In the course of time this Raja fell into poverty; all his horses and cattle died and his lands were sold.  At last they had even to sell their household utensils and clothes for food.  They had only cups and dishes made of gourds to use and the Raja’s wife and sons had to go and work as day labourers in order to get food to eat.  At last one day the Raja made up his mind to go and visit his married daughter and ask her husband’s family to give him a brass cup (bati) that he might have something suitable to drink out of.  Off he went and when he reached the house he was welcomed very politely by his daughter’s father-in-law and given a seat and water to wash his feet, and a hookah was produced and then the following conversation began.

“Where have you come from, father of my daughter-in-law?”

“I have walked from home, father of my son-in-law?”

“You come here so often that you make me quite frightened!  How is it?  Is it well with you and yours? with body and skin?  Would it not be well for us to exchange news?”

“Yes indeed; for how can you know how I am getting on if I do not tell you.  By your kind enquiries my life has grown as big as a mountain, my bosom is as broad as a mat, and my beard has become as long as a buffalo horn.”

“And I also, father of my daughter-in-law, am delighted at your coming and enquiring about me; otherwise I should wonder where you had settled down, and be thinking that you did not know the way relations should behave to each other; at present, I am glad to say, the seed left after sowing, the living who have been left behind by death, by your favour and the goodness of God, are all doing well.  Is it not a proverb.  ’The eye won’t walk, but the ear will go and come back in no time.’  Now the ear is the visitor and so far as it has looked our friends up, it is well with all, so far as I know.”

The other answered; “Then I understand that by the goodness of God, all is very well with you all, O father of my son-in-law.  That is what we want, that it may be well with us, body and soul.”

“Life is our wealth; life is great wealth.  So long as life lasts wealth will come.  Even if there is nothing in the house, we can work and earn wealth, but if life goes where shall we obtain it?”

The visitor answered “That is true; and we have been suffering much from the ‘standing’ disease; (i.e. hunger) I have tried to get medicine to cure it in vain; the Doctors know of none.  I should be greatly obliged if you could give me some medicine for it.”

“The very same disease has overflowed this part of the country” was the reply:—­at this they both laughed; and the visitor resumed,—­

“Don’t they say ’we asked after them and they did not ask anything about us in return;’? it is right now for me to ask how you are getting on” and so saying he proceeded in his turn to put the same questions and to receive the same answers.