At last Soma one day called all her children and all her little daughters-in-law and said, “Who among you gets up so early?  Who sweeps my courtyard?  Who clears my floor?” All the children and all the little daughters-in-law said, “It is not I,” “It is not I,” “It is not I.”  Then Soma became very curious to know who it was.  So the following night she did not go to bed.  She sat up, but nothing happened until just after dawn.  Then she saw the little Brahman girl sweeping the courtyard and her brother cleaning the floor.  Soma got up and said, “Children, who are you?” They replied, “We are Brahmans.”  “But I am only a washerwoman,” said Soma; “I am a low-caste woman, why do you sweep my courtyard and neap my floor?  It will be reckoned unto me as a sin If I accept the service of Brahmans.”  The boy said, “This is my sister, and a Brahman has told us that unless you come to her wedding she will be widowed shortly after marriage.  Our father and mother told us to go and bring you back with us.  So, in order to make you pleased with us, we have been working as your servants.”  “Do not work for me any more,” said Soma, “I shall gladly go to your wedding,” She then called to her daughters-in-law and said, “I am going to this child’s wedding.  But if any one of our relations dies when I am away, do not burn his body until I come back.”  She went with the two Brahman children to the seashore.  The wind was blowing, and the great waves were rolling in, and the foam was splashing over the rocks.  But Soma took the boy under one arm and the girl under the other.  She jumped far up into the sky and right over the seven seas, and when she got to the opposite shore she put the children down again.  They led her to their father’s house.  Their mother Dhanvanti welcomed the washerwoman and fell at her feet to thank her for her coming.  The youngest brother then went to Ujjain, and after making inquiries brought back a boy of suitable caste and age to be a husband for his sister.  On an auspicious day the wedding was celebrated.  But as the bridegroom and bride were throwing rice [14] over each other, the bridegroom fainted.  He fell on the ground and lay there motionless.  The little bride did not know what to do, she was so frightened.  And all the grown-up people were almost as frightened as she was.  But Soma, the washerwoman, stepped forward and said, “It is nothing, do not be afraid.”  She took some water in her hand and sprinkled it over herself.  Now the secret of Soma’s power was this:—­

She had acquired great merit by observing every Monday the following practices:  She would get up early, bathe, dress in silence, make various gifts to Brahmans, and then walk one hundred and eight times round a peepul tree.  But now by sprinkling water over herself she had transferred the whole of her merit to Gunvanti.  By this means the little bride had been able to restore her husband to life, and the wedding ceremony finished amidst the happiness of all.