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THE INDIAN ANTIQUARY.
[MAY, 1895.
On which they became very sorrowful, and the duck turned back and fell at the feet of the god Narayana, and asked of him a gift of sons.
Then he said to her: "Where is your male bird P" She said: - "He is outside the palace." She begged the god to create love between them,
So the god called to the drake and said to him :-"You had better copulate together, and then she will become pregnant."
So they copulated and the egg grew larger and larger in her belly. Six and threetogether nine months passed and the duck asked the drake for something.
He said to her:-" Where is the thing which you desire ?"
"In the Ganges in the north there is a flower as broad as an umbrella. I want you to go and bring the (holy) water in it," said she.
He appointed a body guard for her and went to the Ganges in the north, and put his beak into the flower. Immediately the mouth of the flower shut, for the sun was setting. The duck was thinking at that time :
« Why has the drake not returned back yet? If my husband returns and comes back soon, I will offer my first egg at the feet of the god Sûrya Narayana. I will offer the next egg to išvari," said she.
It was morning, after the 31st ghatige of the night, that the drake drew back his beak, brought the water out of that flower and asked the duck if she wanted any.
"I have made a promise. Will you fulfil it " asked she.
He said he would and told her to drink the water. She drank, and as soon as she had done so, she sighed so as to be heard in the four worlds, and cried so as to be heard in three worlds.
In six divisions of a flower and in three petals she laid the first egg, which was like a precious stone, and the second, which was like a golden palli,
The first egg fell into the Seventh Ocean, and being just like a diamond was found by & poor Brahmana, when he went to bathe in the Ocean on account of an eclipse of the new moon. The drake and the duck took both the eggs to fulfil their promise, and flying to the heaven of light on high offered the first egg at the god's feet. It was trodden upon by an elephant, and placed in a road, over which an army and many other persons were passing, but it was not broken !
"You had better take this back and be happy, and hatch it," ordered the god.
The second egg was offered to the god Isvara, who ordered them immediately to take it back and hatch it, and be glad.
From the first egg & boy Yekara Sater was produced at a palace called Kanchikadanga, and from the second egg a girl Ginde Gisi Rama Deyar was produced. Yekara Sater grew to be a boy from his babyhood, and Giņde Giļi Rama Deyar to be a girl from her baby hood. Yekara Sater grew to be a man from his boyhood, and Giņde Giļi Rama Deyar a woman from her girlhood. Yekara Sater fell in love with the woman, and Giņde Giļi Rama Deyar in love with the man. Yekara Sater went to speak to Giņde Giļi Râma Deyar about marriage. She had been a beautiful child and was now a charming girl.
"It would be better if Deyar were taken to the palace Kanchikadanga," said Yekara Sater.
"This Tuesday one speaks of the marriage, and on the next Taesday the jewel dálibándi is to be presented according to the custom of the Arasu Ballakala. The bird is to be brought on
The name of a caste,
