Page:Biographical Sketches of Dekkan Poets.djvu/121

Rh blind-folded in order to view the dung of the cow as the first object, thinking as many hindus do that to look on the ordure of a cow the first thing in the morning, was a very meritorious act——the guru consequenly used to grope his way every morning to the stall above named, with his eyes shut and laying hold of the cow's tail used to wait till she evacuated, when he opened his eyes to behold the dung—One morning Ramlinga played the following waggish trick, he got up early and removing the cow from the stall, stood in its place, stark, naked.—The guru as customary presently came and instead of the cow's tail laid his hand on the naked Ramlinga, when the guru opened his eyes he was transported with fury, and running to the king, laid his complaint against Ramlinga.—The king being wroth, ordered that the poet should be forthwith beheaded, and the executioners carried him to a plain and buried him in the earth as far as the neck, leaving only his head above ground, agreeably to the sentence passed on him; they left him in this condition, intending to return in the course of an