Page:Cradle Tales of Hinduism .djvu/61

Rh air, saying, "If I be indeed Sati, then do thou, Siva, receive my garland!" And lo! there He was in the midst of them, wearing it round His neck!

Her father, Duksha, was choking with rage, but what could he do? The choice of a princess was final. So the wedding ceremonies had to be completed. When that was done, however, he called her to him. "Undutiful child!" he cried, "you have yourself chosen this beggar for your husband. Now go and live with Him, a beggar's wife, but never come back to me or look upon my face again!"

So Siva took her away to Kailash, and she was happier there than, in all the dreams and prayers of her girlhood, she had ever imagined. One day, however, the sage Narada, clothed in his pink robes and looking big with important news, came to call. He went up to Siva, sitting on a tiger-skin, deep in meditation, and sat down near Him to have a chat. "H'm!" he said, as soon as he thought he had Mahadeva's attention, "your father-in-law, Duksha, is arranging for a fine festival. There's to be a fire-sacrifice with full state-ceremonies, and all his family are invited."

"That's good!" said Siva, rather absently.

"But he hasn't asked you!" said Narada, eyeing him curiously.

"No," said Siva; "isn't that fine?"

"What!" said Narada, beginning to look