XXI.

THE GARDENER'S CUNNING WIFE.

In a certain village there lived with his wife apoor gardener who cultivated greens in a small patchin the backyard of his house. They were in thirtylittle beds, half of which he would water every day.This occupied him from the fifth to the fifteenthghatika.

His wife used to cut a basketful of greens everyevening, and he took them in the mornings to sell inthe village. The sale brought him a measure or twoof rice, and on this the family lived! If he couldmanage any extra work of an evening he gota few coppers which served to meet their otherexpenses.

Now in that village there was a temple to Kâlî,before which was a fine tank with a mango tree onits bank. The fish in the tank and the mangoesfrom the tree were dedicated to the goddess, andwere strictly forbidden to the villagers. If any onewas discovered cutting a mango or catching a fish,

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