Myths of the Hindus & Buddhists

"When"""Do"""Here"ThenMythsof the Hindus & Buddhistsagain, Pururavas. I am like the very wind and hard tobind. Thou didst break the covenant between us ; go tothy home again, for am I hard to win."Then Pururavas grieved and cried shall :thyfriend and fellow rush away this day, upon the farthestjourney bent, never returning death will;he seek, andthe fierce wolves shall have him."Urvashl answered : not die, Pururavas ;do not rush!away Let not the cruel wolves devour thee ! Takeit not to heart, for lo ! there may not be friendship withany woman ;women s hearts are as hyenas Go to . thyhome again."But a memory came into her mind ofher life with him, and a little she relented ;she said toPururavas : Come, then, on the last night of the yearfrom now ;then shalt thou stay with me one night, andby then, too, this son of thine shall have been born."Pururavas sought her on the last night of the year there:was a golden palace, and the gandharvas cried him,"Enter,"and they sent Urvashl to him. She said:morning dawns the gandharvas will offer thee aboon, and thou must make thychoice." "Choose thoufor me," he said, and she replied:Say, Let me be one ofyour very selves."When morning came, Let me be one of your very selves,"he said. But they answered : Forsooth the sacred fire burnsus.""not upon earth which could make a man as one ofThey gave him fire in a dish and said : Sacrifice therewith,and thou shalt become a gandharva like ourselves." Hetook the fire, and took his son, and went his way. He setdown the fire in the forest, and went with the boy to hisown home. When he returned, am I back," hesaid ;but lo ! the fire had vanished. What had been thefire was an Asvattha tree; and what the dish, a Shami344