Mouse maid's Marriage
Long ago on the banks of the Ganga there was a hermitage. Several holy men lived there.
These men led simple lives. They ate only fruits and roots. They spent their time singing holy songs, praying, fasting and studying holy texts. The head of the hermitage was a sage called Yajna-Valkya.
One day, the sage was bathing in the holy river.
A small mouse fell from the beak of a hawk into the hands of the sage. The sage placed the little mouse on a banyan leaf.
Using hid power of magic, he changed the mouse into a little girl. He took her home and said to his wife, "We do not have children. Let us bring up this girl as our daughter."
They looked after the girl well. Years passed. The girl grew into a beautiful young woman.
One day the sage wife said, "It is time to get our daughter married."
The sage agreed. "I will find the best husband for her," he said.
The sage thought for a while and called the sun. He said to sun, "Please marry my daughter."
Then turning to his daughter, he asked for , "Dear daughter , would like to marry the sun?" He is the one who lights up the three worlds." But the girl was unhappy.
" No father," she replied. "The sun is too hot. Please find someone better."
The sage said to the sun, " O sun, is there anyone superior to you?"
The sun said at once, "The could is more powerful than I am. When he covers me, I disappear."
The sage then called the could. He said to his daughter, "Little girl, I shall get you married to the cloud." But the girl did not like the idea. "The cloud is black and cold. Get me someone who is better," she said.
The sage asked the could, "O cloud, is there anyone superior to you?" The cloud said, "The wind is stronger then I am, he can blow me away."
The sage called wind. He said to his daughter, "I shall give you to the wind." But the girl cried out, "The wind is too restless. I want to marry someone better."
So the sage asked the wind, "O wind, is there anyone superior to you?" The wind said, "The Mountain is superior to me. He can stop me."
The sage called the mountain and asked his daughter about marrying him. But she said, "No father, the mountain is too hard and rough. Please find someone finer."
The sage said to the mountain, "O mountain, is there anyone superior to you?" The mountain replied,"Mice are superior to the mountains.They can make holes in mountains."
Then the sage brought a mouse and asked his daughter, "Dear girl, do you like this mouse?"
The girl was very happy and excited. Trembling with joy, she said, "Father, turn me into a mouse and give me to him. He is one of my own kind. I would like to live the way my people live."
The sage used his magic powers again, He turned the girl into a mouse and got her married as she wished.
These men led simple lives. They ate only fruits and roots. They spent their time singing holy songs, praying, fasting and studying holy texts. The head of the hermitage was a sage called Yajna-Valkya.
One day, the sage was bathing in the holy river.
A small mouse fell from the beak of a hawk into the hands of the sage. The sage placed the little mouse on a banyan leaf.
Using hid power of magic, he changed the mouse into a little girl. He took her home and said to his wife, "We do not have children. Let us bring up this girl as our daughter."
One day the sage wife said, "It is time to get our daughter married."
The sage agreed. "I will find the best husband for her," he said.
The sage thought for a while and called the sun. He said to sun, "Please marry my daughter."
Then turning to his daughter, he asked for , "Dear daughter , would like to marry the sun?" He is the one who lights up the three worlds." But the girl was unhappy.
" No father," she replied. "The sun is too hot. Please find someone better."
The sage said to the sun, " O sun, is there anyone superior to you?"
The sun said at once, "The could is more powerful than I am. When he covers me, I disappear."
The sage asked the could, "O cloud, is there anyone superior to you?" The cloud said, "The wind is stronger then I am, he can blow me away."
The sage called wind. He said to his daughter, "I shall give you to the wind." But the girl cried out, "The wind is too restless. I want to marry someone better."
So the sage asked the wind, "O wind, is there anyone superior to you?" The wind said, "The Mountain is superior to me. He can stop me."
The sage called the mountain and asked his daughter about marrying him. But she said, "No father, the mountain is too hard and rough. Please find someone finer."
The sage said to the mountain, "O mountain, is there anyone superior to you?" The mountain replied,"Mice are superior to the mountains.They can make holes in mountains."
Then the sage brought a mouse and asked his daughter, "Dear girl, do you like this mouse?"
The girl was very happy and excited. Trembling with joy, she said, "Father, turn me into a mouse and give me to him. He is one of my own kind. I would like to live the way my people live."
The sage used his magic powers again, He turned the girl into a mouse and got her married as she wished.