The Vampire's Sixth Story. In Which Three Men Dispute about a Woman.

　　On the lovely banks of Jumna's stream there was a city known as Dharmasthal——the Place of Duty； and therein dwelt a certain Brahman called Keshav. He was a very pious man， in the constant habit of performing penance and worship upon the river Sidi. He modelled his own clay images instead of buying them from others； he painted holy stones red at the top， and made to them offerings of flowers， fruit， water， sweetmeats， and fried peas. He had become a learned man somewhat late in life， having， until twenty years old， neglected his reading， and addicted himself to worshipping the beautiful youth Kama-Deva[FN#116] and Rati his wife， accompanied by the cuckoo， the humming-bee， and sweet breezes.

　　[FN#116] Cupid. His wife Rati is the spring personified. The Hindu poets always unite love and spring， and perhaps physiologically they are correct.

　　One day his parents having rebuked him sharply for his ungovernable conduct， Keshav wandered to a neighbouring hamlet， and hid himself in the tall fig-tree which shadowed a celebrated image of Panchanan.[FN#117] Presently an evil thought arose in his head： he defiled the god， and threw him into the nearest tank.

　　[FN#117] An incarnation of the third person of the Hindu Triad， or Triumvirate， Shiva the God of Destruction， the Indian Bacchus. The image has five faces， and each face has three eyes. In Bengal it is found in many villages， and the women warn their children not to touch it on pain of being killed.

　　The next morning， when the person arrived whose livelihood depended on the image， he discovered that his god was gone. He returned into the village distracted， and all was soon in an uproar about the lost deity.

　　In the midst of this confusion the parents of Keshav arrived， seeking for their son； and a man in the crowd declared that he had seen a young man sitting in Panchanan's tree， but what had become of the god he knew not.

　　The runaway at length appeared， and the suspicions of the villagers fell upon him as the stealer of Panchanan. He confessed the fact， pointed out the place where he had thrown the stone， and added that he had polluted the god. All hands and eyes were raised in amazement at this atrocious crime， and every one present declared that Panchanan would certainly punish the daring insult by immediate death. Keshav was dreadfully frightened； he began to obey his parents from that very hour， and applied to his studies so sedulously that he soon became the most learned man of his country.

　　Now Keshav the Brahman had a daughter whose name was the Madhumalati or Sweet Jasmine. She was very beautiful. Whence did the gods procure the materials to form so exquisite a face？ They took a portion of the most excellent part of the moon to form that beautiful face？ Does any one seek a proof of this？ Let him look at the empty places left in the moon. Her eyes resembled the full-blown blue nymphaea； her arms the charming stalk of the lotus； her flowing tresses the thick darkness of night.

　　When this lovely person arrived at a marriageable age， her mother， father， and brother， all three became very anxious about her. For the wise have said， "A daughter nubile but without a husband is ever a calamity hanging over a house." And， "Kings， women， and climbing plants love those who are near them." Also， "Who is there that has not suffered from the sex？ for a woman cannot be kept in due subjection， either by gifts or kindness， or correct conduct， or the greatest services， or the laws of morality， or by the terror of punishment， for she cannot discriminate between good and evil."

　　It so happened that one day Keshav the Brahman went to the marriage of a certain customer of his，[FN#118] and his son repaired to the house of a spiritual preceptor in order to read. During their absence， a young man came to the house， when the Sweet Jasmine's mother， inferring his good qualities from his good looks， said to him， "I will give to thee my daughter in marriage." The father also had promised his daughter to a Brahman youth whom he had met at the house of his employer； and the brother likewise had betrothed his sister to a fellow student at the place where he had gone to read.

　　[FN#118] A village Brahman on stated occasions receives fees from all the villagers.

　　After some days father and son came home， accompanied by these two suitors， and in the house a third was already seated. The name of the first was Tribikram， of the second Baman， and of the third Madhusadan. The three were equal in mind and body， in knowledge， and in age.

　　Then the father， looking upon them， said to himself， "Ho！ there is one bride and three bridegrooms； to whom shall I give， and to whom shall I not give？ We three have pledged our word to these three. A strange circumstance has occurred； what must we do？"

　　He then proposed to them a trial of wisdom， and made them agree that he who should quote the most excellent saying of the wise should become his daughter's husband.