Do not
go to bed without supper. I'll bring you some fruit. Eat some of it
yourself and give the rest to your little sister."
The boy told father eagle what had happened, and how it was that they
had to cross the seven seas. Father eagle said, "I shall carry you
both across directly you wake up to-morrow, and I shall put you down
at Soma the washerwoman's door." Then the two children felt very happy
and thanked the god Shiva. And after eating father eagle's fruit,
they lay down under the tree and fell fast asleep in no time. Next
morning father eagle and mother eagle came down the tree, and father
eagle took the boy on his back, and mother eagle took the girl on
her back, and off they flew across the seven seas. The wind blew,
and the waves rolled mountains high, and the foam splashed over the
rocks. But father eagle and mother eagle flew straight on until they
came to the door of Soma, the washerwoman. There they left the boy and
girl and went back to the tree where the little eagles were waiting
for them. The boy and girl were too frightened to walk into Soma's
house, so they hid all that day, and next morning they got up at dawn
and they swept the courtyard and neaped the floor with cow-dung.
Pages:
68
69
70
71
72
73
74
75
76
77
78
79
80
81
82
83
84
85
86
87
88
89
90
91
92