Page:History of Bengali Language and Literature.djvu/567

 a. | BENGALI LANGUAGE & LITERATURE. 529 plants. The princess sat in the company of her maidens, and told Sudama in reply—“ Foolish shepherd, know that pearls grow in sea-shells and they are precious things. They are not like the forest-flowers that you pluck every day in the Vrinda- groves. The idea is worthy only of a shepherd. You want to adorn cows with necklaces of pearls ; no monarch -could be so lavish as to entertain such a wild fancy. Go back to your Krishna and say that the dew of heaven falls into the sea-shells under the influence of the constellation Svati, a rare happening, and is formed into pearls, and that fishers risk their lives to bring them from the bottom of the sea. It is not as easy to get a pearl as to possess a kadamva ora champaka flower.”’ The maids also jeered at Sudama who stood silent, much mortified at being ridiculed in this manner. The crown of flowers fell from his head, his crook fell from his hand; insulted and disap- pointed he returned to Krisna and related the story of the treatment he had received from Radha and her maids. Krisna heard it; a sense of shame suffused his face, and he was pensive for some time; then he said, ‘“‘Very well, my friends ! | shall obtain a pearl by some means or other. Please 1 wait here a moment for me.” He ran to his mother and begged for a pearl. Yacoda said, ‘“‘ Foolish boy, what would you do witha pearl ?” But Krisna would not leave her without one. He was refused and with tears in his eyes was about to return, when Yacoda’s heart melted in affection :—“ After all a pearl is of no value compared with my Krisna. I cannot see him sad.” She called him to her and from her earring gave the brightest pearl that she had. 67