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

THE TWO BROTHERS 139
younger Devasoma. They passed through the age
of child-
hood, and were invested with the sacred thread, 1 and then
the Brahman, their father, lost his wealth, and he and his
wife died.
Then those two wretched sons, bereaved of their father,
and without subsistence, having had their grant taken from
them by their relations, said to one
"
another : We are now
reduced to living on alms, but we get no alms here. So we
had better go to the house of our maternal grandfather,
though it is far off. Though we have come down in the
world, who on earth would welcome us, if we arrive of our
own accord ? Nevertheless, let us go. What else indeed are
we to do, for we have no other resource ? "
After deliberating to this effect they went, begging their
where the house of
way, by slow stages, to that royal grant,
their grandfather was. There the unfortunate young men
found out, by questioning people, that their grandfather,
whose name was Somadeva, was dead, and his wife also.
Then, begrimed with dust, they entered despairing the
house of their maternal uncles, named Yajnadeva and Kratu-
deva. There those good Brahmans welcomed them kindly,
and gave them food and clothing, and they remained in
study. But in course of time the wealth of their maternal
uncles diminished, and they could keep no servants, and
then they came and said to those nephews, in the most affec-
tionate way :
" Dear boys, we can no longer afford to keep
a man to look after our cattle, as we have become poor, so
do you look after our cattle for us." When Harisoma and
Devasoma's uncles said this to them their throats were
full of tears, but they agreed to their proposal. Then they
took the cattle to the forest every day, and looked after them
there, and at evening they returned home with them, wearied
out.
Then, as they went on looking after the cattle, owing to
their falling asleep in the day some animals were stolen, and
others were eaten by tigers. That made their uncles very
unhappy ; and one day a cow and goat intended for sacrifice,
belonging to their uncles, both disappeared somewhere or
1 For a note on the sacred thread see Vol. VII, pp. 26-28. n.m.p.