________________
177
instead of my father." The King said " Then, you narrate it. * The virgin said-Here is the Story of Nāgasri:
In this very town, there lived a Brābmin nained arogaf Nāgasarmā, with his wife named elaut Somasri, and his daughter ang Nāgasri.
· Nāgasri was given in marriage with a high-class Brāhmin by her parents. Her parents went into a neighbouring town, for the purchase of materials suitable for her marriage occasion,
When the virgin-girl was alone in the house, the betrothed Brāhmin came into her house. On perceiving her would-be husband, she fed him nicely. Then, she told him to lie down on a comfortable bed-stead with soft bedding in it. She then, thought, “She is not justified in touching even the hand of her would-be husband, before the accomplishment of lawful marriage. There is ample room here. Let me therefore lie down here.” So, she lied down innocently on the ground just near the bed-stead.
During sleep, the sleeping bride-groom accidently happened to tumble down on the innocent girl, who was lying there. He fell on her. Out of undue agitation of embarrassment, the terrified bride-groom instantly died.
The virgin-girl then thought “I am wicked. I was instrimental in his death. People will say that I killed him. What should I do? What should I say if people knew it."
She then burried the dead body of the bride-groom into the ground, threw dust and earth over it, and having besmeared the ground over it with cow-dung, she made the place fragrant with perfumed waters and scented powders. The parents of Nāgasri returned home with materials for her marriage ceremony."
