Next day she did not want to go, but her children, who had enjoyed the previous day’s feast, persuaded their mother to take them again to her brother’s house.  Once more she went and sat down with her children among the rows of feasters.  Her brother saw her as before when he came round serving the ghee.  He shouted at her, “A beggar woman must, I suppose, act like a village sow, and will not go away although told to.  But do not come to-morrow.  If you do, I’ll have you turned out.”  Next day, however, she again went with her children to her brother’s house.  But near the entrance his servants caught her and turned her out before she could eat anything.  She went home sad and hungry and prayed to Shukra.  Now the goddess had been pleased with her devotion and so took pity on her.  She helped the poor woman’s husband so that he rapidly acquired great wealth.  When her husband had become very rich she asked her brother to dinner.  But the brother remembered how he had treated her and was ashamed to accept.  He pressed her to dine with him first, and begged so hard that she at last consented.  Next day she put on all her jewels and her finest clothes.  Her brother gave her a wooden platform to sit on and plates made out of leaves from which to eat her dinner.  Before she sat down she took off her gold-embroidered shawl and put it close to her plate.  Her brother saw her, but thought she did it because she felt the room hot.  She then placed her jewelry on the wooden platform.  Her brother thought that she did it because she felt the jewelry heavy.  She took a portion of rice and placed it on her necklace.  She put a portion of vegetables on her pendant, and a sweet ball she placed on her jewelled star.

Her brother at last asked her, “What are you doing?” She said, “I am giving to the guests whom you really invited.”  But he did not understand, and asked, “Why do you not begin to eat?” She said, “I have not been invited to this dinner.  It was given in honour of my finery and not of me.  I had my dinner the day when you gave the feast to the one thousand Brahmans.”

The brother felt thoroughly ashamed of himself.  He threw himself at his sister’s feet and begged for her forgiveness.  So she forgave him and sat down to dinner.  And the brother in turn went to her house and dined with her.  And Shukra was pleased with both sister and brother, and they all lived happily ever afterwards.  May I and my readers do the same.

CHAPTER VI

The Saturday Story

Once upon a time there was a town-called Atpat.  In it there lived a poor Brahman who had three daughters-in-law.  He rose early even during the rainy season, and every day immediately after his morning meal he used to go to his field with his children and his daughters-in-law.  One first Saturday in Shravan he got up as usual and said to the youngest of his daughters-in-law, “To-day is Saturday; you had better stay at home, and although