Page:God and His Book.djvu/114

104 "Behold what beautiful things!" cried Adima, "and what good fruit such trees must produce; let us go and taste them; and, if that country is better than this, we will dwell there." Heva, trembling, besought Adima to do nothing that might irritate the Lord against them. "Are we not well here? Have we not pure water and delicious fruits? Wherefore seek other things?" "True," replied Adima;" but we will come back. What harm can it be to have visited this unknown country that presents itself to our view?" And, approaching the rocks, Heva, trembling, followed. Then, placing his wife upon his shoulders, he proceeded to cross the space that separated him from the object of his desires. But no sooner did they touch the shore than trees, flowers, fruit, birds—all that they had seen from the opposite side—vanished in an instant, amid terrific clamour; the rocks by which they had crossed sank beneath the waters, a few sharp peaks alone remaining above the surface to indicate the place of the bridge, which had been destroyed by divine displeasure. The vegetation which they had seen from afar was but a delusive mirage, raised by the Prince of the Rakchasos to tempt them to disobedience. Adima threw himself, weeping, upon the barren sands; but Heva came to him, and threw herself into his arms, saying: " Do not despair; let us rather pray to the Author of all things to pardon us." And as she thus spoke there came a voice from the clouds, saying: "Woman, thou hast only sinned from love to thy husband, whom I commanded thee to love, and thou hast hoped in me. I pardon thee, and him also for thy sake! But you may no more return to the abode of delight which I had created for your happiness. Through your disobedience to my commands, the spirit of evil has obtained possession of the earth. Your children, reduced to labour and to suffer by your fault, will become corrupt and forget me. But I will send Vishnu, who shall incarnate himself in the womb of a woman, and shall bring too [sic] all the hope and the means of recompense in another life, in praying to me to soften their ills."

From this legend of "heathen" India arose mediately the Hebrew fable of the Fall of Man. On this stolen myth, spoilt in the stealing, have been based for long,