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

THE LOVE-SICK FISHERMAN 115
Suratamanjari is not a woman of the lowest caste, but a
celestial nymph. For such a pearl as she is must belong
to some other race than that of the Matangas, and without
doubt she was the beloved of my son in a former birth;
and this is proved by his falling in love with her at first
sight."
When King Palaka said this in our presence I proceeded
to relate the following story about a man of the fisher caste :
168c. The Young Fisherman who married a Princess
Long ago there lived in Rajagriha a king named Malayasimha,
and he had a daughter named Mayavati, of matchless
beauty. One day a young man of the fisher caste, named
Suprahara, who was in the bloom of youth and good looks,
saw her as she was amusing herself in a spring garden. The
moment he saw her he was overpowered by love ;
for Destiny
never considers whether a union is possible or impossible.
So he went home, and abandoning his occupation of catching
fish he took to his bed, and refused to eat, thinking only on
And when persistently questioned, he told his
the princess.
wish to his mother, named Rakshitika, and she said to her son :
"
My son, abandon your despondency, and take food ; I will
certainly compass this your end for you by my ingenuity."
When she said this to him, he was consoled, and cherished
hopes, and took food ; and his mother went to the palace of
the princess with fish from the lake. 1
There that fisher-wife
was announced by the maids, and went in, on the pretext of
paying her respects, and gave the princess that present of fish.
And in this way she came regularly, day after day, and
made the princess a present, and so gained her good will, and
made her desirous of speaking. And the pleased princess
said to the fisher-wife :
I will do it, though it be ever so difficult."
" Tell me what you wish me to do ;
Then the fisher-wife begged that her boldness might be
"
pardoned, and said in secret to the :
princess Royal lady,
my son has seen you in a garden, and is tortured by the
1 All the India Office MSS. and the Sanskrit College MS. read hridyan
** delicious fish."