登陆注册
4718900000029

第29章

"Thus thinking, the old man went to his wife and said to her, "Birth, marriage, and death are all under the direction of the gods;can anyone say when they will be ours? We want for our daughter a young man who is of good birth, rich and handsome, clever and honourable. But we do not find him. If the bridegroom be faulty, thou sayest, all will go wrong. I cannot put a string round the neck of our daughter and throw her into the ditch. If, however, thou think well of the merchant's son, now my partner, we will celebrate Ratnawati's marriage with him."The wife, who had been won over by the hunchback's hypocrisy, was also pleased, and replied, "My lord! when the Deity so plainly indicates his wish, we should do it; since, though we have sat quietly at home, the desire of our hearts is accomplished. It is best that no delay be made: and, having quickly summoned the family priest, and having fixed upon a propitious planetary conjunction, that the marriage be celebrated."Then they called their daughter -- ah, me! what a beautiful being she was, and worthy the love of a Gandharva (demigod). Her long hair, purple with the light of youth, was glossy as the bramra's wing; her brow was pure and clear as the agate;the ocean-coral looked pale beside her lips, and her teeth were as two chaplets of pearls. Everything in her was formed to be loved.

Who could look into her eyes without wishing to do it again? Who could hear her voice without hoping that such music would sound once more? And she was good as she was fair. Her father adored her; her mother, though a middle-aged woman, was not envious or jealous of her; her relatives doted on her, and her friends could find no fault with her. I should never end were I to tell her precious qualities. Alas, alas ! my poor Ratnawati!

So saying, the jay wept abundant tears; then she resumed:

When her parents informed my mistress of their resolution, she replied, "Sadhu-it is well!" She was not like most young women, who hate nothing so much as a man whom their seniors order them to love. She bowed her head and promised obedience, although, as she afterwards told her mother, she could hardly look at her intended, on account of his prodigious ugliness. But presently the hunchback's wit surmounted her disgust. She was grateful to him for his attention to her father and mother; she esteemed him for his moral and religious conduct; she pitied him for his misfortunes, and she finished with forgetting his face, legs, and back in her admiration of what she supposed to be his mind.

She had vowed before marriage faithfully to perform all the duties of a wife, however distasteful to her they might be; but after the nuptials, which were not long deferred, she was not surprised to find that she loved her husband. Not only did she omit to think of his features and figure; I verily believe that she loved him the more for his repulsiveness. Ugly, very ugly men prevail over women for two reasons. Firstly, we begin with repugnance, which in the course of nature turns to affection; and we all like the most that which, when unaccustomed to it, we most disliked. Hence the poet says, with as much truth as is in the male:

Never despair, O man! when woman's spite Detests thy name and sickens at thy sight:

Sometime her heart shall learn to love thee more For the wild hatred which it felt before, &c.

Secondly, the very ugly man appears, deceitfully enough, to think little of his appearance, and he will give himself the trouble to pursue a heart because he knows that the heart will not follow after him. Moreover, we women (said the jay) are by nature pitiful, and this our enemies term a "strange perversity." A widow is generally disconsolate if she loses a little, wizen-faced, shrunken shanked, ugly, spiteful, distempered thing that scolded her and quarrelled with her, and beat her and made her hours bitter; whereas she will follow her husband to Ganges with exemplary fortitude if he was brave, handsome, generous ---"Either hold your tongue or go on with your story," cried the warrior king, in whose mind these remarks awakened disagreeable family reflections.

"Hi! hi! hi!" laughed the demon; "I will obey your majesty, and make Madan-manjari, the misanthropical jay, proceed."Yes, she loved the hunchback; and how wonderful is our love!

quoth the jay. A light from heaven which rains happiness on this dull, dark earth! A spell falling upon the spirit, which reminds us of a higher existence! A memory of bliss! A present delight! An earnest of future felicity! It makes hideousness beautiful and stupidity clever, old age young and wickedness good, moroseness amiable, and low-mindedness magnanimous, perversity pretty and vulgarity piquant. Truly it is sovereign alchemy and excellent flux for blending contradictions is our love, exclaimed the jay.

And so saying, she cast a triumphant look at the parrot, who only remarked that he could have desired a little more originality in her remarks.

For some months (resumed Madan-manjari), the bride and the bridegroom lived happily together in Hemgupt's house. But it is said:

Never yet did the tiger become a lamb;

and the hunchback felt that the edge of his passions again wanted blunting. He reflected, "Wisdom is exemption from attachment, and affection for children, wife, and home." Then he thus addressed my poor young mistress:

同类推荐
  • 道行般若波罗蜜经

    道行般若波罗蜜经

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 阿弥陀佛说咒

    阿弥陀佛说咒

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 佛入涅槃密迹金刚力士哀恋经

    佛入涅槃密迹金刚力士哀恋经

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 大乘四斋日

    大乘四斋日

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 大乘集菩萨学论

    大乘集菩萨学论

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
热门推荐
  • 严歌苓作品:一个女兵的悄悄话

    严歌苓作品:一个女兵的悄悄话

    一部犹如《芳华》序曲的佳作,它是严歌苓对往昔的追忆,也是她给青春的一个交代!在生命垂危之际,文艺女兵陶小童回忆起过往。为救她而牺牲的团支书王掖生、为宣传队的存在而放弃前途的刘队长、油嘴滑舌而又令她心动的徐北方、对她又爱又恨的女班长孙煤……在这个似乎人人都忙着扫地、冲厕所、喂猪的宣传队里,多愁善感的陶小童显得那么与众不同。无论怎样锻炼,她都难以像别人一样“成熟”。于是,她决定把心肠变硬,从过去那个怯生生的女孩子,变成一个顽强的女战士。
  • 缘来还是你

    缘来还是你

    真爱永恒,一个发生在希腊罗德岛的爱情故事。雅典娜凝视着眼前的男子,摇滚巨星亚历克斯·丹,又回来了。六年前,雅典娜和他度过了缠绵缱绻的三天,他走了,留给她一份珍贵的礼物。那么上天安排的此次重逢又会有怎样的结局。
  • 刀天剑涯

    刀天剑涯

    两个女子,为了完成师父留下来的遗命,她们通过各种别人意想不到的方式,在险恶的武林中挣扎着前进。她们完成了使命,却为此付出了巨大的代价。故事以刀开始,一个不知何处的地方的人闯入武林,掀起一场风波,剑涯作为刀的守护者,她的命运如何?后来,这把嗜血刀的秘密被层层剥开,而中原武林也完成了大洗牌。这些都是由“幕后黑手”所计划和决策的,这位“幕后黑手”,也慢慢的揭开他神秘的面纱……
  • 人类的探索:宇宙科学知识1(青少年科普知识必读丛书)

    人类的探索:宇宙科学知识1(青少年科普知识必读丛书)

    本套丛书分海洋、航空航天、环境、交通运输、军事、能源、生命、生物、信息、宇宙等十册。收录词条约五千个。涉及知识面广阔且精微。所包含的内容:从超级火山、巨型海啸、深海乌贼、聪明剑鱼……到地核风暴、冰期奥秘、动物情感、植物智慧……;从登陆火星、探访水星,到穿越极地,潜入深海……既有独特的自然奇观,又有奇异的人文现象;既有对人类创造物的神奇记述,又有人类在探索和改造自然过程中面对的无奈、局限,以及人类对自然所造成的伤害,自然对人类的警告……
  • 罪界崛起

    罪界崛起

    可怜的古风,从降临到这个世界上时,仿佛就已经注定了倒霉,被白狼以拳脚暴揍,被兔子以雷光在后面紧追,还有一个小萝莉在一旁拍掌大笑,强迫当他主人。这样的可悲生活何时结束?但结束之时,为何少年会有淡淡的哀愁与深深的回忆?我不要这天,挡不住我一棍之威,我也不要这诸天神佛烟消云散,我只要她,回来便好!一段神秘的众神传承落在了他的身上,一根盘云神铁让他横扫大陆众强,一篇神秘的化龙诀,九变腾飞。出血地,入战阁,横扫八方敌。进四方,化青龙,征战无悔。且看古风如何纵横大陆,睥睨四方。妖兽?什么,你是太古妖族,可否好吃?一棍子打死,起火生炉冒紫烟。抢走公主当侍女,抢走神子当书童,镇山神...
  • 史上最强日本史2

    史上最强日本史2

    史上最强日本史再升级,深入探究日本国民性起源!《史上最强日本史2》,第一部惨遭封杀后依然坚挺,销量轻松飚破20万册!《史上最强日本史2》,扬眉吐气,最全面记录万历抗日援朝之战的历史通俗读物!《史上最强日本史2》,职场晋升必读!比《德川家康》更好看的德川家康,为你深度剖析创业成功背后的厚黑秘笈!
  • 在心脏病房歌唱约翰尼·卡什

    在心脏病房歌唱约翰尼·卡什

    2011年10月28日,我54岁,做了六个半小时的心脏手术,把我原来的瓣膜换成人工的,还做了心脏搭桥。要不是这次手术,10个月后我就会死于冠状动脉瘤和心脏衰竭。我写这本书的目的,是鼓励人们,尤其是男人,都去检查一下自己的心脏。很多人根本不知道自己有心脏病,就这么不明不白地丢了性命。男人尤其不愿意重视健康问题,在这点上不如女人。另外,这本书里还提到了音乐,描述了旋律神奇的疗效。这不仅是我自己的“心路历程”的记录,也是我和音乐的故事的记录。在过去的许多年中,我有幸认识了一些伟大的音乐家,其中有几个人在我的生活中扮演了举足轻重的角色。
  • 西游伏魔天师

    西游伏魔天师

    经过数百年的战乱,唐太宗平定东土建立大唐。此时大唐立足未稳国力衰弱,外有突厥吐蕃虎视眈眈,内有群盗肆虐鬼怪横行。大唐皇帝一边请高僧玄奘前往西天取济世真经,一边发放招贤令招募天下能人异士共治乱世。天赋异禀的少年万胜从小就能看见常人无法看见的鬼怪,他博学众门派之长,伏魔除恶安邦,扬大唐国威于三界,为天下苍生万民造福。纯爱版简介:这是一个纯情少年随身带着美女师父,收复美艳狐狸精,调教刁蛮大唐公主,俘获天界仙女芳心的纯爱故事。修仙版简介:梦中修仙,天才悟道胜过凡人百年修行。热血版简介:那突厥蛮子,你有种……下马过来!深刻版简介:取经并不能救大唐!
  • 心理学与心理自助

    心理学与心理自助

    本书以大量实例诠释了现代人所面临的各种各样的心理危机,并从专业心理医生的角度向读者阐述应对心理危机的方法,帮助被心理问题困扰的人走出困境,重建健康美好的心灵家园。
  • 我的恶魔学院

    我的恶魔学院

    我天生就是怪胎?不,我只是比较理解这世间而已。我的实力,凡人,无法想象,我!来自恶魔学院!