The Tale of Patala the Dancer : หน้า 30/131

Once upon a time, sire, a certain dancer named Patala lived not far from Benares, in a village on the river’s bank. One day he went into Benares with his wife and after gaining money by his singing and dancing, at the end of the fete he procured some rice and strong drink. On his way to his own village he came to the bank of the river, and sat down watching the freshly flowing stream, to drink his strong drink. When he was drunk and unconscious of his weakness, he said, “I will fasten my big lute about my neck and go down into the river.” And he took his wife by the hand and went down into the river. The water entered into the holes of the lute, and then the weight of his lute made him begin to sink. But when his wife saw he was sinking, she let go of him and went up out of the river and stood upon the bank. The dancer Patala now rises and now sinks, and his belly became swollen from swallowing the water. So his wife thought, ‘My husband will now die: I will beg of him one song, and by singing this in the midst of the people, I shall earn my living.’ And saying, “My lord, you are sinking in the water: give me just one song, and I will earn my living by it,” she spoke this stanza: