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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




Hearing these words, Duryodhana said, 'O Ganga's son of mighty arms, I
tell thee truly, I have no fear from even all the gods and Asuras united
together! How much less, therefore, is my fear when thy invincible self
hath become the leader of my forces and when that tiger among men, Drona,
also waiteth willingly for battle! When you two foremost of men, are
addressed for battle on my side, victory, nay, the sovereignty of even
the celestial cannot assuredly be unattainable by me! I desire, however,
O Kaurava, to know who amongst all the warriors of the foe and my own are
to be counted as Rathas and who Atirathas. Thou, O grandsire, art
well-acquainted with the (prowess of the) combatants of the foe, also of
ourselves! I desire to hear this, with all these lords of earth!'

"Bhishma said, 'Listen, O son of Gandhari, O king of kings, to the tale
of Rathas in thy own army! Hear, O king, as to who are Rathas and who
Atirathas! They are in thy army, many thousands, many millions, and many
hundreds of millions of Rathas. Listen, however, to me as I name only the
principal ones. Firstly, with thy country of brothers including Dussasana
and others, thou art of the foremost of Rathas! All of you are skilled in
striking, and proficient in cutting chariots and piercing. All of you are
accomplished drivers of chariots while seated in the driver's box, and
accomplished managers of elephants while seated on the necks of those
animals. All of you are clever smiters with maces and bearded darts and
swords and bucklers. You are accomplished in weapons and competent in
bearing burthens of responsibility. Ye all are disciples of Drona and of
Kripa, the son of Saradwat, in arrows and other arms. Wronged by the sons
of Pandu, these Dhartarashtras, endued with energy, will assuredly slay
in the encounter the Panchalas irresistible in combat. Then, O foremost
of the Bharatas, come I, the leader of all thy troops, who will
exterminate thy foes, vanquishing the Pandavas! It behoveth me not to
speak of my own merits. I am known to thee. The foremost of all wielders
of weapons, Bhoja (chief) Kritavarman is Atiratha. Without doubt, he will
accomplish thy purpose in battle. Incapable of being humiliated by
persons accomplished in arms, shooting or hurling his weapons to a great
distance, and a severe smiter, he will destroy the ranks of the foe, as
the great Indra destroying the Danavas. The ruler of the Madras, the
mighty bowman Salya, is, as I think, an Atiratha. That warrior boasteth
himself as Vasudeva's equal, in every battle (that he fighteth). Having
abandoned his own sister's sons, that best of kings, Salya, hath become
thine. He will encounter in battle the Maharathas of the Pandava party,
flooding the enemy with his arrows resembling the very surges of the sea.
The mighty bowman Bhurisravas, the son of Somadatta, who is accomplished
in arms and is one of thy well-meaning friends, is a leader of leaders of
car-divisions. He will, certainly, make a great havoc among the
combatants of thy enemies. The king of the Sindhus, O monarch, is in my
judgment, equal to two Rathas. That best of car-warriors will fight in
battle, displaying great prowess. Humiliated, O king, by the Pandavas on
the occasion of his, abducting Draupadi, and bearing that humiliation in
mind, that slayer of hostile heroes will fight (for thee). Having
practised after that, O king, the severest austerities, he obtained a
boon, highly difficult of acquisition, for encountering the Pandavas in
battle. That tiger among car-warriors, therefore, remembering his old
hostility, will, O sire, fight with the Pandavas in battle, reckless of
his very life which is so difficult to lay down.'"



SECTION CLXVII

"Bhishma said, 'Sudhakshina, the ruler of the Kamvojas, is in my
judgment, equal to a single Ratha. Desiring the success of thy object, he
will certainly fight with the enemy in battle. O best of kings, the
Kauravas will behold the prowess of this lion among car-warriors exerted
for thee, to be equal to that of Indra himself in battle. As regards the
car-army of this king, O monarch, those smiters of fierce impetus, the
Kamvojas, will cover a large area like a flight of locusts! Coming from
(the province of) Mahishmati, Nila, accoutred in blue mail, is one of thy
Rathas. With his car-army he will cause a great havoc among thy foes, O
child, he had hostilities with Sahadeva. O king, he will continually
fight for thee, O thou of Kuru's race. Accomplished in battle, and of
fierce energy and prowess, (the princes) Vinda and Anuvinda of Avanti are
both regarded as excellent Rathas. These two heroes among men will
consume the troops of thy foes, with maces and bearded darts, and swords
and long shafts, and javelins hurled from their hands. Like a couple of
(elephant) leaders sporting in the midst of their herds, these two
princes, O monarch, longing for battle, will range the field, each like
Yama himself. The five (royal) brothers of Trigarta are, in my judgment,
all foremost of Rathas. The sons of Pritha provoked hostilities with them
at Virata's city on that (well-known) occasion. Like huge Makaras, O
king, agitating the stream of the Ganges crested with high waves, they
will agitate the ranks of the Parthas in battle. All the five, O king,
are Rathas, having Satyaratha (amongst them) as their first. Remembering
the wrongs inflicted on them of old by that son of Pandu who is Bhima's
younger brother, when the latter, O Bharata, on his car drawn by white
steeds, was engaged, O monarch, in subjugating all the kings of the
earth, they will certainly exert themselves bravely in battle.
Encountering many Maharathas--chief of bowmen--leaders of Kshatriyas--on
the side of the Parthas, they will certainly slay them. Thy son Lakshmana
and the son also of Dussasana--those tigers among men are both
unretreating in battle. In prime of youth, of delicate limbs, endued with
great activity, those two princes, well-versed with battles and capable
of leading all, those tigers among Kurus, those car-warriors, are, I
think, two of our best Rathas. Devoted to the duties of the Kshatriya
order, those two heroes will achieve great feats. Dandadhara, O monarch,
is, O bull among men, equal to a single Ratha. Guarded by his own
soldiers, he will fight in battle for thee. Endued with great impetus and
prowess, king Vrihadvala, the ruler of the Kosalas, is, in my judgment, O
sire, equal to one Ratha. Fierce in arms, this mighty bowman, devoted to
the good of the Dhartarashtras, will exert himself powerfully in battle,
gladdening his own friends. Kripa, the son of Saradwat is, O king, a
leader of leaders of car-ranks. Reckless even of life which is so dear,
he will consume thy foes. Born among a clump of heath as the son of that
great sage, viz., the preceptor Gautama, otherwise called Saradwat, he is
invincible like Kartikeya himself. Consuming untold warriors armed with
various weapons and bows, he will, O sire, roam forth on the field of
battle like a blazing fire.'"



SECTION CLXVIII

"Bhishma said, 'This thy maternal uncle Sakuni is, O king, equal to a
single Ratha. Having caused the (present) hostilities (to break out) with
the sons of Pandu, he will fight. There is no doubt in this. His troops
are irresistible when rushing to battle. Armed with various kinds of
weapons in abundance, in speed, they are equal to the very wind. The
mighty bowman (Aswatthaman) who is Drona's son surpasseth all bowmen.
Acquainted with all modes of warfare, and of unbaffled weapons, he is a
Maharatha. Like the wielder of Gandiva, the shafts of this warrior, shot
from his bow, proceed in a continuous line, touching one another. If he
wishes it, this Maharatha is capable of consuming the three worlds.
Engaged in austerities in his hermitage, he hath, by these, increased
both his fury and energy. Possessed of great intelligence, he hath been
favoured by Drona with (the gift of all) celestial weapons. There is,
however, O bull of Bharata's race, one great defect in him, in
consequence of which, O best of kings, I do not regard him either as a
Ratha or a Maharatha. This regenerate man is exceedingly fond of living,
life being very dear to him. Amongst the warriors of both armies there is
no one who can be regarded as his peer. On even a single car he can
annihilate the very army of the celestials. Possessed of a strong frame,
he can split the very mountains by the flaps of his bow-string, striking
against the leathern fence on his left arm. Endued with innumerable
qualities, this smiter of fierce effulgence will wander (over the field
of battle), incapable of being withstood like Yama himself, mace in hand.
Resembling the fire at the end of the Yuga as regards his fury, possessed
of leonine neck, and endued with great lustre, Aswatthaman will
extinguish the embers of this battle between the Bharata's. His father
(Drona) is endued with great energy, and though aged, is still superior
to many young men. He will achieve great feats in battle. I have no doubt
of this. Staying immovably (on the field), he will consume Yudhishthira's
troops. The Pandava army will play the part of the dry grass and fuel in
which that fire will originate, while the impetus of his own weapons will
be the wind for fanning it into a (mighty) flame. This bull among men, is
a leader of bands of car-warriors. The son of Bharadwaja will achieve
fierce feats for thy good! The preceptor of all Kshatriyas of royal
lineage, the venerable preceptor, will exterminate the Srinjayas.
Dhananjaya, however, is dear to him. This mighty bowman, therefore,
remembering his own celebrated and highly meritorious services as
preceptor, will never be able to slay Partha who is capable of achieving
great feats without any trouble. O hero, Drona always boasteth of the
numerous accomplishments of Partha. Indeed, Bharadwaja looketh on him
with greater affection than on his own son. Endued with great prowess, he
can, on a single car, beat in battle, by means of his celestial weapons,
all the gods, Gandharvas, and human beings united together. That tiger
among kings, is, O monarch, one of thy Maharathas. Capable of breaking
the car-ranks of hostile heroes, he, in my judgment, is one of thy
foremost of car-warriors. Afflicting the ranks of the enemy at the head
of his own large force, he will consume the Panchalas like fire consuming
a heap of dry grass. Possessed of true fame, prince Vrihadvala is equal
to single Ratha. He, O monarch, will roam amid thy enemy's troops like
Death himself. His troops, O king of kings, accoutred in various kinds of
mail and armed with diverse kinds of weapons, will wander on the field,
slaying all the warriors opposed to them. Vrishasena, the son of Karna,
is one of thy foremost of car-warriors and is a Maharatha. That foremost
of mighty men will consume the troops of thy enemy. Endued with great
energy, Jalasandha, O king, is one of thy foremost of Rathas. Born in
Madhu's race, that slayer of hostile heroes, is prepared to cast away his
very life in battle. Skilled in battle, that mighty-armed warrior,
scattering the enemy's ranks before him, will fight in battle mounted on
car or from the elephant's back. That best of kings, O monarch, is in my
judgment, a Ratha. He will, in fierce battle, cast away for thy sake his
very life with all, his troops possessed of great prowess and acquainted
with all the modes of warfare, he will, O king, fight fearlessly with thy
foes in battle. Never retreating from battle, brave, and resembling Yama
himself, Vahlika, O king, is in my judgment, an Atiratha. Rushing to the
encounter he never cometh back. Indeed, he will slay hostile warriors in
battle like the Wind-god himself. That router of hostile car-ranks, that
car-warrior of wonderful feats in battle, commander of thy forces,
Satyavan is, O king, a Maharatha. He never cherisheth grief at the
prospect of battle. Confounding those warriors that stand in the way of
his car, he falleth upon them. Always displaying his prowess against the
enemy, that best of men will, for thy sake, in fierce press of battle,
achieve all that a good Kshatriya should. Thai chief of Rakshasas,
Alambhusha, of cruel deeds, is a Maharatha. Remembering his old
hostilities (with the Pandavas), he will commit great execution among the
foe. He is the best of Rathas amongst all the Rakshasa-warriors.
Possessing powers of illusion, and firm in enmity, he will wander
fiercely on the field. The ruler of Pragjyotisha, the brave Bhagadatta of
exceeding prowess, is the foremost of those holding the elephant hook,
and is skilled also in fighting from a car. An encounter took place
between him and the wielder of Gandiva for days together, O king, each
desirous of victory over the other. Then Bhagadatta, O son of Gandhari,
who regarded Indra as his friend, made friendship with (Indra's son) the
high-souled Pandava. Skilled in fight from the elephant's neck, this king
will fight in battle, like Vasava among the celestials, fighting from his
Airavata.'"



SECTION CLXIX

"Bhishma said, 'Both the brothers Achala and Vrisha are Rathas.
Invincible (in battle) they will slay thy foes. Endued with great
strength, those tigers among men, those foremost of Gandharvas, are firm
in wrath. Young and handsome, they are possessed of great strength. As
regards this thy ever dear friend, this one who is always boastful of his
skill in battle, this one who always urgeth thee, O king, to fight with
the Pandavas, this vile braggart, Karna, the son of Surya, this one who
is thy counsellor, guide, and friend, this vain wight who is destitute of
sense, this Karna, is neither a Ratha nor an Atiratha. Without sense,
this one hath been deprived of his natural coat of mail. Always kind, he
hath also been deprived of his celestial ear-rings. In consequence of the
curse of Rama (his preceptor in arms) as also of the words of a Brahmana
(who cursed him on another occasion), owing also to his deprivation of
the accoutrements of battle, he, in my judgment, is only half a Ratha.
Having approached Falguni (in battle), he will not certainly escape with
life!' Hearing this, Drona, that foremost of all wielders of weapons,
said, 'It is even so as thou hast said. That is not untrue! He boasteth
on the eve of every battle, but yet he is seen to retreat from every
engagement. Kind (out of season) and blundering, it is for this that
Karna, in my judgment, is only half a Ratha!'

"Hearing these words, Radha's son, expanding his eyes in rage, and
afflicting Bhishma with words like sharp hooks, said unto Ganga's son
these words, 'O grandsire, though I am innocent yet from thy aversion to
me, thou manglest me thus, according to thy pleasure, with thy wordy
arrows at every step. I tolerate, however, all this for the sake of
Duryodhana. Indicating me as only half a Ratha, thou regardest me
worthless, as if, indeed, I were a coward! What doubt is there in this? I
do not speak an untruth when I say that thou, O Ganga's son, art an enemy
of the whole universe, and especially of all the Kurus! The king,
however, doth not know this! Who else is there that would thus seek to
disunite and abate the energy of these kings that are all equal and that
are all equally brave, as thou, from thy hatred of merit, seekest to do?
O Kaurava, neither years, nor wrinkles, nor wealth, nor possession of
friends, would entitle a Kshatriya to be regarded as a Maharatha! It hath
been said that a Kshatriya acquireth eminence only through might, as
Brahmanas acquire eminence through superiority in mantras, as Vaisyas
through wealth, and Sudras through age. Influenced, however, by lust and
envy, and acting from ignorance, thou hast indicated Rathas and Atirathas
according only to thy own caprice! Blessed be thou, O mighty-armed
Duryodhana, judge properly! Let this wicked Bhishma, who only wrongeth
thee, be abandoned by thee! Thy warriors, once disunited, can with
difficulty be united again. O tiger among men, thy main army, under such
circumstances, can with difficulty be united; far greater will the
difficulty be in uniting an army gathered from various provinces! Behold,
O Bharata, doubt (of success) hath already arisen in the hearts of thy
warriors! This Bhishma weakeneth our energy in our very presence! Where
is the task of ascertaining the merits of Rathas, and where is Bhishma of
little understanding? I alone will withstand the army of Pandavas. Coming
in contact with me, whose arrows never go for nothing, the Pandavas and
the Panchalas will fly away in all directions like oxen when they come in
contact with a tiger! Where, Oh, are battle, the press of armed
encounter, good counsels and well-expressed words, and where is Bhishma,
who is superannuated and of wicked soul, and who is impelled by the very
fates to become their victim? Alone he challengeth the whole universe! Of
false vision he regardeth none else as a man. It is true the scriptures
teach that the words of the old should be listened to. That, however,
doth not refer to those that are very old, for these, in my judgment,
become children again. Alone I will exterminate the army of the Pandavas!
The fame, however, of such a feat will attach to Bhishma, O tiger among
kings, for this Bhishma, O monarch, hath been made by thee the commander
of thy forces, and the renown always attacheth to the leader and not to
those that fight under him. I will not, therefore, O king, fight as long
as Ganga's son liveth! After Bhishma, however, hath been laid low, I will
fight with all the Maharathas of the enemy united together!'

"Bhishma said, 'This burden, vast as the ocean, in the matter of
Duryodhana's battle (with the Pandavas), is about to be taken up by me. I
have thought of it for many years. Now that the hour is come for that
terrible encounter, dissensions amongst ourselves should not be created
by me. It is for this, Suta's son, that thou livest! Else, superannuated
though I am and young in years thou art, I would quell thy desire for
battle and crush thy hope of life! (Thy preceptor) Rama, the son of
Jamadagni, shooting his great weapons, could not cause me the slightest
pain. What canst thou, therefore, do to me? They that are good, do not
approve self-praise. Infamous wretch of thy race, know that I indulge in
little boast because I am enraged. Vanquishing on a single car all the
assembled Kshatriyas of the world at the Swayamvara of the daughters of
the ruler of Kasi, I abducted those maidens. Alone, I stopped on the
field of battle the rush of countless kings with their soldiers!
Obtaining thee as embodiment of strife, a great calamity is ready to
overtake the Kurus! Strive then for slaying our antagonists. Be a man,
fight with that Partha, whom thou so often challengest. O thou of wicked
understanding, I desire to see thee come out of that encounter with thy
life!'

"King Duryodhana then said unto Bhishma, of great prowess, 'Cast thy eyes
on me, O Ganga's son! Great is the business that is at hand! Think
earnestly as how I may be most benefited! Both of you will render me
great services! I desire now to bear of the best car-warriors among the
enemy, that is, of those that are Atirathas among them and of those that
are leaders of car-division. O Kaurava, I desire to hear of the strength
and weakness of my foes, since when this night will dawn, our great
battle will take place.'"



SECTION CLXX

"Bhishma said, 'I have now, O king, indicated who thy Rathas are and who
thy Atirathas and half Rathas. Listen now to the tale of Rathas and
Atirathas among the Pandavas. If thou feelest any curiosity, listen then,
O king, with these monarchs, to the tale of Rathas in the army of the
Pandavas. The king himself, son of Pandu and Kunti, is a mighty Ratha.
Without doubt, O sire, be will glide along the field of battle like a
blazing fire; Bhimasena, O king, is regarded equal to eight Rathas. In an
encounter with the mace or even with arrows, there is none equal to him.
Endued with the strength of ten thousand elephants, and filled with
pride, in energy he is superhuman. Those two bulls among men, the sons of
Madri, are both Rathas. In beauty, they are equal to the twin Aswinis,
and they are endued with great energy. Stationed at the head of their
divisions, all of them, remembering their great sufferings, without
doubt, wander along the field like so many Indras! All of them are endued
with high souls, and are tall in stature like the trunks of Sala trees.
Taller than other men by half-a-cubit in stature, all the sons of Pandu
are brave as lions and endued with great strength. All of them, O sire,
have practised Brahmacharya vows and other ascetic austerities. Endued
with modesty, those tigers among men are possessed of fierce strength
like the veritable tigers. In speed, in smiting, and in crushing (foes),
all of them are more than human. All of them, on the occasion of the
campaign of universal conquest, vanquished great kings, O bull of
Bharata's race! No other men can wield their weapons, maces, and shafts.
Indeed, O Kaurava, there are no men that can even string their bows, or
uplift their maces, or shoot their arrows in battle. In speed, in hitting
the aim, in eating, and in sports on the dust, they used to beat all of
you even when they were children. Possessed of fierce might they will,
when they encounter this force, exterminate it in battle. A collision,
therefore, with them is not desirable. Each of them can alone slay all
the kings of the earth! That which happened, O great king, on the
occasion of the Rajasuya sacrifice, had occurred before thy very eyes!
Remembering the sufferings of Draupadi and the harsh speeches uttered
after their defeat at dice, they will wander in battle like so many
Rudras. As regards Gudakesha, of reddish eyes, having Narayana for his
ally, there is not among both the armies any brave car-warrior that can
be regarded as his equal. Let men alone, it hath not been heard by us
that even among gods, Asuras, Uragas, Rakshasas and Yakshas, there ever
was born before, or there ever will be born hereafter, any car-warrior
like unto him! O great king, intelligent Partha owneth that car which is
furnished with the banner bearing the device of the ape; the driver of
that car is Vasudeva! Dhananjaya himself is the warrior who fighteth from
it; his, again, is that celestial bow called Gandiva; he owneth again
those steeds fleet as the wind; his coat of mail is impenetrable and of
celestial make; his two large quivers are inexhaustible; his arms have
been obtained from the great Indra, Rudra, Kuvera, Yama and Varuna; and
upon his car, again, are those maces of frightful mien, and diverse other
great weapons having the thunderbolt amongst them! What car-warrior can
be regarded as his equal, who, stationed on a single car' slew in battle
a thousand Danavas, having their abode in Hiranyapura? Inflamed with
wrath, possessed of great might and prowess, incapable of being baffled,
that mighty-armed warrior, while protecting his own army, will certainly
exterminate thy troops! Myself and preceptor (Drona) among the two
armies, and no third car-warrior, O great king, can advance against
Dhananjaya, that scatterer of arrowy showers! Pouring his shafts, like
the very clouds during the rainy season when propelled by mighty winds,
that son of Kunti when Vasudeva as his second, steppeth for battle! He is
skilful and young, while both of us are old and worn out!'

"Vaisampayana continued, 'Hearing these words of Bhishma, and
recollecting with trembling heart, the well-known valour of the sons of
Pandu and thinking of it, as if it were present before their eyes, the
massive arms of kings, decked with bracelets and smeared with
sandal-paste, seemed to hang down divested of might.'"



SECTION CLXXI

"Bhishma said, 'All the five sons of Draupadi, O monarch, are Maharathas.
Virata's son Uttara is, in my judgment, one of the foremost of Rathas.
The mighty-armed Abhimanyu is a leader of leaders of car-divisions.
Indeed, that slayer of foes is equal in battle to Partha himself or
Vasudeva. Endued with great lightness of hand in shooting weapons, and
acquainted with all the modes of warfare, he is possessed of great energy
and is steady in the observance of vows. Remembering the sufferings of
his own father, he will put forth his prowess. The brave Satyaki of
Madhu's race is a leader of leaders of car-divisions. Foremost among the
heroes of the Vrishni race, he is endued with great wrath, and is
perfectly dauntless. Uttamaujas also, O king, is an excellent car-warrior
in my judgment. And Yudhamanyu, too, of great prowess, is, in my
judgment, an excellent car-warrior. All those chiefs own many thousands
of cars and elephants and horses, and they will fight, reckless of their
very lives, from desire of doing what is agreeable to Kunti's sons.
Uniting with the Pandavas, they will, O great king, sweep through thy
ranks like fire or the wind, challenging thy warriors. Invincible in
battle, those bulls among men, old Virata and old Drupada, both endued
with great prowess, are, in my judgment, both Maharathas. Though old in
years yet both of them are devoted to the observance of Kshatriya
virtues. Treading along the path that is trod by heroes, both of them
will exert to the best of their might. In consequence of their
relationship (to the Pandavas) and owing also, O king, to their being
endued with strength and prowess, those great bowmen devoted to pure
vows, have both derived additional strength from the strength of their
affection. According as the cause is, all strong-armed men become, O bull
of Kuru's race, heroes or cowards. Actuated by a singleness of purpose,
both these kings, who are powerful bowmen, will lay down their very lives
in causing a great massacre of thy troops to the best of their might, O
slayer of foes! Fierce in battle, these distinguished heroes, these
mighty bowmen, regardless, O Bharata, of their lives, will, at the head
of their respective Akshauhinis, achieve great feats, justifying their
relationship and the confidence that is reposed on them (by the
Pandavas).'"

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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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