But the King of Death could no more send his messengers to the Earth; so everything lived forever—the men and women and beasts and birds and flower-people all lived; and yet new men and women and beasts and birds and flower-people were always coming to the Earth, as before. So that the Earth was fuller than it could hold.
And the men and women and beasts and birds and flower-people went to the great god and said: “We are weary, and there is no room for us on the Earth; we are the things that must pass. Send the King of Death to take us to the Kingdom of Peace and Forgetfulness and Quiet Sleep.”
And the great god said: “I will not; I have spoken.”
Then the tired Earth-people went to Parvati, the wife of Shiva, and, “Please help us,” they said. “See how full the Earth is. There is no room for us all, and some of us are weary and would sleep.”
So Parvati went to the great god. “The Earth is very full,” she said. “Will you not let the King of Death send his slow-moving grey-black buffalo for the tired Earth-people?”
“No,” said Shiva; “he insulted my symbol: he may not return to the Earth. I have spoken.”
“But you know you did say that the perfect boy was to be no older than his thirteenth year,” said Parvati. “That was why the King of Death came to fetch him.”
And Shiva was silent, not knowing what to answer.
“But when you said that, you only meant that he should never look older than his thirteenth year, though he might live and live as long as he liked,” said clever goddess Parvati.
And Shiva waited, for surely here was a way out of a difficulty.