Page:The Enchanted Parrot.djvu/27

From Wikisource
Jump to navigation Jump to search
This page has been proofread, but needs to be validated.
THE ENCHANTED PARROT
23


The consequence of this was, that in spite of her charms, no one could be found bold enough to marry her. Somasama therefore travelled about to try and find a husband for his daughter, and in the course of his wanderings reached Janasthâna — a Brâhman town. There he came across a Brâhman named Govinda, as stupid as he was poor, and he prevailed on him to take his daughter off his hands. So Govinda married the dangerous damsel, infatuated by her good looks, and that in spite of the advice of all his friends, who did their best to persuade him to have nothing to do with her. The union did not turn out a success, for the bride was active and lively, while Govinda was a dull, heavy sort of person; so she never ceased to lament the fact that she was quite thrown away on him. As the saying is: "A lord full of all the virtues is no good for a woman of life and energy: such energy as the virtuous and the ascetic possess is worthless; or only a source of evil."

One day she said to Govinda: " It is a long time since I left my parents; I wish you would take me to see them." Govinda willingly assented, and cleaned up his cart, preparatory to starting with his wife.

On the road they fell in with a young Brâhman