Page:Anandamath, The Abbey of Bliss - Chatterjee.djvu/67

Rh out of it. Let us then go back home again." Mahendra too desired it. He wished to leave her at home in charge of some worthy guardian and himself take the glorious and heavenly vow of service to motherland. He, therefore, easily agreed. Having shaken off their fatigue by that time, they took up their daughter and started for Padachinha. But what path they were to take in going to that place they could not make out in the depth of that impenetrable wood. They thought they would find a way only if they could get out of the wood, but out of the wood they could not find the way to go. They groped about for a very long time and after going round and round came to the abbey again ; — the way out they could not find. Before them stood a monk smiling, dressed in the Vaishnava's garb, who was not known to them. Mahendra was offended. " Why do, smile, Gossain ? " he asked. " How " he retorted, " could you get into the wood ? " " Anyhow we have come in ! What's that to you ? " "Why can't you then go out," the monk asked and began to smile again. " You are making :a fun of it," said Mahendra in anger ; " but could you go out yourself? " " Come with me," said the Vaishnava, " I'll show you the way out. You must have come in with one of our monks. No one else knows the way to the place or out of it." At this Mahendra enquired, "Are you a Child ?" " Yes, I am," he answered, " Come with me, I am here only to show you the way."