________________
p. 340-360.]
CONTENTS.
to a beautiful part of the wood where we passed the night. The next morning we went out to oul flowers and collect fruits. For fun I put on the magic shawl and became invisible to Vilasavati who was greatly frightened and fainted. When she recovered I told her all about the shawl and gave it her in charge. 350, 16.
Having resolved to return to my country, I put up a flag as signal of shipwreck. It was sighted by a ship sailing from Mabākațáha to Malaya. Sailors were put on shore who brought us on board their ship. The ship-owner received us with kindness, but being infatuated with the beauty of my wife, he resolved to put me out of the way. Accordingly, when he and I happened, to go on deck one night, he pushed me overboard. But I found a plank on which I drifted, in five days, to the coast of Malaya. Still I was in great distress, and should have put an end to my life, had not the hope of again meeting my wife sustained me. While in this condition I walked along the beach, I saw a plank being tossed by the surge, and proceeding further I came upon Vilasavati, all but lifeless. She related that the whip-owner had wanted to make her his wife, but during the night the ship had foundered in a whirlpool; she had got on a plank and had thus been saved. 355, 18. As my wife was very thirsty, I wanted to lead her to a lake noar by, but ehe was so exhausted that after a whort while she could not walk further. I, therefore, made her rest under a banyan troe until I could bring her water, and I hade her put on the magic shawl. When I returned with water and some oranges, she was gone altogether. But in the sand there was the track of a huge serpent following which I came apon the monster in the act of swallowing the shawl. I went near it hoping in my despair that it would swallow me too as I fancied it had swallowed Vilasavatı, but it writhed in fear. To rouse its anger I hit it a blow on the heard, upon which it disgorged the shawl and danced about without Sttacking me. I put the shawl upon my breast and returning to the banyan tree I hanged myself on a branch of it, but some Rşi rescued me and made me relate all my adventures. In conclusion I gave expng sion to my desire of joining my wife in my next birth. ter of vised me to go to the rock Manorathapūraka whichgė; they