Page:Katha sarit sagara, vol2.djvu/72

 out the husband, and tied him firmly to a tree, in order that he might next day offer him to Bhavání.

And he ate his dinner, and at night lay down to sleep by the side of the faithless wife, before the eyes of the husband. Then that jealous husband, who was tied to the tree, seeing him asleep, implored Bhavání to help him in his need, praising her with hymns. She appeared and granted him a boon, so that he escaped from his bonds, and cut off the head of the Bhilla with his own sword. Then he woke up his wife, and said to her: " Come, I have killed this villain," and she rose up much grieved. And the faithless woman set out at night with her husband, but she secretly took with her the head of the Bhilla. And the next morning, when they reached a town, she shewed the head, and laying hands upon her husband, cried out, * This man has killed my husband." Then the city police took her with her husband before the king. And the jealous husband, being questioned, told the whole story. Then the king enquired into it, and finding that it was true, he ordered the ears and nose of that faithless wife to be cut off, and set her husband at liberty. And he went home freed from the demon of love for a wicked woman.

" This, prince, is how a woman behaves when over-jealously watched, for the jealousy of the husband teaches the wife to run after other men. So a wise man should guard his wife without shewing jealousy. And a man must by no means reveal a secret to a woman, if he desires prosperity. Hear a story shewing this."

Story of the snake who told his secret to a woman.:—A certain snake,* out of fear of Garuda, fled to earth, and taking the form of a man, concealed himself in the house of a hetœra. And that hetœra used to take as payment five hundred elephants; † and the snake by his power gave her five hundred every day. And the lady importuned him to tell her how he acquired so many elephants every day, and who he was. And he, blinded with love, replied— " I am a snake hiding here from fear of Garuda, do not tell any one." But the hetœra privately told all this to the kuțținí.

Now Garuda, searching through the world for the snake, came there in the form of a man, and he came to the kuțținí and said; " I wish to remain to-day in your daughter's house, take my payment." And the kuțținí said to him, " There is a snake living here, who gives us five hundred elephants every day. What do we care about one day's pay?" Then Garuda, finding out that the snake was living there, entered as a guest that