Page:Folk-lore of the Telugus.djvu/104

From Wikisource
Jump to navigation Jump to search
This page has been proofread, but needs to be validated.

96

a temple of the goddess Kali, to whom the townsfolk were in the habit of performing jatras year after year. Once, while the woman of the town were bathing in the temple tank, Dhavala, a washerman of another town, while going to Sobhavatipura on business, passed through the temple and saw the women bathing. He fell in love with one of them, and hid himself in a certain quarter, and not being able to bear the finely-pointed darts of Cupid, followed her to a little distance from her home, promising, meanwhile, to offer the goddess Kali his head a few days after the accomplishment of his cherished object. He was terribly love-sick, and did not go to Sobhavatipura at all, but went home and became more and more emaciated day by day. His parents, who learnt the whole affair, enquired of their son of the whereabouts of the girl, went and negotiated with the girl's parents and effected a marriage between the two. A few days after this the girl's parents sent her to her mother-in-law Some time afterwards, they sent their son to inform the boy's parents and bring his brother-