THE BOAT OF THE boatman Madhu is moored at the wharf of Rajgunj.
It is uselessly laden with jute, and has been lying there idle forever so long.
If he would only lend me his boat, I should man her with a hundred oars, and hoist sails, five or six or seven.
I should never steer her to stupid markets.
I should sail the seven seas and the thirteen rivers of fairyland.
But, mother, you won't weep for me in a corner.
I am not going into the forest like Ramachandra to come back only after fourteen years.
I shall become the prince of the story, and fill my boat with whatever I like.
I shall take my friend Ashu with me. We shall sail merrily across the seven seas and the thirteen rivers of fairyland.
We shall set sail in the early morning light.
When at noontide you are bathing at the pond, we shall be in the land of a strange king.
We shall pass the ford of Tirpurni, and leave behind us the desert
of Tepantar.
When we come back it will be getting dark, and I shall tell you of all that we have seen.
I shall cross the seven seas and the thirteen rivers of fairyland.

ফুল ছিঁড়ে লয়
        হাওয়া,
সে পাওয়া মিথ্যে
        পাওয়া--
আনমনে তার
পুষ্পের ভার
ধুলায় ছড়িয়ে
        যাওয়া।
যে সেই ধুলার
        ফুলে
হার গেঁথে লয়
        তুলে
হেলায় সে ধন
হয় যে ভূষণ
তাহারি মাথার
        চুলে।
শুধায়ো না মোর
        গান
কারে করেছিনু
        দান--
পথধুলা-'পরে
আছে তারি তরে
যার কাছে পাবে
        মান।

THE FATHER came back from the funeral rites.
        His boy of seven stood at the window, with eyes wide open and a golden amulet hanging from his neck, full of thoughts too difficult for his age.
        His father took him in his arms and the boy asked him, 'Where is mother?'
        In heaven,' answered his father, pointing to the sky.
At night the father groaned in slumber, weary with grief.
        A lamp dimly burned near the bedroom door, and a lizard chased moths on the wall.
        The boy woke up from sleep, felt with his hands the emptiness in the bed, and stole out to the open terrace.
        The boy raised his eyes to the sky and long gazed in silence. His bewildered mind sent abroad into the night the question, 'Where is heaven?'
No answer came: and the stars seemed like the burning tears of that ignorant darkness.