The Man, his Wife, and her Lover, who all died for Love.Which was the most foolish?
Then the king went back under the sissoo tree, took the goblin on his shoulder, and set out in haste.And as he walked along, the goblin on his shoulder said: "O King, I will tell you a story about a great love.Listen."There is a city called Ujjain, which seems like a divine city made by the Creator for the pious who have fallen from heaven.In this city there was a famous king named Lotus-belly.He delighted the good, and defeated the king of the demons.
While he was king, a merchant named Fortune, richer than the god of wealth, lived in the city.He had one daughter named Love-cluster, who seemed the model from whom the Creator had made the nymphs of heaven.This merchant gave his daughter to a merchant named Jewel- guard from Copper City.
As he was a tender father and had no other children, the merchant stayed with his daughter Love-cluster and her husband.Now Love-cluster came to hate Jewel-guard as a sick man hates a pungent, biting medicine.But the beautiful woman was dearer than life to her husband, dear as long- fathered wealth to a miser.
One day Jewel-guard started for Copper City to pay a loving visit to his parents.Then the hot summer came, and the roads were blocked for travellers by the sharp arrows of the sun.The winds blew soft with the fragrance of jasmine and trumpet-flower, like sighs from the mouths of mountains separated from the springtime.And wind-swept dust-clouds flew to the sky like messengers from the burning earth begging for clouds.And the feverish days moved slowly like wayfarers who cling to the shade of trees.And the nights clad in pale yellow moonlight became very feeble without the invigorating embrace of winter.
At this time Love-cluster, anointed with cooling sandal, and clad in thin garments stood at her lattice-window.And she saw a handsome youth with a friend whom he trusted.He seemed the god of love born anew and seeking his bride.He was the son of the king's priest, and his name wasLotus-lake.
And when Lotus-lake saw the lovely girl, he expanded with delight as lotuses in a lake expand at the sight of the moon.When the two young people saw each other, their hearts embraced each other at the bidding of Love, their teacher.
So Lotus-lake was smitten with love, and was led home with difficulty by his friend.And Love-cluster was equally maddened by love.First she learned from her friend his name and home, then slowly withdrew to her room.There she thought of him and became feverish with love, simply tossing on her couch, seeing nothing and hearing nothing.
After two or three days spent in this way, she felt bashful and fearful, pale and thin from the separation, and hopeless of union with her lover.So, as if drawn on by the moonbeam which shone through her window, she went out at night when her people were asleep, determined to die.And she came to a pool under a tree in her garden.
There stood a family image of the goddess Gauri, set up by her father.She drew near to this image, bowed before the goddess, praised her, and said: "O Goddess, since I could not have Lotus-lake as my husband in this life, may he be my husband in some other life!" And she made a noose of her garment, and tied it to the ashoka tree before the goddess.
At that moment her trusty friend awoke, and not finding her in the room, hunted about and came luckily into the garden.There she saw the girl fastening the noose about her neck, and she cried, "No, no!" And running up, she cut the noose.
When Love-cluster saw that it was her own friend who had run up and taken the noose away, she fell to the ground in great agony.But her friend comforted her and asked the reason of her sorrow.Then she arose and said: "Jasmine, my friend, I cannot be united with him I love.I am dependent on my father and other people.Death is the happiest thing for me."And as she spoke, she was terribly scorched by the fiery darts of love, and determined to feel no more hope, and fainted.And her friend Jasmine lamented: "Alas! Love is a hard master.It has reduced her to this condition." But she gradually brought her back to life with cool water and fans and things.She made an easy bed of lotus-leaves.She put pearls coolas snow on her heart.
Then Love-cluster came to herself and slowly said to her weeping friend: "My dear, the fire within me cannot be quenched by such things as pearls.If you want to save my life, be clever enough to bring my lover to me."And the loving Jasmine said: "My dear, the night is almost over.In the morning I will bring your lover here to meet you.Be brave and go now to your room."Love-cluster was contented.She took the pearls from her neck and gave them to her friend as a present.And she said: "Let us go now.Then in the morning you must keep your promise." So she went to her room.
