THE GHOST-BRAHMAN

Once on a time there lived a poor Brahman, who not being a Kulin, found it the hardest thing in the world to get married. He went torich people and begged of them to give him money that he might marry a wife. And a large sum of money was needed, not so much for the expenses of the wedding, as for giving to the parents of the bride. He begged from door to door. flattered many rich folk, and at last succeeded in scraping together the sum needed. The wedding took place in due time; and he brought home his gife to his mother. After a short time he said to his mother- "Mother, I have no means to support you and my wife; I must therefore go to distant countries to get money somehow or other. I may be away for years, for I won't return till I get a good sum. In the meantime Ill give you what I have; you make the best of it, and take care of my wife." The Brahman receiving his mother's blessing set out on his travels. In the evening of that very day, a ghost assuming the exact appearance of the Brahman came into the house. The newly married woman, thinking it was her husband, said to him "How is it that you have returned so soon? You said you might be away for years; why have you changed your mind?" The ghost said- "To-day is not a lucky day, I have therefore returned home; besides, I have already got some money." The mother did not doubt but that it was her son. So the ghost lived in the house as if he was its owner, and as if he was the son of the old woman and the husband of the young woman. As the ghost and the Brahman were exactly like each other in everything, like two peas, the people in the neighbourhood all thought that the ghost was the real Brahman. After some years the Brahman returned from his travels; and what was his surprise when he found another like him in the house. The ghost said to the Brahman- "Who are you? what business have you to come to my house?" "Who am I?" replied the Brahman, " let me ask who you are. This is my house; that is my mother, and this is my wife." The ghost said "Why herein is a strange thing. Every one knows that this is my house, that is my wife, and yonder is my mother, and I have lived here for years. And you Bretend this is your house, and that woman is your wife. Your head must have got turned,Bmihman." So saying the ghost drove away the Birahman from his house.