New national era. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1870-1874, 1873-04-03
A BUDDHIST Legend.

In the village Of SarNathi there lived a
Young wife named kecsah, who, at the age
of fourteen, gave birth to q son and she
loved him with all the love and Joy of the
possessor of newly-found treasure, for his
face was like a golden cloud, his eyes fair
and tender as blue lotus, and his smile
bright and beaming like the morning light
upon the dewy flowers. Bat when the boy
was able to walk, and could run about the
house, there came a day when he suddenly
fell sick and died. And Keesah, not under
standing VIVA; had happened to her fair, To-
tus-eyed boy, clasped him to her bosom, and
went about the village from house to house,
PRAYING and weeping, and beseeching the
good people TO give her some medicine to cure
her baby. But the villagers and neighbors,
on seeing her, said:
.Is the girl mad, that She still hears about
OH her breast the dead body of her child:"
At length holy man, plying the girls
sorrow, said to himself: Alas! this Keesah
does not understand the law of death l will
try to comfort her." And he answered her,
and said, my good girl, | cannot myself
give you any medicine To cure your boy, but
i know holy and wise physician who can"
"Oh!' said the young mother, do tell
me who il is, that l may go at once to himo'
And the holy man replied, "lle is called
the Buddha; he alone can cure thy child"
Then Keesah, on hearing this, was COM
forted, and set out to find the Buddha, still
clasping to her heart the lifeless body Of her
child. And when she found him, she bowed
down before him and said
go my lord and master. do YOU know Of
any medicine that will cure my baby""
And the Buddha replied and said Yes,
know of one, but you must get it for me-"
And she asked What medicine do YOU
want: Tell me, that may hasten in search
of it,"
And the Buddha said - want only few
Grains Of mustart-seed. Leave here the boy.
and go YOU and bring them TO me-"
The girl refused to part with her baby, but
promised to get the seed for him. As she
was about TO set ont, the pi;i!ul Buddha, re-
calling her, said:
my sister, the mEstard-sced that | re-
qnire mus, be taken from IA house where no
child, parent, husband, wife, relative, or slave
has ever died.
The young mother replied, VERY good,
nv lord" and went her way, taking her boy
with her, and setting him astIiie on her hip,
with his lfcless head resting on her bosom.
Thus she went from house 10 house, from
palace To hut. begging lor some grains Of
mustard-seed. The people. said 10 her:
"Here are the seeds take them, and so Thy
way" But she first asked:
IN inns, my lf!ehu > H""S'' HIS th'Ic
ever died a child, a husband, a parent, or
slave?'
And they one and all replied: Lady,
what is this that thou hast said: knowest
thou not that the living are few, but that the
dead are many: There i no such house as
thou seekest."
Then she went TO other houses and begged
the grains of mus tard. seed, which they gladly
gave her, but 10 her questiOnings one said,
II have lost a son; - another. Il have lost
a parent - and yet another, IL have lost a
slave :" and every one and all Of them made
some such reply. AT last, not being able TO
discover single house free from the dead,
whence she could obtain the mustard-seed,
and feeling utterly faint and weary, she sat
herself down upon stone, with her baby IN
her lap, and, thinking sadly, said to herself,
"Alas! this is a heavy task ! have under