Page:History of Bengali Language and Literature.djvu/348

 312 BENGALI LANGUAGE & LITERATURE. [ Chap. sure to become a widow. Now, widowhood in India is held more terrible than death. So the frightened mother immediately gave her consent. But Dhana- poe pati himself had to obtain the permission of Laha- is won over. na tomarry a second wife. The news of these negotiations had already reached Lahana, and she sat in one corner of her room as angry as the summar-clouds when it is ready to hurl the thunder-bolt. But though a shrew and obstinate, she could be weak to the verge of folly. Dhanapati had nothing else to plead than to say a few sweet words to her; ‘‘ You are so beautiful, my darling ; but having no one to aid you in the duties of the kitchen, you are growing sickly. How | pity your lot! If you do not mind it, dear wife, I shall find for you one who will be like a maid-servant in the kitchen and carry out all your orders in domestic affairs.” He shewed her also five ¢o/as of gold which he intend- ed to give to the goldsmith to make a pair of bracelets of a wonderfully beautiful pattern for her. Lahana’s anger was dispersed like the summar-clouds at these sweet words from her hus- band and, accepting his gift, she readily gave her consent to the proposed match. Thus Khullana was The ; ; marriage. married to Dhanapatu. At that very time a pair of birds called guka The and sari was purchased by the king of Ujani. merchant These birds had a marvellous gift, they talked like is sent to 21 Gauda, men. As there was no artist In the country who could make a beautiful cage of gold for the birds, and as the artists of Gauda were noted for their skill in making gold-cages, the king asked Dhana- pati to go to Gauda and give orders for a first-class gold cage; he was to see it done and carry it to