nd 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 an