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THE INDIAN ANTIQUARY.
[AUGUST, 1887.
like a king, eating like a glutton, and affecting So he asked his mother to return the money loose and misguided society. Lakshmana Singh to his father, request him to lock it up in was of a different moald; not very intelligent, his safe and devote it to some useful parbut very hard-working; and, with the moderate pose. His mother returned it accordingly, and brains that Paramêsvara had given him, he his father, overjoyed at the wit of his youngest progressed fairly with his studies. In the son, desired the gift to be doubled. The boy youngest son the teachers found quite a persisted in his refusal, but his father would student. He displayed extraordinary intelli- not yield, and tried to compel him to take gence, grasped everything at the first teaching, the money. He sternly refused, bowever, and and gave very great satisfaction alike to his when his father wished to know what it was masters and his parents. The latter were ex- that made him, always so obedient, so very tremely fond of him, as he was their youngest stubborn that day, he advised him not to and so full of promise.
attempt to find out impossibilities. Tan Singh In this way they went on with their studies grew extremely angry at this, and blinded till Râm Singh had reached the age of eighteen, by his pride of wealth, asked Krishna Singh while Lakshmaņa Singh was fifteen and Kțishộa whether anything was impossible to him in the Singh thirteen : when a most unfortunate event world. Krishna Singh laughed at the folly occurred to the family.
of his father, and replied in the affirmative. Tan Singh one morning, after twenty years Tan Singh then asked him to prove it, whereof married and prosperous life, bethought him upon the boy asked his father whether it of his former misery and his present happiness; was possible for him to get his son mar. and calling to Kamalâ bâi, his wife, told her to ried to the princess of Pushpapura. Not give each of the boys a hundred rupees to be that he hoped to become the son-in-law of spent on a feast. Kamalâbâi accordingly gave the king: he only brought this forward as Ram Singh his portion as soon as he returned an example of a thing that it was not in the from his morning walk, telling him that it was power of his father to perform. No sooner did his father's present. He took it eagerly, with- Tan Singh hear his son mention the princess, out even inquiring what it was for, made a than he thought that he was really in love breakfast of cold rice, and then went into a with her, and that too at so tender an age dancing-girl's house and there made a present as thirteen! He pulled off his slippers at of it to her. Soon after Ram Singh had left once, and severely thrashed him. Krishna the house, Lakshmana Singh came home from Singh took the insult coolly, and then placking his teachers to have his breakfast of cold rice, the slippers ont of his father's hands, fled and as he was sitting in front of his leaf, his away with the swiftness of a kite. He lingermother gave him the money; and when he ed in the city without meeting any of his asked her why, she told him that it was for a friends or relatives till it grew dark, and in feast. Lakshmaņa gladly received it, but the night went unobserved by anyone to the spent it on books and clothes. Kțishna Singh temple of Kaļi. There he chose a suitable was always late for his meals, and when he niche in one of the prakára* walls, and placing returned home long after the others, his mother the slippers that his father had beaten him gave him his portion, while he was eating with in it, covered them up with chunam his cold rice, telling him that it was for (mortar), and thus left them there in safety. a feast. Krishna Singh laughed at the idea of He did not now wish to remain in Pushpaspending one hundred rupees in one day on a para any longer;-and, young and tender as he feast, and rebuked his mother for having was, he did not fear to go to some other town, brought the money to him, although his father and there try his fortune in an independent had given it. He thought it very silly of his life. In this way Krishna Singh left the city father to have thought of giving Rs. 300 in & that very night, and proceeded to the North day to his sons to be spent on such stuff. At without knowing where he was going to and that rate he would spend Rs. 9,000 in a month, without any premeditated plans, and commit: and become a beggar in a year or two.
ting himself solely to fortune. He walked till • Village goddess.
• Circuit walls of a templo.
