The ocean of story, being C.H. Tawney's translation of Somadeva's ...

THE POWER OF BEAUTY m
surpassed with the loveliness of her face the moon its enemy. 1
She looked like the night that gives rest to the eyes of the
world, because its attention is diverted from other objects,
and so it remains motionless at that time. 2
That maiden struck that mighty elephant, that came
towards her, with her hand, on its trunk ; and smote it with
those sidelong looks askance of hers. The elephant was
fascinated with the touch of her hand and pene-
Maiden who trated with her glance, and remained with head
fascinated the bent down, gazing at her, and never moved a
Elephant
step>8 Then that Mj,
j^y made a swmg with
her upper garment, which she fastened to its tusks, and
climbed and got into it, and amused herself with swinging.
Then the elephant, seeing that she felt the heat, went into
the shade of a tree ; and the citizens who were present, seeing
this great wonder, exclaimed
"
: Ah ! This is some
glorious heavenly maiden who charms even animals by her
power, which is as transcendent as her beauty."
And in the meanwhile Prince Avantivardhana, hearing
of it, came out to see the wonderful sight, and beheld that
maiden. As he gazed, the deer of his heart ran into that net
of the hunter, Love, and was entangled by it. She too, when
she saw him, her heart being charmed by his beauty, came
down from that swing, which she had put up on the elephant's
tusks, and took her upper garment. Then a driver mounted
the elephant, and she went home, looking at the prince with
an expression of shame and affection.
And Avantivardhana, for his part, the disturbance caused
by the elephant having come to an end, went home to his
palace with his bosom empty, his heart having been stolen
from it by her. And when he got home, he was tortured
by no longer seeing that lovely maiden, and forgetting the
feast of the giving of water, which had begun, he said to his
1 The moon hates the kamala and loves the kumuda.
2 I read stimitasthiteh, which I find in MS. No. 21 66, and in the Sanskrit
College MS.
3
story in the Gesta Romanorum, to which
Cf. Vol. Ill, p. 172, I72w 2 . The
reference is there made, bears a close resemblance to the present story ; but in
the present case it appears as if beauty had more to do with fascinating the ele-
phant than modesty. See further Vol. IX, " Addenda et Corrigenda." n.m.p.