^9^3-1 ADVENTURES OF MULADEVA 645 



returned (to the village). The Saint went to a grove. Muladeva 

 begged alms for the last time, ate and started for Bennayada, where 

 he arrived in due course. 



By night he slept outside in the travelers' hospice, and in the 

 last watch had a dream: The moon with full disc, her brilliance 

 undimmed, entered into his body. Another tramp had the very same 

 dream which he told to the rest of the tramps. One of them said : 

 "You will to-day get a tremendously big cake full of ghee and 

 sugar ! " But Miiladeva did not tell his dream, thinking that they 

 knew not its true meaning. The tramp started out for alms, did get 

 from a house-wife such a cake as had been described, and joyously 

 told the other tramps. Muladeva went to some garden, where he 

 made friends with a wreath-maker by helping him gather flowers. 

 The gardener gave him some flowers and fruits. These he took, and, 

 having adorned himself, went to the house of an interpreter of 

 dreams. He paid his respects, and inquired about his prosperity and 

 health. The teacher in turn addressed him politely, and inquired 

 after his concerns. Muladeva, with folded hands, narrated his 

 dream, whereupon the teacher exclaimed joyously: " I shall interpret 

 your dream in an auspicious hour; in the meanwhile now be my 

 guest." Muladeva accepted, bathed, and feasted sumptuously. After 

 dinner the teacher said : " I have here a lovely daughter ; out of 

 regard for me do you marry her." Muladeva said : " Father, would 

 you make one whose family and character you do not know your 

 son-in-law ? " The teacher replied. " My son, behavior of itself 

 betrays a man's family, even when he has not made mention of it." 

 The poet says :'^^ 



'' Behavior declares one's family, speech one's country ; agita- 

 tion betrays love ; and personal appearance the food one subsists on." 

 Moreover : 



" Is it necessary to impart smell to the lotus, or sweet to sugar ; or 

 to teach sport to noble elephants, or refinement to them that have 

 sprung from a good family " ?*^^ And again : 



6^ This stanza in Sanskrit. 



^2 See Agadadatta, stanza 75 ( Jacobi, " Ausgewahlte Erzahlungen," 

 p. 72) : "Who paints the peacock, or imparts their gait to the royal swans? 

 Who bestows fragrance upon the lotus, and good manners upon them that are 

 sprung from noble families?" 



