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The Mahabharata of Krishna Dwaipayana Vyasa, Volume 2 by or: Kisari Mohan Ganguli

o >> or: Kisari Mohan Ganguli >> The Mahabharata of Krishna Dwaipayana Vyasa, Volume 2






SECTION LXVI

"Vaisampayana said, 'Having vanquished the Kurus in battle, that one with
eyes like those of a bull brought back that profuse cattle wealth of
Virata. And while the Dhritarashtra, after their rout, were going away, a
large number of Kuru-soldiers issuing out of the deep forest appeared
with slow steps before Partha, their hearts afflicted with fear. And they
stood before him with joined palms and with hair dishevelled. And
fatigued with hunger and thirst, arrived in a foreign land, insensible
with terror, and confused in mind, they all bowed down unto the son of
Pritha and said,--We are thy slaves.'

"Arjuna said, 'Welcome, blessed be ye. Go ye away. Ye have no cause of
fear. I will not take the lives of them that are afflicted. Ye have my
assurance of protection.

"Vaisampayana continued, 'Hearing these words of assurance, the assembled
warriors greeted him with benedictions in praise of his achievements and
fame and wishing him long life. And the Kauravas were unable to confront
Arjuna while after routing the foe he proceeded towards the city of
Virata, like an elephant with rent temples. And having routed the whole
army of the Kuru like a violent wind scattering the clouds, that slayer
of foes, Partha, regardfully addressing the prince of Matsya, said, 'It
is known to thee alone, O child, that the sons of Pritha are all living
with thy father. Do not eulogise them upon entering the city, for then
the king of the Matsyas may hide himself in fear. On the other hand,
entering the city, do thou proclaim in the presence of thy father that
the deed is thy own, saying,--By me hath the army of the Kurus been
vanquished and by me have the kine been recovered from the foe!'

"Uttara said, 'The feat thou hast achieved is beyond my power. I do not
possess the ability to achieve it. I shall not, however, O Savyasachin,
discover thee to my father, as long as thou wilt not tell me to do it.'

"Vaisampayana continued, 'Having vanquished the hostile army and wrested
the whole of the cattle wealth from the Kurus, Jishnu returned again to
the cemetery and having approached the same Sami tree stood there with
body mangled by the arrows of the enemy. Then that terrible monkey
blazing like fire ascended into the sky with those other creatures in the
flag-staff. And the illusion created (by Viswakarma) melted away and
Uttara's own banner bearing the device of a lion was set up on the car
again. And having replaced the arrows and quivers of those foremost of
the Kuru princes, and also that other weapon the (Gandiva) which enhances
the fierceness of a battle, the illustrious prince of Matsya set out for
the city with a glad heart, having Kiritin as his charioteer. And having
achieved an exceedingly mighty feat and slain the foe, Partha also, that
slayer of foes, binding his hair into a braid as before, took the reins
from Uttara's hands. And that illustrious hero entered the city of
Virata, with a cheerful heart rehabilitating himself as Vrihannala, the
car-driver of Uttara.'

"Vaisampayana continued, 'When all the Kauravas utterly routed and
vanquished, set out in a dejected mood for Hastinapura, Falguna, on his
way back, addressed Uttara, saying, 'O prince, O hero of mighty arms,
seeing the kine escorted in advance of us by the cowherds, we shall enter
Virata's metropolis in the afternoon, having tended the steeds with drink
and a bath. Let the cowherds, despatched by thee, speedily repair to the
city with the good news and proclaim thy victory.'

"Vaisampayana continued, 'Agreeable to Arjuna's words, Uttara speedily
ordered the messengers, saying, 'Go ye and proclaim the king's victory.
The foe hath been routed, and the kine have been recovered. And the
Matsya and the Bharata princes having thus consulted together
re-approached the same Sami tree. And gratified with the victory they had
won, and arrived at the foot of the Sami tree, they wore on their persons
and took up on their car the ornaments and robes they had left there. And
having vanquished the whole hostile army and recovered the whole of the
wealth from the Kurus, the heroic son of Virata returned to the city with
Vrihannala as his car-driver.'"



SECTION LXVII

"Vaisampayana said, 'Having speedily recovered his wealth Virata owning a
large army entered his city with a cheerful heart, accompanied by the
four Pandavas. And having vanquished the Trigartas in battle and
recovered all the kine, that mighty monarch, along with the sons of
Pritha, looked resplendent and blazed forth in beauty. And as the brave
king, that enhancer of the joys of friends, was seated on his throne, all
his subjects headed by the Brahmanas stood before him. And worshipped by
them, the king of the Matsyas, at the head of his army, saluted the
Brahmanas and his subjects in return and dismissed them cheerfully. And
Virata, the king of the Matsyas owning a large army, enquired after
Uttara, saying, 'Where hath Uttara gone?' And the women and the maidens
of the palace and the other females living in the inner apartments
joyfully said unto him, 'Our kine having been seized by the Kurus,
Bhuminjaya incensed at this and from excess of bravery hath issued forth
alone with only Vrihannala as his second, for vanquishing the six mighty
car-warriors, Bhishma the son of Santanu, and Kripa, and Karna, and
Duryodhana, and Drona, and Drona's son who have all come with the Kuru
army.'

"Vaisampayana continued, 'Then king Virata, hearing that his brave son
had gone forth with only one car and with Vrihannala as his car-driver,
became filled with grief, and addressing his chief counsellors, said,
'Without doubt, the Kauravas and other lords of earth, learning the
defeat of the Trigartas, will never keep their ground. Therefore, let
those of my warriors that have not been wounded by the Trigartas go out,
accompanied by a mighty force, for the protection of Uttara.' And saying
this, the king speedily despatched, for the sake of his son, horses and
elephants and cars and a large number of foot-soldiers, equipped and
decked with various kinds of weapons and ornaments. And it was thus that
Virata, the king of the Matsyas, owning a large army, quickly ordered out
a large division consisting of four kinds of troops. And having done
this, he said, 'Learn ye, without loss of time whether the prince liveth
still or not! I myself think that he who hath got a person of the neuter
sex for his car-driver is not alive.'

"Vaisampayana continued, 'Then king Yudhishthira the just, smilingly said
unto the afflicted king Virata, 'If, O monarch, Vrihannala hath been his
charioteer, the foe will never be able to take away thy kine today.
Protected by that charioteer, thy son will be able to vanquish in battle
all the lords of earth allied with the Kurus, indeed, even the gods and
the Asuras and the Siddhas and the Yakshas together.'

"Vaisampayana continued, 'Meanwhile, the swift-footed messengers
despatched by Uttara, having reached Virata's city, gave tidings of the
victory. And the minister-in-chief then informed the king of everything,
viz., the great victory that had been won, the defeat of the Kurus, and
the expected arrival of Uttara. And he said, 'All the kine have been
brought back, the Kurus have been defeated, and Uttara, that slayer of
foes, is well with his car-driver.' Then Yudhishthira said, 'By good luck
it is that the kine have been recovered and the Kurus routed. I do not,
however, regard it strange that thy son should have vanquished the Kurus,
for his victory is assured that hath Vrihannala for his charioteer.'

"Vaisampayana continued, 'Hearing of the victory of his son possessed of
immeasurable might, king Virata became so glad that the bristles of his
body stood erect. And having made presents of raiments unto the
messengers, he ordered his ministers, saying, 'Let the highways be
decorated with flags, and let all the gods and goddesses be worshipped
with flowery offerings. And let princes and brave warriors, and musicians
and harlots decked in ornaments, march out to receive my son. And let the
bellman, speedily riding an intoxicated elephant, proclaim my victory at
places where four roads meet. And let Uttara, too, in gorgeous attire and
surrounded by virgins and chanters of eulogies, go forth to receive my
son.'

"Vaisampayana continued, 'Having listened to these words of the king, all
the citizens with auspicious things in hand, and many amongst them with
cymbals and trumpets and conchs, and beautiful women attired in gorgeous
robes, and reciters of auspicious and sacred hymns, accompanied by
encomiasts and minstrels, and drummers and other kinds of musicians
issued forth from the city of the mighty Virata to welcome Uttara of
immeasurable prowess. And having despatched troops and maidens and
courtezens decked in ornaments, the wise king of the Matsyas cheerfully
said these words, 'O Sairindhri, fetch the dice. And, O Kanka, let the
play commence.' The son of Pandu replied, saying, 'We have heard it said
that one whose heart is filled with joy should not play with a cunning
gambler. I do not therefore, dare gamble with thee that are so
transported with joy. I am ever desirous of doing what is for thy good.
Let the play, however, commence if it pleases thee.'

"Virata said, 'My female slaves and kine, my gold and whatsoever other
wealth I have, nothing of all this shall thou be able to protect today
even if I do not gamble.' Kanka said in reply, 'O monarch, O bestower of
honours, what business hast thou with gamble which is attended with
numerous evils? Gambling is fraught with many evils; it should,
therefore, be shunned. Thou mayst have seen or at least heard of
Yudhishthira, the son of Pandu. He lost his extensive and prosperous
kingdom and his god-like brothers at dice. For this, I am averse to
gambling. But if thou likest, O king, I will play.'

"Vaisampayana continued, 'While the play was going on, Matsya said unto
the son of Pandu, 'Lo, the Kauravas that are so formidable have been
vanquished in battle by my son.' Upon this, the illustrious king
Yudhishthira said, 'Why should not he conquer that hath Vrihannala for
his charioteer?'

'Thus addressed, King Matsya became angry and said unto Pandu's son,
'Thou wretch of a Brahmana, dost thou compare one of the neuter sex with
my son! Hast thou no knowledge of what is proper and what improper for
one to say? Without doubt, thou disregardest me. Why should not my son
vanquish all those with Bhishma and Drona as their leaders? O Brahmana,
for friendship only I pardon thee this thy offence. Thou must not,
however, say so again if thou wishest to live.'

"Yudhishthira said, 'There where Bhishma and Drona and Drona's son and
the son of Vikartana and Kripa and king Duryodhana and other royal and
mighty car-warriors are assembled or there where Indra himself is
surrounded by the Maruts, what other person than Vrihannala can fight,
encountering them all! None hath been, none will be, his equal in
strength of arms! Indeed, it is Vrihannala only whose heart is filled
with joy at sight of a terrible conflict. It is he who had vanquished the
celestials and the Asuras and human beings fighting together. With such a
one for his ally, why should not thy son conquer the foe? Virata said,
'Repeatedly forbidden by me, thou dost not yet restrain thy tongue. If
there is none to punish, no one would practise virtue.'

"Vaisampayana continued, 'Saying this, the king inflamed with anger
forcibly struck Yudhishthira in the face with a dice, and reproached him
angrily, saying, 'Let it not occur again! And having been violently
struck, blood began to flow from his nose. But the son of Pritha held it
in his hands before it fell on the ground. And the virtuous Yudhishthira
then glanced at Draupadi who was standing by his side. Ever obedient to
the wishes of her lord, the faultless Draupadi, understanding his
meaning, and bringing a golden vessel filled with water, received the
blood that flowed from his nose. Meanwhile; Uttara, entertained with
sweet perfumes of diverse kinds and decked with floral chaplets, slowly
entered the city, received with respect by the citizens, the women, and
the people of the provinces. And approaching the gate of the palace he
sent the news of his arrival to his father. And the porter then,
approaching the king, said, 'Thy son Uttara, waiteth at the gate with
Vrihannala as his companion.' And the Matsya king, with a cheerful heart,
said unto him, 'Do thou usher both, as I am very anxious to see them.'
Then Yudhishthira, the king of t e Kurus, gently whispered unto the ears
of the warder, 'Let Uttara enter alone; Vrihannala must not come in. Such
is the vow of that hero of mighty arms that whoever causeth a wound on my
person or sheddeth my blood except in battle, shall not live. Inflamed
with rage he will never bear patiently to see me bleeding, but will slay
Virata even now with his counsellors and troops and steeds.'"



SECTION LXVIII

"Vaisampayana said, 'Then Bhuminjaya, the eldest son of the king,
entered, and having worshipped the feet of his father approached Kanka.
And he beheld Kanka covered with blood, and seated on the ground at one
end of the court, and waited upon by the Sairindhri. And seeing this,
Uttara asked his father in a hurry, saying, 'By whom, O king, hath this
one been struck? By whom hath this sinful act been perpetrated?'

"Virata said, 'This crooked Brahmana hath been struck by me. He deserveth
even more than this. When I was praising thee, he praised that person of
the third sex.'

"Uttara said, 'Thou hast, O king, committed an improper act. Do thou
speedily propitiate him so that the virulent poison of a Brahmana's curse
may not consume thee to thy roots!'

"Vaisampayana continued, 'Having heard the words of his son, Virata, that
enhancer of the limits of his kingdom, began to soothe Kunti's son, who
was like unto a fire hid in ashes, for obtaining his forgiveness. And
unto the king desirous of obtaining his pardon the Pandava replied, 'O
king, I have long ago forgiven it. Anger I have none. Had this blood from
my nostrils fallen on the ground, then, without doubt, thou, O monarch,
wouldst have been destroyed with thy kingdom. I do not, however, blame
thee, O king, for having struck an innocent person. For, O king, they
that are powerful generally act with unreasoning severity.'

"Vaisampayana continued, 'When the bleeding had stopped, Vrihannala
entered (the council-room) and having saluted both Virata and Kanka,
stood silent. And the king, having appeased the chief of the Kurus, began
to praise, in Savyasachin's hearing, Uttara who had returned from the
battle. And the king said, 'O enhancer of the joys of Kekaya's princess,
in thee have I truly a son! I never had nor shall have, a son that is
equal to thee! How, indeed, couldst thou, O Child, encounter that Karna
who leaveth not a single mark unhit amongst even a thousand that he may
aim at all at once? How couldst thou, O child, encounter that Bhishma who
hath no equal in the whole world of men? How also couldst thou, O child,
encounter Drona, that foremost of all wielders of weapons, that preceptor
of the Vrishnis and Kauravas, twice-born one who may be regarded as the
preceptor of all the Kshatriyas? How couldst thou meet in battle the
celebrated Aswatthaman? How couldst thou, O child, encounter that
Duryodhana, the prince who is capable of piercing even a mountain with
his mighty arrows? My foes have all been thrashed. A delicious breeze
seems to blow around me. And since thou hast recovered in battle the
whole of my wealth that had been seized by the Kurus, it seems that all
those mighty warriors were struck with panic. Without doubt, thou, O bull
amongst men, has routed the foe and snatched away from them my wealth of
kine, like his prey from a tiger.'"



SECTION LXIX

"Uttara said, 'The kine have not been recovered by me, nor have the foe
been vanquished by me. All that hath been accomplished by the son of a
deity. Capable of striking like a thunderbolt, that youth of celestial
origin, beholding me running away in fear, stopped me and himself mounted
on my car. It was by him that the kine have been recovered and the
Kauravas vanquished. The deed, O father, is that hero's and not mine. It
was he that repulsed with arrows Kripa and Drona and Drona's son of
powerful energy, and the Suta's son and Bhishma. That mighty hero then
spoke unto the affrighted prince Duryodhana who was running away like the
leader of a head of elephants, these words, 'O prince of the Kuru race, I
do not see that thou art safe by any means even at Hastinapura. Protect
thy life by putting forth thy might. Thou shalt not escape me by flight.
Therefore, make up thy mind for fight. If victorious, the sovereignty of
the earth will be thine, or if slain, heaven itself will be thine.'

'Thus addressed, king Duryodhana--that tiger among men surrounded by his
counsellors,--sighing on his car like a snake turned back, showered
arrows endued with the speed and force of thunderbolts. Beholding all
this, venerable sire, my thighs began to quake. Then that celestial youth
pierced with arrows the Kuru army consisting of leonine warriors. And
having pierced and afflicted that crowd of cars, that youth, stout as the
lion, laughed at them and robbed them of their clothes and attires.
Indeed, the six great car-warriors of the Kurus were vanquished by that
hero alone, even like herds of animals ranging in the forest by a single
tiger in rage.'

"Virata said, 'Where is that mighty-armed and famous youth of celestial
origin, that hero who recovered in battle my wealth that had been seized
by the Kurus? I am anxious to behold and worship that mighty warrior of
celestial origin who hath saved thee and my kine also.'

"Uttara replied, 'The mighty son of a deity disappeared there and then. I
think, however, that he will show himself either tomorrow or the day
after.'

"Vaisampayana continued, 'Virata, that owner of a large army, remained
ignorant of the son of Pandu who was thus described unto him by Uttara,
and who was living in the palace in disguise. And permitted by the
high-souled Virata, Partha presented with his own hands the garments he
had brought, unto Virata's daughter. And the beautiful Uttara, obtaining
those new and costly clothes of diverse kinds, became highly glad, along
with the son of the Matsya king.'"



SECTION LXX

"Vaisampayana said, 'Then, on the third day, attired in white robes after
a bath, and decked in ornaments of all kinds, those great car-warriors,
the five Pandava brothers, having accomplished their row, and with
Yudhishthira at their head, looked resplendent as they entered the
palace-gate like five intoxicated elephants. And having entered the
council-hall of Virata, they took their seats on the thrones reserved for
kings, and shone brilliantly like fires on the sacrificial altar. And
after Pandavas had taken their seats, Virata, that lord of earth, came
there for holding his council and discharging other royal offices. And
beholding the illustrious Pandavas blazing like fires, the king reflected
for a moment. And them, filled with wrath, the Matsya king spoke unto
Kanka seated there like a celestial and looking like the lord of
celestials surrounded by the Maruts. And he said, 'A player at dice thou
wert employed by me as a courtier! How couldst thou occupy the royal seat
thus attired in handsome robes and ornaments?"

"Vaisampayana continued, 'Hearing these words of Virata, O king, and
desirous of jesting with him, Arjuna smilingly said in reply, 'This
person, O king, deserveth to occupy the same seat with Indra himself.
Devoted to the Brahmanas, acquainted with the Vedas, indifferent to
luxury and carnal enjoyments, habitually performing sacrifices, steady in
vows, this one, indeed, is the very embodiment of virtue, The foremost of
all Persons endued with energy and superior to every body on earth in
intelligence, devoted to asceticism, he is conversant with various
weapons. No other person among the mobile and immobile creatures of the
three worlds possesseth or will ever possess such knowledge of weapons.
And there is none even amongst the gods, or Asuras, or men, or Rakshasas,
or Gandharvas, or Yaksha chiefs, or Kinnaras--or mighty Uragas, who is
like him. Endued with great foresight and energy, beloved by the citizens
and inhabitants of the provinces, he is the mightiest of car-warriors
amongst the sons of Pandu. A performer of sacrifices, devoted to
morality, and of subdued passions, like unto a great Rishi, this royal
sage is celebrated over all the worlds. Possessed of great strength and
great intelligence, able and truthful, he hath all his senses under
complete control. Equal unto Indra in wealth and Kuvera in hoarding, he
is the protector of the worlds like unto Manu himself of mighty prowess.
Endued with great might, he is even such. Kind unto all creatures he is
no other than the bull of the Kuru race, king Yudhishthira the just. The
achievements of this king resemble the sun himself of blazing effulgence.
And his fame hath travelled in all directions like the rays of that
luminary. And like the rays following the risen sun of blazing
effulgence, ten thousand swift elephants followed him, O king, when he
dwelt among the Kurus. And, O king, thirty thousand cars decked in gold
and drawn by the best steeds, also used to follow him then. And full
eight hundred bards adorned with ear-rings set with shining gems, and
accompanied by minstrels, recited his praises in those days, like the
Rishis adorning Indra. And, O king, the Kauravas and other lords of earth
always waited upon him like slaves, as the celestials upon Kuvera. This
eminent king, resembling the bright-rayed sun, made all lords of earth
pay tribute unto him like persons of the agricultural class. And
eighty-eight thousands of high-souled Snatakas depended for their
subsistence upon this king practising excellent vows. This illustrious
lord protected the aged and the helpless, the maimed and the blind, as
his sons, and he ruled over his subjects virtuously. Steady in morality
and self-control, capable of restraining his anger, bountiful, devoted to
the Brahmanas, and truthful, this one is the son of Pandu. The prosperity
and prowess of this one afflict king Suyodhana with his followers
including Kama and Suvala's son. And, O lord of men, the virtues of this
one are incapable of being enumerated. This son of Pandu is devoted to
morality and always abstains from injury. Possessed of such attributes,
doth not this bull among kings, this son of Pandu, deserve, O monarch, to
occupy a royal seat?'"



SECTION LXXI

"Virata said, 'If this one, indeed, be the Kuru king Yudhisthira the son
of Kunti, which amongst these is his brother Arjuna, and which, the
mighty Bhima. Which of these is Nakula, and which Sahadeva and where is
the celebrated Draupadi? After their defeat at dice, the sons of Pritha
have not been heard of by any one.'

"Arjuna said, 'Even this one, O king, who is called Vallava and is thy
cook, is that Bhima of mighty arms and terrible prowess and furious
impetus. It was he who slew the furious Rakshasas on the mountains of
Gandhamadana, and procured for Krishna celestial flowers of great
fragrance. Even he is that Gandharva, who slew the Kichaka of wicked soul
and it was he who killed tigers and bears and boars in the inner
apartment of thy palace. He who had been the keeper of thy horse is that
slayer of foes called Nakula, and this one is Sahadeva, the keeper of thy
kine. Both these sons of Madri are great car-warriors, possessed of great
fame and beauty of person. These two bulls of the Bharata race, attired
in handsome robes and decked in excellent ornaments, are a match for a
thousand great car-warriors. And even this lady of eyes like lotus-petals
and slender-waist and sweet smiles is Drupada's daughter, thy wife's
Sairindhri, for whose sake, O king, the Kichakas were slain. I am, O
king, Arjuna who, it is evident, thou hast heard, is that son of Pritha,
who is Bhima's junior and the senior of the twins! We have, O king,
happily passed in thy abode the period of non-discovery, like infants in
the womb!'

"Vaisampayana continued, 'After Arjuna had pointed out those heroes--the
five Pandavas, the son of Virata then spoke of Arjuna's prowess. And
Uttara once again identified the sons of Pritha. And the prince said,
'That one whose complexion is bright like that of pure gold, who is stout
like a full-grown lion, whose nose is so prominent, whose eyes are large
and expansive, and whose face is broad and of coppery hue, is the king of
the Kurus. And behold, that one whose tread is like that of an infuriate
elephant, whose complexion is like that of heated gold, whose shoulders
are broad and expanded, and whose arms are long and thick, is Vrikodara.
And he who stands by his side, that youth of darkish hue, who is like
unto a leader of a herd of elephants, whose shoulders are broad like
those of a lion, whose tread is like that of a mighty elephant, and whose
eyes are large and expansive like lotus-leaves, is Arjuna that foremost
of bowmen. All lo, close to the king, are those foremost of men, the
twins, like unto Vishnu and Indra, and who have no equals, in the world
of men, in beauty, might, and behaviour. And close by them, behold,
standeth Krishna, beautiful as gold, like unto the very embodiment of
light, possessing the complexion of the blue lotus, like unto a celestial
damsel, and resembling the living embodiment of Lakshmi herself.'

Copyright (c) 2007. bestextbooks.com. All rights reserved.

Anonymous - "An Englishwoman's Love Letters"

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Theatre review: Three Women, Jermyn Street, London
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We do not know the women's names, but their voices are quite distinct. All are pregnant. But while the first woman awaits the birth of her baby with a moon-like serenity, the other two are not so lucky. One, whose previous pregnancies have failed to go to term, is experiencing a heartbreaking late miscarriage; the other is a young student whose accidental pregnancy will end in her child being put up for adoption.

Sylvia Plath's only play was never intended for the stage, being broadcast instead on BBC radio in August 1962. Less than six months later, Plath killed herself, but not before the burst of astonishing creative energy that produced her extraordinary, terrifying Ariel poems.

Anyone who knows Plath's poetry will see the connection between Three Women and Plath's subsequent poems, particularly in the way she talks about the agony of childbirth, the rush of love for this tiny alien being, and both the wonder and wounded rawness of motherhood. It is a beautiful piece, full of startling imagery that draws you in through the sheer intensity of its femaleness, and because it so precisely articulates the emotions that are often thought but seldom voiced by women - certainly not in the early 1960s - about men, motherhood and our relationship to our bodies.

It's been 20 years since there has been an attempt at a professional stage version and - in a theatre world that happily accepts the poetic offerings of Sarah Kane and Debbie Tucker Green, or the staged possibilities of The Waves, one of Plath's own inspirations for the piece, I see no reason why it shouldn't be brought to life. Sadly, it doesn't breathe here, in a production by Robert Shaw that is clearly a labour of love, but which never finds a way to give the internal a physical reality. Plath's poetry, like most babies, is more robust than it appears - and won't break if treated with a little less reverence and considerably more grit.

Instead, what we are offered is tinkling piano music, mournful mood lighting, an innocuous pale setting, as well as three perfectly good but indisputably ladylike performances that capture none of the wounded redness of Plath's poetry, and do her the disservice of making her sound bleached and somewhat prissy. It's a pity. What might have been a wonder ends up a mere curiosity.

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