And
then, before any one could see them, they ran away and hid. And this
they did every day for a whole year.
At last Soma one day called all her children and all her little
daughters-in-law and said, "Who among you gets up so early? Who sweeps
my courtyard? Who clears my floor?" All the children and all the
little daughters-in-law said, "It is not I," "It is not I," "It is not
I." Then Soma became very curious to know who it was. So the following
night she did not go to bed. She sat up, but nothing happened until
just after dawn. Then she saw the little Brahman girl sweeping the
courtyard and her brother cleaning the floor. Soma got up and said,
"Children, who are you?" They replied, "We are Brahmans." "But I am
only a washerwoman," said Soma; "I am a low-caste woman, why do you
sweep my courtyard and neap my floor? It will be reckoned unto me
as a sin If I accept the service of Brahmans." The boy said, "This
is my sister, and a Brahman has told us that unless you come to her
wedding she will be widowed shortly after marriage.
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