176

The Book of Noodies.

Dubois, 4561.

Story of the First Bráhman.

I am poorly provided with clothing, as yousee; and it is not to- day only that I have beencovered with rags. A rich and very charitableBráhman merchant once made a present oftwo pieces of cloth to attire me- the finestthat had ever been seen in our village. Ishowed them to the other Bráhmans of thevillage, who all congratulated me on so for-tunate an acquisition. They told me it mustbe the fruit of some good deeds that I haddone in a preceding generation. Before Ishould put them on, I washed them, accord-ing to the custom, in order to purify themfrom the soil of the weaver's touch, andhung them up to dry, with the ends fas-tened to two branches of a tree. A dog, thenhappening to come that way, ran under them,and I could not discover whether he was highenough to touch the clothes or not. I askedmy children, who were present, but they saidthey were not quite certain. How, then, wasI to discover the fact? I put myself upon all-fours, so as to be of the height of the dog,and in that posture I crawled under the cloth-ing." Did I touch it?" said I to thechildren, who were observing me. Theyanswered," No," and I was filled with joyat the news. But after reflecting a while, I