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DHISTA
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fateful day arrived when Sura was to die of snake bite. He was restless, but the two ladies gave him courage and Sundari said,
"You see our power, my dear. If there be some Power on earth that kills, there's a greater Power that saves'
The ladies now cleaned a spot in the room and purified it. Then they placed a cushion at the centre and on it sat the prince The two ladies now, with enchanted rice 10 their hands, looked around for the snake Soon their eyes detected one and at once they hurled their rice at the peacocks What a wooder ! They were no longer a edat of paint, but one of them actually descended from the wall, picked up the snake and flew away in the sky. Sura witnessed all this dumb and amazed He saw the infallible power of the enchanted words He felt as if he had acquired a fresh life.
Chatura's plan was thus upset She got a report from a traveller that Sura was hail and hearty, living happily and making charities everyday She now turned herself into a white cat and reached Sundari's house When the mother and the daughter saw the cat in their house and read into its intentions, they themselves became two black cats and chased the white one. But the white one jumped on both, tearing each with sharp claws Even the combined strength of the two was no match for the strength of the white cat. After scratching them severely, the white cat returned bome
When Sura asked all about it, the ladies said,
"The cat was none other than your first wife who had come to chastise us But as it commanded a greater power, it overpowered us both and escaped uphurt".
Sura was again depressed and wanted now to get rid of all the three ladies Hardly a month had passed when the white cat appeared again and the same scene repeated, with similar outcome After the encounter was over, Sundari came to her husband and said,
“My dear! When the wbite cat comes next time, you will have to help us. When we shall be fighting, you only
