Page:Indian tales of the great ones.djvu/94

86 How could they bear their son to die when he was thirteen. Yet how could they bear to have him just an ordinary boy, like any other that came into the world, and had trouble, and made mistakes, and died at last, leaving no name behind him? And the puzzle was too hard for the man.

"I cannot choose," he said to his wife. "You must decide. It is your business."

And the woman said: "We will have the perfect son that Shiva has offered us. And the rest we will leave to the gods."

So Kamil, the perfect one, was born, and grew from happy baby to happy boy. And he was beautiful to look upon; and clever was he, and strong, and gentle, and kind. Everyone loved him, and to all gave he love also, making happiness wherever he went.