The Holy Mother fell asleep a little. The house was almost silent with everybody resting. In that silence a song was heard from the verandah:
Where has my Mother gone?
For many days have I not seen you; Mother, take me in the lap.
What sort of a Mother art Thou, so stony-hearted towards the child!
Grant Thy vision, Mother, and make me weep no more.
The song was sung in such a gentle tone that I felt as though some one was weeping at quite a distance. Suddenly the Holy Mother woke up and said, "Who is singing? Let us go, my dear, to the verandah and see." We went and what I saw struck me dumb with astonishment. One girl was singing the song and her chest was bathed in tears as she sang. As the Holy Mother sat there, the girl bowed down to her and said, "Mother, my heart's desire of many days is fulfilled today. I cannot express the joy that is flooding me today, Mother." The Holy Mother blessed her and asked her about herself.
Girl: I am only a beggar girl, Mother.
Mother: Where do you stay?
Girl: I stay at the gate of Annapurna, near the Behari Baba's temple at the Dasasvamedh Ghat.
Mother: You are well off by taking alms, I hope?
Girl: By your blessing everything goes on well, Mother. There is no worry about daily needs. By the grace of Annapurna, no one has to go without food here, Mother. I am worried about how to get a little Bhakti.
Mother: That will certainly come about, my dear. You stay in such a sacred place. Here Lord Viswanath and Mother Annapurna are reigning actually. By Their grace everything will come about.
The Holy Mother asked her to sing another song. She began to sing:
Mother, may thou be pleased to
keep me as a child!
Let me not grow,
leaving behind the beauty of childhood.
A beautiful simple soul,
unaware of honour and infamy;
It does not know cruelty,
nor censure nor shame nor contempt.