Page:The Enchanted Parrot.djvu/113

Rh take her ! " The Pandit was delighted, but as a discreet man should, he concealed his feelings, and he said: " How can a man who knows not the Scriptures distinguish between good and evil ? How can a man who is blind distinguish between beauty and ugliness ? "

And so the end of it was that the Pandit, as a reward for his discretion, fully enjoyed the queen's company by the permission of the king.

IN a village called Sangama lived a Râjaputra, who was as stupid as he was ill-tempered. His wife's name was Rukminî. One day they started off together on a pilgrimage to a shrine, and on the road he caught Rukminî making sheep's eyes at a passer by. The Râjaputra very naturally concluded that she wanted to attract attention, so he turned back at once, and went home. When he reached his house he expressed himself pretty strongly, and locked his wife up. She thought to herself, " Well ! so much for this ! Before I am many hours older I will bring some one into the house, and make love to him right under my stupid