with her devotion and so took pity on her. She helped the poor
woman's husband so that he rapidly acquired great wealth. When her
husband had become very rich she asked her brother to dinner. But
the brother remembered how he had treated her and was ashamed to
accept. He pressed her to dine with him first, and begged so hard
that she at last consented. Next day she put on all her jewels and
her finest clothes. Her brother gave her a wooden platform to sit on
and plates made out of leaves from which to eat her dinner. Before
she sat down she took off her gold-embroidered shawl and put it
close to her plate. Her brother saw her, but thought she did it
because she felt the room hot. She then placed her jewelry on the
wooden platform. Her brother thought that she did it because she
felt the jewelry heavy. She took a portion of rice and placed it on
her necklace. She put a portion of vegetables on her pendant, and a
sweet ball she placed on her jewelled star.

Her brother at last asked her, "What are you doing?" She said,
"I am giving to the guests whom you really invited." But he did
not understand, and asked, "Why do you not begin to eat?" She said,
"I have not been invited to this dinner. It was given in honour of
my finery and not of me. I had my dinner the day when you gave the
feast to the one thousand Brahmans."

The brother felt thoroughly ashamed of himself. He threw himself at
his sister's feet and begged for her forgiveness. So she forgave him
and sat down to dinner. And the brother in turn went to her house and
dined with her. And Shukra was pleased with both sister and brother,
and they all lived happily ever afterwards. May I and my readers do
the same.