born.  But do not get frightened about our little girl I myself shall cross the seven seas and fetch Soma, the washerwoman.”  Then the youngest of the seven sons said to his father, “Daddy, Daddy, you must not say that you have no sons when here we are, all seven of us.  I shall take my sister Gunvanti with me, and we shall go and fetch Soma, the washerwoman.”  A few days later the two children prostrated themselves before their parents and began their voyage.

In course of time they came to the seashore.  But the wind was blowing, the waves were rolling in, and the foam was splashing over the rocks.  The brother and sister could not imagine how they were to continue their journey.  There was no one near to give them food, there was no one near to give them drink, and they could think of nothing better than to lie down and die.  But they first resolved to pray to the god Shiva, “Please, please, God Shiva,” prayed the two children, “get us out of this terrible trouble.”  After praying they went and sat under a banian tree, and all day long they had nothing to eat or drink.  Now on the very top of the banian tree was an eagle’s nest, and in it there were several little eagles.  When evening came, father eagle and mother eagle came home and began to feed their young.  But the little eagles would not eat anything at all.  Mother eagle said, “Children, children, what is the matter?” “O Mummy, Mummy,” cried the little eagles, “two strangers have come to our house, and they are sitting under our tree, and they have had nothing to eat all day!” Father eagle and mother eagle flew to the ground and began to ask the boy what his trouble was.  “Do not be frightened,” said father eagle; “whatever your business, I’ll help you to get it done.  Do not go to bed without supper.  I’ll bring you some fruit.  Eat some of it yourself and give the rest to your little sister.”

The boy told father eagle what had happened, and how it was that they had to cross the seven seas.  Father eagle said, “I shall carry you both across directly you wake up to-morrow, and I shall put you down at Soma the washerwoman’s door.”  Then the two children felt very happy and thanked the god Shiva.  And after eating father eagle’s fruit, they lay down under the tree and fell fast asleep in no time.  Next morning father eagle and mother eagle came down the tree, and father eagle took the boy on his back, and mother eagle took the girl on her back, and off they flew across the seven seas.  The wind blew, and the waves rolled mountains high, and the foam splashed over the rocks.  But father eagle and mother eagle flew straight on until they came to the door of Soma, the washerwoman.  There they left the boy and girl and went back to the tree where the little eagles were waiting for them.  The boy and girl were too frightened to walk into Soma’s house, so they hid all that day, and next morning they got up at dawn and they swept the courtyard and neaped the floor with cow-dung.  And then, before any one could see them, they ran away and hid.  And this they did every day for a whole year.