"One day her husband came home from hunting, tired and thirsty, and asked her for water. She answered: 'I have a very bad headache, you must go and draw for yourself.' Then walking softly behind him as he went, she waited till he stooped down over the well, and pushed him in. "Having thus, as she thought, got rid of her husband, she took the maimed man on her back and carried him till she reached an inhabited country, where there was no famine, telling those who asked her, that this man was her husband, and had been mutilated in that manner by a spiteful enemy. "She thus became the object of much compassion, and praise, for devotion to her husband, and the king of the country bestowed on her a small pension on which she lived in the city of Avanti. Meanwhile her real husband had managed to climb up from the well, and wandered about a long time, not knowing where his wife was gone. At last he came to Avanti in great distress, and was begging for food when she chanced to see him. Going at once to the king, she said, 'That wicked wretch who mutilated my husband is now here; I have seen him going about as a beggar.' "Upon this he was immediately seized, and, notwithstanding his protestations of innocence, condemned to death, and led away to execution. "On the way, with but faint hopes of saving his life, he said to the executioner, 'I have been condemned on the evidence of one witness only; let that man whom I am accused of injuring be questioned; if he says I am guilty, then indeed I deserve to die.' "The executioner saying, 'Perhaps he may be innocent--a few minutes' delay can do no harm,' took him at once to the house of his wife, and there the poor mutilated wretch, with many tears, declared the kindness with which he had been treated by the supposed criminal, and the wickedness of the woman who had forced him to live with her as her husband. "Thereupon the execution was stayed, and the king, having been made acquainted with the whole affair, ordered her to be cut in pieces and given to the dogs, and showed much favour and kindness to her husband. "I say, therefore, there is nothing so cruel as the heart of a wicked woman." The Rakshas appeared to be satisfied with this story, and said: "Go on, tell me about Gomini." I continued therefore: "There was formerly in the country of the Dravidas a young brahman of great wealth. Somehow he was not married when a mere boy, as is often the case, and when he grew up he thought to himself: 'Those who have no wives and those who have bad wives are equally unfortunate, I will not let my friends choose for me, but travel about and look out for myself till I find a girl who may suit me.' "Having formed this resolution, and changed his name, he set out alone, taking very little with him, but a small bag containing two or three pounds of rice in the husk.