and in spite of his mother's solicitations to go home, he ran away. But when she bewailed aloud her lot and that of his poor wife, Shakti, his heart was melted, and coming to her he said, "Mother, I will go to foreign countries on a mercantile enterprise as father did. But where am I to get ships and goods of merchandise?" The mother in reply said that she had long before buried a gem, got from the head of a snake, and the sale of that would enable him to get more than enough for his voyage. The proposal was greedily accepted by the young man, and fourteen ships, richly laden, were soon ready for departure. Religious rites proper for the occasion were performed, and after a very pathetic farewell he left his country, leaving his wife with a sword and instructions to keep it by her at night with the doors shut; and receiving from her in return a garland of shells, which, as she had learned from her tutelary goddess, would serve as a talisman.
The ships unfurled their sails at an auspicious moment, and in six months reached a harbour. Here Shankha's men anchored and made arrangements for cooking their food, while their master retired and engaged himself in the study of the Shastras. It soon became night, and he overheard the conversation of two very large birds, Bangoma and Bangami, gifted with foresight. The latter asked her mate to tell her the young merchant's fortune, and Bangoma said that though he knew it in full he would reveal only one circumstance, and that was that Shankha would soon get a godlike male child.
"What are you talking about?" said Bangami.
"The man is far away from home and there is no knowing after how long he will return, and yet you foretell the speedy birth of his son."
"There is a gigantic swan close by, called Manik," replied Bangoma, "and he, if asked, will take the man hence to his house in a few minutes; and thus he may remain with his wife for a time."
Shankha left his study and called on Manik to do him this service. The swan took him gladly on its back and in
