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

THE YOUNG CHANDALA 113
went out in the garden, and an elephant, that had broken
from its fastenings, charged her, and flung her up on his tusks,
litter and all. Her attendants dispersed, shrieking, but a
young Chandala snatched up
a sword and ran towards the
elephant. The brave fellow cut off the trunk of that great
elephant with a sword-stroke, and killed it, and so delivered
the princess. Then her retinue came together again, and she
returned to her palace with her heart captivated by the great
courage and striking good looks of the young Chandala. And
she remained in a state of despondency at being separated from
"
him, saying to herself : Either I must have that man who
delivered me from the elephant for a husband, or I must
die."
The young Chandala, for his part, went home slowly, and
having his mind captivated by the princess was tortured by
"
thinking on her. He said to himself : What a vast gulf is
fixed between me, a man of the lowest caste, and that princess
! How can a crow and a female swan ever unite ? The
idea is so ridiculous that I cannot mention it or consider
it, so, in this difficulty, death is my only resource." After
the young man had gone through these reflections he went
at night to the cemetery, and bathed, and made a pyre, and
lighting the flame thus "
prayed to it : O thou purifying fire,
Soul of the Universe, may that princess be my wife hereafter
in a future birth, in virtue of this offering up of myself as a
"
sacrifice to thee !
When he had said this, he prepared to fling himself into
the fire, but the God of Fire, pleased with him, appeared in
"
visible shape before him, and said to him : Do not act
rashly, for she shall be thy wife, for thou art not a Chandala
by birth, and what thou art I will tell thee. Listen.
"There is in this city a distinguished Brahman of the
name of Kapilasarman ;
in his fire-chamber I dwell in visible
bodily shape. One day his maiden daughter came near me,
and, smitten with her beauty, I made her my wife, inducing
her to forgo her objections by promising her immunity from
disgrace. And thou, my son, wert immediately born to her
by virtue of my power, and she thereupon, out of shame,
there thou wast found
flung thee away in the open street ;
VOL. VIII. h