month of Ashwin [10] to
tie on her wrist a thread with sixteen strands in it, and to wear
it continually for the rest of the month. When the 8th of Ashwin
came, Queen Patmadhavrani dutifully tied round her wrist a thread of
sixteen strands, and resolved to wear it every day for the rest of the
month. But a day or two later the king came to Queen Patmadhavrani's
apartments and began to play saripat [11] with her. As they played
he noticed the thread on her wrist and asked what it was. She told
him how Wonderways had instructed her to tie it on. But the king got
very angry and roared out, "I have in my palace garlands and twine,
bracelets, and hobbling-ropes. So throw away that wretched piece of
thread. I will not let you wear it." The queen did as she was bid, and,
pulling off the thread bracelet, threw it on the floor. Next morning
the maids and the slave-girls began to sweep the palace, and among
the sweepings one of them noticed the queen's thread bracelet. She
picked it up and showed it to Wonderways, and he grew very wroth with
Queen Patmadhavrani. He took the thread and at once went with it to
the palace of the unloved Queen Chimadevrani. He told her what had
happened, and she begged him to give the thread to her and to tell
her how to worship Mahalaxmi. But he said, "You will grow vain and
get so conceited that you will not do what I tell you to do." But
she promised that she would obey him in everything. So just as he had
told the Queen Patmadhavrani, he told Queen Chimadevrani all the rites
which he had seen the serpent-maidens from Patala and the wood-nymphs
perform. Everything went on just the same for a whole year. But the
next year on the 8th of Ashwin a very strange thing happened. The
goddess Mahalaxmi disguised herself as an old beggar-woman and
came to Atpat. First she went to the part of the palace where Queen
Patmadhavrani lived. But no one there was paying the least honour
to the goddess Mahalaxmi, although it was the 8th of Ashwin, and
therefore specially sacred to her. Mahalaxmi was dreadfully put out
at this, and when she saw Queen Patmadhavrani she said, "Lady, lady,
Patmadhavrani, mother of sons, what have you in your house to-day?" The
queen replied, "I have nothing in my house to-day." The old woman
went on, "Lady, lady, Patmadhavrani, mother of sons, if you give
this beggar-woman a little water, you will acquire merit sufficient
for all your kingdom." But the queen replied, "Even if I were to