F. 
THIS IS WHAT (PEOPLE) DO WHEN THEIR CHILDREN DIE.1 
A man liked a certain woman who was very beautiful. He loved 
her so much that he wished to marry her if she were willing. Accord- 
ingly he began courting her. He courted her quietly. He did not 
wrong her; he would only court her quietly. Soon he contrived to 
marry her. He was much pleased when he first married her: there 
was nothing (to mar their happiness). 
Well, after he had been married for two years, they had a child. 
They both were fond of the baby. Both the woman and the man were 
very fond of it as it was their own child. That is why they were 
fond of it. 
Soon they again had a child; so they had two babies. They still 
loved them. Soon one of their children became sick. That is why 
they were discouraged. That is why they began to think of what it 
might die. They must have been frightened as they wished it to 
be doctored. Surely they desired to give (property) away (to have 
it doctored). They had to think this way as (their child) was getting 
worse. They would feel discouraged about it getting well. They 
themselves thought fixedly on a way to cure it, though there was no 
cure. They would say to the one who doctored it, ‘You must cure 
it; I will give you something,” they would say to him, “‘if it lives in 
health.” They would be told uprightly by the doctor, “Do not 
think of giving me anything in addition,” they would be told. If 
the (doctor) thinks of anything, they would be asked for something 
extra. That is what they did: they would give it. But there was 
no chance for (the child) to be cured. Soon the time came for (the 
child) to die. The same (happens) to as many of us as move. We 
do not receive anything so we can buy our lives. If we really bought 
anything we should always think of buying ourselves. But to-day 
we do not even stop to breathe once. When the time comes, we die 
That happens even to a rich person. 
1 The syntax of the Indian original of this sentence is very peculiar. 
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