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diff --git a/11310-h/11310-h.htm b/11310-h/11310-h.htm new file mode 100644 index 0000000..d033c05 --- /dev/null +++ b/11310-h/11310-h.htm @@ -0,0 +1,5363 @@ +<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Strict//EN" +"http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-strict.dtd"> +<html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en"> +<head> +<meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html;charset=UTF-8" /> +<meta http-equiv="Content-Style-Type" content="text/css" /> +<title>The Project Gutenberg eBook of Hindu Tales from the Sanskrit by S. M. Mitra and Nancy Bell</title> + +<style type="text/css"> + +body { margin-left: 20%; + margin-right: 20%; + text-align: justify; } + +h1, h2, h3, h4, h5 {text-align: center; font-style: normal; font-weight: +normal; line-height: 1.5; margin-top: .5em; margin-bottom: .5em;} + +h1 {font-size: 300%; + margin-top: 0.6em; + margin-bottom: 0.6em; + letter-spacing: 0.12em; + word-spacing: 0.2em; + text-indent: 0em;} +h2 {font-size: 175%; margin-top: 2em; margin-bottom: 1em;} +h3 {font-size: 130%; margin-top: 1em;} +h4 {font-size: 120%;} +h5 {font-size: 110%;} + +.no-break {page-break-before: avoid;} /* for epubs */ + +div.chapter {page-break-before: always; margin-top: 4em;} + +hr {width: 80%; margin-top: 2em; margin-bottom: 2em;} + +p {text-indent: 1em; + margin-top: 0.25em; + margin-bottom: 0.25em; } + +p.letter {text-indent: 0%; + margin-left: 10%; + margin-right: 10%; + margin-top: 1em; + margin-bottom: 1em; } + +p.right {text-align: right; + margin-right: 10%; + margin-top: 1em; + margin-bottom: 1em; } + +p.footnote {font-size: 90%; + text-indent: 0%; + margin-left: 10%; + margin-right: 10%; + margin-top: 1em; + margin-bottom: 1em; } + +sup { vertical-align: top; font-size: 0.6em; } + +a:link {color:blue; text-decoration:none} +a:visited {color:blue; text-decoration:none} +a:hover {color:red} + +</style> + +</head> + +<body> +<div>*** START OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK 11310 ***</div> + +<h1>Hindu Tales from the Sanskrit</h1> + +<h2 class="no-break">Translated by<br />S. M. Mitra</h2> + +<h2 class="no-break">Adapted by<br />Mrs. Arthur Bell</h2> + +<h4>1919</h4> + +<hr /> + +<h2>Contents</h2> + +<table summary="" style=""> + +<tr> +<td> <a href="#chap00">INTRODUCTORY NOTE</a><br /><br /></td> +</tr> + +<tr> +<td> <a href="#chap01">1. The Magic Pitcher</a></td> +</tr> + +<tr> +<td> <a href="#chap02">2. The Story of a Cat, a Mouse, a Lizard and an Owl</a></td> +</tr> + +<tr> +<td> <a href="#chap03">3. A Royal Thief-Catcher</a></td> +</tr> + +<tr> +<td> <a href="#chap04">4. The Magic Shoes and Staff</a></td> +</tr> + +<tr> +<td> <a href="#chap05">5. The Jewelled Arrow</a></td> +</tr> + +<tr> +<td> <a href="#chap06">6. The Beetle and the Silken Thread</a></td> +</tr> + +<tr> +<td> <a href="#chap07">7. A Crow and His Three Friends</a></td> +</tr> + +<tr> +<td> <a href="#chap08">8. A Clever Thief</a></td> +</tr> + +<tr> +<td> <a href="#chap09">9. The Hermit’s Daughter</a></td> +</tr> + +</table> + +<div class="chapter"> + +<h2><a name="chap00"></a>INTRODUCTORY NOTE.</h2> + +<p> +Thanks to Mr. S. M. Mitra, the well-known Hindu psychologist and politician, +who has done so much to draw more closely together the land of his birth and +that of his adoption, I am able to bring within reach of English children a +number of typical Hindu Tales, translated by him from the Sanskrit, some of +them culled from the ancient classics of India, others from widely separated +sources. The latter have hitherto been quite inaccessible to western students, +as they are not yet embodied in literature, but have been transmitted orally +from generation to generation for many centuries. +</p> + +<p> +These tales are not only of a kind to enchain the attention of children. They +also illustrate well the close affinity between the two chief branches of the +great Aryan race, and are of considerable ethical value, reflecting, as they +do, the philosophy of self-realisation which lies at the root of Hindu culture. +They have been used from time immemorial by the best teachers of India as a +means of building up the personalities of the young and maintaining the +efficiency of the adult. They serve in fact as text-books of the unique system +of Mind-Training which has been in use in India from remote Vedic times, the +root principle of which is as simple as it is effective. +</p> + +<p> +Hindu children become familiar at their mothers’ knees with these +stories, and are trained to answer questions on them, subtly chosen to suit +their ages and call into action their mental faculties. Appealing to them as an +amusing game, in which they vie with each other in trying to solve the problems +presented for their consideration, the boys and girls, who are educated +together till they are ten or twelve years old, early learn to concentrate +their attention; whilst the simultaneous development of all their powers is +encouraged and they are, imperceptibly to themselves led to control their +thoughts and emotions from within, instead of having to obey orders which they +do not understand from without. They realize indeed, whilst still in the +nursery, the ideal suggested by the sage Vidura in the Mahabharata: “Seek +to know thyself by means of thyself, keeping thy mind, intellect and senses, +under control; for self is thy friend as it is also thy foe.” +</p> + +<p class="right"> +Nancy Bell. +</p> + +<p class="letter"> +Southbourne-on-Sea, 1918. +</p> + +</div><!--end chapter--> + +<div class="chapter"> + +<h2><a name="chap01"></a>I.<br /> +The Magic Pitcher.</h2> + +<h3>CHAPTER I</h3> + +<p> +Long, long ago there lived far away in India a woodcutter called Subha Datta +and his family, who were all very happy together. The father went every day to +the forest near his home to get supplies of wood, which he sold to his +neighbours, earning by that means quite enough to give his wife and children +all that they needed. Sometimes he took his three boys with him, and now and +then, as a special treat, his two little girls were allowed to trot along +beside him. The boys longed to be allowed to chop wood for themselves, and +their father told them that as soon as they were old enough he would give each +of them a little axe of his own. The girls, he said, must be content with +breaking off small twigs from the branches he cut down, for he did not wish +them to chop their own fingers off. This will show you what a kind father he +was, and you will be very sorry for him when you hear about his troubles. +</p> + +<p> +All went well with Subha Datta for a long time. Each of the boys had his own +little axe at last, and each of the girls had a little pair of scissors to cut +off twigs; and very proud they all were when they brought some wood home to +their mother to use in the house. One day, however, their father told them they +could none of them come with him, for he meant to go a very long way into the +forest, to see if he could find better wood there than nearer home. Vainly the +boys entreated him to take them with him. “Not to-day,” he said, +“you would be too tired to go all the way, and would lose yourselves +coming back alone. You must help your mother to-day and play with your +sisters.” They had to be content, for although Hindu children are as fond +of asking questions as English boys and girls, they are very obedient to their +parents and do all they are told without making any fuss about it. +</p> + +<p> +Of course, they expected their father would come back the day he started for +the depths of the forest, although they knew he would be late. What then was +their surprise when darkness came and there was no sign of him! Again and again +their mother went to the door to look for him, expecting every moment to see +him coming along the beaten path which led to their door. Again and again she +mistook the cry of some night-bird for his voice calling to her. She was +obliged at last to go to bed with a heavy heart, fearing some wild beast had +killed him and that she would never see him again. +</p> + +<p> +1. What do you think had become of Subha Datta? +</p> + +<p> +2. What would you have done when he did not come back? +</p> + +<h3>CHAPTER II</h3> + +<p> +When Subha Datta started for the forest, he fully intended to come back the +same evening; but as he was busy cutting down a tree, he suddenly had a feeling +that he was no longer alone. He looked up, and there, quite close to him, in a +little clearing where the trees had been cut down by some other woodcutter, he +saw four beautiful young girls looking like fairies in their thin summer +dresses and with their long hair flowing down their backs, dancing round and +round, holding each other’s hands. Subha Datta was so astonished at the +sight that he let his axe fall, and the noise startled the dancers, who all +four stood still and stared at him. +</p> + +<p> +The woodcutter could not say a word, but just gazed and gazed at them, till one +of them said to him: “Who are you, and what are you doing in the very +depths of the forest where we have never before seen a man?” +</p> + +<p> +“I am only a poor woodcutter,” he replied, “come to get some +wood to sell, so as to give my wife and children something to eat and some +clothes to wear.” +</p> + +<p> +“That is a very stupid thing to do,” said one of the girls. +“You can’t get much money that way. If you will only stop with us +we will have your wife and children looked after for you much better than you +can do it yourself.” +</p> + +<p> +3. What would you have said if you had been the woodcutter? +</p> + +<p> +4. Do you think the fairies really meant that they could do as they offered? +</p> + +<h3>CHAPTER III</h3> + +<p> +Subha Datta, though he certainly did love his wife and children, was so tempted +at the idea of stopping in the forest with the beautiful girls that, after +hesitating a little while, he said, “Yes, I will stop with you, if you +are quite sure all will be well with my dear ones.” +</p> + +<p> +“You need not be afraid about that,” said another of the girls. +“We are fairies, you see, and we can do all sorts of wonderful things. It +isn’t even necessary for us to go where your dear ones are. We shall just +wish them everything they want, and they will get it. And the first thing to be +done is to give you some food. You must work for us in return, of +course.” +</p> + +<p> +Subha Datta at once replied, “I will do anything you wish.” +</p> + +<p> +“Well, begin by sweeping away all the dead leaves from the clearing, and +then we will all sit down and eat together.” +</p> + +<p> +Subha Datta was very glad that what he was asked to do was so easy. He began by +cutting a branch from a tree, and with it he swept the floor of what was to be +the dining-room. Then he looked about for the food, but he could see nothing +but a great big pitcher standing in the shade of a tree, the branches of which +hung over the clearing. So he said to one of the fairies, “Will you show +me where the food is, and exactly where you would like me to set it out?” +</p> + +<p> +At these questions all the fairies began to laugh, and the sound of their +laughter was like the tinkling of a number of bells. +</p> + +<p> +5. What was there to laugh at in the questions of Subha Datta? +</p> + +<p> +6. What is your idea of a fairy? +</p> + +<h3>CHAPTER IV</h3> + +<p> +When the fairies saw how astonished Subha Datta was at the way they laughed, it +made them laugh still more, and they seized each other’s hands again and +whirled round and round, laughing all the time. +</p> + +<p> +Poor Subha Datta, who was very tired and hungry, began to get unhappy and to +wish he had gone straight home after all. He stooped down to pick up his axe, +and was just about to turn away with it, when the fairies stopped their mad +whirl and cried to him to stop. So he waited, and one of them said: +</p> + +<p> +“<i>We</i> don’t have to bother about fetching this and fetching +that. You see that big pitcher. Well, we get all our food and everything else +we want out of it. We just have to wish as we put our hands in, and there it +is. It’s a magic pitcher—the only one there is in the whole wide +world. You get the food you would like to have first, and then we’ll tell +you what <i>we</i> want.” +</p> + +<p> +Subha Datta could hardly believe his ears when he heard that. Down he threw his +axe, and hastened to put his hand in the pitcher, wishing for the food he was +used to. He loved curried rice and milk, lentils, fruit and vegetables, and +very soon he had a beautiful meal spread out for himself on the ground. Then +the fairies called out, one after the other, what they wanted for food, things +the woodcutter had never heard of or seen, which made him quite discontented +with what he had chosen for himself. +</p> + +<p> +7. What would you have wished for if you had had a magic pitcher? +</p> + +<p> +8. Would it be a good thing, do you think, to be able to get food without +working for it or paying for it? +</p> + +<h3>CHAPTER V</h3> + +<p> +The next few days passed away like a dream, and at first Subha Datta thought he +had never been so happy in his life. The fairies often went off together +leaving him alone, only coming back to the clearing when they wanted something +out of the pitcher. The woodcutter got all kinds of things he fancied for +himself, but presently he began to wish he had his wife and children with him +to share his wonderful meals. He began to miss them terribly, and he missed his +work too. It was no good cutting trees down and chopping up wood when all the +food was ready cooked. Sometimes he thought he would slip off home when the +fairies were away, but when he looked at the pitcher he could not bear the +thought of leaving it. +</p> + +<p> +9. What sort of man do you think Subha Datta was from what this story tells you +about him? +</p> + +<p> +10. What do you think was the chief cause of his becoming discontented after he +had been in the service of the fairies for a few days? +</p> + +<h3>CHAPTER VI</h3> + +<p> +Soon Subha Datta could not sleep well for thinking of the wife and children he +had deserted. Suppose they were hungry when he had plenty to eat! It even came +into his head that he might steal the pitcher and take it home with him when +the fairies were away. But he had not after all the courage to do this; for +even when the beautiful girls were not in sight, he had a feeling that they +would know if he tried to go off with the pitcher, and that they would be able +to punish him in some terrible way. One night he had a dream that troubled him +very much. He saw his wife sitting crying bitterly in the little home he used +to love, holding the youngest child on her knee whilst the other three stood +beside her looking at her very, very sadly. He started up from the ground on +which he lay, determined to go home at once; but at a little distance off he +saw the fairies dancing in the moonlight, and somehow he felt again he could +not leave them and the pitcher. The next day, however, he was so miserable that +the fairies noticed it, and one of them said to him: “Whatever is the +matter? We don’t care to keep unhappy people here. If you can’t +enjoy life as we do, you had better go home.” +</p> + +<p> +Then Subha Datta was very much frightened lest they should really send him +away; so he told them about his dream and that he was afraid his dear ones were +starving for want of the money he used to earn for them. +</p> + +<p> +“Don’t worry about them,” was the reply: “we will let +your wife know what keeps you away. We will whisper in her ear when she is +asleep, and she will be so glad to think of your happiness that she will forget +her own troubles.” +</p> + +<p> +11. Do you think what the fairies said to the woodcutter was likely to comfort +him about his wife and children? +</p> + +<p> +12. If you had been in Subha Datta’s place what would you have said to +the fairies when they made this promise? +</p> + +<h3>CHAPTER VII</h3> + +<p> +Subha Datta was very much cheered by the sympathy of the fairies, so much so +that he decided to stop with them for a little longer at least. Now and then he +felt restless, but on the whole the time passed pleasantly, and the pitcher was +a daily delight to him. +</p> + +<p> +Meanwhile his poor wife was at her wits’ end how to feed her dear +children. If it had not been that the two boys were brave, plucky little chaps, +she really would have been in despair. When their father did not come back and +all their efforts to find him were in vain, these boys set to work to help +their mother. They could not cut down trees, but they could climb them and chop +off small branches with their axes; and this they did, making up bundles of +faggots and selling them to their neighbours. These neighbours were touched by +the courage they showed, and not only paid them well for the wood but often +gave them milk and rice and other little things to help them. In time they +actually got used to being without Subha Datta, and the little girls nearly +forgot all about him. Little did they dream of the change that was soon to come +into their lives. +</p> + +<p> +13. Was it a good or a bad thing for the boys that their father did not come +back? +</p> + +<p> +14. If you think it was a good thing, will you explain why? and if it was a bad +thing, why you think it was? +</p> + +<h3>CHAPTER VIII</h3> + +<p> +A month passed peacefully away in the depths of the forest, Subha Datta waiting +on the fairies and becoming every day more selfish and bent on enjoying +himself. Then he had another dream, in which he saw his wife and children in +the old home with plenty of food, and evidently so happy without him that he +felt quite determined to go and show them he was still alive. When he woke he +said to the fairies, “I will not stop with you any longer. I have had a +good time here, but I am tired of this life away from my own people.” +</p> + +<p> +The fairies saw he was really in earnest this time, so they consented to let +him go; but they were kind-hearted people and felt they ought to pay him in +some way for all he had done for them. They consulted together, and then one of +them told him they wished to make him a present before he went away, and they +would give him whatever he asked for. +</p> + +<p> +15. What do you think it was that made Subha Datta determine to go home when he +found his wife and children could do without him? +</p> + +<p> +16. What would you have chosen if the fairies had told you you could have +anything you liked? +</p> + +<h3>CHAPTER IX</h3> + +<p> +Directly the woodcutter heard he could have anything he asked for, he cried, +“I will have the magic pitcher.” +</p> + +<p> +You can just imagine what a shock this was to the fairies! You know, of course, +that fairies always keep their word. If they could not persuade Subha Datta to +choose something else, they would have to give him their beloved, their +precious pitcher and would have to seek their food for themselves. They all +tried all they could to persuade the woodcutter to choose something else. They +took him to their own secret treasure-house, in an old, old tree with a hollow +trunk, even the entrance to which no mortal had ever been allowed to see. They +blindfolded him before they started, so that he could never reveal the way, and +one of them led him by the hand, telling him where the steps going down from +the tree began. When at last the bandage was taken from his eyes, he found +himself in a lofty hall with an opening in the roof through which the light +came. Piled up on the floor were sparkling stones worth a great deal of gold +and silver money, and on the walls hung beautiful robes. Subha Datta was quite +dazed with all he saw, but he was only an ignorant woodcutter and did not +realize the value of the jewels and clothes. So when the fairies, said to him, +“Choose anything you like here and let us keep our pitcher,” he +shook his head and said: “No! no! no! The pitcher! I will have the +pitcher!” One fairy after another picked up the rubies and diamonds and +other precious stones and held them in the light, that the woodcutter might see +how lovely they were; and when he still only shook his head, they got down the +robes and tried to make him put one of them on. “No! the pitcher! the +pitcher!” he said, and at last they had to give it up. They bound his +eyes again and led him back to the clearing and the pitcher. +</p> + +<p> +17. Would you have been tempted to give up the pitcher when you saw the jewels +and the robes? +</p> + +<p> +18. What made Subha Datta so determined to have the pitcher? +</p> + +<h3>CHAPTER X</h3> + +<p> +Even when they were all back again in the clearing the fairies did not quite +give up hope of keeping their pitcher. This time they gave other reasons why +Subha Datta should not have it. “It will break very easily,” they +told him, “and then it will be no good to you or any one else. But if you +take some of the money, you can buy anything you like with it. If you take some +of the jewels you can sell them for lots of money.” +</p> + +<p> +“No! no! no!” cried the woodcutter. “The pitcher! the +pitcher! I will have the pitcher!” +</p> + +<p> +“Very well then, take, the pitcher,” they sadly answered, +“and never let us see your face again!” +</p> + +<p> +So Subha Datta took the pitcher, carrying it very, very carefully, lest he +should drop it and break it before he got home. He did not think at all of what +a cruel thing it was to take it away from the fairies, and leave them either to +starve or to seek for food for themselves. The poor fairies watched him till he +was out of sight, and then they began to weep and wring their hands. “He +might at least have waited whilst we got some food out for a few days,” +one of them said. “He was too selfish to think of that,” said +another. “Come, let us forget all about him and go and look for some +fruit.” +</p> + +<p> +So they all left off crying and went away hand in hand. Fairies do not want +very much to eat. They can live on fruit and dew, and they never let anything +make them sad for long at a time. They go out of this story now, but you need +not be unhappy about them, because you may be very sure that they got no real +harm from their generosity to Subha Datta in letting him take the pitcher. +</p> + +<p> +19. Do you think the woodcutter was wrong to ask for the pitcher? +</p> + +<p> +20. What would have been the best thing for Subha Datta to ask for, if he had +decided to let the fairies keep their pitcher? +</p> + +<h3>CHAPTER XI</h3> + +<p> +You can just imagine what a surprise it was to Subha Datta’s wife and +children when they saw him coming along the path leading to his home. He did +not bring the pitcher with him, but had hidden it in a hollow tree in the wood +near his cottage, for he did not mean any one to know that he had it. He told +his wife that he had lost his way in the forest, and had been afraid he would +never see her or his children again, but he said nothing about the fairies. +When his wife asked him how he had got food, he told her a long story about the +fruits he had found, and she believed all he said, and determined to make up to +him now for all she thought he had suffered. When she called the little girls +to come and help her get a nice meal for their father, Subha Datta said: +“Oh, don’t bother about that! I’ve brought something back +with me. I’ll go and fetch it, but no one is to come with me.” +</p> + +<p> +Subha Datta’s wife was sorely disappointed at this, because she loved her +husband so much that it was a joy to her to work for him. The children too +wanted, of course, to go with their father, but he ordered them to stop where +they were. He seized a big basket which was fall of fuel for the fire, tumbled +all the wood in it on the floor, and went off alone to the pitcher. Very soon +he was back again with his basket full of all sorts of good things, the very +names of which his wife and children had no idea of. “There!” he +cried; “what do you think of that? Am I not a clever father to have found +all that in the forest? Those are the ‘fruits’ I meant when I told +Mother about them.” +</p> + +<p> +21. What would you have thought about this wonderful supply of food, if you had +been one of the woodcutter’s children? +</p> + +<p> +22. Was it a good thing for those children to have all this food without +working for it? If not, why was it not a good thing? +</p> + +<h3>CHAPTER XII</h3> + +<p> +Life was now, of course, completely changed for the family in the forest. Subha +Datta no longer went to cut wood to be sold, and the boys also left off doing +so. Every day their father fetched food for them all, and the greatest desire +of each one of the family was to find out where it came from. They never could +do so, for Subha Datta managed to make them afraid to follow him when he went +forth with his basket. The secret he kept from the wife to whom he used to tell +everything soon began to spoil the happiness of the home. The children who had +no longer anything to do quarrelled with each other. Their mother got sadder +and sadder, and at last decided to tell Subha Datta that, unless he would let +her know where the food came from, she would go away from him and take her +little girls with her. She really did mean to do this, but something soon +happened to change everything again. Of course, the neighbours in the wood, who +had bought the fuel from the boys and helped them by giving them fruit and +rice, heard of the return of their father and of the wonderful change in their +lot. Now the whole family had plenty to eat every day, though none of them knew +where it all came from. Subha Datta was very fond of showing off what he could +do, and sometimes asked his old friends amongst the woodcutters to come and +have a meal with him. When they arrived they would find all sorts of good +things spread out on the ground and different kinds of wines in beautiful +bottles. +</p> + +<p> +This went on for some months, Subha Datta getting prouder and prouder of all +that he could do, and it seemed likely that his secret would never be +discovered. Everybody tried to find it out, and many followed him secretly when +he set forth into the woods; but he was very clever at dodging them, hiding his +treasure constantly in a new place in the dead of the night. If he had only +been content with getting food out of his pitcher and drinking pure water, all +would most likely have been well with him. But that was just what he could not +do. Till he had his pitcher he had never drunk anything but water, but now he +often took too much wine. It was this which led to the misfortune of losing his +beloved pitcher. He began to boast of his cleverness, telling his friends there +was nothing they wanted that he could not get for them; and one day when he had +given them a very grand feast, in which were several rare kinds of food they +had asked for, he drank too much wine—so much that he no longer knew what +he was saying. +</p> + +<p> +This was the chance his guests wanted. They began teasing him, telling him they +believed he was really a wicked robber, who had stolen the food or the money to +buy it. He got angry, and at last was actually silly enough to tell them all to +come with him, and he would show them he was no robber. When his wife heard +this, she was half pleased to think that now at last the secret would come out +of where the food came from, and half afraid that something terrible would +happen. The children too were greatly excited, and went with the rest of the +party, who followed their father to the last hiding-place of the precious +pitcher. +</p> + +<p> +When they all got very near the place, however, some idea began to come into +Subha Datta’s head that he was doing a very foolish thing. He stopped +suddenly, turned round facing the crowd that followed him, and said he would +not go a step further till they all went back to the cottage. His wife begged +him to let her at least go with him, and the children all clamoured not to be +sent back, but it was no good. Back they all had to go, the woodcutter watching +till they were out of sight. +</p> + +<p> +23. Would Subha Datta have been wise if he had told has wife about the pitcher? +</p> + +<p> +24. Do you think it would have been a good or a bad thing for the secret to be +found out? +</p> + +<h3>CHAPTER XIII</h3> + +<p> +When the woodcutter was quite sure that every one was gone and nobody could see +where he had hidden the pitcher, he took it from the hole in which it lay and +carried it carefully to his home. You can imagine how everybody rushed out to +meet him when he came in sight, and crowded round him, so that there was danger +of the pitcher being thrown to the ground and broken. Subha Datta however +managed to get into the cottage without any accident, and then he began to take +things out of the pitcher and fling them on the ground, shouting, “Am I a +robber? Am I a robber? Who dared to call me a robber?” Then, getting more +and more excited, he picked up the pitcher, and holding it on his shoulder +began to dance wildly about. His wife called out to him, “Oh, take care, +take care! You will drop it!” But he paid no attention to her. Suddenly, +however, he began to feel giddy and fell to the ground, dropping the pitcher as +he did so. It was broken to pieces, and a great cry of sorrow went up from all +who saw the accident. The woodcutter himself was broken-hearted, for he knew +that he had done the mischief himself, and that if only he had resisted the +temptation to drink the wine he would still have his treasure. +</p> + +<p> +He was going to pick up the pieces to see if they could be stuck together, but +to his very great surprise he could not touch them. He heard a silvery laugh, +and what sounded like children clapping their hands, and he thought he also +heard the words, “Our pitcher is ours again!” Could it all have +been a dream? No: for there on the ground were the fruits and cakes that had +been in the pitcher, and there were his wife, his children and his friends, all +looking sadly and angrily at him. One by one the friends went away, leaving +Subha Datta alone with his family. +</p> + +<p> +25. If you had been Subha Datta’s wife, what would you have done when +this misfortune came to her husband? +</p> + +<p> +26. What would you have done if you had been the woodcutter? +</p> + +<h3>CHAPTER XIV</h3> + +<p> +This is the end of the story of the Magic Pitcher, but it was the beginning of +a new chapter in the lives of Subha Datta and his family. They never forgot the +wonder-working pitcher, and the children were never tired of hearing the story +of how their father came to get it. They often wandered about in the forest, +hoping that they too would meet with some wonderful adventure, but they never +saw the fairies or found a magic pitcher. By slow degrees the woodcutter +returned to his old ways, but he had learnt one lesson. He never again kept a +secret from his wife; because he felt sure that, if he had told her the truth +about the pitcher when he first came home, she would have helped him to save +the precious treasure. +</p> + +<p> +27. What lesson can be learnt from this story? +</p> + +<p> +28. Do you think it is easier for a boy or a girl to keep a secret? +</p> + +<p> +29. Why is it wrong to let out a secret you have been told? +</p> + +<p> +30. What do you think was the chief fault in the character of Subha Datta? +</p> + +</div><!--end chapter--> + +<div class="chapter"> + +<h2><a name="chap02"></a>II.<br /> +The Story of a Cat, a Mouse, a Lizard and an Owl.</h2> + +<h3>CHAPTER I</h3> + +<p> +This is the story of four creatures, none of whom loved each other, who lived +in the same banyan tree in a forest in India. Banyan trees are very beautiful +and very useful, and get their name from the fact that “banians,” +as merchants are called in India, often gather together in their shade to sell +their goods. Banyan trees grow to a very great height, spreading their branches +out so widely that many people can stand beneath them. From those branches +roots spring forth, which, when they reach the ground, pierce it, and look +like, columns holding up a roof. If you have never seen a banyan tree, you can +easily find a picture of one in some dictionary; and when you have done so, you +will understand that a great many creatures can live in one without seeing much +of each other. +</p> + +<p> +In an especially fine banyan tree, outside the walls of a town called Vidisa, a +cat, an owl, a lizard and a mouse, had all taken up their abode. The cat lived +in a big hole in the trunk some little distance from the ground, where she +could sleep very cosily, curled up out of sight with her head resting on her +forepaws, feeling perfectly safe from harm; for no other creature, she thought, +could possibly discover her hiding-place. The owl roosted in a mass of foliage +at the top of the tree, near the nest in which his wife had brought up their +children, before those children flew away to seek mates for themselves. He too +felt pretty secure as long as he remained up there; but he had seen the cat +prowling about below him more than once, and was very sure that, if she should +happen to catch sight of him when he was off his guard seeking his prey and +obliged to give all his attention to what he was doing, she might spring out +upon him and kill him. Cats do not generally attack such big birds as owls, but +they will sometimes kill a mother sitting in her nest, as well as the little +ones, if the father is too far off to protect them. +</p> + +<p> +The lizard loved to lie and bask in the sunshine, catching the flies on which +he lived, lying so still that they did not notice him, and darting out his long +tongue suddenly to suck them into his mouth. Yet he hid from the owl and the +cat, because he knew full well that, tough though he was, they would gobble him +up if they happened to be hungry. He made his home amongst the roots on the +south side of the tree where it was hottest, but the mouse had his hole on the +other side amongst damp moss and dead leaves. The mouse was in constant fear of +the cat and the owl. He knew that both of them could see in the dark, and he +would have no chance of escape if they once caught sight of him. +</p> + +<p> +1. Which of these four creatures do you think was most to be pitied? +</p> + +<p> +2. Do you think that animals ever hate or love each as human creatures do? +</p> + +<h3>CHAPTER II</h3> + +<p> +The lizard and the mouse could only get food in daylight; but the lizard did +not have to go far for the flies on which he lived, whilst the mouse had a very +dangerous journey to take to his favourite feeding place. This was a barley +field a short distance from the banyan tree, where he loved to nibble the full +ears, running up the stalks to get at them. The mouse was the only one of the +four creatures in the banyan tree who did not feed on others; for, like the +rest of his family, he was a vegetarian, that is to say, he ate nothing but +vegetables and fruit. +</p> + +<p> +Now the cat knew full well how fond the mouse was of the barley-field, and she +used to keep watch amongst the tall stems, creeping stealthily about with her +tail in the air and her green eyes glistening, expecting any moment to see the +poor little mouse darting hastily along. The cat never dreamt that any danger +could come to her, and she trod down the barley, making quite a clear path +through it. She was quite wrong in thinking herself so safe, for that path got +her into very serious trouble. +</p> + +<p> +It so happened that a hunter, whose great delight was to kill wild creatures, +and who was very clever in finding them, noticing every little thing which +could shew him where they had passed by, came one day into the barley-field. He +spied the path directly and cried, “Ha! ha! Some wild animal has been +here; not a very big one; let’s have a look for the footprints!” So +he stooped down to the ground, and very soon saw the marks of pussy’s +feet. “A cat, I do believe,” he said to himself, “spoiling +the barley she doesn’t want to eat herself. I’ll soon pay her +out.” The hunter waited until the evening lest the creature should see +what he was going to do, and then in the twilight he set snares all over the +barley-field. A snare, you know, is a string with a slip-knot at the end of it; +and if an animal puts his head or one of his paws into this slip-knot and goes +on without noticing it, the string is pulled tight and the poor creature cannot +get free. +</p> + +<p> +3. Was it right or wrong of the hunter to set the snare? +</p> + +<p> +4. Do you think the cat was wrong to lie in wait for the mouse? +</p> + +<h3>CHAPTER III</h3> + +<p> +Exactly what the hunter expected happened. The cat came as usual to watch for +the mouse, and caught sight of him running across the end of the path. Puss +dashed after him; and just as she thought she really had got him this time, she +found herself caught by the neck, for she had put her head into one of the +snares. She was nearly strangled and could scarcely even mew. The mouse was so +close that he heard the feeble mew, and in a terrible fright, thinking the cat +was after him, he peeped through the stems of the barley to make sure which way +to run to get away from her. What was his delight when he saw his enemy in such +trouble and quite unable to do him any harm! +</p> + +<p> +Now it so happened that the owl and the lizard were also in the barley-field, +not very far away from the cat, and they too saw the distress their hated enemy +was in. They also caught sight of the little mouse peeping through the barley; +and the owl thought to himself, “I’ll have you, my little friend, +now puss cannot do me any harm,” whilst the lizard darted away into the +sunshine, feeling glad that the cat and the owl were neither of them now likely +to trouble their heads about him. The owl flew quietly to a tree hard by to +watch what would happen, feeling so sure of having the mouse for his dinner +that he was in no hurry to catch him. +</p> + +<p> +5. What would you have done if you had been the mouse, when you saw the cat in +the snare? +</p> + +<p> +6. Was the owl wise or foolish to wait before he caught the mouse? +</p> + +<h3>CHAPTER IV</h3> + +<p> +The mouse, small and helpless though he was, was a wise little creature. He saw +the owl fly up into the tree, and knew quite well that if he did not take care +he would serve as dinner to that great strong bird. He knew too that, if he +went within reach of the claws of the cat, he would suffer for it. “How I +do wish,” he thought to himself, “I could make friends with the +cat, now she is in distress, and get her to promise not to hurt me if ever she +gets free. As long as I am near the cat, the owl will not dare to come after +me.” As he thought and thought, his eyes got brighter and brighter, and +at last he decided what he would do. He had, you see, kept his presence of +mind; that is to say, he did not let his fright of the cat or the owl prevent +him from thinking clearly. He now ventured forth from amongst the barley, and +coming near enough to the cat for her to see him quite clearly, but not near +enough for her to reach him with her claws, or far enough away for the owl to +get him without danger from those terrible claws, he said to the cat in a queer +little squeaky voice: “Dear Puss, I do not like to see you in such a fix. +It is true we have never been exactly friends, but I have always looked up to +you as a strong and noble enemy. If you will promise never to do me any harm, I +will do my best to help you. I have very sharp teeth, and I might perhaps be +able to nibble through the string round your beautiful neck and set you free. +What do you think about it?” +</p> + +<p> +7. Do you think there was any chance of a cat and a mouse becoming real +friends? +</p> + +<p> +8. Can you give two or three instances you know of presence of mind in danger? +</p> + +<h3>CHAPTER V</h3> + +<p> +When the cat heard what the mouse said, she could hardly believe her ears. She +was of course ready to promise anything to anyone who would help her, so she +said at once: +</p> + +<p> +“You dear little mouse, to wish to help me. If only you will nibble +through that string which is killing me, I promise that I will always love you, +always be your friend, and however hungry I may be, I will starve rather than +hurt your tender little body.” +</p> + +<p> +On hearing this, the mouse, without hesitating a moment, climbed up on to the +cat’s back, and cuddled down in the soft fur near her neck, feeling very +safe and warm there. The owl would certainly not attack him there, he thought, +and the cat could not possibly hurt him. It was one thing to pounce down on a +defenceless little creature running on the ground amongst the barley, quite +another to try and snatch him from the very neck of a cat. +</p> + +<p> +The cat of course expected the mouse to begin to nibble through the string at +once, and became very uneasy when she felt the little creature nestle down as +if to go to sleep, instead of helping her. Poor Pussy could not turn her head +so as to see the mouse without drawing the string tighter, and she did not dare +to speak angrily lest she should offend him. “My dear little +friend,” she said, “do you not think it is high time to keep your +promise and set me free?” +</p> + +<p> +Hearing this, the mouse pretended to bite the string, but took care not to do +so really; and the cat waited and waited, getting more miserable every minute. +All through the long night the same thing went on: the mouse taking a little +nap now and then, the cat getting weaker and weaker. “Oh,” she +thought to herself, “if only I could get free, the first thing I would do +would be to gobble up that horrid little mouse.” The moon rose, the stars +came out, the wind murmured amongst the branches of the banyan tree, making the +unfortunate cat long to be safe in her cosy home in the trunk. The cries of the +wild animals which prowl about at night seeking their food were heard, and the +cat feared one of them might find her and kill her. A mother tiger perhaps +would snatch her, and take her to her hungry cubs, hidden away in the deep +forest, or a bird of prey might swoop down on her and grip her in his terrible +claws. Again and again she entreated the mouse to be quick, promising that, if +only he would set her at liberty, she would never, never, never forget it or do +any harm to her beloved friend. +</p> + +<p> +9. What do you suppose the mouse was thinking all this time? +</p> + +<p> +10. If you had been the mouse, would you have trusted to what the cat said in +her misery? +</p> + +<h3>CHAPTER VI</h3> + +<p> +It was not until the moon had set and the light of the dawn had put out that of +the stars that the mouse, made any real effort to help the cat. By this time +the hunter who had set the snare came to see if he had caught the cat; and the +poor cat, seeing him in the distance, became so wild with terror that she +nearly killed herself in the struggle to get away. “Keep still! keep +still,” cried the mouse, “and I will really save you.” Then +with a few quick bites with his sharp teeth he cut through the string, and the +next moment the cat was hidden amongst the barley, and the mouse was running +off in the opposite direction, determined to keep well out of sight of the +creature he had kept in such misery for so many hours. Full well he knew that +all the cat’s promises would be forgotten, and that she would eat him up +if she could catch him. The owl too flew away, and the lizard went off to hunt +flies in the sunshine, and there was not a sign of any of the four inhabitants +of the banyan tree when the hunter reached the snare. He was very much +surprised and puzzled to find the string hanging loose in two pieces, and no +sign of there having been anything caught in it, except two white hairs lying +on the ground close to the trap. He had a good look round, and then went home +without having found out anything. +</p> + +<p> +When the hunter was quite out of sight, the cat came forth from the barley, and +hastened back to her beloved home in the banyan tree. On her way there she +spied the mouse also hurrying along in the same direction, and at first she +felt inclined to hunt him and eat him then and there. On second thoughts +however she decided to try and keep friends with him, because he might help her +again if she got caught a second time. So she took no notice of the mouse until +the next day, when she climbed down the tree and went to the roots in which she +knew the mouse was hidden. There she began to purr as loud as she could, to +show the mouse she was in a good humour, and called out, “Dear good +little mouse, come out of your hole and let me tell you how very, very grateful +I am to you for saving my life. There is nothing in the world I will not do for +you, if you will only be friends with me.” +</p> + +<p> +The mouse only squeaked in answer to this speech, and took very good care not +to show himself, till he was quite sure the cat was gone beyond reach of him. +He stayed quietly in his hole, and only ventured forth after he had heard the +cat climb up into the tree again. “It is all very well,” thought +the mouse, “to pretend to make friends with an enemy when that enemy is +helpless, but I should indeed be a silly mouse to trust a cat when she is free +to kill me.” +</p> + +<p> +The cat made a good many other efforts to be friends with the mouse, but they +were all unsuccessful. In the end the owl caught the mouse, and the cat killed +the lizard. The owl and the cat both lived for the rest of their lives in the +banyan tree, and died in the end at a good old age. +</p> + +<p> +11. Do you think it is ever possible to make a real friend of an enemy? +</p> + +<p> +12. What do you think the mouse deserved most praise for in his behaviour? +</p> + +<p> +13. Which of the four animals in this story do you like best and which do you +dislike most? +</p> + +<p> +14. Can an animal be blamed for acting according to its nature? For instance, +can you call it cruel for a cat or an owl to kill and eat a mouse? +</p> + +<p> +15. Is it always right to forgive an injury? +</p> + +<p> +16. Can you give an example from history of the forgiveness of an injury? +</p> + +</div><!--end chapter--> + +<div class="chapter"> + +<h2><a name="chap03"></a>III.<br /> +A Royal Thief-Catcher.</h2> + +<h3>CHAPTER I</h3> + +<p> +In one of the smaller cities of India called Sravasti the people gathered +together on a very hot day to stare at and talk about a stranger, who had come +in to the town, looking very weary and walking with great difficulty because +his feet were sore with tramping for a long distance on the rough roads. He was +a Brahman, that is to say, a man who devoted his whole life to prayer, and had +promised to give up everything for the sake of pleasing the god in whom he +believed, and to care nothing for comfort, for riches, or for good food. +</p> + +<p> +This Brahman carried nothing with him but a staff to help him along, and a bowl +in which to receive the offerings of those who thought it their duty to help +him and hoped by doing so to win favour in the sight of God. He was naked, +except for a cloth worn about his loins, and his long hair was all matted +together for want of combing and brushing. He made his way very slowly and +painfully through the crowds, till he came to a shady corner, and there he sank +down exhausted, holding out his bowl for the gifts of the people. Very soon his +bowl would have been full of all sorts of good things, but he made it clear +that he would accept nothing to eat except rice still in the husk, and nothing +to drink but pure water. He was however willing to take money; and when the +people who wished to help him found that out, they brought him a good many +silver and gold pieces. Some who had no money to spare gave him jewels and +other things which could be sold for money. +</p> + +<p> +1. Can you explain why the Brahman would only accept such food as rice in the +husk and water? +</p> + +<p> +2. Do you think it was right or wrong of the Brahman to take money and jewels? +</p> + +<h3>CHAPTER II</h3> + +<p> +As time went on, the Brahman became very well known in Sravasti. His fame +indeed spread far beyond the town, and people came from far away to consult him +about all sorts of things, and he gave them good advice, for he was a very wise +man. Those who wanted him to tell them what to do paid him for his advice, and +as some of them had plenty of money and were glad to help him, he soon became +quite rich. He might have done a great deal of good with all this money by +helping the poor and suffering, but unfortunately he never thought of doing so. +Instead of that, he got to love the money for its own sake. At night, when all +those who had come to see him had gone to rest, and there was no fear of his +being found out, he used to steal away into the forest, and there he dug a deep +hole at the root of a great tree, to which he took all his money and jewels. +</p> + +<p> +In India everybody has a siesta, that is to say, a sleep in the middle of the +day, because the heat is so great it is difficult to keep well and strong +without this extra rest. So, although it is quite light at the time, the +streets are deserted, except for the dogs who prowl about, trying to find +something to eat. Now the Brahman loved his money and other treasures so much, +that he used very often to do without this siesta and go to the forest to enjoy +the pleasure of looking at them. When he got to the tree, he would bend down, +clear away the earth and leaves with which he had hidden his secret hole, take +out the money and let it slip through his fingers, and hold up the jewels to +the light, to watch how they gleamed and glistened. He was never so happy as +when he was alone with his riches, and it was all he could do to tear himself +away from them when the time came to go back to his shady corner. In fact he +was becoming a selfish miser instead of the holy man the people of Sravasti +thought he was. By the time the siesta was over he was always back again in his +place beneath the tree, holding out his bowl and looking as poor and thin as +ever, so that nobody had the least idea of the truth. +</p> + +<p> +3. Why was it wrong for the Brahman to hide away his money and jewels? +</p> + +<p> +4. Can anyone be a miser about other things as well as money and jewels? If so, +what other things? +</p> + +<h3>CHAPTER III</h3> + +<p> +For many months the Brahman led this double life; until one day, when he went +as usual to his hiding-place, he saw at once that some one had been there +before him. Eagerly he knelt down, full of fear of exactly what had actually +happened. All his care in concealing the hole had been wasted, for it was quite +empty. The poor man could not at first believe his own eyes. He rubbed them +hard, thinking that there was something the matter with them. Then he felt +round and round the hole, hoping that after all he was mistaken; and when at +last he was obliged to believe the terrible truth that there really was not a +sign of his money and jewels, he became almost mad with misery. He began to run +from tree to tree, peering into their roots, and when there was nothing to be +seen, he rushed back again to his empty hole, to look into it once more. Then +he wept and tore at his hair, stamped about and cried aloud to all the gods he +believed in, making all kinds of promises, of what he would do if only they +would give him back his treasures. No answer came, and he began to wonder who +could have done such a terrible thing. It must, he felt sure, have been one of +the people of Sravasti; and he now remembered he had noticed that a good many +of them had looked into his bowl with longing eyes, when they saw the money and +precious stones in it. “What horrible, wicked people they are,” he +said to himself. “I hate them. I should like to hurt them as they have +hurt me.” As he thought in this way he got more and more angry, until he +became quite worn out with giving way to his rage. +</p> + +<p> +5. What would you have done if you had been the Brahman when he lost his +treasure? +</p> + +<p> +6. Is it wrong to be angry when any one has done you an injury? +</p> + +<h3>CHAPTER IV</h3> + +<p> +After roaming about in the forest for a long time, the Brahman went back to the +house in Sravasti where some kind people had lent him a room, glad and proud to +have such a holy man, as they thought he was, living under their roof. He felt +sure they had had nothing to do with the loss of his treasure, because they had +given him many proofs of their goodness and honesty. Soon he was pouring out +all his grief to them, and they did all they could to comfort him, telling him +that he would very soon have plenty more money and jewels. They let him see +however that they thought it was mean of him to hide away his riches, instead +of using them to help the poor and suffering; and this added very much to his +rage. At last he lost all self-control and cried, “It is not worth while +for me to live any longer. I will go to some holy place of pilgrimage by the +banks of the river, and there I will starve myself to death.” +</p> + +<p> +A place of pilgrimage, you know, is one where some great event, generally +connected with religion, has taken place, to which pilgrims go to pray in the +hope of winning some special favour from God. The word pilgrim means a +wanderer, but it has come in course of time to signify any traveller who comes +from a distance to some such place. Benares in India is a very famous place of +pilgrimage, because it is on the River Ganges, which the Hindus worship and +love, believing that its waters can wash away their sins. Hundreds and +thousands of Hindus go there every year to bathe in it, and many who know that +they have not long to live wait on its banks to die, so that after their bodies +have been burnt, as is the custom with the Hindus, their ashes may be thrown +into the sacred stream. +</p> + +<p> +7. Can you name two other places of pilgrimage, one held sacred by Christians +and one by Hindus? +</p> + +<p> +8. Will you explain exactly why the two places you have thought of are +considered holy? +</p> + +<h3>CHAPTER V</h3> + +<p> +The news of the Brahman’s loss spread very quickly through Sravasti; and +as is so often the case, every one who told the story made it a little +different, so that it became very difficult to know what the truth really was. +There was great distress in the town, because the people thought the Brahman +would go away, and they did not want him to do that. They were proud of having +a man they thought so holy, living amongst them, and ashamed that he should +have been robbed whilst he was with them. When they heard that he meant to +starve himself to death, they were dreadfully shocked, and determined to do all +they possibly could to prevent it. One after another of the chief men of +Sravasti came to see him, and entreated him not to be in such a hurry to be +sure that his treasure would never be found. They said they would all do +everything they possibly could to get it back for him. Some of them thought it +was very wrong of him to make such a fuss about it, and blamed him for being a +miser. They told him it was foolish to care so much for what he could not take +with him when he died, and one specially wise old man gave him a long lecture +on the wickedness of taking away the life which had been given to him by God to +prepare for that in the other world. “Put the idea of starving yourself +out of your head,” he said, “and whilst we are seeking your +treasure, go on as you did before you lost it. Next time you have any money and +jewels, turn them to good account instead of hoarding them up.” +</p> + +<p> +9. Do you think the Brahman was of any real use to the people of Sravasti? +</p> + +<p> +10. In what qualities do you think the Brahman was wanting when he made up his +mind to starve himself to death? +</p> + +<h3>CHAPTER VI</h3> + +<p> +In spite of all that any one could say to him, the Brahman was quite determined +that he would not live any longer. He set off to the place of pilgrimage he had +chosen, taking no notice of any one he met, but just marching steadily on. At +first a number of people followed him, but by degrees they left off doing so, +and soon he was quite alone. Presently however he could not help noticing a man +approaching from the direction in which he was going. Very tall, very handsome, +very dignified, this man was one whom no one could fail to admire, even if he +had been only an ordinary person. But he was the king of the whole country, +whose name was Prasnajit; and a little distance behind him were a number of his +attendants, waiting to obey his orders. Everybody, even the Brahman, loved the +king, because he took such a very great interest in his people and was always +trying to do them good. He had heard all about the loss of the money, and was +very much vexed that such a thing should have happened in his land. He had also +heard that the Brahman meant to kill himself, and this distressed him more than +anything else, because he thought it a very wicked and terrible thing to do. +</p> + +<p> +The king stood so exactly in the path of the Brahman that it was impossible to +pass him by without taking any notice of him, and the unhappy man stood still, +hanging down his head and looking very miserable. Without waiting for a moment, +Prasnajit said to the Brahman: “Do not grieve any more. I will find your +treasure for you, and give it back to you; or if I fail to do so I will pay you +as much as it was worth out of my own purse: for I cannot bear to think of your +killing yourself. Now tell me very carefully where you hid your gold and +jewels, and everything about the place, to help me to make sure of it.” +</p> + +<p> +The Brahman was greatly delighted to hear this, because he knew full well that +the king would keep his word, and that, even if his own treasure was never +found, he would have plenty of money given to him by the king. He at once told +Prasnajit exactly where he had put his store, and offered to take him there. +The king agreed to go with him at once, and he and the Brahman went straight +away to the big hole in the forest, the attendants following them a little way +behind. +</p> + +<p> +11. If you had been the king, how would you have set about finding the +treasure? +</p> + +<p> +12. Was it a good or a bad thing for the Brahman to have secured the help of +the king? +</p> + +<h3>CHAPTER VII</h3> + +<p> +After the king had seen the big empty hole, and noticed exactly where it was, +and the nearest way to it from the town, he returned to his palace, first +telling the Brahman to go back to the house he lived in, and wait there till he +received a message from him. He promised to see that he wanted for nothing, and +sent one of his attendants to a rich merchant of Sravasti, who had already done +a good deal for the Brahman, to order him to supply the holy man with all he +needed. Very glad that after all he was not going to die, the Brahman obeyed +willingly, and for the next few days he was taken care of by the merchant, who +supplied him with plenty of food. +</p> + +<p> +As soon as Prasnajit was back in his palace, he pretended that he was taken +suddenly ill. His head ached badly, he said, and he could not make out what was +the matter with him. He ordered a proclamation to be sent all round the town, +telling all the doctors to come to the palace to see him. All the doctors in +the place at once hastened to obey, each of them hoping that he would be the +one to cure the king and win a great reward. So many were they that the big +reception room was full of them, and they all glared at each other so angrily +that the attendants kept careful watch lest they should begin to fight. One at +a time they were taken to the king’s private room, but very much to their +surprise and disappointment he seemed quite well and in no need of help from +them. Instead of talking about his own illness, he asked each doctor who his +patients were in the town, and what medicines he was giving to them. Of course +Prasnajit’s questions were carefully answered; but the king said nothing +more, just waving his hand to shew that the interview was at an end. Then the +attendants led the visitor out. At last however a doctor came, who said +something which led the king to keep him longer than he had kept any of the +others. This doctor was a very famous healer who had saved the lives of many of +Prasnajit’s subjects. He told the king that a merchant named Matri-Datta +was very ill, suffering greatly, but that he hoped to cure him by giving him +the juice of a certain plant called nagaballa. At the time this story was +written, doctors in India did not give their patients medicine, or write +prescriptions for them to take to chemists to be made up, because there were no +chemists in those days, such as there are in all the towns of Europe, who keep +the materials in stock for making medicines. A doctor just said to his patient, +“you must take the juice of this or that plant”; and the suffering +person had to go into the fields or woods to find the plant or else to send a +servant to do so. +</p> + +<p> +When the king heard that the doctor had ordered Matri-Datta to take the juice +of the nagaballa plant, he cried “No more doctors need come to see +me!” and after sending away the one who had told him what he wanted to +know, he gave orders that Matri-Datta should be sent for at once. +</p> + +<p> +13. Can you guess why the king sent for the doctors? +</p> + +<p> +14. Do you think Matri-Datta had anything to do with stealing the +Brahman’s treasure? +</p> + +<h3>CHAPTER VIII</h3> + +<p> +Ill and suffering though he was, Matri-Datta did not dare disobey the king: so +he came at once. As soon as he appeared, Prasnajit asked him how he was, and +said he was sorry to have to make him leave his home when he was ill, but the +matter on which he wished to see him was of very great importance. Then he +suddenly added: “When your doctor ordered you to take the juice of the +nagaballa plant whom did you send to find it?” +</p> + +<p> +To this Matri-Datta replied trembling with fear: “My servant, O king, +sought it in the forest; and having found it, brought it to me.” +</p> + +<p> +“Go back and send that servant to me immediately,” was the reply; +and the merchant hurried away, wondering very much why the king wanted to see +the man, and hoping that he himself would not get into disgrace on account of +anything he had done to make Prasnajit angry. +</p> + +<p> +15. Have you any idea why the king wanted the servant sent to him? +</p> + +<p> +16. From what the story tells you so far, do you think Prasnajit was a good +ruler of his kingdom? +</p> + +<h3>CHAPTER IX</h3> + +<p> +When Matri-Datta told his servant that he was to go to the palace to see the +king, the man was dreadfully frightened, and begged his master not to make him +go. This made Matri-Datta pretty sure that he had done something wrong and was +afraid of being found out. “Go at once,” he said, “and +whatever you do, speak the truth to the king. That will be your only chance if +you have offended him.” Again and again the servant entreated Matri-Datta +not to insist, and when he found it was no good, he asked him at least to come +with him to the palace and plead for him with Prasnajit. The merchant knew then +for certain that something was seriously wrong, and he consented to go to the +palace with his servant, partly out of curiosity and partly out of fear for +himself. When the two got to the palace, the attendants at once led the servant +to the presence of the king, but they would not let the master go with him. +</p> + +<p> +Directly the servant entered the room and saw the king sitting on his throne, +he fell upon his face at the foot of the steps, crying, “Mercy! +mercy!” He was right to be afraid, for Prasnajit said to him in a loud +voice: “Where are the gold and the jewels you took from the hole in the +roots of a tree when you went to find the nagaballa plant for your +master?” The servant, who really had taken the money and jewels, was so +terrified when he found that the king knew the truth, that he had not a word to +say at first, but just remained lying on the ground, trembling all over. +Prasnajit too was silent, and the attendants waiting for orders behind the +throne looked on, wondering what would happen now. +</p> + +<p> +17. Have you guessed what the nagaballa plant had to do with finding out who +had stolen the money and jewels? +</p> + +<p> +18. If you had been the king, what punishment would you have ordered for the +thief? +</p> + +<h3>CHAPTER X</h3> + +<p> +When the silence had lasted about ten minutes, the thief raised his head from +the ground and looked at the king, who still said not a word. Something in his +face however made the wicked servant hope that he would not be punished by +death in spite of the great wrong he had done. The king looked very stern, it +is true, but not enraged against him. So the servant rose to his feet, and +clasping his hands together as he held them up to Prasnajit, said in a +trembling voice: “I will fetch the treasure, I will fetch the +treasure.” “Go then at once,” said the king, “and bring +it here”: and as he said it, there was a beautiful expression in his +eyes, which made the thief more sorry for what he had done than he would have +been if Prasnajit had said, “Off with his head!” or had ordered him +to be beaten. +</p> + +<p> +19. What do you think is the best way to make wicked people good? +</p> + +<p> +20. What is the most powerful reason a man or woman or a child can have for +trying to be good? +</p> + +<h3>CHAPTER XI</h3> + +<p> +As soon as the king said, “Go at once,” the servant started to his +feet and hastened away, as eager now to restore what he had stolen as he had +been to hide it. He had put it in another hole in the very depths of the +forest; and it was a long time before he got back to the palace with it, for it +was very heavy. He had thought the king would send some guards with him, to see +that he did not run away, and that they would have helped him to carry the sack +full of gold and jewels; but nobody followed him. It was hard work to drag the +heavy load all the way alone; but at last, quite late in the evening, he was +back at the palace gates. The soldiers standing there let him pass without a +word, and soon he was once more in the room in which the king had received him. +Prasnajit still sat on his throne, and the attendants still waited behind him, +when the thief, so tired he could hardly stand, once more lay prostrate at the +bottom of the steps leading up to the throne, with the sack beside him. How his +heart did beat as he waited for what the king would say! It seemed a very long +time before Prasnajit spoke, though it was only two or three minutes; and when +he did, this is what he said, “Go back to your home now, and be a thief +no more.” +</p> + +<p> +Very, very thankfully the man obeyed, scarcely able to believe that he was free +to go and that he was not to be terribly punished. Never again in the rest of +his life did he take what did not belong to him, and he was never tired of +telling his children and his friends of the goodness of the king who had +forgiven him. +</p> + +<p> +21. Do you think it would have been better for the thief to have been punished? +</p> + +<p> +22. What lesson did the thief learn from what had happened to him? +</p> + +<h3>CHAPTER XII</h3> + +<p> +The Brahman, who had spent the time of waiting in prayers that his treasure +should be given back to him, and was still determined that, if it were not, he +would starve himself to death, was full of delight when he heard that it had +been found. He hastened to the palace and was taken before the king, who said +to him: “There is your treasure. Take it away, and make a better use of +it than before. If you lose it again, I shall not try to recover it for +you.” +</p> + +<p> +The Brahman, glad as he was to have his money and jewels restored, did not like +to be told by the king to make a better use of them. Besides this he wanted to +have the thief punished; and he began talking about that, instead of thanking +Prasnajit and promising to follow his advice. The king looked at him much as he +had looked at the thief and said: “The matter is ended so far as I have +anything to do with it: go in peace.” +</p> + +<p> +The Brahman, who was accustomed to be honoured by every one from the king on +his throne to the beggars in the street, was astonished at the way in which +Prasnajit spoke to him. He would have said more, but the king made a sign to +his attendants, two of whom dragged the sack to the entrance of the palace and +left it there, so that there was nothing for the Brahman to do but to take it +away with him. Every one who has read this wonderful story would, of courses +like to know what became of him after that, but nothing more is told about him. +</p> + +<p> +23. Do you think that the Brahman learnt anything from his loss and recovery of +his treasure? +</p> + +<p> +24. Was the Brahman more wicked than, the thief or the thief than the Brahman? +</p> + +<p> +25. Do you think the Brahman continued to be a miser for the rest of his life? +</p> + +<p> +26. What were the chief characteristics of the king—that is to say, what +sort of man do you think he was? +</p> + +<p> +27. Which of the people who are spoken of in this story do you like and admire +most, and which do you dislike most? +</p> + +</div><!--end chapter--> + +<div class="chapter"> + +<h2><a name="chap04"></a>IV.<br /> +The Magic Shoes and Staff.</h2> + +<h3>CHAPTER I</h3> + +<p> +Far, far away in a town of India called Chinchini, where in days long gone by +the ancient gods in whom the people believed are said sometimes to have +appeared to those who called upon them for help, there lived three brothers of +noble birth, who had never known what it was to want for food, or clothes, or a +house to live in. Each was married to a wife he loved, and for many years they +were all as happy as the day was long. Presently however a great misfortune in +which they all shared befell their native country. There was no rain for many, +many weeks; and this is a very serious thing in a hot country like India, +because, when it does not rain for a long time, the ground becomes so parched +and hard that nothing can grow in it. The sun is very much stronger in India +than it is in England; and it sent forth its burning rays, drying up all the +water in the tanks and changing what had been a beautiful country, covered +with green crops good for food, into a dreary desert, where neither men nor +animals could get anything to eat. The result of this was that there was a +terrible famine, in which hundreds of people and animals died, little children +being the first to suffer. +</p> + +<p> +Now the three brothers, who had none of them any children, got frightened at +the state of things, and thought to themselves, “If we do not escape from +this dreadful land, we shall die.” They said to each other: “Let us +flee away from here, and go somewhere where we are sure of being able to get +plenty to eat and drink. We will not take our wives with us; they would only +make things worse for us; let us leave them to look after themselves.” +</p> + +<p> +1. What do you think of the behaviour of the three brothers? Was there any +excuse for their leaving their wives behind them? +</p> + +<p> +2. Do you think the wives themselves can have been to blame in any way in the +matter? +</p> + +<h3>CHAPTER II</h3> + +<p> +So the three wives were deserted, and had to manage as best they could without +their husbands, who did not even trouble to wish them goodbye. The wives were +at first very sad and lonely, but presently a great joy came to one of them +which made the other two very happy as well. This joy was the birth of a little +boy, whose two aunts loved him almost as much as his mother did. The story does +not tell how they all got food whilst the famine was going on, though it is +very evident that they were not starved, for the baby boy grew fast and was a +strong healthy little fellow. +</p> + +<p> +One night all the three wives had the same dream, a very wonderful one, in +which the god Siva, who is very much honoured in India, appeared to them. He +told them that, looking down from Heaven, he had noticed how tenderly they +cared for the new-born baby, and that he wished them to call him Putraka. +Besides this he astonished them by adding that, as a reward for the unselfish +way in which they had behaved, they would find one hundred thousand gold pieces +under the little child’s pillow every morning, and that one day that +little child would be a king. +</p> + +<p> +3. Do you think the three women wanted to be rewarded for loving the baby? +</p> + +<p> +4. Is it a good thing to have a great deal of money? +</p> + +<h3>CHAPTER III</h3> + +<p> +The wonderful dream was fulfilled, and the mother and aunts called the boy +Putraka. Every morning they found the gold pieces under his pillow, and they +took care of the money for him, so that when he grew up he was the very richest +man in the whole country. He had a happy childhood and boyhood, his only +trouble being that he did not like having never seen his father. His mother +told him about the famine before he was born, and how his father and uncles had +gone away and never come back. He often said, “When I am a man I will +find my father and bring him home again.” He used his money to help +others, and one of the best things he did was to irrigate the land; that is to +say, he made canals into which water was made to flow in times when there was +plenty of rain, so that there was no danger of there being another famine, such +as that which had driven his father and uncles away. The country in which he +lived became very fruitful; everybody had enough to eat and drink; and Putraka +was very much loved, especially by the poor and unhappy. When the king who +ruled over the land died, everybody wanted Putraka to take his place, and he +was chosen at once. +</p> + +<p> +5. Will you describe the kind of man you think Putraka was? +</p> + +<p> +6. Do you know of any other country besides India in which everything depends +on irrigation? +</p> + +<h3>CHAPTER IV</h3> + +<p> +One of the other wise things Putraka did, when he became king, was to make +great friends with his Brahman subjects. Brahmans are always very fond of +travelling, and Putraka thought, if he were good and generous to them, they +would talk about him wherever they went, and that perhaps through them his +father and uncles would hear about him. He felt sure that, if they knew he was +now a king ruling over their native land, they would want to come back. He gave +the Brahmans plenty of money, and told them to try and find his father and +uncles. If they did, they were to say how anxious he was to see them, and +promise them everything they wanted, if only they would return. +</p> + +<p> +7. Do you think it was wise of Putraka to be so anxious to get his father and +uncles back, when he knew how selfish they had been in leaving his mother and +aunts behind them? +</p> + +<p> +8. Can you suggest anything else Putraka might have done in the matter? +</p> + +<h3>CHAPTER V</h3> + +<p> +Just what the young king hoped came to pass. Wherever the Brahmans went they +talked about the country they came from and the wonderful young king who ruled +over it. Putraka’s father and uncles, who were after all not so very far +off, heard the stories about him, and asked the Brahmans many questions. The +answers made them very eager to see Putraka, but they did not at first realize +that he was closely related to them. Only when they heard the name of his +mother did they guess the truth. Putraka’s father knew, when he deserted +his wife, that God was going to give her a child soon; which made it even more +wicked of him to leave her. Now, however, he forgot all about that, only +thinking how he could make as much use as possible of the son who had become a +king. He wanted to go back at once alone, but the uncles were not going to +allow that. They meant to get all they could out of Putraka too; and the three +selfish men, who were now quite old, set off together for the land they had +left so long ago. +</p> + +<p> +They arrived safely, and made their way to the palace, where they were +received, with great rejoicings. None of the wives said a word of reproach to +the husbands who had deserted them; and as for Putraka, he was so overjoyed at +having his father back, that he gave him a beautiful house to live in and a +great deal of money. He was very good to his uncles too, and felt that he had +now really nothing left to wish for. +</p> + +<p> +9. Do you think Putraka showed strength or weakness of character in the way he +received the travellers? +</p> + +<p> +10. How do you think the king ought to have behaved to his father and uncles? +</p> + +<h3>CHAPTER VI</h3> + +<p> +The three wives very soon had good reason to wish their husbands had stayed +away. Instead of being grateful for all Putraka’s generosity, they were +very unkind and exacting, never pleased with anything; and whatever they had +given them, they were always trying to get more. In fact, they were silly as +well as wicked; for they did not realize that this was not the way to make the +king love them or wish to keep them with him. Presently they became jealous of +Putraka, and began to wish to get rid of him. His father hated to feel that his +son was king, whilst he was only one of that king’s subjects; and he made +up his mind to kill him, hoping that if he could only get rid of him he might +rule over the country in his stead. He thought and thought how best to manage +this, and did not at first mean to tell his brothers anything about it; but in +the end he decided he had better have them on his side. So he invited them to +go with him to a secret place to talk the matter over. +</p> + +<p> +11. What qualities did Putraka’s father show in this plot against his +son? +</p> + +<p> +12. Was there any other way in which the king’s father could have gained +a share in governing the land? +</p> + +<h3>CHAPTER VII</h3> + +<p> +After many meetings the three wicked men decided that they would pay some one +to kill the king, first making the murderer they chose swear that he would +never tell who had ordered him to do the terrible deed. It was not very +difficult to find a man bad enough to take money for such an evil purpose, and +the next thing to do was to decide where and when the deed was to be done. +Putraka had been very well brought up by his mother, and he often went to a +beautiful temple near his palace to pray alone. He would sometimes stop there a +long time, winning fresh wisdom and strength to do the work he was trusted +with, and praying not only for himself, but for his father, his mother, his +aunts and uncles, and for the people he loved so much. +</p> + +<p> +The murderer was told to wait in this temple, and when the young king was +absorbed in prayer, to fall suddenly upon him and kill him. Then, when Putraka +was dead, he was to take his body and bury it far away in the depths of the +forest where it could never be found. At first it seemed likely that this cruel +plot would succeed. To make quite sure, the murderer got two other men as +wicked as himself to come and help him, promising to give them a share in the +reward. But the god who had taken care of Putraka ever since he was born, did +not forget him now. As the young king prayed, forgetting everything in his +earnest pleading for those he loved, he did not see or hear the evil men +drawing stealthily close to him. Their arms were uplifted to slay him, and the +gleam of the weapons in the light that was always kept burning flashed upon +him, when suddenly the heavenly guardian of the temple, who never left it day +or night, but was generally invisible, appeared and cast a spell upon the +wicked men, whose hands were arrested in the very act to strike. +</p> + +<p> +What a wonderful sight that must have been, when Putraka, disturbed in his +prayers, looked round and saw the men who had come to kill him, with the +shadowy form of the guardian threatening them! He knew at once that he had been +saved from a dreadful death by a messenger from the god he had been +worshipping. As he gazed at the men, the guardian faded away and he was left +alone with them. Slowly the spell cast on them was broken, and they dropped +their weapons, prostrated themselves, and clasped their hands in an appeal for +mercy to the man they had meant to destroy. Putraka looked at them quietly and +sadly. He felt no anger against them, only a great thankfulness for his escape. +He spoke to the men very sternly, asking them why they wished to harm him; and +the chief murderer told him who had sent them. +</p> + +<p> +The knowledge that his father wished to kill him shocked and grieved the young +king terribly, but he controlled himself even when he learnt the sad truth. He +told the men that he forgave them, for they were not the most to blame; and he +made them promise never to betray who had bribed them to kill him. He then gave +them some money and told them to leave him. +</p> + +<p> +13. What do you think the most beautiful incident in this account of the scene +in the temple? +</p> + +<p> +14. What do you suppose were the thoughts of the murderers when they left the +temple after Putraka forgave them? +</p> + +<h3>CHAPTER VIII</h3> + +<p> +When Putraka was alone, he threw himself upon the ground and wept very +bitterly. He felt that he could never be happy again, never trust anyone again. +He had so loved his father and uncles. It had been such a joy to him to give +them pleasure, and yet they hated him and wished to kill him. He wondered +whether he was himself to blame for what had happened, and began to think he +was not worthy to be king, if he could make such a mistake as he now feared he +had made in being so generous to those who could have such hard thoughts of him +as to want to take his life. Perhaps after all it would be better for his +country to have another king. He did not feel as if he could go back to his +palace and meet his father and uncles again. “What shall I do? What shall +I do?” he cried, his sobs choking his voice. Never in all his life had he +thought it possible to be so miserable as he was now. Everything seemed changed +and he felt as if he were himself a different person. The only thing that +comforted him at all was the thought of his mother, whose love had never failed +him; but even that was spoiled by the remembrance that it was her husband who +had wished to kill him. She must never know that, for it would break her heart: +yet how could he keep it from her? Then the idea came to him that the best +thing he could do would be to go away and never see his own people again. +</p> + +<p> +15. What do you think was wrong in Putraka’s way of looking at the past? +</p> + +<p> +16. Was his idea of leaving his country and his people a sign of weakness or of +strength? +</p> + +<h3>CHAPTER IX</h3> + +<p> +In the end the poor young king decided that he would go right away as his +father and uncles had done; and his mind being made up, he became more cheerful +and began to think he might meet with some interesting adventures in a new +country, where nobody knew anything about him. As soon as it was light, he +wandered off into the forest, feeling, it is true, very lonely, but at the same +time taking a certain pleasure in being entirely his own master; which a king +can never really be, because he has to consider so many other people and to +keep so many rules. +</p> + +<p> +After all Putraka did not find the forest so very lonely; for he had not gone +far in it before his sad thoughts were broken in upon by his coming suddenly to +a little clearing, where the trees had been cut down and two strong-looking men +were wrestling together. The king watched them for a little while, wondering +what they were fighting about. Then he called out, “What are you doing +here? What are you quarrelling about?” +</p> + +<p> +The men were greatly surprised to hear Putraka’s voice, for they thought +that they were quite alone. They stopped fighting for a minute or two, and one +of them said: “We are fighting for three very precious things which were +left behind him by our father.” +</p> + +<p> +“What are those things?” asked Putraka. +</p> + +<p> +“A bowl, a stick and a pair of shoes,” was the reply. +“Whoever wins the fight will get them all. There they lie on the +ground.” +</p> + +<p> +“Well, I never!” cried the king, laughing as he looked at the +things, which seemed to him worth very little. “I shouldn’t trouble +to fight about such trifles, if I were you.” +</p> + +<p> +“Trifles!” exclaimed one of the men angrily. “You don’t +know what you are talking about. They are worth more than their weight in gold. +Whoever gets the bowl will find plenty of food in it whenever he wants it; the +owner of the stick has only to write his wishes on the ground with it and he +will get them; and whoever puts on the shoes can fly through the air in them to +any distance.” +</p> + +<p> +17. Which of these things would you rather have had? +</p> + +<p> +18. What lesson do you learn from what the men said about the things on the +ground? +</p> + +<h3>CHAPTER X</h3> + +<p> +When Putraka heard the wonders which, could be done with what he had thought +not worth having, he determined to get possession of the three treasures for +himself; not considering that it would be very wrong to take what did not +belong to him. “It seems a pity to fight,” he said, “why +don’t you race for the things, and let whichever wins the race have them? +That banyan tree over there would make a good winning post and I will be the +umpire.” +</p> + +<p> +Instead of guessing what Putraka had in his mind, the brothers, who were very +simple fellows, said at once: “All right. We won’t fight, +we’ll race instead, and you can give us the start.” Putraka agreed, +and directly they were off he lost not a moment, but picked up the bowl and the +staff, put on the shoes, and flew straight up into the air with the treasures. +When the brothers came back, disputing about which of them had won, there was +not a sign of Putraka, the bowl, the stick, or the shoes. They guessed at once +what had happened; and after staring up in the air for a long time, they went +home, feeling very much enraged with the man who had cheated them, and ashamed +of having been so stupid as to trust him. +</p> + +<p> +19. What do you think of Putraka’s behaviour in this matter? +</p> + +<p> +20. If you could have had one of the three things Putraka stole, which would +you have chosen? +</p> + +<h3>CHAPTER XI</h3> + +<p> +On and on flew Putraka, full of eager delight in the new power of flight. How +he loved rushing through the air, cleaving it like a bird on the wing! All he +wanted to make him perfectly happy was someone to enjoy his new powers with +him. Presently he found himself above a beautiful city with towers and +pinnacles and minarets gleaming in the sunshine. “Ah!” he thought, +“that is the place for me. I will go down there, and see if I can find a +nice house to live in, and some people to make friends with, who will not try +to kill me or to cheat me, but love me and be grateful to me for any kindness I +show them.” +</p> + +<p> +As Putraka was hovering in the air above the town to which he had taken such a +fancy, he noticed a little house which rather pleased him; for though it was +poor-looking, there was something cheerful and home-like about it. Down he sped +and alighted at the door. Only one poor old woman lived in the house, and when +Putraka knocked and asked if he might come in, she said “Yes” at +once. He gave her some money, and told her he would like to live with her, if +she would let him do so. She was only too glad to consent, for she was very +lonely; and the two lived happily together for a long time. +</p> + +<p> +21. Do you think that if Putraka had flown home on his wonderful shoes, taking +his staff and bowl with him, his, father and uncles would still have tried to +kill him? +</p> + +<p> +22. How could Putraka have prevented them from doing him harm if he had +returned to his home? +</p> + +<h3>CHAPTER XII</h3> + +<p> +The old woman grew very fond of Putraka, caring for him and waiting on him as +if he had been her own son. She was so anxious that he should be happy that she +became afraid he would become tired of living alone with her. So she said to +him one day: “My dear adopted son, you ought to have a wife to keep you +company. I know the very one for you, the only one really worthy of you. She is +a princess, and her name is Patala. She is so very lovely that every man who +sees her falls in love with her and wants to carry her off. So she is most +carefully guarded in the top rooms of a great palace, as high as the summits of +the loftiest mountains.” When Putraka heard this he was all eagerness to +see the princess, and at once determined to go forth to seek her. He was more +than ever glad now that he had stolen the shoes, because he knew that they +would carry him even to the top of the highest mountains. +</p> + +<p> +23. What qualities did the old woman show when she told Putraka about the +Princess? +</p> + +<p> +24. What faults of character did the young king show when he decided at once to +leave the old woman who had been so good to him? +</p> + +<h3>CHAPTER XIII</h3> + +<p> +The very evening of the day when Putraka heard about the princess, he started +on his journey, taking with him his bowl and staff. The old woman gave him very +careful instructions which way to go, and begged him to come back to tell her +how he had got on. He promised he would, thanked her for all she had done for +him, and flew away in a great state of excitement. She watched him till he was +quite out of sight, and then went sadly into her lonely home, wondering if she +would ever see him again. +</p> + +<p> +It was not long before Putraka came in sight of the palace. It was a beautiful +night, and the moon was shining full upon the room in which the princess was +asleep. It was a very big one, with costly furniture and priceless tapestry +hung round the walls, and there were doors behind the tapestry leading to other +apartments, in some of which the attendants on Patala slept, whilst others kept +watch lest anyone should intrude upon their mistress. No one thought of +guarding the windows, for they were so high up that only a bird could reach +them. +</p> + +<p> +The young king alighted on the ledge of the window of the princess’ room, +and looked in. There, on a golden bed, amongst soft cushions and embroidered +coverings, lay the most lovely creature he had ever beheld, so lovely that he +fell in love with her at once and gave a loud cry of delight. This woke the +princess, who started up and was about to scream out aloud in her terror at +seeing a man looking in at the window, when Putraka with the aid of his magic +staff made himself invisible. Then, thinking she had been dreaming, Patala lay +down again, and the king began talking to her in a low voice, telling her he +had heard of her beauty and had flown from far away to see her. He begged her +to allow him to show himself to her, and added: “I will go away again +directly afterwards if you wish it.” +</p> + +<p> +Putraka’s voice was so gentle, and it seemed to Patala so wonderful that +a man could fly and make himself invisible, that she was full of curiosity to +see him and find out all about him. So she gave her consent, and immediately +afterwards the young king stood within the room, looking so noble and so +handsome that she too fell in love at first sight. Putraka told her all about +his life and adventures, which interested her very much. She was glad, she +said, that he was a king; but she would have loved him just as well, whoever he +might have been. +</p> + +<p> +After a long talk, Patala begged him to leave her for fear her attendants +should discover him and tell her father about him. “My father would never +let me marry you,” she declared, “unless you were to come with many +followers as a king to ask my hand; and how can you do that when you are only a +wandering exile?” +</p> + +<p> +25. Was there any reason to fear that Putraka would be discovered when he could +make himself invisible at any moment? +</p> + +<p> +26. What do you think would have been the right thing for Putraka and Patala to +do when they found out that they loved each other? +</p> + +<h3>CHAPTER XIV</h3> + +<p> +It was very difficult to persuade Putraka to go, but at last he flew away. +Every night after that, however, he came to see Patala, spending the days +sometimes in one place, sometimes in another, and using his magic bowl to +supply himself with food. Alas, he forgot all about the dear old woman to whom +he owed all his happiness, and she slowly gave up hope of ever seeing him +again. He might quite easily have flown to her cottage and cheered her with his +presence; but he was so wrapped up in his love for Patala that everything else +went out of his head. This selfishness on his part presently got him into +serious trouble, for he became careless about making himself invisible when he +flew up to the princess’ window. So that one night he was discovered by a +guardian of the palace. The matter was at once reported to the king, who could +not at first believe such a thing was possible. The man must have seen a big +bird, that was all. The king, however, ordered one of his daughter’s +ladies to keep watch every night in an ante-room, leaving the door open with +the tapestry, in which there was a slit, drawn carefully over it, and to come +and tell him in the morning if she had seen or heard anything unusual. +</p> + +<p> +Now the lady chosen loved the princess, and, like many of her +fellow-attendants, thought it was very cruel of the king to punish his own +child for being so beautiful, by shutting her up as he did. It so happened that +the very first night she was on guard, Putraka had flown a very, very long way, +not noticing where he was going, because he was thinking so earnestly of +Patala. When at last he flew in at her window, he was so weary that he sank +down on a couch and fell fast asleep. The princess too was tired, because she +had lain awake talking to her lover so many nights running that she had had +hardly any rest. So when the lady peeped through the slit in the tapestry, +there, by the light of the night lamp, she saw the young king lying +unconscious, whilst the princess also was asleep. +</p> + +<p> +Very cautiously the attendant crept to the side of Putraka, and took a long, +long look at him. She noticed how handsome he was, and that he was dressed in +beautiful clothes. She especially remarked the turban he wore, because in India +the rank to which men belong is shown by the kind of turbans they wear. +“This is no common man,” she thought, “but a prince or king +in disguise. What shall I do now? I will not raise an alarm which might lead to +this beautiful young lover being killed and the heart of my dear mistress +broken.” +</p> + +<p> +27. If you had been the lady who found Putraka in Patala’s room, what +would you have done? +</p> + +<p> +28. What could Putraka have done to guard against being discovered? +</p> + +<h3>CHAPTER XV</h3> + +<p> +After hesitating a long time, the lady made up her mind that she would only put +some mark in the turban of Putraka, so that he could be known again, and let +him escape that night at least. So she stole back to her room, fetched a tiny +brooch, and fastened it in the folds of the turban, where the wearer was not +likely to notice it himself. This done, she went back to listen at the door. +</p> + +<p> +It was nearly morning when Putraka woke up, very much surprised at finding +himself lying on the couch, for he did not remember throwing himself down on +it. Starting up, he woke Patala, who was terribly frightened, for she expected +her ladies to come in any minute to help her to dress. She entreated Putraka to +make himself invisible and fly away at once. He did so; and, as usual, wandered +about until the time should come to go back to the palace. But he still felt +too tired to fly, and instead walked about in the town belonging to +Patala’s father. +</p> + +<p> +The lady who had been on guard had half a mind to tell her mistress that her +secret was discovered. But before she could get a chance to do so, she was sent +for by the king, who asked her if she had seen or heard anything during the +night. She tried very hard to escape from betraying Patala; but she hesitated +so much in her answers that the king guessed there was something she wanted to +hide, and told her, if she did not reveal the whole truth, he would have her +head shaved and send her to prison. So she told how she had found a handsome +man, beautifully dressed, fast asleep in Patala’s room; but she did not +believe her mistress knew anything about it, because she too was asleep. +</p> + +<p> +The king was of course in a terrible rage, and the lady was afraid he would +order her to be punished; but he only went on questioning her angrily about +what the man was like, so that he might be found and brought before him. Then +the lady confessed that she had put the brooch in the turban, comforting +herself with the thought that, when the king saw Putraka and knew that Patala +loved him, he might perhaps relent and let them be married. +</p> + +<p> +When the king heard about the brooch, he was greatly pleased; and instead of +ordering the lady to be punished, he told her that, when the man who had dared +to approach his daughter was found, he would give her a great reward. He then +sent forth hundreds of spies to hunt for the man with a brooch in his turban, +and Putraka was very soon found, strolling quietly about in the market-place. +He was so taken by surprise that, though he had his staff in his hand and his +shoes and bowl in the pocket of his robes, he had no time to write his wishes +with the staff, or to put on the shoes, so he was obliged to submit to be +dragged to the palace. He did all he could to persuade those who had found him +to let him go, telling them he was a king and would reward them well. They only +laughed at him and dragged him along with them to the palace, where he was at +once taken before the king, who was sitting on his throne, surrounded by his +court, in a great hall lined with soldiers. The big windows were wide open; and +noticing this, Putraka did not feel at all afraid, for he knew he had only to +slip on his shoes and fly out of one of the windows, if he could not persuade +the king to let him marry Patala. So he stood quietly at the foot of the +throne, and looked bravely into the face of his dear one’s father. +</p> + +<p> +This only made the king more angry, and he began calling Putraka all manner of +names and asking him how he dared to enter the room of his daughter. Putraka +answered quietly that he loved Patala and wished to marry her. He was himself a +king, and would give her all she had been used to. But it was all no good, for +it only made the king more angry. He rose from his throne, and stretching out +his hand, he cried: +</p> + +<p> +“Let him be scourged and placed in close confinement!” +</p> + +<p> +Then Putraka with his staff wrote rapidly on the ground his wish that no one +should be able to touch him, and stooping down slipped on his magic shoes. The +king, the courtiers and the soldiers all remained exactly as they were, staring +at him in astonishment, as he rose up in the air and flew out of one of the +windows. Straight away he sped to the palace of Patala and into her room, where +she was pacing to and fro in an agony of anxiety about him; for she had heard +of his having been taken prisoner and feared that her father would order him to +be killed. +</p> + +<p> +29. What do you think would have been the best thing for the king to do when +Putraka was brought before him? +</p> + +<p> +30. If Putraka had not had his shoes with him, how could he have escaped from +the king’s palace? +</p> + +<h3>CHAPTER XVI</h3> + +<p> +Great indeed was the delight of Patala when her beloved Putraka once more flew +in at her window; but she was still trembling with fear for him and begged him +to go away back to his own land as quickly as possible. +</p> + +<p> +“I will not go without you,” replied Putraka. “Wrap yourself +up warmly, for it is cold flying through the air, and we will go away together, +and your cruel father shall never see you again.” +</p> + +<p> +Patala wept at hearing this, for it seemed terrible to her to have to choose +between the father she loved and Putraka. But in the end her lover got his own +way, and just as those who were seeking him were heard approaching, he seized +his dear one in his arms and flew off with her. He did not return to his own +land even then, but directed his course to the Ganges, the grand and beautiful +river which the people of India love and worship, calling it their Mother +Ganga. By the banks of the sacred stream the lovers rested, and with the aid of +his magic bowl Putraka soon had a good and delicious meal ready, which they +both enjoyed very much. As they ate, they consulted together what they had +better do now, and Patala, who was as clever as she was beautiful, said: +</p> + +<p> +“Would it not be a good thing to build a new city in this lovely place? +You could do it with your marvellous staff, could you not?” +</p> + +<p> +“Why, of course, I could,” said Putraka laughing. “Why +didn’t I think of it myself?” Very soon a wonderful town rose up, +which the young king wished to be as much as possible like the home he had +left, only larger and fuller of fine buildings than it. When the town was made, +he wished it to be full of happy inhabitants, with temples in which they might +worship, priests to teach them how to be good, markets in which food and all +that was needed could be bought, tanks and rivulets full of pure water, +soldiers and officers to defend the gates, elephants on which he and his wife +could ride, everything in fact that the heart of man or woman could desire. +</p> + +<p> +The first thing Putraka and Patala did after the rise of their own town, which +they named Patali-Putra<a href="#fn-1" name="fnref-1" id="fnref-1"><sup>[1]</sup></a> +after themselves, was to get married in accordance with the rites of their +religion; and for many, many years they reigned wisely over their people, who +loved them and their children with all their hearts. Amongst the attendants on +those children was the old woman who had shown kindness to Putraka in his +loneliness and trouble. For when he told Patala the story of his life, she +reproached him for his neglect of one to whom he owed so much. She made him +feel quite ashamed of himself, and he flew away and brought the dear old lady +back with him, to her very great delight. +</p> + +<p> +31. Which of the people in this story do you like best? +</p> + +<p> +32. Do you think Putraka deserved all the happiness which came to him through +stealing the wand, the shoes and the bowl? +</p> + +<p> +33. Can you suggest any way in which he could have atoned for the wrong he did +to the brothers whose property he took? +</p> + +<p> +34. What is the chief lesson to be learnt from this story? +</p> + +</div><!--end chapter--> + +<div class="chapter"> + +<h2><a name="chap05"></a>V.<br /> +The Jewelled Arrow.</h2> + +<h3>CHAPTER I</h3> + +<p> +In the city of Vardhamana in India there lived a powerful king named +Vira-Bhuja, who, as was the custom in his native land, had many wives, each of +whom had several sons. Of all his wives this king loved best the one named +Guna-Vara, and of all his sons her youngest-born, called Sringa-Bhuja, was his +favourite. Guna-Vara was not only very beautiful but very good. She was so +patient that nothing could make her angry, so unselfish that she always thought +of others before herself, and so wise that she was able to understand how +others were feeling, however different their natures were from her own. +</p> + +<p> +Sringa-Bhuja, the son of Guna-Vara, resembled his mother in her beauty and her +unselfishness; he was also very strong and very clever, whilst his brothers +were quite unlike him. They wanted to have everything their own way, and they +were very jealous indeed of their father’s love for him. They were always +trying to do him harm, and though they often quarrelled amongst themselves, +they would band together to try and hurt him. +</p> + +<p> +It was very much the same with the king’s wives. They hated Guna-Vara, +because their husband loved her more than he did them, and they constantly came +to him with stories they had made up of the wicked things she had done. Amongst +other things they told the king that Guna-Vara did not really love him but +cared more for some one else than she did for him. The most bitter of all +against her was the wife called Ayasolekha, who was cunning enough to know what +sort of tale the king was likely to believe. The very fact that Vira-Bhuja +loved Guna-Vara so deeply made him more ready to think that perhaps after all +she did not return his affection, and he longed to find out the truth. So he in +his turn made up a story, thinking by its means to find out how she felt for +him. He therefore went one day to her private apartments, and having sent all +her attendants away, he told her he had some very sad news for her which he had +heard from his chief astrologer. Astrologers, you know, are wise men, who are +supposed to be able to read the secrets of the stars, and learn from them +things which are hidden from ordinary human beings. Guna-Vara therefore did not +doubt that what her husband was about to tell her was true, and she listened +eagerly, her heart beating very fast in her fear that some trouble was coming +to those she loved. +</p> + +<p> +Great indeed was her sorrow and surprise, when Vira-Bhuja went on to say that +the astrologer had told him that a terrible misfortune threatened him and his +kingdom and the only way to prevent it was to shut Guna-Vara up in prison for +the rest of her life. The poor queen could hardly believe that she had heard +rightly. She knew she had done no wrong, and could not understand how putting +her in prison could help anybody. She was quite sure that her husband loved +her, and no words could have expressed her pain at the thought of being sent +away from him and her dear son. Yet she made no resistance, not even asking +Vira-Bhuja to let her see Sringa-Bhuja again. She just bowed her beautiful head +and said: “Be it unto me as my Lord wills. If he wishes my death, I am +ready to lay down my life.” +</p> + +<p> +This submission made the king feel even more unhappy than before. He longed to +take his wife in his arms and tell her he would never let her go; and perhaps +if she had looked at him then, he would have seen all her love for him in her +eyes, but she remained perfectly still with bowed head, waiting to hear what +her fate was to be. Then the thought entered Vira-Bhuja’s mind: +“She is afraid to look at me: what Ayasolekha said was true.” +</p> + +<p> +1. Can true love suspect the loved one of evil? +</p> + +<p> +2. Is true love ever jealous? +</p> + +<h3>CHAPTER II</h3> + +<p> +So the king summoned his guards and ordered them to take his wife to a strong +prison and leave her there. She went with them without making any resistance, +only turning once to look lovingly at her husband as she was led away. +Vira-Bhuja returned to his own palace and had not been there very long when he +got a message from Ayasolekha, begging him to give her an interview, for she +had something of very great importance to tell him. The king consented at once, +thinking to himself, “perhaps she has found out that what she told me +about my dear Guna-Vara is not true.” +</p> + +<p> +Great then was his disappointment when the wicked woman told him she had +discovered a plot against his life. The son of Guna-Vara and some of the chief +men of the kingdom, she said, had agreed together to kill him, so that +Sringa-Bhuja might reign in his stead. She and some of the other wives had +overheard conversations between them, and were terrified lest their beloved +Lord should be hurt. The young prince, she declared, had had some trouble in +persuading the nobles to help him, but he had succeeded at last. +</p> + +<p> +Vira-Bhuja simply could not believe this story, for he trusted his son as much +as he loved him; and he sent the mischief maker away, telling her not to dare +to enter his presence again. For all that he could not get the matter out of +his head. He had Sringa-Bhuja carefully watched; and as nothing against him was +found out, he was beginning to feel more easy in his mind, and even to think of +going to see Guna-Vara in her prison to ask her to confide in him, when +something happened which led him to fear that after all his dear son was not +true to him. This was what made him uneasy. He had a wonderful arrow, set with +precious jewels, which had been given to him by a magician, and had the power +of hitting without fail whatever it was aimed at from however great a distance. +The very day he had meant to visit his ill-treated wife, he missed this arrow +from the place in which he kept it concealed. This distressed him very much; +and after seeking it in vain, he summoned all those who were employed in the +palace to his presence, and asked if any of them knew anything about the arrow. +He promised that he would forgive any one who helped him to get it back, even +if it were the thief himself; but added that, if it was not found in three +days, he would have all the servants beaten until the one who had stolen it +confessed. +</p> + +<p> +3. Do you think this was the best way to find out who had taken the arrow? +</p> + +<p> +4. How would you have set about learning the truth if you had been the king? +</p> + +<h3>CHAPTER III</h3> + +<p> +Now the fact of the matter was that Ayasolekha, who had told the wicked story +about Guna-Vara, knew where the king kept the arrow, had taken it to her +private rooms, and had sent for her own sons and those of the other wives, all +of whom hated Sringa-Bhuja, to tell them of a plot to get their brother into +disgrace. “You know,” she said to them, “how much better your +father loves Sringa-Bhuja than he does any of you; and that, when he dies, he +will leave the kingdom and all his money to him. Now I will help you to prevent +this by getting rid of Sringa-Bhuja. +</p> + +<p> +“You must have a great shooting match, in which your brother will be +delighted to take part, for he is very proud of his skill with the bow and +arrow. On the day of the match, I will send for him and give him the jewelled +arrow belonging to your father to shoot with, telling him the king had said I +might lend it to him. Your father will then think he stole it and order him to +be killed.” +</p> + +<p> +The brothers were all delighted at what they thought a very clever scheme, and +did just what Ayasolekha advised. When the day came, great crowds assembled to +see the shooting at a large target set up near the palace. The king himself and +all his court were watching the scene from the walls, and it was difficult for +the guards to keep the course clear. The brothers, beginning at the eldest, all +pretended to try and hit the target; but none of them really wished to succeed, +because they thought that, when Sringa-Bhuja’s turn came, as their +father’s youngest son, he would win the match with the jewelled arrow. +Then the king would order him to be brought before him, and he would be +condemned to death or imprisonment for life. +</p> + +<p> +Now, as very often happens, something no one in the least expected upset the +carefully planned plot. Just as Sringa-Bhuja was about to shoot at the target, +a big crane flew on to the ground between him and it, so that it was impossible +for him to take proper aim. The brothers, seeing the bird and anxious to shoot +it for themselves, all began to clamour that they should be allowed to shoot +again. Nobody made any objection, and Sringa-Bhuja stood aside, with the +jewelled arrow in the bow, waiting to see what they would do, but feeling sure +that he would be the one to kill the bird. Brother after brother tried, but the +great creature still remained untouched, when a travelling mendicant stepped +forward and cried aloud: +</p> + +<p> +“That is no bird, but an evil magician who has taken that form to deceive +you all. If he is not killed before he takes his own form again, he will bring +misery and ruin upon this town and the surrounding country.” +</p> + +<p> +You know perhaps that mendicants or beggars in India are often holy men whose +advice even kings are glad to listen to; so that, when everyone heard what this +beggar said, there was great excitement and terror. For many were the stories +told of the misfortunes Rakshas or evil magicians had brought on other cities. +The brothers all wanted to try their luck once more, but the beggar checked +them, saying: +</p> + +<p> +“No, no. Where is your youngest brother Sringa-Bhuja? He alone will be +able to save your homes, your wives and your children, from destruction,” +</p> + +<p> +Then Sringa-Bhuja came forward; and as the sun flashed upon the jewels in the +stolen arrow, revealing to the watching king that it was his own beloved son +who had taken it, the young prince let it fly straight for the bird. It wounded +but did not kill the crane, which flew off with the arrow sticking in its +breast, the blood dripping from it in its flight, which became gradually slower +and slower. At the sight of the bird going off with the precious jewelled +arrow, the king was filled with rage, and sent orders that Sringa-Bhuja should +be fetched to his presence immediately. But before the messengers reached him, +he had started in pursuit of the bird, guided by the blood-drops on the ground. +</p> + +<p> +5. Did the brothers show wisdom in the plot they laid against their brother? +</p> + +<p> +6. What do you think from this story, so far as you have read it, were the +chief qualities of Sringa-Bhuja? +</p> + +<h3>CHAPTER IV</h3> + +<p> +As Sringa-Bhuja sped along after the crane, the beggar made some strange signs +in the air with the staff he used to help him along; and such clouds of dust +arose that no one could see in which direction the young prince had gone. The +brothers and Ayasolekha were very much dismayed at the way things had turned +out, and greatly feared that the king’s anger would vent itself on them, +now that Sringa-Bhuja had disappeared. Vira-Bhuja did send for them, and asked +them many questions; but they all kept the secret of how Sringa-Bhuja had got +the arrow, and promised to do all they could to help to get it back. Again the +king thought he would go and see the mother of his dear youngest son; but again +something held him back, and poor Guna-Vara was left alone, no one ever going +near her except the gaoler who took her her daily food. After trying everything +possible to find out where Sringa-Bhuja had gone, the king began to show +special favour to another of his sons; and as the months passed by, it seemed +as if the young prince and the jewelled arrow were both forgotten. +</p> + +<p> +Meanwhile Sringa-Bhuja travelled on and on in the track of the drops of blood, +till he came to the outskirts of a fine forest, through which many beaten paths +led to a very great city. He sat down to rest at the foot of a wide-spreading +tree, and was gazing up at the towers and pinnacles of the town, rising far +upwards towards the sky, when he had a feeling that he was no longer alone. He +was right: for, coming slowly along one of the paths, was a lovely young girl, +singing softly to herself in a beautiful voice. Her eyes were like those of a +young doe, and her features were perfect in their form and expression, +reminding Sringa-Bhuja of his mother, whom he was beginning to fear he would +never see again. +</p> + +<p> +When the young girl was quite close to him, he startled her by saying, +“Can you tell me what is the name of this city?” +</p> + +<p> +“Of course, I can,” she replied, “for I live in it. It is +called Dhuma-Pura, and it belongs to my father: he is a great magician named +Agni-Sikha, who loves not strangers. Now tell me who you are and whence you +come?” +</p> + +<p> +Then Sringa-Bhuja told the maiden all about himself, and why he was wandering +so far from home. The girl, whose name was Rupa-Sikha, listened very +attentively; and when he came to the shooting of the crane, and how he had +followed the bleeding bird in the hope of getting back his father’s +jewelled arrow, she began to tremble. +</p> + +<p> +“Alas, alas!” she said. “The bird you shot was my father, who +can take any form he chooses. He returned home but yesterday, and I drew the +arrow from his wound and dressed the hurt myself. He gave me the jewelled arrow +to keep, and I will never part with it. As for you, the sooner you depart the +better; for my father never forgives, and he is so powerful that you would have +no chance of escape if he knew you were here.” +</p> + +<p> +Hearing this, Sringa-Bhuja became very sad, not because he was afraid of +Agni-Sikha, but because he knew that he already loved the fair maiden who stood +beside him, and was resolved to make her his wife. She too felt drawn towards +him and did not like to think of his going away. Besides this, she had much to +fear from her father, who was as cruel as he was mighty, and had caused the +death already of many lovers who had wished to marry her. She had never cared +for any of them, and had been content to live without a husband, spending her +life in wandering about near her home and winning the love of all who lived +near her, even that of the wild creatures of the forest, who would none of them +dream of hurting her. Often and often she stood between the wrath of her father +and those he wished to injure; for, wicked as he was, he loved her and wanted +her to be happy. +</p> + +<p> +7. Do you think that a really wicked man is able to love any one truly? +</p> + +<p> +8. What would have been the best thing for Sringa-Bhuja to do, when he found +out who the bird he had shot really was? +</p> + +<h3>CHAPTER V</h3> + +<p> +Rupa-Sikha did not take long to decide what was best for her to do. She said to +the prince, “I will give you back your golden arrow, and you must make +all possible haste out of our country before my father discovers you are +here.” +</p> + +<p> +“No! no! no! a thousand times no!” cried the prince. “Now I +have once seen you, I can never, never leave you. Can you not learn to love me +and be my wife?” Then he fell prostrate at her feet, and looked up into +her face so lovingly that she could not resist him. She bent down towards him, +and the next moment they were clasped in each other’s arms, quite +forgetting all the dangers that threatened them. Rupa-Sikha was the first to +remember her father, and drawing herself away from her lover, she said to him: +</p> + +<p> +“Listen to me, and I will tell you what we must do. My father is a +magician, it is true, but I am his daughter, and I inherit some of his powers. +If only you will promise to do exactly as I tell you, I think I may be able to +save you, and perhaps even become your wife. I am the youngest of a large +family and my father’s favourite. I will go and tell him that a great and +mighty prince, hearing of his wonderful gifts, has come to our land to ask for +an interview with him. Then I will tell him that I have seen you, fallen in +love with you, and want to marry you. He will be flattered to think his fame +has spread so far, and will want to see you, even if he refuses to let me be +your wife. I will lead you to his presence and leave you with him alone. If you +really love me, you will find the way to win his consent; but you must keep out +of his sight till I have prepared the way for you. Come with me now, and I will +show you a hiding-place.” +</p> + +<p> +Rupa-Sikha then led the prince far away into the depths of the forest, and +showed him a large tree, the wide-spreading branches of which touched the +ground, completely hiding the trunk, in which there was an opening large enough +for a man to pass through. Steps cut in the inside of the trunk led down to a +wide space underground; and there the magician’s daughter told her lover +to wait for her return. “Before I go,” she said, “I will tell +you my own password, which will save you from death if you should be +discovered. It is LOTUS FLOWER; and everyone to whom you say it, will know that +you are under my protection.” +</p> + +<p> +When Rupa-Sikha reached the palace she found her father in a very bad humour, +because she had not been to ask how the wound in his breast was getting on. She +did her best to make up for her neglect; and when she had dressed the wound +very carefully, she prepared a dainty meal for her father with her own hands, +waiting upon him herself whilst he ate it. All this pleased him, and he was in +quite an amiable mood when she said to him: +</p> + +<p> +“Now I must tell you that I too have had an adventure. As I was gathering +herbs in the forest, I met a man I had never seen before, a tall handsome young +fellow looking like a prince, who told me he was seeking the palace of a great +and wonderful magician, of whose marvellous deeds he had heard. Who could that +magician have been but you, my father?” She added, “I told him I +was your daughter, and he entreated me to ask you to grant him an +interview.” +</p> + +<p> +Agni-Sikha listened to all this without answering a word. He was pleased at +this fresh proof that his fame had spread far and wide; but he guessed at once +that Rupa-Sikha had not told him the whole truth. He waited for her to go on, +and as she said no more, he suddenly turned angrily upon her and in a loud +voice asked her: +</p> + +<p> +“And what did my daughter answer?” +</p> + +<p> +Then Rupa-Sikha knew that her secret had been discovered. And rising to her +full height, she answered proudly, “I told him I would seek you and ask +you to receive him. And now I will tell you, my father, that I have seen the +only man I will ever marry; and if you forbid me to do so, I will take my own +life, for I cannot live without him.” +</p> + +<p> +“Send for the man immediately,” cried the magician, “and you +shall hear my answer when he appears before me.” +</p> + +<p> +“I cannot send,” replied Rupa-Sikha, “for none knows where I +have left him; nor will I fetch him till you promise that no evil shall befall +him.” +</p> + +<p> +At first Agni-Sikha laughed aloud and declared that he would do no such thing. +But his daughter was as obstinate as he was; and finding that he could not get +his own way unless he yielded to her, he said crossly: +</p> + +<p> +“He shall keep his fine head on his shoulders, and leave the palace +alive; but that is all I will say.” +</p> + +<p> +“But that is not enough,” said Rupa-Sikha. “Say after me, +<i>Not a hair of his head shall be harmed, and I will treat him as an honoured +guest</i>, or your eyes will never rest on him.” +</p> + +<p> +At last the magician promised, thinking to himself that he would find some way +of disposing of Sringa-Bhuja, if he did not fancy him for a son-in-law. The +words she wanted to hear were hardly out of her father’s mouth before +Rupa-Sikha sped away, as if on the wings of the wind, full of hope that all +would be well. She found her lover anxiously awaiting her, and quickly +explained how matters stood. “You had better say nothing about me to my +father at first,” she said; “but only talk about him and all you +have heard of him. If only you could get him to like you and want to keep you +with him, it would help us very much. Then you could pretend that you must go +back to your own land; and rather than allow you to do so, he will be anxious +for us to be married and to live here with him.” +</p> + +<p> +9. Do you think the advice Rupa-Sikha gave to Sringa-Bhuja was good? +</p> + +<p> +10. Can you suggest anything else she might have done? +</p> + +<h3>CHAPTER VI</h3> + +<p> +Sringa-Bhuja loved Rupa-Sikha so much that he was ready to obey her in whatever +she asked. So he at once went with her to the palace. On every side he saw +signs of the strength and power of the magician. Each gate was guarded by tall +soldiers in shining armour, who saluted Rupa-Sikha but scowled fiercely at him. +He knew full well that, if he had tried to pass alone, they would have +prevented him from doing so. At last the two came to the great hall, where the +magician was walking backwards and forwards, working himself into a rage at +being kept waiting. Directly he looked at the prince, he knew him for the man +who had shot the jewelled arrow at him when he had taken the form of a crane, +and he determined that he would be revenged. He was too cunning to let +Sringa-Bhuja guess that he knew him, and pretended to be very glad to see him. +He even went so far as to say that he had long wished to find a prince worthy +to wed his youngest and favourite daughter. “You,” he added, +“seem to me the very man, young, handsome and—to judge from the +richness of your dress and jewels—able to give my beloved one all she +needs.” +</p> + +<p> +The prince could hardly believe his ears, and Rupa-Sikha also was very much +surprised. She guessed however that her father had some evil purpose in what he +said, and looked earnestly at Sringa-Bhuja in the hope of making him +understand. But the prince was so overjoyed at the thought that she was to be +his wife that he noticed nothing. So when Agni-Sikha added, “I only make +one condition: you must promise that you will never disobey my commands, but do +whatever I tell you without a moment’s hesitation,” Sringa-Bhuja, +without waiting to think, said at once, “Only give me your daughter and I +will serve you in any way you wish.” +</p> + +<p> +“That’s settled then!” cried the magician, and he clapped his +hands together. In a moment a number of attendants appeared, and their master +ordered them to lead the prince to the best apartments in the palace, to +prepare a bath for him, and do everything he asked them. +</p> + +<p> +11. What great mistake did the prince make when he gave this promise? +</p> + +<p> +12. What answer should he have made? +</p> + +<h3>CHAPTER VII</h3> + +<p> +As Sringa-Bhuja followed the servants, Rupa-Sikha managed to whisper to him, +“Beware! await a message from me!” When he had bathed and was +arraying himself in fresh garments provided by his host, waited on, hand and +foot, by servants who treated him with the greatest respect, a messenger +arrived, bearing a sealed letter which he reverently handed to the prince. +Sringa-Bhuja guessed at once from whom it came; and anxious to read it alone, +he hastily finished his toilette and dismissed the attendants. +</p> + +<p> +“My beloved,” said the letter—which was, of course, from +Rupa-Sikha—“My father is plotting against you; and very foolish +were you to promise you would obey him in all things. I have ten sisters all +exactly like me, all wearing dresses and necklaces which are exact copies of +each other, so that few can tell me from the others. Soon you will be sent for +to the great Hall and we shall all be together there. My father will bid you +choose your bride from amongst us; and if you make a mistake all will be over +for us. But I will wear my necklace on my head instead of round my neck, and +thus will you know your own true love. And remember, my dearest, to obey no +future command without hearing from me, for I alone am able to outwit my +terrible father.” +</p> + +<p> +Everything happened exactly as Rupa-Sikha described. The prince was sent for by +Agni-Sikha, who, as soon as he appeared, gave him a garland of flowers and told +him to place it round the neck of the maiden who was his promised bride. +Without a moment’s hesitation Sringa-Bhuja picked out the right sister; +and the magician, though inwardly enraged, pretended to be so delighted at this +proof of a lover’s clear-sightedness that he cried: +</p> + +<p> +“You are the son-in-law for me! The wedding shall take place +to-morrow!” +</p> + +<p> +13. Can you understand how it was that the magician did not notice the trick +Rupa-Sikha had played upon him? +</p> + +<p> +14. What fault blinds people to the truth more than any other? +</p> + +<h3>CHAPTER VIII</h3> + +<p> +When Sringa-Bhuja heard what Agni-Sikha said, he was full of joy; but +Rupa-Sikha knew well that her father did not mean a word of it. She waited +quietly beside her lover, till the magician bade all the sisters but herself +leave the hall. Then the magician, with a very wicked look on his face, said: +</p> + +<p> +“Before the ceremony there is just one little thing you must do for me, +dear son-in-law that is to be. Go outside the town, and near the most westerly +tower you will find a team of oxen and a plough awaiting you. Close to them is +a pile of three hundred bushels of sesame seed. This you must sow this very +day, or instead of a bridegroom you will be a dead man to-morrow.” +</p> + +<p> +Great was the dismay of Sringa-Bhuja when he heard this. But Rupa-Sikha +whispered to him, “Fear not, for I will help you.” Sadly the prince +left the palace alone, to seek the field outside the city; the guards, who knew +he was the accepted lover of their favourite mistress, letting him pass +unhindered. There, sure enough, near the western tower were the oxen, the +plough and a great pile of seed. Never before had poor Sringa-Bhuja had to work +for himself, but his great love for Rupa-Sikha made him determine to do his +best. So he was about to begin to guide the oxen across the field, when, +behold, all was suddenly changed. Instead of an unploughed tract of land, +covered with weeds, was a field with rows and rows of regular furrows. The +piles of seed were gone, and flocks of birds were gathering in the hope of +securing some of it as it lay in the furrows. +</p> + +<p> +As Sringa-Bhuja was staring in amazement at this beautiful scene, he saw +Rupa-Sikha, looking more lovely than ever, coming towards him. “Not in +vain,” she said to him, “am I my father’s daughter. I too +know how to compel even nature to do my will; but the danger is not over yet. +Go quickly back to the palace, and tell Agni-Sikha that his wishes are +fulfilled.” +</p> + +<p> +15. Can the laws of nature ever really be broken? +</p> + +<p> +16. What is the only way in which man can conquer nature? +</p> + +<h3>CHAPTER IX</h3> + +<p> +The magician was very angry indeed when he heard that the field was ploughed +and the seed sown. He knew at once that some magic had been at work, and +suspected that Rupa-Sikha was the cause of his disappointment. Without a +moment’s hesitation he said to the prince: “No sooner were you gone +than I decided not to have that seed sown. Go back at once, and pile it up +where it was before.” +</p> + +<p> +This time Sringa-Bhuja felt no fear or hesitation, for he was sure of the power +and will to help him of his promised bride. So back he went to the field, and +there he found the whole vast space covered with millions and millions of ants, +busily collecting the seed and piling it up against the wall of the town. Again +Rupa-Sikha came to cheer him, and again she warned him that their trials were +not yet over. She feared, she said, that her father might prove stronger than +herself; for he had many allies at neighbouring courts ready to help him in his +evil purposes. “Whatever else he orders you to do, you <i>must</i> see me +before you leave the palace. I will send my faithful messenger to appoint a +meeting in some secret place.” +</p> + +<p> +Agni-Sikha was not much surprised when the prince told him that his last order +had been obeyed, and thought to himself, “I must get this tiresome fellow +out of my domain, where that too clever child of mine will not be able to help +him.” “Well,” he said, “I suppose the wedding must take +place to-morrow after all, for I am a man of my word. We must now set about +inviting the guests. You shall have the pleasure of doing this yourself: then +my friends will know beforehand what a handsome young son-in-law I shall have. +The first person to summon to the wedding is my brother Dhuma Sikha, who has +taken up his abode in a deserted temple a few miles from here. You must ride at +once to that temple, rein up your steed opposite it, and cry, ‘Dhuma +Sikha, your brother Agni-Sikha has sent me hither to invite you to witness my +marriage with his daughter Rupa-Sikha to-morrow. Come without delay!’ +Your message given, ride back to me; and I will tell you what farther tasks you +must perform before the happy morrow dawns.” +</p> + +<p> +When Sringa-Bhuja left the palace, he knew not where to seek a horse to bear +him on this new errand. But as he was nearing the gateway by which he had gone +forth to sow the field with seed, a handsome boy approached him and said, +“If my lord will follow me, I will tell him what to do.” Somehow +the voice sounded familiar; and when the guards were left far enough behind to +be out of hearing, the boy looked up at Sringa-Bhuja with a smile that revealed +Rupa-Sikha herself. “Come with me,” she said; and taking his hand, +she led him to a tree beneath which stood a noble horse, richly caparisoned, +which pawed the ground and whinnied to its mistress, as she drew near. +</p> + +<p> +“You must ride this horse,” said Rupa-Sikha, “who will obey +you if you but whisper in his ear; and you must take earth, water, wood and +fire with you, which I will give you. You must go straight to the temple, and +when you have called out your message, turn without a moment’s delay, and +ride for your life as swiftly as your steed will go, looking behind you all the +time. No guidance will be necessary; for Marut—that is my horse’s +name—knows well what he has to do.” +</p> + +<p> +Then Rupa-Sikha gave Sringa-Bhuja a bowl of earth, a jar of water, a bundle of +thorns and a brazier full of burning charcoal, hanging them by strong thongs +upon the front of his saddle so that he could reach them easily. “My +father,” she told him, “has given my uncle instructions to kill +you, and he will follow you upon his swift Arab steed. When you hear him behind +you, fling earth in his path; if that does not stop him, pour out some of the +water; and if he still perseveres, scatter the burning charcoal before +him.” +</p> + +<p> +17. Can you discover any hidden meaning in the use of earth, water, thorns and +fire, to stop the course of the wicked magician? +</p> + +<p> +18. Do you think the prince loved Rupa-Sikha better than he loved himself? +</p> + +<h3>CHAPTER X</h3> + +<p> +Away went the prince after he had received these instructions; and very soon he +found himself opposite the temple, with the images of three of the gods +worshipped in India to prove that it had been a sanctuary before the magician +took up his abode in it. Directly Sringa-Bhuja shouted out his message to +Dhuma-Sikha, the wicked dweller in the temple came rushing forth from the +gateway, mounted on a huge horse, which seemed to be belching forth flames from +its nostrils as it bounded along. For one terrible moment Sringa-Bhuja feared +that he was lost; but Marut, putting forth all his strength, kept a little in +advance of the enemy, giving the prince time to scatter earth behind him. +Immediately a great mountain rose up, barring the road, and Sringa-Bhuja felt +that he was saved. He was mistaken: for, as he looked back, he saw Dhuma-Sikha +coming over the top of the mountain. The next moment the magician was close +upon him. So he emptied his bowl of water: and, behold, a huge river with great +waves hid pursuer and pursued from each other. Even this did not stop the +mighty Arab horse, which swam rapidly across, the rider loudly shouting out +orders to the prince to stop. When the prince heard the hoofs striking on the +dry ground behind him again, he threw out the thorns, and a dense wood sprouted +up as if by magic, which for a few moments gave fresh hope of safety to +Sringa-Bhuja; for it seemed as if even the powerful magician would be unable to +get through it. He did succeed however; but his clothes were nearly torn off +his back, and his horse was bleeding from many wounds made by the cruel thorns. +Sringa-Bhuja too was getting weary, and remembered that he had only one more +chance of checking his relentless enemy. He could almost feel the breath of the +panting steed as it drew near; and with a loud cry to his beloved Rupa-Sikha, +he threw the burning charcoal on the road. In an instant the grass by the +wayside, the trees overshadowing it, and the magic wood which had sprung from +the thorns, were alight, burning so fiercely that no living thing could +approach them safely. The wicked magician was beaten at last, and was soon +himself fleeing away, as fast as he could, with the flames following after him +as if they were eager to consume him. +</p> + +<p> +Whether his enemy ever got back to his temple, Sringa-Bhuja never knew. +Exhausted with all he had been through, the young prince was taken back to the +palace by the faithful Marut, and there he found his dear Rupa-Sikha awaiting +him. She told him that her father had promised her that, if the prince came +back, he would oppose her marriage no longer. “For,” he said, +“if he can escape your uncle, he must be more than mortal, and worthy +even of my daughter.” “He does not in the least expect to see you +again,” added Rupa-Sikha; “and even if he allows us to marry, he +will never cease to hate you; for I am quite sure he knows that you shot the +jewelled arrow at him when he was in the form of a crane. If I ever am your +wife, he will try to punish you through me. But have no fear: I shall know how +to manage him. Fresh powers have been lately given to me by another uncle whose +magic is stronger than that of any of my other relations.” +</p> + +<p> +When Sringa-Bhuja had bathed and rested, he robed himself once more in the +garments he had worn the day he first saw Rupa-Sikha; and together the lovers +went to the great hall to seek an interview with Agni-Sikha. The magician, who +had made quite sure that he had now got rid of the unwelcome suitor for his +daughter’s hand, could not contain his rage, at seeing him walk in with +her as if the two were already wedded. +</p> + +<p> +He stamped about, pouring out abuse, until he had quite exhausted himself, the +lovers looking on quietly without speaking. At last, coming close to them, +Agni-Sikha shouted, in a loud harsh voice: “So you have not obeyed my +orders. You have not bid my brother to the wedding. Your life is forfeit, and +you will die to-morrow instead of marrying Rupa-Sikha. Describe the temple in +which Dhuma Sikha lives and the appearance of its owner.” +</p> + +<p> +Then Sringa-Bhuja gave such an exact account of the temple, naming the gods +whose images still adorned it, and of the terrible man riding the noble steed +who had pursued him, that the magician was convinced against his will; and +knowing that he must keep his word to Rupa-Sikha, he gave his consent for the +preparations for the marriage on the morrow to begin. +</p> + +<p> +19. What is your opinion of the character of Agni-Sikha? +</p> + +<p> +20. Do you think he was at all justified in the way in which he treated his +daughter and Sringa-Bhuja? +</p> + +<h3>CHAPTER XI</h3> + +<p> +The marriage was celebrated the next day with very great pomp; and a beautiful +suite of rooms was given to the bride and bridegroom, who could not in spite of +this feel safe or happy, because they knew full well that Agni-Sikha hated +them. The prince soon began to feel home-sick and anxious to introduce his +beautiful wife to his own people. He remembered that he had left his dear +mother in prison, and reproached himself for having forgotten her for so long. +So he said to Rupa-Sikha: +</p> + +<p> +“Let us go, beloved, to my native city, Vardhamana. My heart yearns after +my dear ones there, and I would fain introduce you to them.” +</p> + +<p> +“My lord,” replied Rupa-Sikha, “I will go with you whither +you will, were it even to the ends of the earth. But we must not let my father +guess we mean to go; for he would forbid us to leave the country and set spies +to watch our every movement. We will steal away secretly, riding together on my +faithful Marut and taking with us only what we can carry.” “And my +jewelled arrow,” said the prince, “that I may give it back to my +father and explain to him how I lost it. Then shall I be restored to his +favour, and maybe he will forgive my mother also.” +</p> + +<p> +“Have no fear,” answered Rupa-Sikha: “all will surely go well +with us. Forget not that new powers have been given to me, which will save us +from my father and aid me to rescue my dear one’s mother from her evil +fate.” +</p> + +<p> +Before the dawn broke on the next day, the two set forth unattended, Marut +seeming to take pride in his double burden and bearing them along so swiftly +that they had all but reached the bounds of the country under the dominion of +Agni-Sikha as the sun rose. Just as they thought they were safe from pursuit, +they heard a loud rushing noise behind; and looking round, they saw the father +of the bride close upon them on his Arab steed, with sword uplifted in his hand +to strike. “Fear not,” whispered Rupa-Sikha to her husband. +“I will show you now what I can do.” And waving her arms to and +fro, as she muttered some strange words, she changed herself into an old woman +and Sringa-Bhuja into an old man, whilst Marut became a great pile of wood by +the road-side. +</p> + +<p> +When the angry father reached the spot, the bride and bridegroom were busily +gathering sticks to add to the pile, seemingly too absorbed in their work to +take any notice of the angry magician, who shouted out to them: +</p> + +<p> +“Have you seen a man and a woman pass along this way?” +</p> + +<p> +The old woman straightened herself, and peering, up into his face, said: +</p> + +<p> +“No; we are too busy over our work to notice anything else.” +</p> + +<p> +“And what, pray, are you doing in my wood?” asked Agni-Sikha. +</p> + +<p> +“We are helping to collect the fuel for the pyre of the great magician +Agni-Sikha,” answered Rupa-Sikha. “Do you not know that he died +yesterday?” +</p> + +<p> +The Hindus of India do not bury but burn the dead; so that it was quite a +natural thing for the people of the land over which the magician ruled to +collect the materials for the pyre or heap of wood on which his body would be +laid to be burnt. What surprised Agni-Sikha, and in fact nearly took his breath +away, was to be quietly told that he was dead. He began to think that he was +dreaming, and said to himself, “I cannot really be dead without knowing +it, so I must be asleep.” And he quietly turned his horse round and rode +slowly home again. This was just what his daughter wanted; and as soon as he +was out of sight, she turned herself, her husband and Marut, into their natural +forms again, laughing merrily, as she did so, at the thought of the ease with +which she had got rid of her father. +</p> + +<p> +21. Do you think it was clever of Rupa-Sikha to make up this story? +</p> + +<p> +22. Do you think it is better to believe all that you are told or to be more +ready to doubt when anything you hear seems to be unusual? +</p> + +<h3>CHAPTER XII</h3> + +<p> +Once more the bride and bridegroom set forth on their way, and once more they +soon heard Agni-Sikha coming after them. For when he got back to his palace, +and the servants hastened out to take his horse, he guessed that a trick had +been played on him. He did not even dismount, but just turned his horse’s +head round and galloped back again. “If ever,” he thought to +himself, “I catch those two young people, I’ll make them wish they +had obeyed me. Yes, they shall suffer for it. I am not going to stand being +defied like this.” +</p> + +<p> +This time Rupa-Sikha contented herself with making her husband and Marut +invisible, whilst she changed herself into a letter-carrier, hurrying along the +road as if not a moment was to be lost. She took no notice of her father, till +he reined up his steed and shouted to her: +</p> + +<p> +“Have you seen a man and woman on horseback pass by?” +</p> + +<p> +“No, indeed,” she said: “I have a very important letter to +deliver, and could think of nothing but making all the haste possible.” +</p> + +<p> +“And what is this important letter about?” asked Agni-Sikha. +“Can you tell me that?” +</p> + +<p> +“Oh, yes, I can tell you that,” she said. “But where can you +have been, not to have heard the terrible news about the ruler of this +land?” +</p> + +<p> +“You can’t tell me anything I don’t know about him,” +answered the magician, “for he is my greatest friend.” +</p> + +<p> +“Then you know that he is dying from a wound he got in a battle with his +enemies only yesterday. I am to take this letter to his brother Dhuma-Sikha, +bidding him come to see him before the end.” +</p> + +<p> +Again Agni-Sikha wondered if he were dreaming, or if he were under some strange +spell and did not really know who he was? Being able, as he was, to cast spells +on other people, he was ready to fancy the same thing had befallen him. He said +nothing when he heard that he was wounded, and was about to turn back again +when Rupa-Sikha said to him: +</p> + +<p> +“As you are on horseback and can get to Dhuma-Sikha’s temple +quicker than I can, will you carry the message of his brother’s +approaching death to him for me, and bid him make all possible haste if he +would see him alive?” +</p> + +<p> +This was altogether too much for the magician, who became sure that there was +something very wrong about him. He knew he was not wounded or dying, but he +thought he must be ill of fever, fancying he heard what he did not. He stared +fixedly at his daughter, and she stared up at him, half-afraid he might find +out who she was, but he never guessed. +</p> + +<p> +“Do your own errands,” he said at last; and slashing his poor +innocent horse with his whip, he wheeled round and dashed home again as fast as +he could. Again his servants ran out to receive him, and he gloomily +dismounted, telling them to send his chief councillor to him in his private +apartments. Shut up with him, he poured out all his troubles, and the +councillor advised him to see his physician without any delay, for he felt sure +that these strange fancies were caused by illness. +</p> + +<p> +The doctor, when he came, was very much puzzled, but he looked as wise as he +could, ordered perfect rest and all manner of disagreeable medicines. He was +very much surprised at the change he noticed in his patient, who, instead of +angrily declaring that there was nothing the matter with him, was evidently in +a great fright about his health. He shut himself up for many days, and it was a +long time before he got over the shock he had received, and then it was too +late for him to be revenged or the lovers. +</p> + +<p> +23. Can you explain what casting a spell means? +</p> + +<p> +24. Can you give an instance of a spell being cast on any one you have heard +of? +</p> + +<h3>CHAPTER XIII</h3> + +<p> +Having really got rid of Agni-Sikha, Rupa-Sikha and her husband were very soon +out of his reach and in the country belonging to Sringa-Bhuja’s father, +who had bitterly mourned the loss of his favourite son. When the news was +brought to him that two strangers, a handsome young man and a beautiful woman, +who appeared to be husband and wife, had entered his capital, he hastened forth +to meet them, hoping that perhaps they could give him news of Sringa-Bhuja. +What was his joy when he recognised his dear son, holding the jewelled arrow, +which had led him into such trouble, in his right hand, as he guided Marut with +his left! The king flung himself from his horse, and Sringa-Bhuja, giving the +reins to Rupa-Sikha, also dismounted. The next moment he was in his +father’s arms, everything forgotten and forgiven in the happy reunion. +</p> + +<p> +Great was the rejoicing over Sringa-Bhuja’s return and hearty was the +welcome given to his beautiful bride, who quickly won all hearts but those of +the wicked wives and sons who had tried to harm her husband and his mother. +They feared the anger of the king, when he found out how they had deceived him, +and they were right to fear. Sringa-Bhuja’s very first act was to plead +for his mother to be set free. He would not tell any of his adventures, he +said, till she could hear them too; and the king, full of remorse for the way +he had treated her, went with him to the prison in which she had been shut up +all this time. What was poor Guna-Vara’s joy, when the two entered the +place in which she had shed so many tears! She could not at first believe her +eyes or ears, but soon she realised that her sufferings were indeed over. She +could not be quite happy till her beloved husband said he knew she had never +loved any one but him. She had been accused falsely, she said, and she wanted +the woman who had told a lie about her to be made to own the truth. +</p> + +<p> +This was done in the presence of the whole court, and when judgment had been +passed upon Ayasolekha, the brothers of Sringa-Bhuja were also brought before +their father, who charged them with having deceived him. They too were +condemned, and all the culprits would have been taken to prison and shut up for +the rest of their lives, if those they had injured had not pleaded for their +forgiveness. Guna-Vara and her son prostrated themselves at the foot of the +throne, and would not rise till they had won pardon for their enemies. +Ayasolekha and the brothers were allowed to go free; but Sringa-Bhuja, though +he was the youngest of all the princes, was proclaimed heir to the crown after +his father’s death. His brothers, however, never ceased to hate him; and +when he came to the throne, they gave him a great deal of trouble. He had many +years of happiness with his wife and parents before that, and never regretted +the mistake about the jewelled arrow; since but for it he would, he knew, never +have seen his beloved Rupa-Sikha. +</p> + +<p> +25. What is the chief lesson to be learnt from this story? +</p> + +<p> +26. Do you think it was good for those who had told lies about Guna-Vara and +her son to be forgiven so easily? +</p> + +<p> +27. Can you give any instances of good coming out of evil and of evil coming +out of what seemed good? +</p> + +<p> +28. Do you think Rupa-Sikha deserved all the happiness that came to her? +</p> + +</div><!--end chapter--> + +<div class="chapter"> + +<h2><a name="chap06"></a>VI.<br /> +The Beetle and the Silken Thread.<a href="#fn-2" name="fnref-2" id="fnref-2"><sup>[2]</sup></a></h2> + +<h3>CHAPTER I</h3> + +<p> +The strange adventures related in the story of the Beetle and the Silken Thread +took place in the town of Allahabad, “the City of God,” so called +because it is situated near the point of meeting of the two sacred rivers of +India, the Ganges, which the Hindus lovingly call Mother Ganga because they +believe its waters can wash away their sins, and the Jumna, which they consider +scarcely less holy. +</p> + +<p> +The ruler of Allahabad was a very selfish and hot-tempered Raja named Surya +Pratap, signifying “Powerful as the Sun,” who expected everybody to +obey him without a moment’s delay, and was ready to punish in a very +cruel manner those who hesitated to do so. He would never listen to a word of +explanation, or own that he had been mistaken, even when he knew full well that +he was in the wrong. He had a mantri, that is to say, a chief vizier or +officer, whom he greatly trusted, and really seemed to be fond of, for he liked +to have him always near him. The vizier was called Dhairya-Sila, or “the +Patient One,” because he never lost his temper, no matter what +provocation he received. He had a beautiful house, much money and many jewels, +carriages to drive about in, noble horses to ride and many servants to wait +upon him, all given to him by his master. But what he loved best of all was his +faithful wife, Buddhi-Mati, or “the Sensible One,” whom he had +chosen for himself, and who would have died for him. +</p> + +<p> +Many of the Raja’s subjects were jealous of Dhairya-Sila, and constantly +brought accusations against him, of none of which his master took any notice, +except to punish those who tried to set him against his favourite. It really +seemed as if nothing would ever bring harm to Dhairya-Sila; but he often told +his wife that such good fortune was not likely to last, and that she must be +prepared for a change before long. +</p> + +<p> +It turned out that he was right. For one day Surya Pratap ordered him to do +what he considered would be a shameful deed. He refused; telling his master +that he was wrong to think of such a thing, and entreating him to give up his +purpose. “All your life long,” he said, “you will wish you +had listened to me; for your conscience will never let you rest!” +</p> + +<p> +On hearing these brave words, Surya Pratap flew into a terrible rage, summoned +his guards, and ordered them to take Dhairya-Sila outside the city to a very +lofty tower, and leave him at the top of it, without shelter from the sun and +with nothing to eat or drink. The guards were at first afraid to touch the +vizier, remembering how others had been punished for only speaking against him. +Seeing their unwillingness, the Raja got more and more angry; but Dhairya-Sila +himself kept quite calm, and said to the soldiers: +</p> + +<p> +“I go with you gladly. It is for the master to command and for me to +obey.” +</p> + +<p> +1. What is the best way to learn to keep calm in an emergency? +</p> + +<p> +2. Why does too much power have a bad influence on those who have it? +</p> + +<h3>CHAPTER II</h3> + +<p> +The guards were relieved to find they need not drag the vizier away; for they +admired his courage and felt sure that the Raja would soon find he could not +get on without him. It might go hardly with them if he suffered harm at their +hands. So they only closed in about him; and holding himself very upright, +Dhairya-Sila walked to the tower as if he were quite glad to go. In his heart +however he knew full well that it would need all his skill to escape with his +life. +</p> + +<p> +When her husband did not come home at night, Buddhi-Mati was very much +distressed. She guessed at once that something had gone wrong, and set forth to +try and find out what had happened. This was easy enough; for as she crept +along, with her veil closely held about her lest she should be recognised, she +passed groups of people discussing the terrible fate that had befallen the +favourite. She decided that she must wait until midnight, when the streets +would be deserted and she could reach the tower unnoticed. It was almost dark +when she got there, but in the dim light of the stars she made out the form of +him she loved better than herself, leaning over the edge of the railing at the +top. +</p> + +<p> +“Is my dear lord still alive?” she whispered, “and is there +anything I can do to help him?” +</p> + +<p> +“You can do everything that is needed to help me,” answered +Dhairya-Sila quietly, “if you only obey every direction I give you. Do +not for one moment suppose that I am in despair. I am more powerful even now +than my master, who has but shown his weakness by attempting to harm me. Now +listen to me. Come to-morrow night at this very hour, bringing with you the +following things: first, a beetle; secondly, sixty yards of the finest silk +thread, as thin as a spider’s web; thirdly, sixty yards of cotton thread, +as thin as you can get it, but very strong; fourthly, sixty yards of good stout +twine; fifthly, sixty yards of rope, strong enough to carry my weight; and +last, but certainly not least, one drop of the purest bees’ honey.” +</p> + +<p> +3. Do you think the vizier thought of all these things before or after he was +taken to the tower? +</p> + +<p> +4. What special quality did he display in the way in which he faced his +position on the tower? +</p> + +<h3>CHAPTER III</h3> + +<p> +Buddhi-Mati listened very attentively to these strange instructions, and began +to ask questions about them. “Why do you want the beetle? Why do you want +the honey?” and so on. But her husband checked her. “I have no +strength to waste in explanations,” he said. “Go home in peace, +sleep well, and dream of me.” So the anxious wife went meekly away; and +early the next day she set to work to obey the orders she had received. She had +some trouble in obtaining fine enough silk, so very, very thin it had to be, +like a spider’s web; but the cotton, twine and rope were easily bought; +and to her surprise she was not asked what she wanted them for. It took her a +good while to choose the beetle. For though she had a vague kind of idea that +the silk, the cotton, twine, and rope, were to help her husband get down from +the tower, she could not imagine what share the beetle and the honey were to +take. In the end she chose a very handsome, strong-looking, brilliantly +coloured fellow who lived in the garden of her home and whom she knew to be +fond of honey. +</p> + +<p> +5. Can you guess how the beetle and the honey were to help in saving +Dhairya-Sila? +</p> + +<p> +6. Do you think it would have been better if the vizier had told his wife how +all the things he asked for were to be used? +</p> + +<h3>CHAPTER IV</h3> + +<p> +All the time Buddhi-Mati was at work for her husband, she was thinking of him +and looking forward to the happy day of his return home. She had such faith in +him that she did not for a moment doubt that he would escape; but she was +anxious about the future, feeling sure that the Raja would never forgive +Dhairya-Sila for being wiser than himself. Exactly at the time fixed the +faithful wife appeared at the foot of the tower, with all the things she had +been told to bring with her. +</p> + +<p> +“Is all well with my lord?” she whispered, as she gazed up through +the darkness. “I have the silken thread as fine as gossamer, the cotton +thread, the twine, the rope, the beetle and the honey.” +</p> + +<p> +“Yes,” answered Dhairya-Sila, “all is still well with me. I +have slept well, feeling confident that my dear one would bring all that is +needed for my safety; but I dread the great heat of another day, and we must +lose no time in getting away from this terrible tower. Now attend most +carefully to all I bid you do; and remember not to speak loud, or the sentries +posted within hearing will take alarm and drive you away. First of all, tie the +end of the silken thread round the middle of the beetle, leaving all its legs +quite free. Then rub the drop of honey on its nose, and put the little creature +on the wall, with its nose turned upwards towards me. It will smell the honey, +but will not guess that it carries it itself, and it will crawl upwards in the +hope of getting to the hive from which that honey came. Keep the rest of the +silk firmly held, and gradually unwind it as the beetle climbs up. Mind you do +not let it slip, for my very life depends on that slight link with you.” +</p> + +<p> +7. Which do you think had the harder task to perform—the husband at the +top of the tower or the wife at the foot of it? +</p> + +<p> +8. Do you think the beetle was likely to imagine it was on the way to a hive of +bees when it began to creep up the tower? +</p> + +<h3>CHAPTER V</h3> + +<p> +Buddhi-Mati, though her hands shook and her heart beat fast as she realized all +that depended on her, kept the silk from becoming entangled; and when it was +nearly all unwound, she heard her husband’s voice saying to her: +“Now tie the cotton thread to the end of the silk that you hold, and let +it gradually unwind.” She obeyed, fully understanding now what all these +preparations were for. +</p> + +<p> +When the little messenger of life reached the top of the tower, Dhairya-Sila +took it up in his hand and very gently unfastened the silken thread from its +body. Then he placed the beetle carefully in a fold of his turban, and began to +pull the silken thread up—very, very slowly, for if it had broken, his +wonderful scheme would have come to an end. Presently he had the cotton thread +in his fingers, and he broke off the silk, wound it up, and placed it too in +his turban. It had done its duty well, and he would not throw it away. +</p> + +<p> +“Half the work is done now,” he whispered to his faithful wife. +“You have all but saved me now. Take the twine and tie it to the end of +the cotton thread.” +</p> + +<p> +Very happily Buddhi-Mati obeyed once more; and soon the cotton thread and twine +were also laid aside, and the strong rope tied to the last was being quickly +dragged up by the clever vizier, who knew that all fear of death from sunstroke +or hunger was over. When he had all the rope on the tower, he fastened one end +of it to the iron railing which ran round the platform on which he stood, and +very quickly slid down to the bottom, where his wife was waiting for him, +trembling with joy. +</p> + +<p> +9. Do you see anything very improbable in the account of what the beetle did? +</p> + +<p> +10. If the beetle had not gone straight up the tower, what do you think would +have happened? +</p> + +<h3>CHAPTER VI</h3> + +<p> +After embracing his wife and thanking her for saving him, the vizier said to +her: “Before we return home, let us give thanks to the great God who +helped me in my need by putting into my head the device by which I +escaped.” The happy pair then prostrated themselves on the ground, and in +fervent words of gratitude expressed their sense of what the God they +worshipped had done for them. “And now,” said Dhairya-Sila, +“the next thing we have to do is to take the dear little beetle which was +the instrument of my rescue back to the place it came from.” And taking +off his turban, he showed his wife the tiny creature lying in the soft folds. +</p> + +<p> +Buddhi-Mati led her husband to the garden where she had found the beetle, and +Dhairya-Sila laid it tenderly on the ground, fetched some food for it, such as +he knew it loved, and there left it to take up its old way of life. The rest of +the day he spent quietly in his own home with his wife, keeping out of sight of +his servants, lest they should report his return to his master. “You must +never breathe a word to any one of how I escaped,” Dhairya-Sila said, and +his wife promised that she never would. +</p> + +<p> +11. When the vizier got this promise, what did he forget which could betray how +he got down from the tower, if any one went to look at it? +</p> + +<p> +12. Do you think there was any need for the vizier to tell his wife to keep his +secret? +</p> + +<h3>CHAPTER VII</h3> + +<p> +All this time the Raja was feeling very unhappy, for he thought he had himself +caused the death of the one man he could trust. He was too proud to let anybody +know that he missed Dhairya-Sila, and was longing to send for him from the +tower before it was too late. What then was his relief and surprise when a +message was brought to him that the vizier was at the door of the palace and +begged for an interview. +</p> + +<p> +“Bring him in at once,” cried Surya Pratap. And the next moment +Dhairya-Sila stood before his master, his hands folded on his breast and his +head bent in token of his submission. The attendants looked on, eager to know +how he had got down from the tower, some of them anything but glad to see him +back. The Raja took care not to show how delighted he was to see him, and +pretending to be angry, he said: +</p> + +<p> +“How dare you come into my presence, and which of my subjects has +ventured to help you to escape the death on the tower you so richly +deserved?” +</p> + +<p> +“None of your subjects, great and just and glorious ruler,” replied +Dhairya-Sila, “but the God who created us both, making you my master and +me your humble servant. It was that God,” he went on, “who saved +me, knowing that I was indeed guiltless of any crime against you. I had not +been long on the tower when help came to me in the form of a great and noble +eagle, which appeared above me, hovering with outspread wings, as if about to +swoop down upon me and tear me limb from limb. I trembled greatly, but I need +have had no fear; for instead of harming me, the bird suddenly lifted me up in +its talons and, flying rapidly through the air, landed me upon the balcony of +my home and disappeared. Great indeed was the joy of my wife at my rescue from +what seemed to be certain death; but I tore myself away from her embraces, to +come and tell my lord how heaven had interfered to prove my innocence.” +</p> + +<p> +Fully believing that a miracle had taken place, Surya Pratap asked no more +questions, but at once restored Dhairya-Sila to his old place as vizier, taking +care not again to ill-treat the man he now believed to be under the special +care of God. Though he certainly did not deserve it, the vizier prospered +greatly all the rest of his life and as time went on he became the real ruler +of the kingdom, for the Raja depended on his advice in everything. He grew +richer and richer, but he was never really happy again, remembering the lie he +had told to the master to whom he owed so much. Buddhi-Mati could never +understand why he made up the story about the eagle, and constantly urged him +to tell the truth. She thought it was really far more wonderful that a little +beetle should have been the means of rescuing him, than that a strong bird +should have done so; and she wanted everyone to know what a very clever husband +she had. She kept her promise never to tell anyone what really happened, but +the secret came out for all that. By the time it was known, however, +Dhairya-Sila was so powerful that no one could harm him, and when he died his +son took his place as vizier. +</p> + +<p> +13. What lessons can be learnt from this story? +</p> + +<p> +14. What do you think was Dhairya-Sila’s motive for telling the Raja the +lie about the eagle? +</p> + +<p> +15. What did Surya Pratap’s ready belief in the story show? +</p> + +<p> +16. How do you think the secret the husband and wife kept so well was +discovered? +</p> + +</div><!--end chapter--> + +<div class="chapter"> + +<h2><a name="chap07"></a>VII.<br /> +A Crow and His Three Friends</h2> + +<h3>CHAPTER I</h3> + +<p> +In the branches of a great tree, in a forest in India, lived a wise old crow in +a very comfortable, well-built nest. His wife was dead, and all his children +were getting their own living; so he had nothing to do but to look after +himself. He led a very easy existence, but took a great interest in the affairs +of his neighbours. One day, popping his head over the edge of his home, he saw +a fierce-looking man stalking along, carrying a stick in one hand and a net in +the other. +</p> + +<p> +“That fellow is up to some mischief, I’ll be bound,” thought +the crow: “I will keep my eye on him.” The man stopped under the +tree, spread the net on the ground; and taking a bag of rice out of his pocket, +he scattered the grains amongst the meshes of the net. Then he hid himself +behind the trunk of the tree from which the crow was watching, evidently +intending to stop there and see what would happen. The crow felt pretty sure +that the stranger had designs against birds, and that the stick had something +to do with the matter. He was quite right; and it was not long before just what +he expected came to pass. +</p> + +<p> +A flock of pigeons, led by a specially fine bird who had been chosen king +because of his size and the beauty of his plumage, came flying rapidly along, +and noticed the white rice, but did not see the net, because it was very much +the same colour as the ground. Down swooped the king, and down swept all the +other pigeons, eager to enjoy a good meal without any trouble to themselves. +Alas, their joy was short lived! They were all caught in the net and began +struggling to escape, beating the air with their wings and uttering loud cries +of distress. +</p> + +<p> +The crow and the man behind the tree kept very quiet, watching them; the man +with his stick ready to beat the poor helpless birds to death, the crow +watching out of mere curiosity. Now a very strange and wonderful thing came to +pass. The king of the pigeons, who had his wits about him, said to the +imprisoned birds: +</p> + +<p> +“Take the net up in your beaks, all of you spread out your wings at once, +and fly straight up into the air as quickly as possible.” +</p> + +<p> +1. What special qualities did the king display when he gave these orders to his +subjects? +</p> + +<p> +2. Can you think of any other advice the king might have given? +</p> + +<h3>CHAPTER II</h3> + +<p> +In a moment all the pigeons, who were accustomed to obey their leader, did as +they were bid; each little bird seized a separate thread of the net in his beak +and up, up, up, they all flew, looking very beautiful with the sunlight +gleaming on their white wings. Very soon they were out of sight; and the man, +who thought he had hit upon a very clever plan, came forth from his +hiding-place, very much surprised at what had happened. He stood gazing up +after his vanished net for a little time, and then went away muttering to +himself, whilst the wise old crow laughed at him. +</p> + +<p> +When the pigeons had flown some distance, and were beginning to get exhausted, +for the net was heavy and they were quite unused to carrying loads, the king +bade them rest awhile in a clearing of the forest; and as they all lay on the +ground panting for breath, with the cruel net still hampering them, he said: +</p> + +<p> +“What we must do now is to take this horrible net to my old friend +Hiranya the mouse, who will, I am quite sure, nibble through the strings for me +and set us all free. He lives, as you all know, near the tree where the net was +spread, deep underground; but there are many passages leading to his home, and +we shall easily find one of the openings. Once there, we will all lift up our +voices, and call to him at once, when he will be sure to hear us.” So the +weary pigeons took up their burden once more, and sped back whence they had +come, greatly to the surprise of the crow, who wondered at their coming back to +the very place where misfortune had overtaken them. He very soon learnt the +reason, and got so excited watching what was going on, that he hopped out of +his nest and perched upon a branch where he could see better. Presently a great +clamour arose, one word being repeated again and again: “Hiranya! +Hiranya! Hiranya.” +</p> + +<p> +“Why, that’s the name of the mouse who lives down below +there!” thought the crow. “Now, what good can he do? I know, I +know,” he added, as he remembered the sharp teeth of Hiranya. “That +king of the pigeons is a sensible fellow. I must make friends with him.” +</p> + +<p> +Very soon, as the pigeons lay fluttering and struggling outside one of the +entrances to Hiranya’s retreat, the mouse came out. He didn’t even +need to be told what was wanted, but at once began to nibble the string, first +setting free the king, and then all the rest of the birds. “A friend in +need is a friend indeed,” cried the king; “a thousand thousand +thanks!” And away he flew up into the beautiful free air of heaven, +followed by the happy pigeons, none of them ever likely to forget the adventure +or to pick up food from the ground without a good look at it first. +</p> + +<p> +3. What was the chief virtue displayed by the mouse on this occasion? +</p> + +<p> +4. Do you think it is easier to obey than to command? +</p> + +<h3>CHAPTER III</h3> + +<p> +The mouse did not at once return to his hole when the birds were gone, but went +for a little stroll, which brought him to the ground still strewn with rice, +which he began to eat with great relish. “It’s an ill wind,” +he said to himself, “which brings nobody any good. There’s many a +good meal for my whole family here.” +</p> + +<p> +Presently he was joined by the old crow, who had flown down from his perch +unnoticed by Hiranya, and now addressed him in his croaky voice: +</p> + +<p> +“Hiranya,” he said, “for that I know is your name, I am +called Laghupatin and I would gladly have you for a friend. I have seen all +that you did for the pigeons, and have come to the conclusion that you are a +mouse of great wisdom, ready to help those who are in trouble, without any +thought of yourself.” +</p> + +<p> +“You are quite wrong,” squeaked Hiranya. “I am not so silly +as you make out. I have no wish to be your friend. If you were hungry, you +wouldn’t hesitate to gobble me up. I don’t care for that sort of +affection.” +</p> + +<p> +With that Hiranya whisked away to his hole, pausing at the entrance, when he +knew the crow could not get at him, to cry, “You be off to your nest and +leave me alone!” +</p> + +<p> +The feelings of the crow were very much hurt at this speech, the more that he +knew full well it was not exactly love for the mouse, which had led him to make +his offer, but self-interest: for who could tell what difficulties he himself +might some day be in, out of which the mouse might help him? Instead of obeying +Hiranya, and going back to his nest, he hopped to the mouse’s hole, and +putting his head on one side in what he thought was a very taking manner, he +said: +</p> + +<p> +“Pray do not misjudge me so. Never would I harm you! Even if I did not +wish to have you for a friend, I should not dream of gobbling you up, as you +say, however hungry I might be. Surely you are aware that I am a strict +vegetarian, and never eat the flesh of other creatures. At least give me a +trial. Let us share a meal together, and talk the matter over.” +</p> + +<p> +5. Can a friendship be a true one if the motive for it is self-interest? +</p> + +<p> +6. Would it have been wise or foolish for the mouse to agree to be friends with +the crow? +</p> + +<h3>CHAPTER IV</h3> + +<p> +Hiranya, on hearing the last remark of Laghupatin, hesitated, and in the end he +agreed that he would have supper with the crow that very evening. “There +is plenty of rice here,” he said, “which we can eat on the spot. It +would be impossible for you to get into my hole, and I am certainly not +disposed to visit you in your nest.” So the two at once began their meal, +and before it was over they had become good friends. Not a day passed without a +meeting, and when all the rice was eaten up, each of the two would bring +something to the feast. This had gone on for some little time, when the crow, +who was fond of adventure and change, said one day to the mouse: +“Don’t you think we might go somewhere else for a time? I am rather +tired of this bit of the forest, every inch of which we both know well. +I’ve got another great friend who lives beside a fine river a few miles +away, a tortoise named Mandharaka; a thoroughly good, trustworthy fellow he is, +though rather slow and cautious in his ways. I should like to introduce you to +him. There are quantities of food suitable for us both where he lives, for it +is a very fruitful land. What do you say to coming with me to pay him a +visit?” +</p> + +<p> +“How in the world should I get there?” answered Hiranya. +“It’s all very well for you, who can fly. I can’t walk for +miles and miles. For all that I too am sick of this place and would like a +change.” +</p> + +<p> +“Oh, there’s no difficulty about that,” replied Laghupatin. +“I will carry you in my beak, and you will get there without any fatigue +at all.” To this Hiranya consented, and very early one morning the two +friends started off together. +</p> + +<p> +7. Is love of change a good or a bad thing? +</p> + +<p> +8. What did Hiranya’s readiness to let Laghupatin carry him show? +</p> + +<h3>CHAPTER V</h3> + +<p> +After flying along for several hours, the crow began to feel very tired. He was +seized too with a great desire to hear his own voice again. So he flew to the +ground, laid his little companion gently down, and gave vent to a number of +hoarse cries, which quite frightened Hiranya, who timidly asked him what was +the matter. +</p> + +<p> +“Nothing whatever,” answered Laghupatin, “except that you are +not quite so light as I thought you were, and that I need a rest; besides +which, I am hungry and I expect you are. We had better stop here for the night, +and start again early to-morrow morning.” Hiranya readily agreed to this, +and after a good meal, which was easily found, the two settled down to sleep, +the crow perched in a tree, the mouse hidden amongst its roots. Very early the +next day they were off again, and soon arrived at the river, where they were +warmly welcomed by the tortoise. The three had a long talk together, and agreed +never to part again. The tortoise, who had lived a great deal longer than +either the mouse or the crow, was a very pleasant companion; and even +Laghupatin, who was very fond of talking himself, liked to listen to his +stories of long ago. +</p> + +<p> +“I wonder,” said the tortoise, whose name was Mandharaka, to the +mouse, “that you are not afraid to travel about as you have done, with +your soft little body unprotected by any armour. Look how different it is for +me; it is almost impossible for any of the wild creatures who live near this +river to hurt me, and they know it full well. See how thick and strong my +armour is. The claws even of a tiger, a wild cat or an eagle, could not +penetrate it. I am very much afraid, my little friend, that you will be gobbled +up some fine day, and Laghupatin and I will seek for you in vain.” +</p> + +<p> +“Of course,” said the mouse, “I know the truth of what you +say; but I can very easily hide from danger—much more easily than you or +Laghupatin. A tuft of moss or a few dead leaves are shelter enough for me, but +big fellows like you and the crow can be quite easily seen. Nobody saw me when +the pigeons were all caught except Laghupatin; and I would have kept out of his +sight if I had not known that he did not care to eat mice.” +</p> + +<p> +In spite of the fears of Mandharaka, the mouse and the crow lived as his guests +for a long time without any accident; and one day they were suddenly joined by +a new companion, a creature as unlike any one of the three friends as could +possibly be imagined. This was a very beautiful deer, who came bounding out of +the forest, all eager to escape from the hunters, by whom he had been pursued, +but too weary to reach the river, across which he had hoped to be able to swim +to safety. Just as he reached the three friends, he fell to the ground, almost +crushing the mouse, who darted away in the nick of time. Strange to say, the +hunters did not follow the deer; and it was evident that they had not noticed +the way he had gone. +</p> + +<p> +The tortoise, the crow and the mouse were all very sorry for the deer, and, as +was always the case, the crow was the first to speak. “Whatever has +happened to you?” he asked. And the deer made answer: +</p> + +<p> +“I thought my last hour had come this time, for the hunters were close +upon me; and even now I do not feel safe.” +</p> + +<p> +“I’ll fly up and take a look ’round,” said Laghupatin; +and off he went to explore, coming back soon, to say he had seen the hunters +disappearing a long distance off, going in quite another direction from the +river. Gradually the deer was reassured, and lay still where he had fallen; +whilst the three friends chatted away to him, telling him of their adventures. +“What you had better do,” said the tortoise, “is to join us. +When you have had a good meal, and a drink from the river, you will feel a +different creature. My old friend Laghupatin will be the one to keep watch for +us all, and warn us of any danger approaching; I will give you the benefit of +my long experience; and little Hiranya, though he is not likely to be of any +use to you, will certainly never do you any harm.” +</p> + +<p> +9. Is it a good thing to make friends easily? +</p> + +<p> +10. What was the bond of union between the crow, the mouse, the tortoise and +the deer? +</p> + +<h3>CHAPTER VI</h3> + +<p> +The deer was so touched by the kind way in which he had been received, that he +agreed to stop with the three friends; and for some weeks after his arrival all +went well. Each member of the party went his own way during the day-time, but +all four met together in the evening, and took it in turns to tell their +adventures. The crow always had the most to say, and was very useful to the +deer in warning him of the presence of hunters in the forest. One beautiful +moonlight night the deer did not come back as usual, and the other three became +very anxious about him. The crow flew up to the highest tree near and eagerly +sought for some sign of his lost friend, of whom he had grown very fond. +Presently he noticed a dark mass by the river-side, just where the deer used to +go down to drink every evening. “That must be he,” thought the +crow; and very soon he was hovering above the deer, who had been caught in a +net and was struggling in vain to get free. +</p> + +<p> +The poor deer was very glad indeed to see the crow, and cried to him in a +piteous voice: “Be quick, be quick, and help me, before the terrible +hunters find me and kill me.” +</p> + +<p> +“I can do nothing for you myself,” said the crow, “but I know +who can. Remember who saved the pigeons!” And away he flew to fetch +little Hiranya, who with the tortoise was anxiously awaiting his return. Very +soon Laghupatin was back by the river-side with the little mouse in his beak; +and it did not take long for Hiranya, who had been despised by the deer and the +tortoise as a feeble little thing, to nibble through the cords and save the +life of the animal a hundred times as big as himself. +</p> + +<p> +How happy the deer was when the cruel cords were loosed and he could stretch +out his limbs again! He bounded up, but took great care not to crush the mouse, +who had done him such a service. “Never, never, never,” he said, +“shall I forget what you have done for me. Ask anything in my power, and +I will do it.” +</p> + +<p> +“I want nothing,” said Hiranya, “except the joyful thought of +having saved you.” +</p> + +<p> +By this time the tortoise had crept to the riverbank, and he too was glad that +the deer had been saved. He praised the mouse, and declared that he would never +again look down upon him. Then the four started to go back to their usual haunt +in the forest; the deer, the crow, and the mouse soon arriving there quite +safely, whilst the tortoise, who could only get along very slowly, lagged +behind. Now came the time for him to find out that armour was not the only +thing needed to save him from danger. He had not got very far from the +riverbank before the cruel hunter who had set the net to catch the deer, came +to see if he had succeeded. Great was his rage when he found the net lying on +the ground, but not exactly where he had left it. He guessed at once that some +animal had been caught in it and escaped after a long struggle. He looked +carefully about and noticed that the cords had been bitten through here and +there. So he suspected just what had happened, and began to search about for +any creature who could have done the mischief. +</p> + +<p> +There was not a sign of the mouse, but the slow-moving tortoise was soon +discovered, and pouncing down upon him, the hunter rolled him up in another net +he had with him, and carried him off, “It’s not much of a +prize,” said the hunter to himself, “but better than nothing. +I’ll have my revenge on the wretched creature anyhow, as I have lost the +prey I sought.” +</p> + +<p> +11. Which of the four friends concerned in this adventure do you admire most? +</p> + +<p> +12. What was the chief mistake made by the tortoise? +</p> + +<h3>CHAPTER VII</h3> + +<p> +When the tortoise in his turn did not come home, the deer, the crow and the +mouse were very much concerned. They talked the matter over together and +decided that, however great the risk to themselves, they must go back and see +what had become of their friend. This time the mouse travelled in one of the +ears of the deer, from which he peeped forth with his bright eyes, hoping to +see the tortoise toiling along in his usual solemn manner; whilst the crow, +also on the watch, flew along beside them. Great was the surprise and terror of +all three when, as they came out of the forest, they saw the hunter striding +along towards them, with the tortoise in the net under his arm. Once more the +little mouse showed his wisdom. Without a moment’s hesitation he said to +the deer: “Throw yourself on the ground and pretend to be dead; and +<i>you</i>,” he added to the crow, “perch on his head and bend over +as if you were going to peck out his eyes.” +</p> + +<p> +Without any idea what Hiranya meant by these strange orders, but remembering +how he had helped in other dangers, the two did as they were told; the poor +deer feeling anything but happy lying still where his enemy was sure to see +him, and thereby proving what a noble creature he was. The hunter did, see him +very soon, and thinking to himself, “After all I shall get that +deer,” he let the tortoise fall, and came striding along as fast as he +could. +</p> + +<p> +Up jumped the deer without waiting to see what became of the tortoise, and sped +away like the wind. The hunter rushed after him, and the two were soon out of +sight. The tortoise, whose armour had saved him from being hurt by his fall, +was indeed pleased when he saw little Hiranya running towards him. “Be +quick, be quick!” he cried, “and set me free.” Very soon the +sharp teeth of the mouse had bitten through the meshes of the net, and before +the hunter came back, after trying in vain to catch the deer, the tortoise was +safely swimming across the river, leaving the net upon the ground, whilst the +crow and the mouse were back in the shelter of the forest. +</p> + +<p> +“There’s some magic at work here,” said the hunter when, +expecting to find the tortoise where he had left him, he discovered that his +prisoner had escaped. “The stupid beast could not have got out +alone,” he added, as he picked up the net and walked off with it. +“But he wasn’t worth keeping anyhow.” +</p> + +<p> +That evening the four friends met once more, and talked over all they had gone +through together. The deer and the tortoise were full of gratitude to the +mouse, and could not say enough in his praise, but the crow was rather sulky, +and remarked: “If it had not been for me, neither of you would ever have +seen Hiranya. He was my friend before he was yours.” +</p> + +<p> +“You are right,” said the tortoise, “and you must also +remember that it was my armour which saved me from being killed in that +terrible fall.” +</p> + +<p> +“Your armour would not have been of much use to you, if the hunter had +been allowed to carry you to his home,” said the deer. “In my +opinion you and I both owe our lives entirely to Hiranya. He is small and weak, +it is true, but he has better brains than any of the rest of us, and I for one +admire him with all my heart. I am glad I trusted him and obeyed him, when he +ordered me to pretend to be dead, for I had not the least idea how that could +help the tortoise.” +</p> + +<p> +“Have it your own way,” croaked the crow, “but I keep my own +opinion all the same. But for me you would never have known my dear little +Hiranya.” +</p> + +<p> +In spite of this little dispute the four friends were soon as happy together as +before the adventure of the tortoise. They once more agreed never to part and +lived happily together for many years, as they had done ever since they first +met. +</p> + +<p> +13. What were the chief differences in the characters of the four friends? +</p> + +<p> +14. Are those who are alike or unlike in character more likely to remain +friends? +</p> + +<p> +15. How would you describe a true friend? +</p> + +<p> +16. What fault is more likely than any other to lead to loss of friendship? +</p> + +</div><!--end chapter--> + +<div class="chapter"> + +<h2><a name="chap08"></a>VIII.<br /> +A Clever Thief.</h2> + +<h3>CHAPTER I</h3> + +<p> +A certain man, named Hari-Sarman, who lived in a little village in India, where +there were no rich people and everyone had to work hard to get his daily bread, +got very weary of the life he had to lead. He had a wife whose name was Vidya, +and a large family; and even if he had been very industrious it would have been +difficult for him to get enough food for them all. Unfortunately he was not a +bit industrious, but very lazy, and so was his wife. Neither of them made any +attempt to teach their boys and girls to earn their own living; and if the +other poor people in the village had not helped them, they would have starved. +Hari-Sarman used to send his children out in different directions to beg or +steal, whilst he and Vidya stayed at home doing nothing. +</p> + +<p> +One day he said to his wife: “Let us leave this stupid place, and go to +some big city where we can pick up a living of some kind. I will pretend to be +a wise man, able to find out secrets; and you can say that you know all about +children, having had so many of your own.” Vidya gladly agreed to this, +and the whole party set out, carrying the few possessions they had with them. +In course of time they came to a big town, and Hari-Sarman went boldly to the +chief house in it, leaving his wife and children outside. He asked to see the +master, and was taken into his presence. This master was a very rich merchant, +owning large estates in the country; but he cannot have been very clever, for +he was at once quite taken in by the story Hari-Sarman told him. He said that +he would find work for him and his wife, and that the children could be sent to +a farm he had in the country, where they could be made very useful. +</p> + +<p> +Overjoyed at this, Hari-Sarman hastened out to tell his wife the good news; and +the two were at once received into the grand residence, in which a small room +was given to them for their own, whilst the children were taken away to the +farm, fall of eager delight at the change from the wretched life they had been +leading. +</p> + +<p> +1. Would it have been better for Hari-Sarman and Vidya if their neighbours had +not helped them? +</p> + +<p> +2. Do you think Hari-Sarman was the only person to blame for his poverty? +</p> + +<h3>CHAPTER II</h3> + +<p> +Soon after the arrival of the husband and wife at the merchant’s house, a +very important event took place, namely, the marriage of the eldest daughter. +Great were the preparations beforehand, in which Vidya took her full share, +helping in the kitchen to make all manner of delicious dishes, and living in +great luxury herself. For there was no stint in the wealthy home; even the +humblest servants were well cared for. Vidya was happier than she had ever been +before, now that she had plenty to do and plenty of good food. She became in +fact quite a different creature, and began to wish she had been a better mother +to her children. “When the wedding is over,” she thought, “I +will go and see how they are getting on.” On the other hand she forgot +all about her husband and scarcely ever saw him. +</p> + +<p> +It was all very different with Hari-Sarman himself. He had no special duties to +perform and nobody seemed to want him. If he went into the kitchen, the busy +servants ordered him to get out of their way; and he was not made welcome by +the owner of the house or his guests. The merchant too forgot all about him, +and he felt very lonely and miserable. He had been thinking to himself how much +he would enjoy all the delicious food he would get after the wedding; and now +he began to grumble: “I’m starving in the midst of plenty, +that’s what I am. Something will have to be done to change this horrible +state of things.” +</p> + +<p> +Whilst the preparations for the wedding were going on, Vidya never came near +her husband, and he lay awake a long time thinking, “What in the world +can I do to make the master send for me?” All of a sudden an idea came +into his head. “I’ll steal something valuable, and hide it away; +and when everyone is being asked about the loss, the merchant will remember the +man who can reveal secrets. Now what can I take that is sure to be missed? I +know, I know!” And springing out of bed, he hastily dressed himself and +crept out of the house. +</p> + +<p> +3. What would you have done if you had been Hari-Sarman? +</p> + +<p> +4. Do you think Vidya ever had any real love for her husband? +</p> + +<h3>CHAPTER III</h3> + +<p> +This was what Hari-Sarman decided to do. The merchant had a great many very +beautiful horses, which lived in splendid stables and were taken the greatest +possible care of. Amongst them was a lovely little Arab mare, the special +favourite of the bride, who often went to pet it and give it sugar. +“I’ll steal that mare and hide it away in the forest,” said +the wicked man to himself. “Then, when every one is hunting for her, the +master will remember the man who can reveal secrets and send for me. Ah! Ah! +What a clever fellow I am! All the stablemen and grooms are feasting, I know; +for I saw them myself when I tried to get hold of my wife. I can climb through +a window that is always left open.” It turned out that he was right. He +met no one on his way to the stables, which ware quite deserted. He got in +easily, opened, the door from inside, and led out the little mare, which made +no resistance; she had always been so kindly treated that she was not a bit +afraid. He took the beautiful creature far into the depths of the forest, tied +her up there, and got safely back to his own room without being seen. +</p> + +<p> +Early the next morning the merchant’s daughter, attended by her maidens, +went to see her dear little mare, taking with her an extra supply of sugar. +What was her distress when she found the stall empty! She guessed at once that +a thief had got in during the night, and hurried home to tell her father, who +was very, very angry with the stablemen who had deserted their posts, and +declared they should all be flogged for it. “But the first thing to do is +to get the mare back,” he said; and he ordered messengers to be sent in +every direction, promising a big reward to anyone who brought news of the mare. +</p> + +<p> +Vidya of course heard all there was to hear, and at once suspected that +Hari-Sarman had had something to do with the matter. “I expect he has +hidden the mare,” she thought to herself, “and means to get the +reward for finding it.” So she asked to see the master of the house, and +when leave was granted to her she said to him: +</p> + +<p> +“Why do you not send for my husband, the man who can reveal secrets, +because of the wonderful power that has been given him of seeing what is hidden +from others? Many a time has he surprised me by what he has been able to +do.” +</p> + +<p> +5. Do you think Vidya had any wish to help Hari-Sarman for his own sake? +</p> + +<p> +6. Is there anything you think she should have done before seeing the master? +</p> + +<h3>CHAPTER IV</h3> + +<p> +On hearing what Vidya said, the merchant at once told her to go and fetch her +husband. But to her surprise Hari-Sarman refused to go back with her. +“You can tell the master what you like,” he said, angrily. +“You all forgot me entirely yesterday; and now you want me to help you, +you suddenly remember my existence. I am not going to be at your beck and call +or anyone else’s.” +</p> + +<p> +Vidya entreated him to listen to reason, but it was no good. She had to go back +and tell the merchant that he would not come. Instead of being made angry by +this, however, the master surprised her by saying: “Your husband is +right. I have treated him badly. Go and tell him I apologise, and will reward +him well, if only he will come and help me.” +</p> + +<p> +Back again went Vidya and this time she was more successful. But though +Hari-Sarman said he would go back with her, he was very sulky and would not +answer any of her questions. She could not understand him, and wished she had +not left him to himself for so long. He behaved very strangely too when the +master, who received him very kindly, asked him if he could tell him where the +mare was. “I know,” he said, “what a wise and clever man you +are.” +</p> + +<p> +“It didn’t seem much like it yesterday,” grumbled +Hari-Sarman. “Nobody took any notice of me then, but now you want +something of me, you find out that I am wise and clever. I am just the same +person that I was yesterday.” +</p> + +<p> +“I know, I know,” said the merchant, “and I apologise for my +neglect; but when a man’s daughter is going to be married, it’s no +wonder some one gets neglected.” +</p> + +<p> +7. Do you think Hari-Sarman was wise to treat his wife and the merchant as he +did? +</p> + +<p> +8. If the mare had been found whilst Hari-Sarman was talking to the master, +what effect do you think the discovery would have had upon them both? +</p> + +<h3>CHAPTER V</h3> + +<p> +Hari-Sarman now thought it was time to take a different tone. So he put his +hand in his pocket, and brought out a map he had got ready whilst waiting to be +sent for, as he had felt sure he would be. He spread it out before the +merchant, and pointed to a dark spot in the midst of many lines crossing each +other in a bewildering manner, which he explained were pathways through the +forest. “Under a tree, where that dark spot is, you will find the +mare,” he said. +</p> + +<p> +Overjoyed at the good news, the merchant at once sent a trusted servant to test +the truth; and when the mare was brought back, nothing seemed too good for the +man who had led to her recovery. At the wedding festivities Hari-Sarman was +treated as an honoured guest, and no longer had he any need to complain of not +having food enough. His wife of course thought he would forgive her now for +having neglected him. But not a bit of it: he still sulked with her, and she +could never feel quite sure what the truth was about the mare. +</p> + +<p> +All went well with Hari-Sarman for a long time. But presently something +happened which seemed likely to get him into very great trouble. A quantity of +gold and many valuable jewels disappeared in the palace of the king of the +country; and when the thief could not be discovered, some one told the king the +story of the stolen mare, and how a man called Hari-Sarman, living in the house +of a rich merchant in the chief city, had found her when everyone else had +failed. +</p> + +<p> +“Fetch that man here at once,” ordered the king, and very soon +Hari-Sarman was brought before him. “I hear you are so wise, you can +reveal all secrets,” said the king. “Now tell me immediately who +has stolen the gold and jewels and where they are to be found.” +</p> + +<p> +Poor Hari-Sarman did not know what to say or do. “Give me till +to-morrow,” he replied in a faltering voice; “I must have a little +time to think.” +</p> + +<p> +“I will not give you a single hour,” answered the king. For seeing +the man before him was frightened, he began to suspect he was a deceiver. +“If you do not at once tell me where the gold and jewels are, I will have +you flogged until you find your tongue.” +</p> + +<p> +Hearing this, Hari-Sarman, though more terrified than ever, saw that his only +chance of gaining time to make up some story was to get the king to believe in +him. So he drew himself up and answered: “The wisest magicians need to +employ means to find out the truth. Give me twenty-four hours, and I will name +the thieves.” +</p> + +<p> +“You are not much of a magician if you cannot find out such a simple +thing as I ask of you,” said the king. And turning to the guards, he +ordered them to take Hari-Sarman to prison, and shut him up there without food +or drink till he came to his senses. The man was dragged away, and very soon he +found himself alone in a dark and gloomy room from which he saw no hope of +escape. +</p> + +<p> +He was in despair and walked up and down, trying in vain to think of some way +of escape. “I shall die here of starvation, unless my wife finds some +means of setting me free,” he said. “I wish I had treated her +better instead of being so sulky with her.” He tried the bars of the +window, but they were very strong: he could not hope to move them. And he beat +against the door, but no notice was taken of that. +</p> + +<p> +9. What lesson does the trouble Hari-Sarman was in teach? +</p> + +<p> +10. Do you think it would have been better for him to tell the king he could +not reveal secrets? +</p> + +<h3>CHAPTER VI</h3> + +<p> +When it got quite dark in the prison, Hari-Sarman began to talk to himself +aloud. “Oh,” he said, “I wish I had bitten my tongue out +before I told that lie about the mare. It is all my foolish tongue which has +got me into this trouble. Tongue! Tongue!” he went on, “it is all +your fault.” +</p> + +<p> +Now a very strange thing happened. The money and jewels had been stolen by a +man, who had been told where they were by a young servant girl in the palace +whose name was Jihva, which is the Sanskrit word for tongue; and this girl was +in a great fright when she heard that a revealer of secrets had been taken +before the king. “He will tell of my share in the matter,” she +thought, “and I shall get into trouble,” It so happened that the +guard at the prison door was fond of her, as well as the thief who had stolen +the money and jewels. So when all was quiet in the palace, Jihva slipped away +to see if she could get that guard to let her see the prisoner. “If I +promise to give him part of the money,” she thought, “he will +undertake not to betray me.” +</p> + +<p> +The guard was glad enough when Jihva came to talk to him, and he let her listen +at the key-hole to what Hari-Sarman was saying. Just imagine her astonishment +when she heard him repeating her name again and again. “Jihva! Jihva! +Thou,” he cried, “art the cause of this suffering. Why didst thou +behave in such a foolish manner, just for the sake of the good things of this +life? Never can I forgive thee, Jihva, thou wicked, wicked one!” +</p> + +<p> +“Oh! oh!” cried Jihva in an agony of terror, “he knows the +truth; he knows that I helped the thief.” And she entreated the guard to +let her into the prison that she might plead with Hari-Sarman not to tell the +king what she had done. The man hesitated at first, but in the end she +persuaded him to consent by promising him a large reward. +</p> + +<p> +When the key grated in the lock, Hari-Sarman stopped talking aloud, wondering +whether what he had been saying had been overheard by the guard, and half +hoping that his wife had got leave to come and see him. As the door opened and +he saw a woman coming in by the light of a lantern held up by the guard, he +cried, “Vidya my beloved!” But he soon realized that it was a +stranger. He was indeed surprised and relieved, when Jihva suddenly threw +herself at his feet and, clinging to his knees, began to weep and moan +“Oh, most holy man,” she cried between her sobs, “who knowest +the very secrets of the heart, I have come to confess that it was indeed I, +Jihva, your humble servant, who aided the thief to take the jewels and the gold +and to hide them beneath the big pomegranate tree behind the palace.” +</p> + +<p> +“Rise,” replied Hari-Sarman, overjoyed at hearing this. “You +have told me nothing that I did not know, for no secret is hidden from me. What +reward will you give me if I save you from the wrath of the king?” +</p> + +<p> +“I will give you all the money I have,” said Jihva; “and that +is not a little.” +</p> + +<p> +“That also I knew,” said Hari-Sarman. “For you have good +wages, and many a time you have stolen money that did not belong to you. Go now +and fetch it all, and have no fear that I will betray you.” +</p> + +<p> +11. What mistakes do you think Jihva made in what she said to Hari-Sarman? +</p> + +<p> +12. What would have been the best thing for her to do when she thought she was +found out? +</p> + +<h3>CHAPTER VII</h3> + +<p> +Without waiting a moment Jihva hurried away to fetch the money; but when she +got back with it, the man on guard, who had heard everything that had passed +between her and Hari-Sarman, would not let her in to the prison again till she +gave him ten gold pieces. Thinking that Hari-Sarman really knew exactly how +much money she had, Jihva was afraid he would be angry when he missed some of +it; and again she let out the truth, which he might never have guessed. For she +began at once to say, “I brought all I had, but the man at the door has +taken ten pieces.” This did vex Hari-Sarman very much, and he told her he +would let the king know what she had done, unless she fetched the thief who had +taken the money and jewels. “I cannot do that,” said Jihva, +“for he is very far away. He lives with his brother, Indra Datta, in the +forest beyond the river, more than a day’s journey from here.” +“I did but try you,” said the clever Hari-Sarman, who now knew who +the thief was; “for I can see him where he is at this moment. Now go home +and wait there till I send for you.” +</p> + +<p> +But Jihva, who loved the thief and did not want him to be punished, refused to +go until Hari-Sarman promised that he would not tell the king who the man was +or where he lived. “I would rather,” she said, “bear all the +punishment than that he should suffer.” Even Hari-Sarman was touched at +this, and fearing that if he kept Jihva longer, she would be found in the +prison by messengers from the king, he promised that no harm should come to her +or the thief, and let her go. +</p> + +<p> +Very soon after this, messengers came to take Hari-Sarman once more before the +king; who received him very coldly and began at once to threaten him with a +terrible punishment, if he did not say who the thief was, and where the gold +and jewels were. Even now Hari-Sarman pretended to be unwilling to speak. But +when he saw that the king would put up with no more delay, he said, “I +will lead you to the spot where the treasure is buried, but the name of the +thief, though I know it, I will never betray.” The king, who did not +really care much who the thief was, so long as he got back his money, lost not +a moment, but ordered his attendants to get spades and follow him. Very soon +Hari-Sarman brought them to the pomegranate tree. And there, sure enough, deep +down in the ground, was all that had been lost. +</p> + +<p> +Nothing was now too good for Hari-Sarman: the king was greatly delighted, and +heaped riches and honours upon him. But some of the wise men at the court +suspected that he was really a deceiver, and set about trying to find out all +they could about him. They sent for the man who had been on guard at the +prison, and asked him many questions. He did not dare tell the truth, for he +knew he would be terribly punished if he let out that Jihva had been allowed to +see his prisoner; but he hesitated so much that the wise men knew he was not +speaking the truth. One of them, whom the king loved, and trusted very much, +whose name was Deva-Jnanin, said to his master: “I do not like to see +that man, about whom we really know nothing, treated as he is. He might easily +have found out where the treasure was hidden without any special power. Will +you not test him in some other way in my presence and that of your chief +advisers?” +</p> + +<p> +The king, who was always ready to listen to reason, agreed to this; and after a +long consultation with Deva-Jnanin, he decided on a very clever puzzle with +which to try Hari-Sarman. A live frog was put into a pitcher; the lid was shut +down, and the man who pretended to know everything was brought into the great +reception room, where all the wise men of the court were gathered together +round the throne, on which sat the king in his royal robes. Deva-Jnanin had +been chosen by his master to speak for him; and coming forward, he pointed to +the small pitcher on the ground, and said: “Great as are the honours +already bestowed on you, they shall be increased if you can say at once what is +in that pitcher.” +</p> + +<p> +13. What kind of man do you think the king was from his behaviour to +Hari-Sarman? +</p> + +<p> +14. Was it wise or foolish of Hari-Sarman to remain in the city after his very +narrow escape? +</p> + +<h3>CHAPTER VIII</h3> + +<p> +Hari-Sarman thought when he looked at the pitcher: “Alas, alas, it is all +over with me now! Never can I find out what is in it. Would that I had left +this town with the money I had from Jihva before it was too late!” Then +he began to mutter to himself, as it was always his habit to do when he was in +trouble. It so happened that, when he was a little boy, his father used to call +him frog, and now his thoughts went back to the time when he was a happy +innocent child, and he said aloud: “Oh, frog, what trouble has come to +you! That pitcher will be the death of you!” +</p> + +<p> +Even Deva-Jnanin was astonished when he heard that; and so were all the other +wise men. The king was delighted to find that after all he had made no mistake; +and all the people who had been allowed to come in to see the trial were +greatly excited. Shouting for joy the king called Hari-Sarman to come to the +foot of the throne, and told him he would never, never doubt him again. He +should have yet more money, a beautiful house in the country as well as the one +he already had in the town, and his children should be brought from the farm to +live with him and their mother, who should have lovely dresses and ornaments to +wear. +</p> + +<p> +Nobody was more surprised than Hari-Sarman himself. He guessed, of course, that +there was a frog in the pitcher. And when the king had ended his speech, he +said: “One thing I ask in addition to all that has been given me, that I +may keep the pitcher in memory of this day, when my truth has been proved once +more beyond a doubt.” +</p> + +<p> +His request was, of course, granted; and he went off with the pitcher under his +arm, full of rejoicing over his narrow escape. At the same time he was also +full of fear for the future. He knew only too well that it had only been by a +lucky chance that he had used the word Jihva in his first danger and Frog in +the second. He was not likely to get off a third time; and he made up his mind +that he would skip away some dark night soon, with all the money and jewels he +could carry, and be seen no more where such strange adventures had befallen +him. He did not even tell his wife what he meant to do, but pretended to have +forgiven her entirely for the way she had neglected him when he was poor, and +to be glad that their children were to be restored to them. Before they came +from the farm their father had disappeared, and nobody ever found out what had +become of him; but the king let his family keep what had been given to him, and +to the end believed he really had been what he had pretended to be. Only +Deva-Jnanin had his doubts; but he kept them to himself, for he thought, +“Now the man is gone, it really does not matter who or what he +was.” +</p> + +<p> +15. What is the chief lesson to be learnt from this story? +</p> + +<p> +16. What do you think it was that made Hari-Sarman think of his boyhood when he +was in trouble? +</p> + +<p> +17. Do you think he took the pitcher and frog with him when he left the city? +</p> + +<p> +18. Do you think there was anything good in the character of Hari-Sarman? +</p> + +</div><!--end chapter--> + +<div class="chapter"> + +<h2><a name="chap09"></a>IX.<br /> +The Hermit’s Daughter.</h2> + +<h3>CHAPTER I</h3> + +<p> +Near a town in India called Ikshumati, on a beautiful wide river, with trees +belonging to a great forest near its banks, there dwelt a holy man named Mana +Kanaka, who spent a great part of his life praying to God. He had lost his wife +when his only child, a lovely girl called Kadali-Garbha, was only a few months +old. Kadali-Garbha was a very happy girl, with many friends in the woods round +her home, not children like herself, but wild creatures, who knew she would not +do them any harm. They loved her and she loved them. The birds were so tame +that they would eat out of her hand, and the deer used to follow her about in +the hope of getting the bread she carried in her pocket for them. Her father +taught her all she knew, and that was a great deal; for she could read quite +learned books in the ancient language of her native land. Better even than what +she found out in those books was what Mana Kanaka told her about the loving God +of all gods who rules the world and all that live in it. Kadali-Garbha also +learnt a great deal through her friendship with wild animals. She knew where +the birds built their nests, where the baby deer were born, where the squirrels +hid their nuts, and what food all the dwellers in the forest liked best. She +helped her father to work in their garden in which all their own food was +grown; and she loved to cook the fruit and vegetables for Mana Kanaka and +herself. Her clothes were made of the bark of the trees in the forest, which +she herself wove into thin soft material suitable for wearing in a hot climate. +</p> + +<p> +1. What do you think it was which made the animals trust Kadali-Garbha? +</p> + +<p> +2. Could you have been happy in the forest with no other children to play with? +</p> + +<h3>CHAPTER II</h3> + +<p> +Kadali-Garbha never even thought about other children, because she had not been +used to having them with her. She was just as happy as the day was long, and +never wished for any change. But when she was about sixteen something happened +which quite altered her whole life. One day her father had gone into the forest +to cut wood, and had left her alone. She had finished tidying the house, and +got everything ready for the midday meal, and was sitting at the door of her +home, reading to herself, with birds fluttering about her head and a pet doe +lying beside her, when she heard the noise of a horse’s feet approaching. +She looked up, and there on the other side of the fence was a very handsome +young man seated on a great black horse, which he had reined up when he caught +sight of her. He looked at her without speaking, and she looked back at him +with her big black eyes full of surprise at his sudden appearance. She made a +beautiful picture, with the green creepers covering the hut behind her, and the +doe, which had started up in fear of the horse, pressing against her. +</p> + +<p> +The man was the king of the country, whose name was Dridha-Varman. He had been +hunting and had got separated from his attendants. He was very much surprised +to find anyone living in the very depths of the forest, and was going to ask +the young girl who she was, when Kadali-Garbha saw her father coming along the +path leading to his home. Jumping up, she ran to meet him, glad that he had +come; for she had never before seen a young man and was as shy as any of the +wild creatures of the woods. Now that Mana Kanaka was with her, she got over +her fright, and felt quite safe, clinging to his arm as he and the king talked +together. +</p> + +<p> +3. Can you describe just how Kadali-Garbha felt when she saw the king? +</p> + +<p> +4. Do you think it would have been a good or a bad thing for her to live all +the rest of her life in the forest? +</p> + +<h3>CHAPTER III</h3> + +<p> +Mana Kanaka knew at once that the man on the horse was the king; and a great +fear entered his heart when he saw how Dridha-Varman looked at his beloved only +child. +</p> + +<p> +“Who are you, and who is that lovely girl?” asked the king. And +Mana Kanaka answered, “I am only a humble woodcutter; and this is my only +child, whose mother has long been dead.” +</p> + +<p> +“Her mother must have been a very lovely woman, if her daughter is like +her,” said the king. “Never before have I seen such perfect +beauty.” +</p> + +<p> +“Her mother,” replied Mana Kanaka, “was indeed what you say; +and her soul was as beautiful as the body in which it dwelt all too short a +time.” +</p> + +<p> +“I would have your daughter for my wife,” said the king; “and +if you will give her to me, she shall have no wish ungratified. She shall have +servants to wait on her and other young girls to be her companions; beautiful +clothes to wear, the best of food to eat, horses and carriages as many as she +will, and no work to do with her own hands.” +</p> + +<p> +5. If you had been Kadali-Garbha, what would you have said when you heard all +these promises? +</p> + +<p> +6. Of all the things the king said she should have, which would you have liked +best? +</p> + +<h3>CHAPTER IV</h3> + +<p> +What Kadali-Garbha did was to cling closely to her father, hiding her face on +his arm and whispering, “I will not leave you: do not send me away from +you, dear father.” +</p> + +<p> +Mana Kanaka stroked her hair, and said in a gentle voice: +</p> + +<p> +“But, dear child, your father is old, and must leave you soon. It is a +great honour for his little girl to be chosen by the king for his bride. Do not +be afraid, but look at him and see how handsome he is and how kind he +looks.” +</p> + +<p> +Then Kadali-Garbha looked at the king, who smiled at her and looked so charming +that her fear began to leave her. She still clung to her father, but no longer +hid her face; and Mana Kanaka begged Kadali-Garbha to let him send her away, so +that he might talk with the king alone about the wish he had expressed to marry +her. The king consented to this, and Kadali-Garbha gladly ran away. But when +she reached the door of her home, she looked back, and knew in her heart that +she already loved the king and did not want him to go away. +</p> + +<p> +It did not take long for the matter of the marriage to be settled. For Mana +Kanaka, sad though he was to lose his dear only child, was glad that she should +be a queen, and have some one to take care of her when he was gone. After this +first visit to the little house in the forest the king came every day to see +Kadali-Garbha, bringing all kinds of presents for her. She learnt to love him +so much that she became as eager as he was for the wedding to be soon. When the +day was fixed, the king sent several ladies of his court to dress the bride in +clothes more beautiful that she had ever dreamt of; and in them she looked more +lovely even than the first day her lover had seen her. +</p> + +<p> +Now amongst these ladies was a very wise woman who could see what was going to +happen; and she knew that there would be troubles for the young queen in the +palace, because many would be jealous of her happiness. She was very much taken +with the beautiful innocent girl, and wanted to help her so much that she +managed to get her alone for a few minutes, when she said to her: “I want +you to promise me something. It is to take this packet of mustard seeds, hide +it in the bosom of your dress, and when you ride to the palace with your +husband, strew the seed along the path as you go. You know how quickly mustard +grows. Well, it will spring up soon; and if you want to come home again, you +can easily find the way by following the green shoots. Alas, I fear they will +not have time to wither before you need their help!” +</p> + +<p> +Kadali-Garbha laughed when the wise woman talked about trouble coming to her. +She was so happy, she could not believe she would want to come home again so +soon. “My father can come to me when I want him,” she said. +“I need only tell my dear husband to send for him.” But for all +that she took the packet of seeds and hid it in her dress. +</p> + +<p> +7. Would you have done as the wise woman told you if you had been the bride? +</p> + +<p> +8. Ought Kadali-Garbha to have told the king about the mustard seed? +</p> + +<h3>CHAPTER V</h3> + +<p> +After the wedding was over, the king mounted his beautiful horse, and bending +down, took his young wife up before him. Holding her close to him with his +right arm, he held the reins in his left hand; and away they went, soon leaving +all the attendants far behind them, the queen scattering the mustard seed as +she had promised to do. When they arrived at the palace there were great +rejoicings, and everybody seemed charmed with the queen, who was full of eager +interest in all that she saw. +</p> + +<p> +For several weeks there was nobody in the wide world so happy and light-hearted +as the bride. The king spent many hours a day with her, and was never tired of +listening to all she had to tell him about her life in the forest with her +father. Every day he gave her some fresh proof of his love, and he never +refused to do anything she asked him to do. But presently a change came. +Amongst the ladies of the court there was a beautiful woman, who had hoped to +be queen herself, and hated Kadali-Garbha so much that she made up her mind to +get her into disgrace with the king. She asked first one powerful person and +then another to help her; but everybody loved the queen, and the wicked woman +began to be afraid that those she had told about her wish to harm her would +warn the king. So she sought about for some one who did not know Kadali-Garbha, +and suddenly remembered a wise woman named Asoka-Mala, who lived in a cave not +far from the town, to whom many people used to go for advice in their +difficulties. She went to this woman one night, and told her a long story in +which there was not one word of truth. The young queen, she said, did not +really love the king; and with the help of her father, who was a magician, she +meant to poison him. How could this terrible thing be prevented, she asked; and +she promised that if only Asoka-Mala would help to save Dridha-Varman, she +would give her a great deal of money. +</p> + +<p> +Asoka-Mala guessed at once that the story was not true, and that it was only +because the woman was jealous of the beautiful young queen that she wished to +hurt her. But she loved money very much. Instead therefore of at once refusing +to have anything to do with the matter, she said: “Bring me fifty gold +pieces now, and promise me another fifty when the queen is sent away from the +palace, and I will tell you what to do.” +</p> + +<p> +The wicked woman promised all this at once. The very next night she brought the +first fifty pieces of gold to the cave, and Asoka-Mala told her that she must +get the barber, who saw the king alone every day, to tell him he had found out +a secret about the queen. “You must tell the barber all you have already +told me. But be very careful to give some proof of your story. For if you do +not do so, you will only have wasted the fifty gold pieces you have already +given to me; and, more than that, you will be terribly punished for trying to +hurt the queen, whom everybody loves.” +</p> + +<p> +9. Do you think this plot against Kadali-Garbha was likely to succeed? +</p> + +<p> +10. Can you think of any way in which the wise woman might have helped the +queen and also have gained a reward for herself? +</p> + +<h3>CHAPTER VI</h3> + +<p> +The wicked woman went back to the palace, thinking all the way to herself, +“How can I get a proof of what is not true?” At last an idea came +into her head. She knew that the queen loved to wander in the forest, and that +she was not afraid of the wild creatures, but seemed to understand their +language. She would tell the barber that Kadali-Garbha was a witch and knew the +secrets of the woods; that she had been seen gathering wild herbs, some of them +poisonous, and had been heard muttering strange words to herself as she did so. +</p> + +<p> +Early the next morning the cruel woman went to see the barber, and promised him +a reward if he would tell the king what she had found out about his wife. +“He won’t believe you at first,” she said; “but you +must go on telling him till he does. You are clever, enough,” she added, +“to make up something he will believe if what I have thought of is no +good.” +</p> + +<p> +The barber, who had served the king for many years, would not at first agree to +help to make him unhappy. But he too liked money very much, and in the end he +promised to see what he could do if he was well paid for it. He was, as the +wicked woman had said, clever enough; and he knew from long experience just how +to talk to his master. He began by asking the king if he had heard of the +lovely woman who was sometimes seen by the woodmen wandering about alone in the +forest, with wild creatures following her. Remembering how he had first seen +Kadali-Garbha, Dridha-Varman at once guessed that she was the lovely woman. But +he did not tell the barber so; for he was so proud of his dear wife’s +beauty that he liked to hear her praised, and wanted the man to go on talking +about her. He just said: “What is she like? Is she tall or short, fair or +dark?” The barber answered the questions readily. Then he went on to say +that it was easy to see that the lady was as clever as she was beautiful; for +she knew not only all about animals but also about plants. “Every +day,” he said, “she gathers quantities of herbs, and I have been +told she makes healing medicines of them. Some even go so far as to say she +also makes poisons. But, for my part, I do not believe that; she is too +beautiful to be wicked.” +</p> + +<p> +The king listened, and a tiny little doubt crept into his mind about his wife. +She had never told him about the herbs she gathered, although she often +chattered about her friends in the forest. Perhaps after all it was not +Kadali-Garbha the barber was talking about. He would ask her if she knew +anything about making medicines from herbs. He did so when they were alone +together, and she said at once, “Oh, yes! My father taught me. But I have +never made any since I was married.” +</p> + +<p> +“Are you sure?” asked the king; and she answered laughing, +“Of course, I am: how could I be anything but sure? I have no need to +think of medicine-making, now I am the queen.” +</p> + +<p> +Dridha-Varman said no more at the time. But he was troubled; and when the +barber came again, he began at once to ask about the woman who had been seen in +the woods. The wicked man was delighted, and made up a long story. He said one +of the waiting women had told him of what she had seen. The woman, he said, had +followed the lady home one day, and that home was not far from the palace. She +had seen her bending over a fire above which hung a great sauce-pan full of +water, into which she flung some of the herbs she had gathered, singing as she +did so, in a strange language. +</p> + +<p> +“Could it possibly be,” thought the king, “that Kadali-Garbha +had deceived him? Was she perhaps a witch after all?” He remembered that +he really did not know who she was, or who her father was. He had loved her +directly he saw her, just because she was so beautiful. What was he to do now? +He was quite sure, from the description the barber had given of the woman in +the forest, that she was his wife. He would watch her himself in future, and +say nothing to her that would make her think he was doing so. +</p> + +<p> +11. What should the king have done when he heard the barber’s story? +</p> + +<p> +12. Can you really love anybody truly whom you do not trust? +</p> + +<h3>CHAPTER VII</h3> + +<p> +Although the king said nothing to his wife about what the barber had told him, +he could not treat her exactly as he did before he heard it, and she very soon +began to wonder what she had done to vex him. The first thing she noticed was +that one of the ladies of the court always followed her when she went into the +forest. She did not like this; because she so dearly loved to be alone with the +wild creatures, and they did not come to her when any one else was near. She +told the lady to go away, and she pretended to do so; but she only kept a +little further off. And though the queen could no longer see her, she knew she +was there, and so did the birds and the deer. This went on for a little time; +and then Kadali-Garbha asked her husband to tell every one that she was not to +be disturbed when she went to see her friends in the forest. +</p> + +<p> +“I am afraid,” said the king, “that some harm will come to +you. There are wild beasts in the depths of the wood who might hurt you. And +what should I do if any harm came to my dear one?” +</p> + +<p> +Kadali-Garbha was grieved when Dridha-Varman said this, for she knew it was not +true; and she looked at him so sadly that he felt ashamed of having doubted +her. All would perhaps have been well even now, if he had told her of the story +he had heard about her, because then she could have proved that it was not +true. But he did not do that; he only said, “I cannot let you be alone so +far from home. Why not be content with the lovely gardens all round the palace? +If you still wish to go to the woods, I will send one of the game-keepers with +you instead of the lady who has been watching you. Then he can protect you if +any harmful creature should approach.” +</p> + +<p> +“If my lord does not wish me to be alone in the forest,” answered +the queen, “I will be content with the gardens. For no birds or animals +would come near me if one of their enemies were with me. But,” she added, +as her eyes filled with tears, “will not my lord tell me why he no longer +trusts his wife, who loves him with all her heart?” +</p> + +<p> +The king was very much touched by what Kadali-Garbha said, but still could not +make up his mind to tell her the truth. So he only embraced her fondly, and +said she was a good little wife to be so ready to obey him. The queen went away +very sadly, wondering to herself what she could do to prove to her dear lord +that she loved him as much as ever. She took care never to go outside the +palace gardens, but she longed very much for her old freedom, and began to grow +pale and thin. +</p> + +<p> +The wicked woman who had tried to do her harm was very much disappointed that +she had only succeeded in making her unhappy; so she went again to Asoka-Mala, +and promised her more money if only she would think of some plan to get the +king to send his wife away. The wise woman considered a long time, and then she +said: “You must use the barber again. He goes from house to house, and he +must tell the king that the beautiful woman, who used to roam about in the +forest collecting herbs, has been seen there again in the dead of the night, +when she could be sure no one would find out what she was doing.” +</p> + +<p> +Now it so happened that Kadali-Garbha was often unable to sleep because of her +grief that the king did not love her so much as he used to do. One night she +got so tired of lying awake that she got up very quietly, so as not to disturb +her husband, and putting on her sari, she went out into the gardens, hoping +that the fresh air might help her to sleep. Presently the king too woke up, and +finding that his wife was no longer beside him, he became very uneasy, and was +about to go and seek her, when she came back. He asked her where she had been; +and she told him exactly what had happened, but she did not explain why she +could not sleep. +</p> + +<p> +13. What mistake did the queen make in her treatment of the king? +</p> + +<p> +14. Do you think it is more hurtful to yourself and to others to talk too much +or too little? +</p> + +<h3>CHAPTER VIII</h3> + +<p> +When the barber was shaving the king the next morning, he told him he had heard +that people were saying the beautiful woman had been seen again one night, +gathering herbs and muttering to herself. “They talk, my lord,” +said the man, “of your own name having been on her lips; and those who +love and honour you are anxious for your safety. Maybe the woman is indeed a +witch, who for some reason of her own will try to poison you.” +</p> + +<p> +Now Dridha-Varman remembered that Kadali-Garbha had left him the night before, +“and perhaps,” he thought, “at other times when I was +asleep.” He could scarcely wait until the barber had finished shaving +him, so eager was he to find out the truth. He hurried to his wife’s +private room, but she was not there; and her ladies told him she had not been +seen by them that day. This troubled him terribly, and he roused the whole +palace to seek her. Messengers were soon hurrying to and fro, but not a trace +of her could be found. Dridha-Varman was now quite sure that the woman the +barber had talked about was Kadali-Garbha, the wife he had so loved and +trusted. “Perhaps,” he thought, “she has left poison in my +food, and has gone away so as not to see me die.” He would neither eat +nor drink, and he ordered all the ladies whose duty it was to wait on the queen +to be locked up till she was found. Amongst them was the wicked woman who had +done all the mischief because of her jealousy of the beautiful young queen, and +very much she wished she had never tried to harm her. +</p> + +<p> +15. Where do you suppose the queen had gone? +</p> + +<p> +16. What mistake did the king make when he heard the queen was missing? +</p> + +<h3>CHAPTER IX</h3> + +<p> +In her trouble about the loss of the king’s love Kadali-Garbha longed for +her father, for she felt sure he would be able to help her. So she determined +to go to him. With the aid of the wise woman who had given her the packet of +mustard seed, and who had been her best friend at court, she disguised herself +as a messenger, and, mounted on a strong little pony, she sped along the path +marked out by the young shoots of mustard, reaching her old home in the forest +before the night fell. Great indeed was the joy of Mana Kanaka at the sight of +his beloved child, and very soon she had poured out all her sorrow to him. The +hermit was at first very much enraged with his son-in-law for the way in which +he had treated Kadali-Garbha, and declared that he would use all the powers he +had to punish him. “Never,” he said, “shall he see your dear +face again; but I will go to him and call down on him all manner of +misfortunes. You know not, dear child, I have never wished you to know, that I +am a magician and can make the very beasts of the field and the winds of heaven +obey me. I know full well who has made this mischief between you and your +husband, and I will see that punishment overtakes them.” +</p> + +<p> +“No, no, father,” cried Kadali-Garbha; “I will not have any +harm done to my dear one, for I love him with all my heart. All I ask of you is +to prove to him that I am innocent of whatever fault he thinks I have +committed, and to make him love and trust me again.” +</p> + +<p> +It was hard work to persuade Mana Kanaka to promise not to harm the king, but +in the end he yielded. Together the father and daughter rode back to the +palace, and together they were brought before Dridha-Varman, who, in spite of +the anger he had felt against his wife, was overjoyed to see her. When he +looked at her clinging to Mana Kanaka’s arm, as she had done the first +time they met, all his old love returned, and he would have taken her in his +arms and told her so before the whole court, if she had not drawn back. It was +Mana Kanaka who was the first to speak. Drawing himself up to his full height, +and pointing to the king, he charged him with having broken his vow to love and +protect his wife. “You have listened to lying tongues,” he said, +“and I will tell you to whom those tongues belong, that justice may be +done to them.” +</p> + +<p> +Once more Kadali-Garbha interfered. “No, father,” she said; +“let their names be forgotten: only prove to my lord that I am his loving +faithful wife, and I will be content.” +</p> + +<p> +“I need no proof,” cried Dridha-Varman; “but lest others +should follow their evil example, I will have vengeance on the slanderers. Name +them, and their doom shall be indeed a terrible one.” +</p> + +<p> +Then Mana Kanaka told the king the whole sad story; and when it was ended the +wicked woman who had first thought of injuring the queen, and the barber who +had helped her, were sent for to hear their doom, which was—to be shut +up for the rest of their lives in prison. This was changed to two years only, +because Kadali-Garbha was generous enough to plead for them. As for the third +person in the plot, the old witch of the cave, not a word was said about her by +anybody. Mana Kanaka knew well enough what her share in the matter had been; +but magicians and witches are careful not to make enemies of each other, and so +he held his peace. +</p> + +<p> +Dridha-Varman was so grateful to his father-in-law for bringing his wife back +to him, that he wanted him to stop at court, and said he would give him a very +high position there. But Mana Kanaka refused every reward, declaring that he +loved his little home in the forest better than the grand rooms he might have +had in the palace. “All I wish for,” he said, “is my dear +child’s happiness. I hope you will never again listen to stories against +your wife. If you do, you may be very sure that I shall hear of it; and next +time I know that you have been unkind to her I will punish you as you +deserve.” +</p> + +<p> +The king was obliged to let Mana Kanaka go, but after this he took +Kadali-Garbha to see her father in the forest very often. Later, when the queen +had some children of her own, their greatest treat was to go to the little +home, in the depths of the wood. They too learnt to love animals, and had a +great many pets, but none of those pets were kept in cages. +</p> + +<p> +17. What is the chief lesson to be learnt from this story? +</p> + +<p> +18. Which of all the people in this tale do you like best? +</p> + +<p> +19. What do you think is the greatest power in all the world? +</p> + +<p> +20. If you had been Kadali-Garbha would you have forgiven those who tried to do +you harm? +</p> + +</div><!--end chapter--> + +<div class="chapter"> + +<h2>NOTES</h2> + +<p class="footnote"> +<a name="fn-1" id="fn-1"></a> <a href="#fnref-1">[1]</a> +The city which occupied the site of present Patna was known as Patali-Putra in +the time of Alexander the Great. +</p> + +<p class="footnote"> +<a name="fn-2" id="fn-2"></a> <a href="#fnref-2">[2]</a> +There are seventy-two versions of this tale in vogue amongst the high +castes of India; the one here given is taken from Raj-Yoga, the highest form of +Hindu ascetic philosophy. +</p> + +</div><!--end chapter--> + +<div>*** END OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK 11310 ***</div> +</body> + +</html> + + |