The Poet Kalidas was supplied with flowers by a Malini (flower-girl).  He, being a poor Brahmin, could not pay for the flowers, but in place of that he used to read some of his own verses to the Malini.  One day there bloomed in the Malini’s tank a lily of unparalleled beauty.  Plucking it, the Malini offered it to Kalidas.  As a reward the poet read to her some verses from the Megha Duta (Cloud Messenger).  That poem is an ocean of wit, but every one knows that its opening lines are tasteless.  The Malini did not relish them, and being annoyed she rose to go.

The poet asked:  “Oh! friend Malini, are you going?”

“Your verses have no flavour,” replied the Malini.

“Malini! you will never reach heaven.”

“Why so?”

“There is a staircase to heaven.  By ascending millions of steps heaven is reached.  My poem has also a staircase; these tasteless verses are the steps.  If you can’t climb these few steps, how will you ascend the heavenly ladder?”

The Malini then, in fear of losing heaven through the Brahmin’s curse, listened to the Megha Duta from beginning to end.  She admired the poem; and next day, binding a wreath of flowers in the name of Cupid, she crowned the poet’s temples therewith.

This ordinary poem of mine is not heaven; neither has it a staircase of a million steps.  Its flavour is faint and the steps are few.  These few tasteless chapters are the staircase.  If among my readers there is one of the Malini’s disposition, I warn him that without climbing these steps he will not arrive at the pith of the story.

Surja Mukhi’s father’s house was in Konnagar.  Her father was a Kaystha of good position.  He was cashier in some house at Calcutta.  Surja Mukhi was his only child.  In her infancy a Kaystha widow named Srimati lived in her father’s house as a servant, and looked after Surja Mukhi.  Srimati had one child named Tara Charan, of the same age as Surja Mukhi.  With him Surja Mukhi had played, and on account of this childish association she felt towards him the affection of a sister.

Srimati was a beautiful woman, and therefore soon fell into trouble.  A wealthy man of the village, of evil character, having cast his eyes upon her, she forsook the house of Surja Mukhi’s father.  Whither she went no one exactly knew, but she did not return.  Tara Charan, forsaken by his mother, remained in the house of Surja Mukhi’s father, who was a very kind-hearted man, and brought up this deserted boy as his own child; not keeping him in slavery as an unpaid servant, but having him taught to read and write.  Tara Charan learned English at a free mission-school.  Afterwards Surja Mukhi was married, and some years later her father died.  By this time Tara Charan had learned English after a clumsy fashion, but he was not qualified for any business.  Rendered homeless by the death of Surja