But Love is also the mighty mother of life, hence, though the region which Vishnu ruled was enormous, it was soon insufficient for the myriads of people; soon there was not fruit enough upon trees there, nor berries enough upon bushes, nor honey enough from cliff bees. Thereupon all the men who were wisest fell to cutting down forests for the clearing of land, for the sowing of seed, for the winning of harvests. Thus Labor appeared among people. Soon all had to turn to it, and labor became not merely the basis of life, but life itself very nearly. But from Labor came Toil, and Toil produced Weariness. Great throngs of people appeared before Vishnu a second time. "O Lord!" exclaimed they, stretching their hands to him, "toil has weakened our bodies, weariness spreads through our bones, we are yearning for rest, but Life drives us always to labor." To this Vishnu answered: "The great and all mighty Brahma has not allowed me to shape Life any further, but I am free to make that which will cause it to halt, and rest will come then to you." And Vishnu made Sleep. Men received this new gift with rejoicing, and very soon saw in it one of the greatest boons given by the deity thus far. In sleep vanished care and vexation, during sleep strength returned to the weary; sleep, like a cherishing mother, wiped away tears of sorrow and surrounded the heads of the slumbering with oblivion. So people glorified sleep, and repeated: "Be blessed, for thou art far better than life in our waking hours." And they had one regret only, that it did not continue forever. After sleep came awakening, and after awakening came labor with fresh toil and weariness. This thought began soon to torture all men so sorely, that for the third time they stood before Vishnu. "O Lord," said they, "thou hast given us a boon which, though great and unspeakably precious, is incomplete as it now appears. Wilt thou grant us that sleep be eternal?" Vishnu wrinkled his brows then in anger at this their insistence, and answered: "I cannot give what ye ask of me, but go to the neighboring ford, and beyond ye will find that for which ye are seeking." The people heard the god's voice and went on in legions immediately. They went to the ford, and, halting there, gazed at the shore lying opposite. Beyond the clear, calm, and flower-bedecked surface stretched the Plain of Death, or the Kingdom of Siva. The sun never rose and never set in that region; there was no day and no night there, but the whole plain was of a lily-colored, absolute clearness. No shadow fell in that region, for clearness inhered there so thoroughly that it seemed the real essence of Siva's dominions. The region was not empty. As far as the eye could reach were seen heights and valleys where beautiful trees stood in groups; on those trees rose climbing plants, while ivy and grapevines were hanging from the cliff sides.