, and he
+will take you with him to Kailas." Then he blessed the second queen,
+and she prostrated herself and went off quite cheerfully to cook the
+king's dinner.
+
+The sage next turned to the third queen and asked, "What are you
+quarrelling about?" The queen answered, "Why should I do nothing but
+fiddle about the nursery?" Vasishta thought for a while and said,
+"In a former life, O Queen, you were a maid of a jungle tribe. Every
+Monday you used to fast yourself and offer the choicest fruits that
+you picked to the god Shiva. In return for them he has made you a
+queen, and he has entrusted the king's children to you. Therefore
+look after them and be kind to them, and in the end he will take you
+to live with him in Kailas." The rishi then blessed the third queen,
+and she prostrated herself before him. Then she ran off, her face
+all smiles, to play with the king's children.
+
+Vasishta last of all turned to the fourth queen and said, "What are
+you quarrelling about?" She answered, "Why should I do nothing but
+look after the king's clothes?" The rishi said, "In a former life,
+O Queen, you were a kite that flew high up in the heavens. Beneath
+where you used to fly was an altar to Shiva, and every day at noon
+you would spread your wings over it and shade it from the sun's
+heat. So the god was pleased with you and in this life made you one
+of the queens of Atpat. As you spread your wings over Shiva's altar,
+so now a canopy hangs over your bed. And just as you served Shiva,
+now do service to the king, your husband. And you will thereby gain
+full merit and in the end reach Kailas." Then the rishi blessed her,
+and she went off quite gaily to attend to the king's clothes.
+
+And the four queens never quarrelled any more, but lived happily ever
+afterwards with the king. And all little girls who hear this story
+should try to be as good as the queens were after Vasishta had cured
+them of their squabbling.
+
+
+
+CHAPTER XIV
+
+The Lamps and the King's Daughter-in-Law
+
+Once upon a time there was a town called Atpat. In it there lived a
+king who had one little daughter-in-law. Now she was a very greedy
+little girl, and one day when some sweetmeats were got ready for all
+the family she went quietly and ate them all up herself. Then she
+got very frightened, for she knew that, if the king knew what she
+had done, he would order her to be well slapped. So, when the family
+began asking where the sweetmeats were she said that the mice had
+eaten them. And then every one began abusing the mice, saying what
+horrid little wretches they were, and what a good thing it would be
+if the cat caught and ate them up. But, when the mice heard all this,
+they were very angry with the little daughter-in-law for bringing a
+false charge against them, and they all met together and vowed that
+they would be revenged on her. Some days later the king invited a
+guest to his house, and the same night the mice went into the little
+daughter-in-law's room and dragged out one of her bodices and put
+it across the guest's bed. Next morning the bodice was discovered
+in the stranger's bed, and the little daughter-in-law was utterly
+disgraced. Her father-in-law and all her brothers-in-law scolded her
+dreadfully, and at last the king drove her out of the house. Now it
+so happened that it had till then always been the work of the little
+daughter-in-law to look after the lamps in the king's palace. Every
+morning she used to rub them well and trim the wicks. She used to light
+them herself and neap the burners with sugar-candy, and on Divali [16]
+Day she used to worship them and make them suitable offerings. But,
+directly the little daughter-in-law was driven away, none of the
+lamps were any longer cared for. On the next Divali Day the king was
+returning from a hunt, and he camped under a tree. Suddenly he saw all
+the lamps in his town of Atpat come and settle on its branches. One
+lamp after another told what was happening in its house--when there had
+been a dinner party, what there had been to eat, who had been invited,
+how they themselves had been cared for, and what honours they had
+received on Divali Day. After all the other lamps had told their story,
+the big lamp from the king's palace began, "Brother lamps, I do not
+know how to tell you. For none among you is so wretched as I am. In
+former years I was the most fortunate of all the lamps in Atpat. No
+other lamp had such honours paid it as I had, and this year I have
+to drag out my days In unspeakable misery." All the other lamps tried
+to comfort it, and asked it how it was that ill-fortune had overtaken
+it. "O brother lamps, how can I tell you?" repeated the big lamp. "I
+am the chief among the lamps that shine In the palace of the King of
+Atpat. One day the king's little daughter-in-law ate some sweetmeats
+and to save herself blamed the mice. To revenge themselves, they in
+turn brought a false charge against her by putting her bodice on the
+bed of one of the king's guests. So she was disgraced and driven out
+of the house. And after she left ill-fortune came upon me. For every
+year it was she who worshipped me and paid me honour; and wherever she
+is I wish her well, and I give her my blessing." The king listened
+attentively to the talk between the lamps, and thus he learnt that
+his daughter-in-law was innocent. He went home and asked whether
+there was any other evidence against her besides her bodice. And
+when he learnt that there was none, and that no one had seen anything
+happen between her and the king's guest, he sent a messenger for her
+and had her brought home. And he begged her pardon for the past, and
+gave her full authority over all his household; and the king lived
+and ruled ever afterwards as wisely and as well as King Ramchandra
+of Ayodhya. And if any one brings a false charge against any of us,
+may the lamps save us as they did the king's little daughter-in-law.
+
+
+
+CHAPTER XV
+
+Parwati and the Priest
+
+Once upon a time there was a town called Atpat. In it there was a
+temple to the god Shiva. One day when Shiva and his wife Parwati
+were walking about they happened to come to this temple. They sat
+down there and began to play saripat. [17] After some time Parwati
+seeing a priest close by asked him who had won, she or Shiva. "Shiva,"
+the priest replied. Parwati became very angry and cursed him, so that
+he became a leper, and the pains which overtook him were absolutely
+unendurable. One day a band of Apsaras [18] came down from heaven to
+the temple. They saw that the priest who lived in it was a leper,
+and they asked him the reason. He told them how Parwati had cursed
+him. They replied, "Do not be afraid; do as we tell you and you will
+get rid of your leprosy. Fast all next Monday, bathe that evening,
+worship the god Shiva, and then get half a pound of flour and mix
+it with treacle and ghee and eat it for dinner. But whatever you do,
+eat no salt all day. Do this for sixteen Mondays in succession, and
+on the seventeenth Monday get five pounds of flour, mix with it ghee
+and treacle, and offer it to Shiva inside this temple. Then divide it
+into three parts; leave one for the god, distribute a second among
+the Brahmans or give it to your cows, and take the third home to
+be eaten by you and your family." The Apsaras disappeared, and the
+priest followed their instructions and became quite well. Some time
+afterwards Shiva and Parwati came again to the temple. Parwati saw
+the priest cured of his leprosy and asked him how he had got rid of
+it. He told her exactly what he had done. She was very much surprised,
+and thought that if she did the same she might win back her son
+Kartakswami, [19] who had quarrelled with her and had run off in a
+rage. On the seventeenth Monday Kartakswami suddenly appeared, and
+both of them were reconciled. Later on, Kartakswami asked Parwati how
+she had brought him back, and Parwati told him. Now Kartakswami had a
+Brahman friend who had gone into a far-off country, and Kartakswami
+met him by accident shortly afterwards. He told the Brahman how the
+priest had cured himself of leprosy, and how he and Parwati had become
+reconciled. So the Brahman also practised the same rites for seventeen
+Mondays. He then set out for a distant country. As he travelled he
+came to a town. Now it happened that in that town arrangements were
+being made for the marriage of the king's daughter. Several princes
+had come from far-off countries to compete for her hand, and the king
+had erected a splendid pavilion for the royal betrothal. But he would
+not himself choose a prince to be his daughter's husband. He ordered
+that a garland should be placed on a she-elephant's trunk, and that
+the prince round whose neck the she-elephant threw the garland should
+be chosen to marry the king's daughter. But the she-elephant passed
+by all the princes in turn, until she came to where the Brahman
+stood. For he had come with the crowds of people to see the royal
+betrothal. Then the she-elephant stopped and put the garland round
+the Brahman's neck. The king ordered the Brahman to step forward, and
+he married him to his daughter. Some years later when the princess
+grew up, and she and the Brahman began to live together, she asked
+her husband by what merit he had succeeded in winning her for his
+wife, and he told her. And she in turn practised the same rites for
+seventeen Mondays. Nine months later a beautiful baby boy was born to
+her; and when he in turn grew up she told him the rites which she had
+practised to obtain him. And he in turn began to perform them. On the
+sixteenth Monday he set out for a journey. As he travelled in a distant
+country he came to a town over which ruled a king who had no son and
+only one daughter. The king had for a long time past been searching
+for a beautiful and virtuous young man, resolved when he found him to
+hand over to him his kingdom and marry him to his daughter. As the
+Brahman's son entered the town the king saw him and noticed on him
+all the marks of royal origin. So he summoned him to his house and
+married him to his daughter and seated him on his own throne. Now
+the next Monday was the seventeenth Monday since the Brahman's son
+had begun the rites which the Apsaras had told to the priest. That
+morning he got up and went to the temple and sent a message home to
+his wife that she should send him five sers of flour mixed with ghee
+and treacle. But the queen was too proud to do this. For she feared
+that the people in the street would laugh at her if she sent her
+husband five sers of flour mixed with ghee and treacle. So instead
+she sent him five hundred rupees in a plate. But because the flour
+and ghee and treacle were not sent, the king was unable to complete
+his ceremonial, and it was all spoilt. And the god Shiva instead of
+being pleased became very angry indeed. And he told the king that,
+if he kept the queen as his wife, he would lose his kingdom and die
+a beggar. Next day the king sent for his chief minister and told him
+what had happened. At first the minister said, "The kingdom belongs
+to the queen's father. If you drive her out your subjects will hate
+you." But the king replied, "Yes, but not to obey the god's command
+is a worse thing still." At last the minister agreed with the king,
+and the order went forth that the queen should be driven out of the
+city. So the queen was driven out and became quite poor and wandered
+along the road. At last she came to a distant town and lodged there
+with an old woman, who gave her food and drink. One day the old woman
+sent the queen out to sell fruit puddings. As she went into the bazaar
+a great wind came and carried off the fruit puddings. When she returned
+to the old woman's house, the queen told her what had happened, and
+the old woman drove her out of the house. Then she went and lodged
+with an oilman, who had great jars full of oil. But one day she went
+and looked inside the jars, and all the oil disappeared. So the oilman
+drove her off out of the house. The queen left the town and walked
+along until she came to a river with abundant water in it. But directly
+her eyes fell on the water, it all flowed away and left the water-bed
+quite dry. She then journeyed on until she came to a beautiful lake,
+but when her glance rested on the lake, it became full of worms, and
+the water began to stink. And, when the cowherds came as usual to
+water their cattle, the cattle would not drink the stinking water,
+and they had to go home thirsty. By chance a Gosavi, or holy man,
+came that way and saw the queen, and she told him her story. The
+holy man took her to his house and treated her as his own daughter,
+and she did her best to serve him faithfully. But, at whatever thing
+she looked, it would either disappear or become full of worms and
+maggots. At last the holy man searched for the cause of this by means
+of his inner knowledge. And thus he learnt that she had incurred the
+sin of spoiling the worship of Shiva, which the Apsaras had first
+taught the priest. Unless that sin were atoned for, her evil glance
+would never be purified. So the holy man prayed to the god Shiva,
+and the god was pleased with him; and when the holy man interceded
+with him on the queen's behalf, the god said that he would forgive her
+if she began and completed properly the rites which she had spoiled
+when her husband was performing them. The queen did so, and the god's
+anger vanished. Suddenly there rose in the heart of her husband, the
+king, a wish to see his queen, and he sent out messengers on every
+side to look for her. At last one of the messengers saw the queen in
+the holy man's hermitage and went back and told the king. The king
+was overjoyed, and, taking his chief minister with him, he journeyed
+to the hermitage. He threw himself at the holy man's feet and then
+loaded him with presents. And the holy man was pleased and said,
+"O King, I have treated your wife exactly as if she had been my own
+daughter. She has lived here just as if she had been in her father's
+house. Now take her with you back again and once more go through the
+marriage ceremony with her." The king consented, and both he and the
+queen prostrated themselves before the holy man, and then they both
+returned to Atpat. And they celebrated their home-coming with the
+greatest splendour. And the rest of the king's reign was as happy as
+possible. And we shall be just as happy if we honour Shiva like the
+King of Atpat did.
+
+
+
+CHAPTER XVI
+
+The Rishi and the Brahman
+
+Once upon a time there was a town called Atpat. In it there lived a
+Brahman. For many years he lived happily and cultivated his fields of
+rice and grain. But one day his wife gave up the observances imposed
+on her, and, as a result, the whole house was stained by her conduct,
+and pollution hung like a black cloud over it. Her husband should
+have driven her out, but he had not the heart to do so. So he, too,
+incurred the blame of his wife's sin. In course of time they died,
+and, as a punishment for their wickedness, the husband became in his
+next life a bullock, and the wife became a dog. But the gods so far
+relented as to find them a home in the house of their only son.
+
+Now the son was a very pious man, who never failed in his religious
+rites. He worshipped the gods, gave memorial honours to his dead
+father, and welcomed to his house every Brahman who passed by. One
+year, on the anniversary of his father's death, he told his wife
+to prepare a milk-pudding in honour of the dead, and announced that
+he would invite Brahmans to partake of it. The wife was as pious as
+her husband and never failed to obey his commands. So she made a big
+milk-pudding, and she boiled vegetables and stewed fruits. But just as
+she had finished and was about to invite her husband and his Brahman
+guests to begin their feast, the dog saw that a snake had entered the
+grain-jar, which had not been properly shut, and that it had left its
+poisonous trail all over the grain from which the milk-pudding had been
+prepared. The dog at once realised that, if the Brahmans who had been
+invited to the memorial feast ate the poisoned grain, they would die,
+and that the sin of Brahman murder would be incurred by the host,
+her son. So she suddenly rushed up and put her foot right into the
+middle of the milk-pudding. The son's wife was very angry. She threw
+a red-hot coal at the dog with such skill that it dropped on to the
+middle of her back and burnt a big hole in it. Then the son's wife
+cooked a fresh milk-pudding and fed the Brahmans. But she was so
+cross with the dog that she would not give her the smallest possible
+scrap. So the poor dog remained hungry all day. When night fell she
+went to the bullock who had been her husband and began to howl as
+loudly as she could. The bullock asked her what the matter was. She
+told him how she had seen that a snake had poisoned the grain, and
+how, to prevent the Brahmans dying and her son incurring the sin of
+their death, she had put her paw into the middle of the milk-pudding;
+how her daughter-in-law had been angry and had burnt a hole in her
+back with a live coal, and how her back hurt so that she did not know
+what to do. The bullock answered, "You are suffering for the pollution
+with which you darkened our house in a former life, and, because I
+let you remain in the house and touched you, I too am suffering, and
+I have become a bullock. Only to-day my son fastened me to his plough,
+tied up my mouth, and beat me, I too have, like you, had nothing to eat
+all day. Thus all my son's memorial services are useless." Now the son
+happened to be passing by the stable and heard this conversation. He
+at once fetched the bullock some grass and the dog some food, and he
+brought them both water to drink; and then he went to bed very sad at
+heart. Next morning he got up early and went into a dark forest until
+at last he came to the hermitage of a rishi. He prostrated himself
+before the rishi, who asked him why he was so sad. The Brahman's son
+said, "I am sad because my father has been born again as a bullock
+and my mother as a dog. Pray tell me how I can get their release," The
+rishi said, "There is only one way to help them. You must worship the
+seven sages who have their home in the Great Bear." [20] And he told
+the Brahman's son the ceremonies which he should observe, and how he
+should worship the seven sages continually every month of Bhadrapad, or
+September, for seven years. The Brahman's son obeyed the rishi, and at
+the end of the seven years a fiery chariot came down from heaven. The
+bullock suddenly became a handsome man, and the dog became a handsome
+woman. They both seated themselves in the chariot and were carried off
+to live with the sages who have their home for ever in the Great Bear.
+
+
+
+CHAPTER XVII
+
+The King and the Water-Goddesses
+
+Once upon a time there was a town called Atpat. Over it there ruled
+a king. One day he founded a new village, and close by he built a
+village tank. But no matter how hard he tried he could not get it
+filled with water. So he prayed to the water-goddesses to help him,
+and the water-goddesses were pleased and said, "O King, O King,
+sacrifice to us the eldest son of your daughter-in-law, and the
+tank will fill with water." The king heard it and went home very
+troubled. He was ready to sacrifice his grandson; for though he loved
+the boy, yet he knew that the life of one was less than the welfare of
+many. But he knew that his daughter-in-law would never agree. At last
+he thought of a trick. He went up to her and said, "Daughter-in-law,
+it is a long time since you went to see your parents. You had better
+go and pay them a visit and leave your eldest boy behind. I shall look
+after him here." The daughter-in-law consented and went to visit her
+parents, leaving her son behind. The king waited for a favourable
+day and then bathed and anointed his grandson. He gave a feast in
+his honour and covered his body with costly jewelry. He then took
+him into the middle of the pond and made him lie down on a bed and
+told him not to stir. The water-goddesses were pleased, and a great
+mass of water suddenly rushed into the tank, and it was filled right
+up to the brink. After a time the daughter-in-law came back from her
+father's house and brought her brother with her. They asked where her
+son was, but they could get no information. Whenever they asked the
+king, he did nothing but say how the water had come into the tank,
+and what a beautiful tank it was, and how happy it would make all
+the villagers. At last the daughter-in-law guessed what had happened,
+and when the seventh day of the bright half of the month of Shravan,
+or August, came round, she and her brother went to the edge of the
+tank and began to worship the water-goddesses. She took a cucumber
+leaf, and on it she placed some curds and rice. Next she mixed
+with them some butter and a farthing's worth of betel-nut. Then she
+told her brother to pray, "O Goddess, Mother of All, if any one of
+our family is drowned in the tank please give him back to us." He
+did so and then threw the offering into the lake. Then they both
+turned to go home. But as she was turning homewards, she felt some
+one pull her by the legs. She looked down and saw that it was her
+missing son. When she saw him she dragged him with all her might to
+the bank, and then she and her brother walked home with him. When
+the king heard that she was coming, together with her missing son,
+he wondered greatly, and going to her he fell at her feet and said,
+"O my daughter, I offered your son to the water-goddesses; how has
+he come back again?" She said, "I worshipped the water-goddesses
+and made offerings to them. Then my son came out of the water, and
+I lifted him up and drew him to the shore." The king was overjoyed
+and showed the greatest favour to his daughter-in-law. And she and
+her little son lived happily ever afterwards.
+
+
+
+CHAPTER XVIII
+
+The Lid of the Sacred Casket
+
+Once upon a time there was a town called Atpat. In it there lived a
+Brahman who had two twin sons. While they were still quite young,
+the twins' parents died, and their relatives stole from them all
+their property and then turned them out of the house. The twins
+wandered along until they came to a town. It was then noon, and
+the boys were weary with walking and were tortured with hunger and
+thirst. As they entered the town, a Brahman came out of his door
+to throw food to the crows. He saw the two boys and called them in,
+fed them, and then made them tell him their story. When he heard it
+he resolved to provide for them, and he lodged them in his house and
+taught them to recite the Vedas. On Lalita Panchmi Day the Brahman
+began to perform certain ceremonies. His pupils asked him why he did
+so. The sage replied that by doing so one could attain to wealth,
+knowledge, and to the wish of one's heart. The boys begged him to
+instruct them, and they quickly learnt how to worship the goddess
+Parwati. Not long afterwards the Brahman provided them with wives,
+and they returned to their own city, acquired wealth, and were very
+happy. A year or two later the twins separated. But the elder was a
+wise boy and never forgot to worship the goddess Parwati on Lalita
+Panchmi Day. So he retained the riches which he had gained. But the
+younger was foolish and forgot all about it, so the goddess began to
+dislike him, and he lost all his money. And at last he became so poor
+that he and his wife had to give up their house and go and live on
+the charity of his elder brother. One day the elder brother's wife
+spoke so crossly and said such nasty things to the younger twin,
+that he felt that he could not stay in the house any longer. And he
+remembered then that of recent years he had entirely forgotten to
+worship Parwati. He felt very penitent, and he decided that somehow or
+other he would win back the goddess's favour. Taking his wife with him,
+he left his brother's house and journeyed to a distant country. At
+last he came near a town, and, meeting a cowherd, the younger twin
+asked him what its name was. The cowherd said, "The town is called
+Upang." "Who is the king?" asked the younger twin. The cowherd replied,
+"He also is called Upang." The wanderer then asked whether there was
+any place where he and his wife could lodge. The cowherd told him
+that in the town there was a temple of Parwati, and close to it
+was a rest-house where the wanderer and his wife could lodge. The
+cowherd directed them to the rest-house. And before lying down the
+younger twin worshipped Parwati in the temple and begged her pardon
+for his previous neglect. Parwati felt sorry for him, and that night
+she appeared to him in a dream. She told him to go to King Upang's
+palace and to beg from him the lid of the sacred casket in which
+the accessories of worship were kept. He should, thereafter, always
+pray to it, and in the end he would come by his heart's desire. The
+younger twin woke up, and the same morning he went to King Upang's
+palace and begged from him the lid of the sacred casket in which were
+kept the accessories of worship. The king at first refused, but when
+the younger twin told the king of his dream the king consented. The
+Brahman took the lid home, worshipped it, and, just as the goddess
+had foretold, he came by his heart's desire. Property and happiness
+returned, and a year later his wife bore him a daughter. As the years
+passed the little girl grew up. One day she took the lid of the sacred
+casket and went with some playmates to play and bathe by the bank of
+a river. Suddenly the corpse of a Brahman came floating by. Seeing
+it, the little girl took the lid of the casket and for fun began to
+splash water on it. Such was the power of the sacred lid, that the
+corpse instantly became alive again and became a Brahman, tall as a
+tree and beautiful as the sun. The little girl fell in love with him
+on the spot and told him that he must become her husband. "But," said
+the Brahman, "how shall I manage it?" The little girl said, "Come home
+with me at dinner-time, take as usual water [21] in your hand, but do
+not sip it. Then my daddy will ask you, 'Bhatji, Bhatji, why do you
+not sip the water in your hand?' You must reply, 'I am ready to dine
+if you marry me to your daughter. If you will not, I shall get up and
+go away.' Then he will consent to our marriage." The Brahman agreed,
+and he went home with the little girl, and everything happened as she
+had planned. To prevent the Brahman from getting up without any food,
+the little girl's father agreed to their marriage. When a favourable
+day came they were married, and when she was old enough the little
+girl went to her husband's house. As she went she carried off the
+lid of the sacred casket of King Upang. But, because it had gone,
+her father lost all his wealth and fell once more into the greatest
+poverty. His wife went to her daughter's house and asked for it
+back, but she refused to give it up. The wife was very angry and
+every day began to hate her son-in-law more and more. But for him,
+as she thought, the little girl would never have married and would
+not have stolen the lid of the sacred casket. One day the wife met
+her son-in-law on the road, and she gave him such a fearful slap in
+the face that he instantly fell on the ground and became a corpse
+again. His mother-in-law then-snatched from him the lid of the casket,
+which he happened to have in his hand, and ran away home. There he
+lay until the little girl, his wife, began to search for him. When
+she found him she prayed to the goddess, and by her aid and by means
+of the merit which she had acquired by worshipping the lid of the
+casket while she had it, she restored her husband to life. But the
+twin and his wife went on becoming poorer and poorer. And at last
+they went back to his brother's house and asked him why it was that
+the younger twin was always losing his wealth as fast as he gained
+it. The elder brother listened to the whole story and then he said,
+"I do not wonder at it. First you lost the lid of the casket, then,
+in order to get it back, your wife killed a Brahman. Your only chance
+now is to worship Parwati harder than ever, and perhaps in the end
+you may recover your good estate." So the younger brother went home
+and worshipped Parwati with greater vigour than ever. And at last
+she relented and gave him her blessing. He recovered his wealth and
+came by all that his heart desired. And he and his wife lived happily
+ever afterwards.
+
+
+
+CHAPTER XIX
+
+The Brahman Wife and Her Seven Sons
+
+Once upon a time there was a town called Atpat. In it there lived a
+poor Brahman who used always to perform Shradh or memorial ceremonies
+to his father on the last day of the month of Shravan. When performing
+these ceremonies he always invited other Brahmans to dine. But it so
+happened that on every last day of the month of Shravan, [22] from the
+day of his father's death onwards, his daughter-in-law gave birth to a
+little boy. And just as the Brahmans had begun to enjoy their dinner,
+the child would die. So all the Shradh ceremonies had to cease,
+and the poor Brahmans had to be sent away feeling most dreadfully
+hungry. This happened regularly for six years. But, when the seventh
+little boy was born only to die just as his guests were beginning
+to enjoy their dinner, the poor Brahman lost all patience. He took
+the newly-born child and placed it in his daughter-in-law's lap and
+then drove her out of the house and into the jungle. The poor woman
+walked along until she came to a great, dark forest. In it she met the
+wife of a hobgoblin, [23] who asked, "Lady, Lady, whose wife are you,
+and why do you come here? Run away as quickly as you can. For, if my
+husband the hobgoblin sees you, he will tear you to pieces and gobble
+you up." The poor woman said she was the daughter-in-law of a Brahman,
+and explained how every year she had given birth to a son on the last
+day of Shravan, how it had died in the middle of the Shradh feast,
+and how at last her father-in-law had put the child in her lap and
+had driven her from home and into the forest. The hobgoblin's wife
+repeated, "If you value your life at all, go away." The Brahman
+woman began to cry, until at last the hobgoblin's wife had pity on
+her and said, "Do not be afraid; walk a little way until you come to
+an altar to the god Shiva, Close by is a bel [24] tree; climb into it
+and hide among the branches. To-night the serpent-maidens from Patala
+and the wood-nymphs, together with a train of seven demon Asuras,
+[25] will come and worship at the altar. After making their offerings
+to the god, they will call out, 'Is there any uninvited guest present
+to whom we can make a gift?' You must then call out in reply, 'Yes,
+I am here.' They will see you and question you, and you must tell them
+all your story." The poor Brahman woman agreed. She walked on until
+she came to the god Shiva's altar. She climbed into the branches of
+the bel tree. She remained there until midnight came. Suddenly the
+serpent-maidens from Patala and the wood-nymphs, accompanied by a
+train of seven demon Asuras, came and worshipped at the altar. After
+making offerings to the god they called out, "Is there any uninvited
+guest present to whom we can make a gift?" The Brahman woman at once
+climbed down the bel tree and called out in answer, "Yes, I am here,"
+The serpent-maidens from Patala and the wood-nymphs, greatly surprised,
+asked her who she was, and she told them all her story. Then the
+serpent-maidens of Patala and the wood-nymphs ordered their train
+of demon Asuras to go and search for the seven sons of the Brahman
+woman. The seven demon Asuras spurred their horses and rode off in all
+directions. In a little time the giant captain of the demon guards
+rode up carrying in his arms the body of a little boy of six. Then
+another rode up carrying the body of a little boy of five. And four
+others rode up carrying a little boy of four, a little boy of three,
+a little boy of two, and a little boy only one year old. Last of
+all the seventh demon Asura rode up with a newly-born baby boy. The
+demons placed the bodies in front of the serpent-maidens from Patala
+and of the wood-nymphs. And first of all the little boy of six came to
+life and got up and ran to his mother. Next the little boy of five,
+and then the little boy of four, and then the little boy of three
+came to life and ran to their mother. Then the little boy of two
+came to life and got up, but he could only walk to his mother. Next
+the little one-year-old boy came to life, but he could not get up,
+so he lay on his back and kicked up his legs. And last of all the
+newly-born baby came to life, but he could not even kick up his
+legs. And they were all delighted to see their mother, and she was
+overjoyed to have all her sons again. But the serpent-maidens from
+Patala and the wood-nymphs warned her that she must pray to the
+sixty-four Yoginis, the attendants who wait on Durga, the Goddess
+of Death, or else her children would be snatched from her again. And
+they told her to pray her hardest, for her prayer had to travel down
+to the depths of Hell. So the Brahman woman prayed her hardest to
+the sixty-four Yoginis, and then she prostrated herself before the
+serpent-maidens from Patala, and the wood-nymphs, and their train of
+demon Asuras. And then she took the little one-year-old boy on her hip,
+and the newly-born baby boy in her arms, and she walked with her other
+five sons to the village. When the villagers saw her coming they ran
+and said to the Brahman, "Bhatji, Bhatji, your daughter-in-law is
+coming back home." And the Brahman became very angry and vowed that
+he would drive her away again. So he watched for her coming. But
+first of all he saw walking towards his house a little boy of six,
+and then a little boy of five, and then a little boy of four, and
+then two other little boys of three and two. Last of all he saw his
+daughter-in-law with a one-year-old boy on her hip and a newly-born
+baby in her arms. He rose and fetched a cauldron of water and two
+handfuls of rice from his house. And he waved his hands filled with
+rice round the heads of his daughter-in-law and of all her children,
+and last of all he washed their feet. In this way he welcomed back to
+his house his grandchildren and their mother. And he made her tell
+him all her story; and she, and her children, and the Brahman spent
+the rest of their lives in great peace and perfect happiness.
+
+
+
+CHAPTER XX
+
+The Golden Temple
+
+Once upon a time there was a town called Atpat. In it there reigned a
+king who had four daughters-in-law. He loved three of them very dearly,
+but the fourth, who was an ugly little girl, he did not like at all. To
+the three daughters-in-law he gave nice food and fine clothes. But
+to the ugly little daughter-in-law he gave nothing but scraps from
+his table and thick, coarse clothes to wear. He would not even let her
+sleep inside the house, but made her sleep in the stable and look after
+the cows. The poor ugly daughter-in-law grew so unhappy that, when the
+first Monday in Shravan [26] came, she ran out of the palace, and out
+of the town, and then away as fast as her fat little legs would carry
+her. At last she went and hid herself in the woods. Now it so happened
+that that very day a band of serpent-maidens [27] had come up from
+Patala. After wandering through the forest and bathing in the running
+streams, they had joined a bevy of wood-nymphs and were coming in her
+direction. At first she was too terrified to say a single word. But at
+last she asked, "Ladies, ladies, where are you going?" "To the temple
+of Shiva," they replied, "to worship the god. For by doing that, one
+wins the love of one's husband, one obtains children, and one comes by
+the wish of one's heart." When the ugly daughter-in-law heard that by
+doing what the serpent-maidens and the wood-nymphs were about to do
+she could win love for herself, she at once thought that in this way
+she, too, might win the love of her father-in-law. So she told the
+serpent-maidens of Patala and the wood-nymphs that she would go with
+them. They went deeper and deeper into the forest until at last they
+came to a temple of the god Shiva. There the serpent-maidens and the
+wood-nymphs offered to the god rice, betel-nut, incense, flowers, and
+the leaves of the bel tree. The ugly little daughter-in-law did just
+as they did. And when she had finished she cried out, "O God Shiva,
+please, please vouchsafe my prayer also, and make my father-in-law
+and my mother-in-law, my brothers-in-law and my sisters-in-law like
+me as much as they now dislike me." That evening she went home and
+fasted, and all the scraps which they threw to her from the king's
+table she gave to her favourite cow. And then she sat by herself and
+prayed to the god Shiva. The following Monday she once more ran out of
+the palace and out of the town and into the woods as fast as her fat
+little legs would carry her. There she met again the serpent-maidens
+of Patala and the bevy of wood-nymphs and went with them to the
+temple of Shiva in the distant heart of the forest. The first time the
+serpent-maidens and the wood-nymphs had given her the incense and the
+flowers, the rice and the betel-nut, and the leaves of the bel tree,
+with which to perform her worship. But they had told her that the
+next time she must bring them herself. So when she ran away on the
+second Monday in Shravan she brought with her incense and flowers,
+rice and betel-nut and bel-tree leaves, and after offering them and
+some sesamums to the god she once more prayed, "O God Shiva, please,
+please grant my prayer and make my father-in-law and my mother-in-law,
+my brothers-in-law and my sisters-in-law like me as much as they now
+dislike me." Then she went home and fasted, and giving all her dinner
+to her favourite cow she sat by herself and prayed to Shiva. That
+evening the king asked her who the god was whom she was honouring,
+and where he lived. The ugly little daughter-in-law replied, "Afar
+off my god lives, and the roads to him are hard, and the paths to him
+are full of thorns. Where snakes abound and where tigers lie in wait,
+there is his temple." The third Monday in Shravan, the ugly little
+daughter-in-law again started from the palace with her flowers and
+incense, her betel-nut and bel leaves, her rice and sesamum, in order
+to meet the serpent-maidens of Patala and the bevy of wood-nymphs, and
+with them to worship the god in the hidden depths of the forest. This
+time the king and her other male relatives followed her and said
+to her, "Ugly little daughter-in-law, take us with you and show us
+your god." But the temple of Shiva was ever so far from the king's
+palace. The ugly daughter-in-law did not mind, for she was used to
+cruel treatment. She had also walked to the temple twice before, and
+her feet had got as hard as two little stones. But the king and his
+relatives were tired to death; and their feet swelled up to the size
+of an elephant's, and they became as full of thorns as the back of a
+porcupine. And they muttered to each other, "How on earth does that
+ugly little daughter-in-law manage to walk as she does through the
+heart of the forest?" The ugly daughter-in-law at last felt sorry for
+them. She prayed to the god Shiva to build a temple near at hand. The
+god consented, and, with the help of the serpent-maidens of Patala
+and of the wood-nymphs, he created suddenly a beautiful temple all of
+pure, yellow gold. Its pillars were studded with jewels, and the jars
+in it were all of crystal. In the middle there rose from the ground
+an altar to the god Shiva. And last of all the god revealed himself
+to the king and his companions in all his glory and splendour. For
+a moment only they saw him; and then he vanished. The king and his
+companions stared, too astonished to move or speak. But the ugly
+little daughter-in-law prostrated herself and offered to the god
+flowers and incense. Then she cried out, "O God Shiva, please, please
+vouchsafe my prayer and make my father-in-law and my mother-in-law,
+my brothers-in-law and my sisters-in-law like me as much as they now
+dislike me." When the king heard her prayer his heart softened to her,
+and he spoke kindly to her and gave her jewelry and trinkets. In a
+little while he took off his turban and, placing it on a peg, walked
+out to look at a lovely lake which, unnoticed by any one before,
+now stretched out close by the temple. And behind him strolled out
+his companions. But when they had gone out of sight, the beautiful
+golden temple by the lake vanished for ever. After looking at the
+lake the king came back to fetch his turban which he had left in
+the temple. But he could not find the beautiful temple all of pure,
+yellow gold, with its jewel-studded pillars and its crystal jars. The
+king asked the little daughter-in-law the cause. She said nothing,
+but straightway walked deeper into the forest. And the king and his
+companions, although weary to death, followed her. At last they came to
+the temple where she had worshipped, together with the serpent-maidens
+from Patala and the bevy of wood-nymphs. It was a tiny temple,
+and inside it there was a rough altar. At the foot of the altar lay
+the flowers which the ugly daughter-in-law had offered to the god,
+and close by on a peg hung the turban left by the king. Again the
+king asked his daughter-in-law the meaning of what had happened. She
+replied, "This temple that you see is my own poor little temple. But,
+because of my prayers, the god Shiva showed himself to you in the
+beautiful temple, all of pure, yellow gold, with its jewel-studded
+pillars and its crystal jars." When the king heard her reply, he grew
+more pleased than ever with the daughter-in-law whom formerly he had
+so disliked. And because the god had revealed himself at her prayer,
+the king, to do her honour, sent for his royal palanquin and had her
+carried home in state. And the ugly little daughter-in-law became out
+of the four the king's favourite. And he was so much nicer to her than
+he was to his other three daughters-in-law that they became as jealous
+as cats. But the king and the ugly little daughter-in-law did not mind
+them the least little bit. And they both lived happily ever afterwards.
+
+
+
+NOTES
+
+[1] For an account of the birth of Kartakswami see The Tale of the
+Tulsi Plants p. 93.
+
+[2] In India days of the week have the same mysterious connexion
+with the astral bodies that they have in Europe. Aditwar or Raviwar
+is sun's day (Sunday); Somwar is moon's day (Monday); Mangalwar is
+Mars' day (mardi); Budhwar is Mercury's day (mercredi); Brihaspatiwar
+is the day of Diespiter or Jupiter (jeudi); Shukrawar is Venus' day
+(vendredi); Shaniwar is Saturn's day (Saturday).
+
+[3] His bad actions in a former life.
+
+[4] All these stories take place in Atpat town. This literally means
+"City Splendid." But in the tales it is simply a fabulous city.
+
+[5] Although Tuesday is really the day of Mars, Mangal, this tale
+by a popular error connects the day with Mangalgauri or Parwati,
+Shiva's wife.
+
+[6] Budh is Mercury; Brahaspati is Jupiter.
+
+[7] For serpent-maidens of Patala see note to Story XX.
+
+[8] Mahalaxmi is always worshipped in this way. And it is a common
+practice for anyone who wants anything to blow on a pot and then wish
+for it.
+
+[9] Kolhapur is the chief seat of the worship of Mahalaxmi.
+
+[10] Ashwin corresponds approximately with October.
+
+[11] A kind of draughts.
+
+[12] Nagpanchmi Day falls on Shravan Sud 5, i.e. the 5th day of the
+bright half of Shravan.
+
+[13] Bhatji is the name by which a mendicant Brahman is addressed.
+
+[14] This is called the akshataropan.
+
+[15] Vasishta was the family priest of King Dasaratha, father of
+Ramchandra. After death he became one of the stars in the constellation
+of the Great Bear.
+
+[16] Divali is the feast of lamps in the month of Kartih.
+
+[17] Saripat is a kind of draughts.
+
+[18] Apsaras are attendants on the gods.
+
+[19] Kartakswami was really Parwati's step-son (see Preface).
+
+[20] The Indians do not associate the Great Bear constellation with a
+bear, but they believe it to be the habitation of seven rishis. The
+seven rishis vary in different works. In the Mahabharat the names
+given are Marichi, Atri, Angiras, Pulaha, Kratu, Pulatya, and Vasishta.
+
+[21] Aposhani. This is the water which a Brahman sips from his hand
+before and after his meal.
+
+[22] Shravan corresponds roughly with August. The death of the child
+nullified all the virtue of the Shradh feast, which had at once to
+be stopped.
+
+[23] Zhoting is really the unquiet ghost of a Musulman, but hobgoblin
+is probably a sufficiently close translation.
+
+[24] A tree sacred to Shiva.
+
+[25] The Asuras, who are now reckoned petty demons, had once upon
+a time a much higher position. They are the same as Ahura-Magda,
+the Jupiter of the Iranians. The latter, curiously enough,
+degraded the Devas or Hindu Gods to the subordinate place of
+demons. (Cf. Rawlinson's Bactria, page 21.)
+
+[26] Shravan = August.
+
+[27] Nag-kanya. These are the maidens of the race of the Nagas, who
+are said to have sprung from Kadru, wife of Kasyapa. One of them,
+Ulupi, married the hero Arjuna. They live in Patala, the lowest of
+the seven underground regions.
+
+
+THE END
+
+
+
+
+
+End of Project Gutenberg's Deccan Nursery Tales, by Charles Augustus Kincaid
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