Page:Deccan Nursery Tales.djvu/114

Rh have no sons. To me our seven sons are as if they had never been born. But do not get frightened about our little girl. I myself shall cross the seven seas and fetch Soma, the washerwoman." Then the youngest of the seven sons said to his father, "Daddy, Daddy, you must not say that you have no sons when here we are, all seven of us. I shall take my sister Gunvanti with me, and we shall go and fetch Soma, the washerwoman." A few days later the two children prostrated themselves before their parents and began their voyage.

In course of time they came to the seashore. But the wind was blowing, the waves were rolling in, and the foam was splashing over the rocks. The brother and sister could not imagine how they were to continue their journey. There was no one near to give them food, there was no one near to give them drink, and they could think of nothing better than to lie down and die. But they first resolved to pray to the god Shiva. "Please, please, God Shiva," prayed the two children, "get us out of this terrible trouble." After praying they went and sat under a banian tree, 82