Burmese Sketches - Khamkoo

BURMESE SKETCHES. ^am
at the special invitation of U Maung, who wanted, for his Mentor
and Conscience-Keeper, one who was thoroughly imbued with
the spirit of the Philosopher of Kapilavatthu and who had at his
fingers' ends the principal tenets of the *' Three Baskets."
Well, on the morning of the day when the whole village was
nothing but a mass of ashes, this holy man was pacing the
verandah of his monastery and probably meditating inwardly
on the impermanence of all worldly things in general and the
tendency of villages to be destroyed by fire in particular. He
had not been thus perambulating for about half an hour when
a frail female form, which had once been beautiful and had
seen better days, presented itself in a supplicating posture
before him. " Lord, Lord," she sobbingly and piteously
cried, *' save me, oh, do save me, my husband is dead. My
parents spurn
sad condition.
me, my friends and neighbours chuckle at my
Oh ! how bad must be my ka?i ! For my sake, be
a father to this child " She wept ; and her enunciation
w^as rendered inaudible by her siglis and sobs. U Zota
was thunderstruck. True it was he had, through fear of
contamination, never before allowed any matugama or woman
approach within four cubits of his person. This time he
would have, he thought, repelled the approach of the girl had
he been but aware of it. *' And, what v/ill become of my
boasted sanctity, my reputation for being a woman-hater ? '*
muttered he to himself audibly. But it was too late. Compassion
had melted his once obdurate heart, and the * waspish
headed son ' of Venus had deeply launched his little mischievous
arrows in it. *^ Dagamagale '' said he, at last recovering
from his wonder and surprise, " be comforted ; fear not : I will
be your guardian and protector, and at the same time a father
to this child. But remember, the time has not yet come for
me to assume this office. You must wait and be patient.
Heigh ! Nga Pe, go and fetch the kyau?igtaga at once. Tell
him that I want to see him on a very important business ". The
latter portion of the speech was directed to a kyaungtha^ who
forthwith darted off to prosecute his mission. Of course, our
readers must not assume that Kin Me heard the speech of
the abbot and acquiesced in the sentiment expressed therein.
She was too much engrossed in her sorrow. The thought of
being suddenly bereft of her loved one, of being spurned by
her parents, and, lastly, of how to bring up her offspring, had
taken absolute possession of her mind. And, therefore, it
was no wonder that she neither heard nor gave any heed to
the words of the pongyi.