admiring' it, weaving fanciful tales re- 

 garding it, and expending on it both 

 love and care. Vishnu, one of the 

 three chief gods of Hindu mythology, 

 found his wife Lakshmi in the heart 

 of a rose. Listen to how it came 

 about. One day Vishnu was floating 

 on the water to cool himself from the 

 heat of the day. Suddenly he saw be- 

 side him a lotus flower slowly opening 

 its petals. From the middle of the lily, 

 when it was fully blown, rose Brahma. 

 The two gods fell into conversation, 

 and soon came to quarrelling over 

 which was the most beautiful flower 

 in the world. Brahma turned and 

 pointed to the lotus from which he had 

 just risen, and which floated, with its 

 pink-tipped petals rising rank on rank, 

 a perfect flower with a heart of gold. 

 But Vishnu would not agree with 

 Brahma. 

 " in Vaikuntha, my paradise," said 

 124 



