A husbandman and wife, travelling by themselves far form their country, were crossing a deep river, the husband leading the way and the wife following. Unknown to them, a third person also started to ford the river at the same point, and just behind the pair. As the woman came to the deeper portions of the stream, she had to raise her garments to preserve them dry. On one of these occasions, the stranger espied a mole on her leg, and as soon as all the parties reached the opposite bank, he put forward an impudent claim, saying that the woman was his wife, and thus quarrelling with one another, the parties arrived before Mariada Ramanna. The latter called upon the rival claimants to adduce evidence to support their claims, upon which the real husband confessed his inability to cite witnesses, as he was far away from his country. The false claimant, however, while admitting, likewise, his inability to adduce oral testimony, relied upon his knowledge of the mole on one of the woman's legs, a mark which only a husband, and no other person, could be acquainted with, and he begged that the woman might be stripped, and examined by one of her own sex. This shameless and impudent suggestion caused great suspicion in Mariada Ramanna's mind. He accordingly sent for the public Executioner, and thus commanded him. "You know who the abandoned wretch is, that desires to outrage female chastity. Lead him away, and decapitate him forthwith." The stranger and false claimant literally felt his head wobble on his shoulders upon hearing this threat, which, with his guilty conscience, he applied to himself. He fell prostrate before Mariada Ramanna, confessed the falsehood of his claim, and explained how he had been enabled, to support it. Mariada Ramanna was thus able to restore the wife to her legitimate husband, and to award substantial punishment to the pretender.
