vanish. Therefore you must come with me and see me home." But the
Brahman said, "I do not want my good luck only to continue. I want
it to increase." The old woman said, "If you come with me I shall
give you some sand. When you go back home, scatter it all over the
house and over your jars and your pots, and put it inside your boxes
and your cupboards, and scatter it all over your courtyard too, and
you will find that your good luck will never be any less than it is
now." The Brahman was satisfied with this. He worshipped the old woman
and went with her towards the tank until she suddenly disappeared. He
returned home and scattered sand all over his house and over his
jars and his pots and inside his boxes and his cupboards, and from
that day on, his good luck never left him. And his wealth increased,
and his children increased. And they all lived happily ever afterwards.



CHAPTER XII

Soma, the Washerwoman

Once upon a time there was a town called Atpat. In it there lived a
poor Brahman who had seven sons and seven daughters-in-law. He had also
one daughter called Gunvanti and a wife called Dhanvanti. Whenever
a mendicant Brahman came to this house, it was the custom of all
the ladies to give him alms and then prostrate themselves in front
of him. One day a Brahman came, tall as a tree and shining like the
sun. The seven daughters-in-law ran out as usual and gave him alms
and then threw themselves at full length at his feet. The Brahman
blessed them and said, "Increase of children be yours; increase of
wealth be yours; may your husbands cherish you all your lives." But