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THE SCIENCE OF RELIGION

attendant-friend of Ram, was missing. In his perplexity the stage manager seized upon an ugly simpleton, Nilkamal by name, and sought to make him enact the part of Hunuman. Nilkamal at first refused, but was forced to appear on the stage. His ugly appearance excited loud laughter among the spectators and they began to shout in merriment, “Hunuman, Hunuman!” Nilkamal could hardly bear this. He forgot that it was a play, and bawled out in real exasperation and disgust, “Why, Sirs, do you call me Hunuman? Why do you laugh? I am not a Hunuman. The stage manager made me come out here this way.” This excited further roars of laughter from the audience and they began to shout in right earnest, “Hunuman, Hunuman!” Nilkamal, mad with rage and disgust, not understanding the meaning of all this, retired from the stage exclaiming, “I am not a Hunuman; how can I be made a Hunuman.”