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+The Project Gutenberg EBook of Tales of the Sun, by 
+Mrs. Howard Kingscote and Pandit Natesa Sastri
+
+This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and with
+almost no restrictions whatsoever.  You may copy it, give it away or
+re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included
+with this eBook or online at www.gutenberg.org
+
+
+Title: Tales of the Sun
+       or Folklore of Southern India
+
+Author: Mrs. Howard Kingscote
+        Pandit Natesa Sastri
+
+Release Date: August 7, 2011 [EBook #37002]
+
+Language: English
+
+Character set encoding: ISO-8859-1
+
+*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK TALES OF THE SUN ***
+
+
+
+
+Produced by Jeroen Hellingman and the Online Distributed
+Proofreading Team at https://www.pgdp.net (This book was
+produced from scanned images of public domain material
+from the Google Print project.)
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+                            TALES OF THE SUN
+
+                                   Or
+
+                      Folklore of Southern India.
+
+
+
+                              Collected by
+
+                         MRS. HOWARD KINGSCOTE
+
+                                  and
+
+                         PANDIT NATŹSĮ SĮSTRĪ.
+
+
+
+                                London:
+                  W. H. Allen & Co. 13 Waterloo Place,
+                            and at Calcutta.
+
+                                 1890.
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+PREFACE.
+
+
+In offering these few Indian tales to the public, I cannot refrain from
+adding a few words at the beginning to express to Pandit Natźsa Sįstrī
+my gratitude for the great assistance he has given me in collecting
+them, assistance without which they would never have seen the light in
+the shape of a complete volume. When I began writing down these tales,
+my only means of collecting them was through my native servants, who
+used to get them from the old women in the bazaars; but the fables
+they brought me were as full of corruptions and foreign adaptions as
+the miscellaneous ingredients that find their way into a dish of their
+own curry and rice, and had it not been for Mr. Sįstrī's timely aid, my
+small work would have gone forth to the world laden with inaccuracies.
+
+Mr. Sįstrī not only corrected the errors of my own tales, but allowed
+me to add to them many that he had himself collected, and that had
+already been published, either in small volumes or in numbers of
+The Indian Antiquary. For this reason I have left several notes which
+Mr. Cowper Temple, Mr. Clowston, and others had added to the tales that
+had already been printed, as they were too valuable to dispense with,
+and may be of service to students of folklore. In conclusion, I would
+crave the indulgence of my readers with regard to the style in which
+the tales are written, which has been left as nearly as possible in the
+form of a literal translation, in order to lend the Stories a "couleur
+locale," which is characteristic of the country they spring from.
+
+
+G. K.
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+CONTENTS.
+
+
+    Chapter                                                    Page
+
+    I.      The Three Deaf Men                                    1
+    II.     Why Brāhmans cannot eat in the Dark                   5
+    III.    The Soothsayer's Son                                 11
+    IV.     Ranavīrasing                                         36
+    V.      Charity alone Conquers                               65
+    VI.     Mr. Won't Give and Mr. Won't Leave                   86
+    VII.    Mr. Mighty-of-his-Mouth                              93
+    VIII.   The Mother-in-Law became an Ass                     102
+    IX.     The Story of Appayya                                107
+    X.      The Brāhmin Girl that Married a Tiger               119
+    XI.     The Good Husband and the Bad Wife                   131
+    XII.    The Good Wife and the Bad Husband                   135
+    XIII.   The Lost Camel                                      140
+            The Three Calamities                                143
+            The Honest but Rash Hunter                          155
+            The Brāhman's Wife and the Mungoose                 162
+            The Faithless Wife and the Ungrateful Blind Man     165
+            The Wonderful Mango Fruit                           171
+            The Poisoned Food                                   179
+            Eating up the Protector                             184
+    XIV.    The Monkey with the Tom-Tom                         187
+    XV.     Pride goeth before a Fall                           190
+    XVI.    Good will grow out of Good                          194
+    XVII.   Light makes Prosperity                              202
+    XVIII.  Chandralźkhā and the Eight Robbers                  210
+    XIX.    The Conquest of Fate                                230
+    XX.     The Brāhman Priest who became an Amildār            248
+    XXI.    The Gardener's Cunning Wife                         257
+    XXII.   Keep it for the Beggar                              262
+    XXIII.  Good Luck to the Lucky One                          267
+    XXIV.   Retaliation                                         274
+    XXV.    The Beggar and the Five Muffins                     280
+    XXVI.   The Brahmarākshas and the Hair                      285
+            Notes                                               290
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+INTRODUCTION.
+
+
+It has often struck all lovers of Folklore and National Legends with
+wonder, that so many countries should have reproduced in different
+imagery and language the same tales. Persia, Arabia, and India give
+us the same fables as Italy, France, Norway, and Iceland, except
+for slight variations principally arising from difference of custom,
+distance of time, idiom and nationality.
+
+Able writers have explained this to us by a theory worthy of
+consideration, and admirable in its origin, but nevertheless wholly
+their own. They would have us believe that a certain group of
+tales belonged to a certain nation, and that through emigration and
+immigration, through wars and dispersions, these same tales have been
+carried backwards and forwards and dragged from country to country
+borrowing the language and peculiarities of the lands they passed
+through, just as the seed of some rare plant is borne on the breeze
+and bears fruit coarse or more refined according to the soil in which
+it at last takes root.
+
+In Germany we have Gödeck, Köhler, Sichecht, and a host of others who
+tell us that these tales are Oriental, and that all fable originates
+in the East, others again that they are transmitted to us by the
+same channel as the Aryan languages from Aryan tradition. I cannot
+see why one nation or one country alone should have the intelligence
+of producing fables which as a rule are next to religion in their
+teaching and intentions. If proverbs are the wisdom of nations, what
+are fables and legends but developed proverbs. What is the meaning of
+fable? It means an intent to convey moral instruction in a narrative
+in which the characters are represented by birds, beasts, or fishes;
+and often plants.
+
+Practically a parable is the same thing, and folklore and fairy-tales
+are the attempts of intelligent people to inculcate in their children
+or other ignorant people the great truths of religion or wisdom, by
+means of word-pictures that would bring these truths within the easy
+grasp of undeveloped minds, it is the old repeated tale? The Struggle
+between Right and Wrong. "Faust and Marguerite." The Wicked Punished,
+The Virtuous Rewarded.
+
+Disguise them as you will, there are certain tendons which run
+through the world from age to age; cords which no human hand has yet
+severed--which no decree of God's has changed--these are love and
+death, hate and vengeance, virtue and vice, right and wrong, suffering
+and joy; and as long as there is a world, as long as children are
+born, parents will invent fables with which to bring these facts
+before their offsprings' eyes in an intelligible manner.
+
+In the fables of the East, and especially of India, there is one
+peculiarity, namely, that craft and cunning are more generally
+rewarded than virtue, and stupidity condemned. This is the national
+characteristic. The tales of Southern India are as varied as any
+others, either Eastern or European. Magic and supernatural phenomena
+play a great part, but are usually assisted by the powers of the
+gods. This is again a national Hindoo characteristic. The Hindoo
+would shrink from any undertaking that is not under the patronage of
+the gods; yet here is a very noticeable feature, namely, that the
+divinities are treated as entirely secondary in power, interwoven
+only into a man's daily affairs as a sort of backbone or support in
+time of need, but to be despised and trampled upon at other times with
+impunity. This is a natural feature in a nation which has a deity to
+represent every vice and sin, and lends a certain character to the
+tales of Southern India different to the folklore of other countries.
+
+Probably further research will lay bare many still hidden treasures
+of Hindoo folklore; but this small collection of tales will doubtless
+suffice to throw light on Indian tradition, and to bring forward the
+natural peculiarities of the Hindoos as well as the assimilation of
+the folklore of different nations, an assimilation which I maintain
+results from the teaching propensities of each country and not from
+appropriation.
+
+
+    Georgiana Kingscote.
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+FOLKLORE IN SOUTHERN INDIA.
+
+
+I.
+
+THE STORY OF THE THREE DEAF MEN.
+
+
+When any awkward blunder occurs from a person acting under a mistaken
+notion, there is a common proverb in Tamil to the effect that the
+matter ended like the story of the three deaf men--(Muchchevidan
+kadaiyāy mudindadu). The following is the story told to explain
+the allusion:--
+
+In a remote village there lived a husband and wife. Both of them
+were quite deaf. They had made this household arrangement, namely,
+to cook cabbage with tamarind and soup without tamarind one day, and
+cabbage without tamarind and soup with tamarind on the other. Thus
+on every alternate day the same dishes were repeated. One day, when
+taking his meal, the husband found the tamarind cabbage so very tasty
+that he wanted to have it also next day, and gave instructions to
+that effect. The deaf wife did not understand the order. According to
+the established rule she cooked cabbage without tamarind next day. The
+husband, when he sat down to his meal, found his order disregarded and,
+being enraged thereat, threw the cabbage against the wall, and went
+out in a rage. The wife ate her fill, and prepared tamarind cabbage
+for her husband.
+
+The husband went out, and sat down in a place where three roads
+crossed, to calm down his anger. At that time a shepherd happened to
+pass that way. He had lately lost a good cow and calf of his, and had
+been seeking them for some days. When he saw the deaf man sitting by
+the way, he took him for a soothsayer, and asked him to find out by
+his knowledge of Jōsyam [1] where the cow was likely to be found. The
+herdsman, too, was very deaf; and the man, without hearing what he
+was saying, abused him, and wished to be left undisturbed. In abusing
+him the husband stretched out his hand, pointing to the shepherd's
+face. This pointing the shepherd understood to indicate the direction
+where the lost cow and calf would be found. Thus thinking the poor
+shepherd went on in that direction, promising to present the soothsayer
+with the calf if he found it there with the cow. To his joy, and
+by mere chance, he found them. His delight knew no bounds. "That is
+a capital soothsayer. Surely I must present him with the calf." So
+thought he to himself, and returned with them to the deaf man, and,
+pointing to the calf, requested him to accept it.
+
+Now it unfortunately happened that the calf's tail was broken and
+crooked. The man thought the herdsman was blaming him unreasonably for
+having broken the calf's tail, while he knew nothing about it, and so,
+by a waive of his hand, denied the charge. This the shepherd mistook
+for a refusal of the calf, and a demand for the cow. The shepherd said,
+"How very greedy you are! I promised you only the calf, and not the
+cow." The husband said, "Never; I know nothing of either your cow
+or calf. I never broke the calf's tail. Some other must have done
+it." Thus they quarrelled, without understanding each other, for a
+long time, when a third party happened to pass by. Understanding the
+cause of the dispute, and, desiring to profit by their stupidity, he
+interfered, and said in a loud voice, and yet so as not to be heard
+by the deaf husband, "Well, shepherd, you had better go away with
+the cow. These soothsayers are always greedy. Leave the calf with
+me, and I shall make him accept it." The shepherd, much pleased to
+have secured the cow, walked home, leaving the calf with the third
+person. When the shepherd had gone, the passenger said to the deaf
+man, "You see how very unlawful it is for the shepherd to charge you
+with an offence which you never committed. It is always the case with
+shepherds. They are the biggest fools in the world! But never mind, so
+long as you have a friend in me. I shall somehow explain to him your
+innocence, and restore the calf to him." The husband, much pleased,
+ran home to escape from the consequences of supposed guilt. At the
+expense of the stupidity and deafness of both, the third traveller
+walked home with the calf.
+
+The husband, on his return, sat down to his dinner, and his wife served
+him the tamarind cabbage. He happened to put his finger to the place
+where the cabbage without tamarind had previously been served on the
+leaf. On applying it to his mouth, he found it so very sweet that he
+demanded that dish again. The wife replied to him that she had already
+emptied the pan. "Then at least bring me the cabbage that is sticking
+to the saucepan," said the husband; and the wife did accordingly.
+
+Here ends the story. The latter portion is also said to be the
+explanation of a proverb that is prevalent in Tamil,--"Sevuru kīraiyai
+valichchu pōdudi sunaiketta mūli," meaning, "O thou feelingless
+deaf woman, give me at least the cabbage that is sticking to the
+saucepan." This proverb is applied to stubborn wives, who will
+have their own way, and do not obey their husbands submissively in
+unrefined society.
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+II.
+
+WHY BRĀHMANS CANNOT EAT IN THE DARK.
+
+
+Among Hindūs, especially among Brāhmans of the Madras Presidency--and I
+now see from personal observation that it is the same in the Bombay
+Presidency also--there is a custom, while taking their meals,
+of leaving their food uneaten when it so happens that from any
+cause the light is blown out. Of course this could occur only in the
+night-time. Such mishaps now-a-days take place only in poor families,
+sitting down to supper with a single light. Hence the following story,
+told as the origin of this custom, is beginning to be forgotten. It
+runs as follows:--
+
+In a certain village there lived a Brāhman who had an only
+daughter. She was deeply read in Sanskrit, and was of the most
+charming beauty. He procured a husband for her as deeply read as
+herself. The betrothal had already taken place; the muhūrta or
+auspicious time for her marriage was fixed at the tenth ghatikā [2]
+of that night. On that very evening the son-in-law went to a tank
+to perform his Sandhyā vandana or evening prayers. It swarmed with
+crocodiles. People never went near it. The son-in-law, being quite
+new to the village, entered the tank without knowing anything of
+the danger. Unfortunately, there was none near to warn him. He had
+set his foot in the water when a crocodile caught him by the leg,
+and began to drag him into the water. That very night was fixed for
+his nuptials, and a crocodile was taking him to feast on his flesh. He
+was extremely horrified at his position, and said humbly to his enemy,
+"My friend crocodile! Listen to my words first, and then decide for
+yourself. A wife, the only daughter of an old Brāhman, is waiting for
+me to-night. If you eat me now, you take me away without my seeing
+her, my father-in-law, and other relatives. Their hearts may break
+at the news of my death on the very day of the wedding. They may all
+curse you. If, on the contrary, you leave me now, I shall go home,
+speak to my wife and others about the sad calamity that has come over
+me, and after embracing and taking leave of her will come to you
+for your supper at the fifteenth ghatikā. Till then leave me." The
+cruel crocodile, though very fond of human flesh, and himself dying
+of hunger, spared him for a few ghatikās at his humble request. After
+extracting several oaths from him that he would return in accordance
+to his promise, the crocodile went into the water.
+
+The son-in-law also went home. All his joy vanished; how could he be
+happy after his promise to the crocodile. Still, to give no uneasiness
+to the aged parents of his wife, he underwent all the ceremonies of
+the marriage. Only five more ghatikās remained for him to live in the
+world, as he thought. He, in a few words, explained everything to his
+wife, and asked her permission to leave her. She showed no sign of
+sorrow, preached to him about the iron hand of fate, and that he must
+undergo what was written on his forehead. She most willingly gave him
+permission to go, and he returned to the tank even a ghatikā earlier,
+and called the crocodile, who came and seized him.
+
+At this moment a certain light glittered before the eyes of the
+crocodile and vanished. It was a woman that did it. The wife, after
+consoling her husband, and preaching to him about the supremacy of
+fate, had accompanied him unobserved with a lighted lamp concealed
+in a vessel. Just when the crocodile applied its teeth to the leg of
+her husband, she took the lamp out, flashed it before the crocodile's
+eyes, and quenched it. Nor was it without its intended effect. The
+crocodile left the husband to himself, and said, "You had better go
+now; I will never touch you after seeing a lamp extinguished when
+I began my meal to-day." The husband was astonished at the device
+of his wife, and still more at the faithful observance of a rule in
+an unreasonable beast. From that day it was fixed that men, who are
+still more reasonable, should never eat when the lamp is blown out.
+
+Another story is told. In a remote village there lived a poor woman,
+who laboured from morning till night in different houses, and returned
+to her hut with two measures of rice. That quantity would serve
+for ten ordinary persons. Being extremely poor, she used to keep no
+lamp, but cook her rice in the dark, only guided by the light of the
+fire. When she sat down for her meal even the light of the fire faded;
+so she had to eat in the dark. Though she used the full two measures of
+rice that she brought away every day, her hunger was never satisfied;
+she was always in extreme want.
+
+Now it so happened that she had a younger sister, who was somewhat
+richer than herself. The younger came to see her elder sister. The
+former never used to be without a light, and so asked her sister to
+buy some oil that night and light a lamp. The elder was compelled by
+necessity to do so; for that, she devoted a portion of her two measures
+of rice, and returned home with great uneasiness and perplexity of mind
+as to how less than two measures would furnish their supper that night,
+while full two measures were found insufficient on former occasions
+for herself alone. The lamp was set for the first time in her house,
+and she cooked the remaining rice. The younger sister was astonished
+to see her using so much for two. The elder, thinking within herself
+that the younger would soon see her mistake, cooked everything. Two
+leaves were spread, and they sat down to their supper. [3] Not even a
+fourth part of the rice in the pot was consumed, but already they were
+satisfied. The younger sister laughed at the foolishness of her elder,
+who now said, "I do not know what magic you have in you. Every day I
+cook two measures of rice, and fast the whole night, without finding
+them sufficient for myself. Now a fourth of less than two measures
+has satiated both. Please explain the cause." The younger sister,
+who was very intelligent herself, wanted to find out the cause, and
+asked next day if she might serve the meals without the lamp. Instead
+of eating she stretched out her hand and caught hold of a lock of
+hair. She asked the other at once to light the lamp, which, being
+done, they found a devil sitting by their side. On being questioned
+how he came there, he said that he was in the habit of going to every
+one who ate without a lamp, and swallowing his meals fast without
+leaving him a morsel. The elder sister perceived her mistake, and used
+a lamp from that day. The demon ceased to come. She had abundance
+for herself and something to spare. So when the lamp is blown out,
+devils are said to come and eat out of our leaves. Hence the custom
+of rising whenever such mishaps occur.
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+III.
+
+THE SOOTHSAYER'S SON.
+
+                        Janmaprabhriti dāridryam dashavarshani bandhanam
+                        Samudratīrź marenam kińchit bhōgam bhavishyati.
+
+
+Thus a Soothsayer when on his death-bed wrote the horoscope of his
+second son, and bequeathed it to him as his only property, leaving
+the whole of his estate to his eldest son. The second son pondered
+over the horoscope, and fell into the following reflections:--
+
+"Alas, am I born to this only in the world? The sayings of my father
+never failed. I have seen them prove true to the last word while
+he was living; and how has he fixed my horoscope! Janma parabhriti
+dāridryam! From my birth poverty! Nor is that my only fate. Dasa
+varshāni bandhanam: for ten years, imprisonment--a fate harder
+than poverty; and what comes next? Samudratīrź maranam: death on the
+sea-shore; which means that I must die away from home, far from friends
+and relatives on a sea-coast. The misery has reached its extreme height
+here. Now comes the funniest part of the horoscope, Kińchit bhōgam
+bhavishyati--that I am to have some happiness afterwards! What this
+happiness is, is an enigma to me: To die first, to be happy for some
+time after! What happiness? Is it the happiness of this world? So it
+must be. For however clever one may be, he cannot foretell what may
+take place in the other world. Therefore it must be the happiness
+of this world; and how can that be possible after my death? It is
+impossible. I think my father has only meant this as a consoling
+conclusion to the series of calamities that he has prophesied. Three
+portions of his prophecy must prove true; the fourth and last is a
+mere comforting statement to bear patiently the calamities enumerated,
+and never to prove true. Therefore let me go to Bānāras, bathe in
+the holy Gangā, wash away my sins, and prepare myself for my end. Let
+me avoid sea-coasts, lest death meet me there in accordance with my
+father's words. Come imprisonment: I am prepared for it for ten years."
+
+Thus thought he, and after all the funeral obsequies of his father were
+over, took leave of his elder brother, and started for Bānāras. [4]
+He went by the middle of the Dakhan, [5] avoiding both the coasts,
+and went on journeying and journeying for weeks and months, till at
+last he reached the Vindhya mountains. While passing that desert he had
+to journey for a couple of days through a sandy plain, with no signs
+of life or vegetation. The little store of provision with which he
+was provided for a couple of days, at last was exhausted. The chombu,
+[6] which he carried always full, replenishing it with the sweet water
+from the flowing rivulet or plenteous tank, he had exhausted in the
+heat of the desert. There was not a morsel in his hand to eat; nor
+a drop of water to drink. Turn his eyes wherever he might he found a
+vast desert, out of which he saw no means of escape. Still he thought
+within himself, "Surely my father's prophecy never proved untrue. I
+must survive this calamity to find my death on some sea-coast." So
+thought he, and this thought gave him strength of mind to walk fast
+and try to find a drop of water somewhere to slake his dry throat. At
+last he succeeded, or rather thought that he succeeded. Heaven threw
+in his way a ruined well. He thought that he could collect some water
+if he let down his chombu with the string that he always carried
+noosed to the neck of it. Accordingly he let it down; it went some
+way and stopped, and the following words came from the well, "Oh,
+relieve me! I am the king of tigers, dying here of hunger. For the
+last three days I have had nothing. Fortune has sent you here. If you
+assist me now you will find a sure help in me throughout your life. Do
+not think that I am a beast of prey. When you have become my deliverer
+I can never touch you. Pray, kindly lift me up." Gangādhara, for that
+was the name of the Soothsayer's second son, found himself in a very
+perplexing position. "Shall I take him out or not? If I take him out
+he may make me the first morsel of his hungry mouth. No; that he will
+not do. For my father's prophecy never came untrue. I must die on a
+sea-coast and not by a tiger." Thus thinking, he asked the tiger king
+to hold tight to the vessel, which he accordingly did, and he lifted
+him up slowly. The tiger reached the top of the well and felt himself
+on safe ground. True to his word he did no harm to Gangādhara. On
+the other hand, he walked round his patron three times, and standing
+before him, humbly spoke the following words:--"My life-giver, my
+benefactor! I shall never forget this day, when I regained my life
+through your kind hands. In return for this kind assistance I pledge
+my oath to stand by you in all calamities. Whenever you are in any
+difficulty just think of me. I am there with you ready to oblige
+you by all the means that I can. To tell you briefly how I came in
+here:--Three days ago I was roaming in yonder forest, when I saw a
+goldsmith passing through it. I chased him. He, finding it impossible
+to escape my claws, jumped into this well, and is living to this
+moment in the very bottom of it. I also jumped in, but found myself
+in the first storey; [7] he is on the last and fourth storey. In the
+second storey lives a serpent half-famished with hunger. In the third
+storey lies a rat, similarly half-famished, and when you again begin
+to draw water these may request you first to release them. In the same
+way the goldsmith also may request. I tell you, as your bosom friend,
+never assist that wretched man, though he is your relation as a human
+being. Goldsmiths are never to be trusted. You can place more faith
+in me, a tiger, though I feast sometimes upon men, in a serpent whose
+sting makes your blood cold the very next moment, or in a rat, which
+does a thousand pieces of mischief in your house. But never trust a
+goldsmith. Do not release him; and if you do, you shall surely repent
+of it one day or other." Thus advising, the hungry tiger went away
+without waiting for an answer.
+
+Gangādhara thought several times of the eloquent way in which the tiger
+addressed him, and admired his fluency of speech. His thirst was not
+quenched. So he let down his vessel again, which was now caught hold
+of by the serpent, who addressed him thus:--"Oh my protector! Lift me
+up. I am the king of serpents, and the son of Ādisźsha, [8] who is now
+pining away in agony for my disappearance. Release me now. I shall ever
+remain your servant, remember your assistance, and help you throughout
+life in all possible ways. Oblige me: I am dying." Gangādhara, calling
+again to mind the Samudratīrź maranam--death on the sea-shore--lifted
+him up. He, like the tiger-king, walked round him thrice, and
+prostrating himself before him spoke thus:--"Oh, my life-giver, my
+father, for so I must call you, as you have given me another birth. I
+have already told you that I am Ādisźsha's son, and that I am the king
+of serpents. I was three days ago basking myself in the morning sun,
+when I saw a rat running before me. I chased him. He fell into this
+well. I followed him, but instead of falling on the third storey
+where he is now lying, I fell into the second. It was on the same
+evening that the goldsmith also fell down into the fourth storey,
+and the tiger whom you released just before me fell down into the
+first. What I have to tell you now is--do not relieve the goldsmith,
+though you may release the rat. As a rule, goldsmiths are never to
+be trusted. I am going away now to see my father. Whenever you are
+in any difficulty just think of me. I will be there by your side to
+assist you by all possible means. If, notwithstanding my repeated
+advice, you happen to release the goldsmith, you shall suffer for
+it severely." So saying, the Nāgarāja (serpent-king) glided away in
+zigzag movements, and was out of sight in a moment.
+
+The poor son of the Soothsayer who was now almost dying of thirst,
+and was even led to think that the messengers of death were near
+him, notwithstanding his firm belief in the words of his father
+let down his vessel for a third time. The rat caught hold of it,
+and without discussing, he lifted up the poor animal at once. But
+it would not go away without showing its gratitude--"Oh life of my
+life! My benefactor! I am the king of rats. Whenever you are in any
+calamity just think of me. I will come to you, and assist you. My
+keen ears overheard all that the tiger-king and serpent-king told
+you about the Svarnataskara [9] (gold-smith), who is in the fourth
+storey. It is nothing but a sad truth that goldsmiths ought never
+to be trusted. Therefore never assist him as you have done to us
+all. And if you do, you shall feel it. I am hungry; let me go for the
+present." Thus taking leave of his benefactor, the rat, too, ran away.
+
+Gangādhara for a while thought upon the repeated advice given by the
+three animals about releasing the goldsmith, "What wrong would there be
+in my assisting him? Why should I not release him also?" So thinking
+to himself, Gangādhara let down the vessel again. The goldsmith
+caught hold of it, and demanded help. The Soothsayer's son had no
+time to lose; he was himself dying of thirst. Therefore he lifted
+the goldsmith up, who now began his story:--"Stop for a while,"
+said Gangādhara, and after quenching his thirst by letting down his
+vessel for the fifth time, still fearing that some one might remain
+in the well and demand his assistance, he listened to the goldsmith,
+who began as follows:--"My dear friend, my protector, what a deal of
+nonsense these brutes have been talking to you about me; I am glad you
+have not followed their advice. I am just now dying of hunger. Permit
+me to go away. My name is Mānikkāsāri. I live in the East main street
+of Ujjaini which is twenty kās [10] to the south of this place, and so
+lies on your way when you return from Bānāras. Do not forget to come
+to me and receive my kind remembrances of your assistance, on your
+way back to your country." So saying the goldsmith took his leave,
+and Gangādhara also pursued his way north after the above adventures.
+
+He reached Bānāras, and lived there for more than ten years, spending
+his time in bathing, prayers, and other religious ceremonies. He
+quite forgot the tiger, serpent, rat, and goldsmith. After ten years
+of religious life, thoughts of home and of his brother rushed into his
+mind. "I have secured enough merit now by my religious observances. Let
+me return home." Thus thought Gangādhara within himself, and
+immediately he was on his way back to his country. Remembering the
+prophecy of his father he returned by the same way by which he went to
+Bānāras ten years before. While thus retracing his steps he reached
+the ruined well where he had released the three brute kings and the
+goldsmith. At once the old recollections rushed into his mind, and he
+thought of the tiger to test his fidelity. Only a moment passed, and
+the tiger-king came running before him carrying a large crown in his
+mouth, the glitter of the diamonds of which for a time outshone even
+the bright rays of the sun. He dropped the crown at his life-giver's
+feet, and putting aside all his pride, humbled himself like a pet cat
+to the strokes of his protector, and began in the following words:--"My
+life-giver! How is it that you have forgotten me, your poor servant,
+for such a long time? I am glad to find that I still occupy a corner
+in your mind. I can never forget the day when I owed my life to your
+lotus hands. I have several jewels with me of little value. This crown,
+being the best of all, I have brought here as a single ornament of
+great value, and hence easily portable and useful to you in your own
+country." Gangādhara looked at the crown, examined it over and over,
+counted and recounted the gems, and thought within himself that he
+would become the richest of men by separating the diamonds and gold,
+and selling them in his own country. He took leave of the tiger-king,
+and after his disappearance thought of the kings of serpents and rats,
+who came in their turns with their presents, and after the usual
+formalities and exchange of words took their leave. Gangādhara was
+extremely delighted at the faithfulness with which the brute beasts
+behaved themselves, and went on his way to the south. While going along
+he spoke to himself thus:--"These beasts have been so very faithful in
+their assistance. Much more, therefore, must Mānikkāsāri be faithful. I
+do not want anything from him now. If I take this crown with me as
+it is, it occupies much space in my bundle. It may also excite the
+curiosity of some robbers on the way. I will go now to Ujjaini on my
+way, Mānikkāsāri requested me to see him without failure on my return
+journey. I shall do so, and request him to have the crown melted,
+the diamonds and gold separated. He must do that kindness at least
+for me. I shall then roll up these diamonds and gold ball in my rags,
+and bend my way homewards." Thus thinking and thinking he reached
+Ujjaini. At once he enquired for the house of his goldsmith friend,
+and found him without difficulty. Mānikkāsāri was extremely delighted
+to find on his threshold him who ten years before, notwithstanding
+the advice repeatedly given him by the sage-looking tiger, serpent,
+and rat, had relieved him from the pit of death. Gangādhara at once
+showed him the crown that he received from the tiger-king, told him
+how he got it, and requested his kind assistance to separate the
+gold and diamonds. Mānikkāsāri agreed to do so, and meanwhile asked
+his friend to rest himself for a while to have his bath and meals;
+and Gangādhara, who was very observant of his religious ceremonies,
+went direct to the river to bathe.
+
+How came a crown in the jaws of a tiger? It is not a difficult
+question to solve. A king must have furnished the table of the tiger
+for a day or two. Had it not been for that, the tiger could not have
+had a crown with him. Even so it was. The king of Ujjaini had a week
+before gone with all his hunters on a hunting expedition. All of a
+sudden a tiger--as we know now, the very tiger-king himself--started
+from the wood, seized the king, and vanished. The hunters returned
+and informed the prince about the sad calamity that had befallen his
+father. They all saw the tiger carrying away the king. Yet such was
+their courage that they could not lift their weapons to bring to the
+prince the corpse at least of his father.
+
+When they informed the prince about the death of his father he
+wept and wailed, and gave notice that he would give half of his
+kingdom to any one who should bring him news about the murderer of
+his father. The prince did not at all believe that his father was
+devoured by the tiger. His belief was that some hunters, coveting
+the ornaments on the king's person, had murdered him. Hence he had
+issued the notice. The goldsmith knew full well that it was a tiger
+that killed the king, and not any hunter's hands, since he had heard
+from Gangādhara about how he obtained the crown. Still, ambition
+to get half the kingdom prevailed, and he resolved with himself to
+make over Gangādhara as the king's murderer. The crown was lying
+on the floor where Gangādhara left it with his full confidence in
+Mānikkāsāri. Before his protector's return the goldsmith, hiding
+the crown under his garments, flew to the palace. He went before the
+prince and informed him that the assassin was caught, and placed the
+crown before him. The prince took it into his hands, examined it,
+and at once gave half the kingdom to Mānikkāsāri, and then enquired
+about the murderer. "He is bathing in the river, and is of such and
+such appearance," was the reply. At once four armed soldiers fly to
+the river, and bound the poor Brāhman hand and foot, he sitting in
+meditation the while, without any knowledge of the fate that hung
+over him. They brought Gangādhara to the presence of the prince,
+who turned his face away from the murderer or supposed murderer,
+and asked his soldiers to throw him into the kārāgriham. [11] In a
+minute, without knowing the cause, the poor Brāhman found himself in
+the dark caves of the kārāgriham.
+
+In old times the kārāgriham answered the purposes of the modern
+jail. It was a dark cellar underground, built with strong stone walls,
+into which any criminal guilty of a capital offence was ushered to
+breathe his last there without food and drink. Such was the cellar
+into which Gangādhara was thrust. In a few hours after he left the
+goldsmith he found himself inside a dark cell stinking with human
+bodies, dying and dead. What were his thoughts when he reached that
+place? "It is the goldsmith that has brought me to this wretched
+state; and, as for the prince: Why should he not enquire as to how I
+obtained the crown? It is of no use to accuse either the goldsmith
+or the prince now. We are all the children of fate. We must obey
+her commands. Dasavarshāni Bandhanam. This is but the first day of
+my father's prophecy. So far his statement is true. But how am I
+going to pass ten years here? Perhaps without anything to sustain
+life I may drag on my existence for a day or two. But how pass ten
+years? That cannot be, and I must die. Before death comes let me
+think of my faithful brute friends."
+
+So pondered Gangādhara in the dark cell underground, and at that
+moment thought of his three friends. The tiger-king, serpent-king,
+and rat-king assembled at once with their armies at a garden near
+the kārāgriham, and for a while did not know what to do. A common
+cause--how to reach their protector, who was now in the dark cell
+underneath--united them all. They held their council, and decided to
+make an underground passage from the inside of a ruined well to the
+kārāgriham. The rat rājā issued an order at once to that effect to
+his army. They, with their nimble teeth, bored the ground a long way
+to the walls of the prison. After reaching it they found that their
+teeth could not work on the hard stones. The bandicoots were then
+specially ordered for the business; they, with their hard teeth,
+made a small slit in the wall for a rat to pass and repass without
+difficulty. Thus a passage was effected.
+
+The rat rājā entered first to condole with his protector on his
+misfortune. The king of the tigers sent word through the snake-king
+that he sympathised most sincerely with his sorrow, and that he was
+ready to render all help for his deliverance. He suggested a means
+for his escape also. The serpent rājā went in, and gave Gangādhara
+hopes of delivery. The rat-king undertook to supply his protector
+with provisions. "Whatever sweetmeats or bread are prepared in any
+house, one and all of you must try to bring whatever you can to our
+benefactor. Whatever clothes you find hanging in a house, cut down, dip
+the pieces in water, and bring the wet bits to our benefactor. He will
+squeeze them and gather water for drink! and the bread and sweetmeats
+shall form his food." Having issued these orders the king of the rats,
+took leave of Gangādhara. They, in obedience to their king's order,
+continued to supply provisions and water.
+
+The Nāgarāja said:--"I sincerely condole with you in your calamity;
+the tiger-king also fully sympathises with you, and wants me to tell
+you so, as he cannot drag his huge body here as we have done with our
+small ones. The king of the rats has promised to do his best to provide
+you with food. We would now do what we can for your release. From this
+day we shall issue orders to our armies to oppress all the subjects
+of this kingdom. The percentage of death by snake-bite and tigers
+shall increase from this day. And day by day it shall continue to
+increase till your release. After eating what the rats bring you, you
+had better take your seat near the entrance of the kārāgriham. Owing
+to the many sudden deaths that will occur some people that walk over
+the prison may say, 'How wicked the king has become. Were it not for
+his wickedness so many dreadful deaths by snake-bites could never
+occur.' Whenever you hear people speaking so, you had better bawl out
+so as to be heard by them, 'The wretched prince imprisoned me on the
+false charge of having killed his father, while it was a tiger that
+killed him. From that day these calamities have broken out in his
+dominions. If I were released I would save all by my powers of healing
+poisonous wounds and by incantations.' Some one may report this to
+the king, and if he knows it, you will obtain your liberty." Thus
+comforting his protector in trouble, he advised him to pluck up
+courage, and took leave of him. From that day tigers and serpents,
+acting under the special orders of their kings, united in killing as
+many persons and cattle as possible. Every day people were carried
+away by tigers or bitten by serpents. This havoc continued. Gangādhara
+went on roaring as loud he could that he would save those lives, had
+he only his liberty. Few heard him. The few that did took his words
+for the voice of a ghost. "How could he manage to live without food
+and drink for so long a time?" said the persons walking over his head
+to each other. Thus passed months and years. Gangādhara sat in the
+dark cellar, without the sun's light falling upon him, and feasted
+upon the bread-crumbs and sweetmeats that the rats so kindly supplied
+him with. These circumstances had completely changed his body. He
+had become a red, stout, huge, unwieldy lump of flesh. Thus passed
+full ten years, as prophesied in the horoscope--Dasavarshāni Bandhanam.
+
+Ten complete years rolled away in close imprisonment. On the last
+evening of the tenth year one of the serpents got into the bed-chamber
+of the princess and sucked her life. She breathed her last. She was the
+only daughter of the king. He had no other issue--son or daughter. His
+only hope was in her; and she was snatched away by a cruel and untimely
+death. The king at once sent for all the snake-bite curers. He promised
+half his kingdom and his daughter's hand to him who would restore her
+to life. Now it was that a servant of the king, who had several times
+overheard Gangādhara's cries, reported the matter to him. The king
+at once ordered the cell to be examined. There was the man sitting in
+it. How has he managed to live so long in the cell? Some whispered that
+he must be a divine being. Some concluded that he must surely win the
+hand of the princess by restoring her to life. Thus they discussed,
+and the discussions brought Gangādhara to the king.
+
+The king no sooner saw Gangādhara than he fell on the ground. He
+was struck by the majesty and grandeur of his person. His ten years'
+imprisonment in the deep cell underground had given a sort of lustre
+to his body, which was not to be met with in ordinary persons. His
+hair had first to be cut before his face could be seen. The king
+begged forgiveness for his former fault, and requested him to revive
+his daughter.
+
+"Bring me in a muhūrta [12] all the corpses of men and cattle,
+dying and dead, that remain unburnt or unburied within the range of
+your dominions; I shall revive them all," were the only words that
+Gangādhara spoke. After it he closed his lips as if in deep meditation,
+which commanded more respect than ever.
+
+Cart-loads of corpses of men and cattle began to come in every
+minute. Even graves, it is said, were broken open, and corpses buried a
+day or two before were taken out and sent for the revival. As soon as
+all were ready, Gangādhara took a vessel full of water and sprinkled
+it over them all, thinking only of his Nāgarāja and Vyāghrarāja. [13]
+All rose up as if from deep slumber, and went to their respective
+homes. The princess, too, was restored to life. The joy of the king
+knew no bounds. He cursed the day on which he imprisoned him, blamed
+himself for having believed the word of a goldsmith, and offered him
+the hand of his daughter and the whole kingdom, instead of half as he
+promised. Gangādhara would not accept anything. The king requested
+him to put a stop for ever to these calamities. He agreed to do so,
+and asked the king to assemble all his subjects in a wood near the
+town. "I shall there call in all the tigers and serpents and give them
+a general order." So said Gangādhara, and the king accordingly gave
+the order. In a couple of ghatikās [14] the wood near Ujjaini was
+full of people, who assembled to witness the authority of man over
+such enemies of human beings as tigers and serpents. "He is no man;
+be sure of that. How could he have managed to live for ten years
+without food and drink? He is surely a god." Thus speculated the mob.
+
+When the whole town was assembled, just at the dusk of evening,
+Gangādhara sat dumb for a moment, and thought upon the Vyāghrarāja
+and Nāgarāja, who came running with all their armies. People began
+to take to their heels at the sight of tigers. Gangādhara assured
+them of safety, and stopped them.
+
+The grey light of the evening, the pumpkin colour of Gangādhara, the
+holy ashes scattered lavishly over his body, the tigers and snakes
+humbling themselves at his feet, gave him the true majesty of the god
+Gangādhara. [15] For who else by a single word could thus command vast
+armies of tigers and serpents, said some among the people. "Care not
+for it; it may be by magic. That is not a great thing. That he revived
+cart-loads of corpses makes him surely Gangādhara," said others. The
+scene produced a very great effect upon the minds of the mob.
+
+"Why should you, my children, thus trouble these poor subjects of
+Ujjaini? Reply to me, and henceforth desist from your ravages." Thus
+said the Soothsayer's son, and the following reply came from the
+king of the tigers; "Why should this base king imprison your honour,
+believing the mere word of a goldsmith that your honour killed his
+father? All the hunters told him that his father was carried away by
+a tiger. I was the messenger of death sent to deal the blow on his
+neck. I did it, and gave the crown to your honour. The prince makes no
+enquiry, and at once imprisons your honour. How can we expect justice
+from such a stupid king as that? Unless he adopts a better standard
+of justice we will go on with our destruction."
+
+The king heard, cursed the day on which he believed in the word of
+a goldsmith, beat his head, tore his hair, wept and wailed for his
+crime, asked a thousand pardons, and swore to rule in a just way from
+that day. The serpent-king and tiger-king also promised to observe
+their oath as long as justice prevailed, and took their leave. The
+goldsmith fled for his life. He was caught by the soldiers of the
+king, and was pardoned by the generous Gangādhara, whose voice now
+reigned supreme. All returned to their homes.
+
+The king again pressed Gangādhara to accept the hand of his
+daughter. He agreed to do so, not then, but some time afterwards. He
+wished to go and see his elder brother first, and then to return and
+marry the princess. The king agreed; and Gangādhara left the city
+that very day on his way home.
+
+It so happened that unwittingly he took a wrong road, and had to pass
+near a sea coast. His elder brother was also on his way up to Bānāras
+by that very same route. They met and recognised each other, even at
+a distance. They flew into each other's arms. Both remained still for
+a time almost unconscious with joy. The emotion of pleasure (ānanda)
+was so great, especially in Gangādhara, that it proved dangerous to
+his life. In a word, he died of joy.
+
+The sorrow of the elder brother could better be imagined than
+described. He saw again his lost brother, after having given up,
+as it were, all hopes of meeting him. He had not even asked him his
+adventures. That he should be snatched away by the cruel hand of
+death seemed unbearable to him. He wept and wailed, took the corpse
+on his lap, sat under a tree, and wetted it with tears. But there
+was no hope of his dead brother coming to life again.
+
+The elder brother was a devout worshipper of Ganapati. [16] That was
+a Friday, a day very sacred to that god. The elder brother took the
+corpse to the nearest Ganźsa [17] temple and called upon him. The
+god came, and asked him what he wanted. "My poor brother is dead and
+gone; and this is his corpse. Kindly keep it in your charge till I
+finish worshipping you. If I leave it anywhere else the devils may
+snatch it away when I am absent worshipping you; after finishing
+your pūjā [18] I shall burn him." Thus said the elder brother, and,
+giving the corpse to the god Ganźsa, he went to prepare himself for
+that deity's ceremonials. Ganźsa made over the corpse to his Ganas,
+[19] asking them to watch over it carefully.
+
+So a spoiled child receives a fruit from its father, who, when he gives
+it the fruit asks the child to keep it safe. The child thinks within
+itself, "My father will forgive me if I eat a portion of it." So
+saying it eats a portion, and when it finds it so sweet, it eats
+the whole, saying, "Come what will, what can father do, after all,
+if I eat it? Perhaps give me a stroke or two on the back. Perhaps he
+may forgive me." In the same way these Ganas of Ganapati first ate
+a portion of the corpse, and when they found it sweet, for we know
+it was crammed up with the sweetmeats of the kind rats, devoured the
+whole, and began consulting about the best excuse possible to offer
+to their master.
+
+The elder brother, after finishing the pūjā, demanded his brother's
+corpse of the god. The god called his Ganas who came to the front
+blinking, and fearing the anger of their master. The god was greatly
+enraged. The elder brother was very angry. When the corpse was not
+forthcoming he cuttingly remarked, "Is this, after all, the return
+for my deep belief in you? You are unable even to return my brother's
+corpse." Ganźsa was much ashamed at the remark, and at the uneasiness
+that he had caused to his worshipper. So he, by his divine power,
+gave him a living Gangādhara instead of the dead corpse. Thus was
+the second son of the Soothsayer restored to life.
+
+The brothers had a long talk about each other's adventures. They
+both went to Ujjaini, where Gangādhara married the princess, and
+succeeded to the throne of that kingdom. He reigned for a long time,
+conferring several benefits upon his brother. How is the horoscope to
+be interpreted? A special synod of Soothsayers was held. A thousand
+emendations were suggested. Gangādhara would not accept them. At
+last one Soothsayer cut the knot by stopping at a different place
+in reading, "Samudra tīrź maranam kińchit." "On the sea-shore death
+for some time. Then "Bhōgam bhavishyati." "There shall be happiness
+for the person concerned." Thus the passage was interpreted. "Yes;
+my father's words never went wrong," said Gangādhara. The three brute
+kings continued their visits often to the Soothsayer's son, the then
+king of Ujjaini. Even the faithless goldsmith became a frequent visitor
+at the palace, and a receiver of several benefits from royal hands.
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+IV.
+
+RANAVĪRASING.
+
+
+Once upon a time in the town of Vańjaimānagar, [20] there ruled a
+king, named Sivāchār. He was a most just king, and ruled so well that
+no stone thrown up fell down, no crow pecked at the new drawn milk,
+the lion and the bull drank water from the same pond, and peace and
+prosperity reigned throughout the kingdom. Notwithstanding all these
+blessings, care always sat on his face. The fruit which makes life in
+this world sweet, the redeemer to him from the horrible Naraka of Put,
+[21] a Putra, [22] he had not. His days and nights he spent in praying
+that God might bless him with a son. Wherever he saw pīpal trees
+(Asvattharājas), [23] he ordered Brāhmans to surround them. Whatever
+medicines the doctors recommended he was ever ready to swallow,
+however bitter they might be. "Eat even dung to get a son," says the
+proverb, and accordingly he did every thing to secure that happiness,
+but all in vain.
+
+Sivāchār had a minister, named Kharavadana, a most wicked tyrant as
+ever lived in the world. The thought that the king was without an
+heir, and had no hopes of one, awakened in his mind the ambition
+of securing for his family the throne of Vańjaimānagar. Sivāchār
+knew this well. But what could he do. His only care was to send up
+additional prayers to frustrate the thoughts of Kharavadana, and to
+secure for himself a good position after death, without undergoing
+the severe torments of the Put-hell.
+
+At last fortune favoured Sivāchār; for what religious man fails to
+secure his desire? The king in his sixtieth year had a son. His joy
+can better be imagined than described. Lacs (Lākhs) of Brāhmans
+were fed in honour of the son-birth festival, Putrōtsavam, as it
+is technically called. The state prisons were opened, and all the
+prisoners let loose. Thousands of kine and innumerable acres of
+land were offered to Brāhmans, and every kind of charity was duly
+practised. The ten days of the Sūtikāgrihavāsa (confinement) were
+over. On the eleventh day the father saw his much longed-for son's
+face, and read on the lines of it great prosperity, learning, valour,
+goodness and every excellent quality.
+
+The cradle-swinging, naming, and other ceremonies were duly performed,
+and the prince grew up under the great care generally shown to a king's
+son. His name the elders fixed as Sundara. [24] The minister whose
+only wish was to get the throne for his family, was much disappointed
+at the birth of a son to his master. The whole kingdom rejoiced at
+the event, and the minister was the only man who was sorry. When one
+is disappointed in his high hopes and expectations, he devises plans
+to take away the barrier that lies in his way. Even so, Kharavadana
+said to himself, "Let me see how affairs progress. The old king is
+near his grave. When he dies, leaving a son in his minority I myself
+must be his regent for a time. Shall I not then have opportunity
+enough of securing for ever for myself and my family the throne of
+Vańjaimānagar?" So thought he within himself, and was quiet for a time.
+
+Sivāchār, who was a very shrewd man, on several occasions, read the
+minister's mind, and knew very well how his intentions stood. "This
+cruel devil may murder my only son. I care not if he usurps the
+throne. What I fear is, that he may murder him. Na daivam Sankarāt
+param. No other god but Sankara. And he must have his own way. If it
+is so written on the prince's head I cannot avoid it." Thus sighed
+Sivāchār, and this sorrow (sōka), made him leaner day by day. Just
+ten years after the birth of Sundara, the king fell ill and lay on
+his deathbed.
+
+Sivāchār had a servant, named Ranavīrasing, whom he had all along
+observed to be very honest and faithful. That servant the king called
+to his side, and asking all others except Sundara, who was weeping
+by his father's pillow, to leave the room, addressed him thus:--"My
+dear Ranavīrasing! I have only a few ghatikās before me. Listen to my
+words, and act accordingly. There is one God above us all, who will
+punish or reward us according to our bad or good acts. If by avarice
+or greed of money you ever play false to the trust that I am going to
+repose in you that God will surely punish you. It is not unknown to
+you what great difficulties I had in getting this only son, Sundara;
+how many temples I built, how many Brāhmans I fed, how many religious
+austerities I underwent, &c., &c.. God after all gave me a son." Here
+his sorrow prevented him from proceeding further, and he began to cry
+aloud, and shed tears. "Do not weep on my account, father. We cannot
+wipe off what was written on our heads. We must undergo happiness or
+misery as is thereon written by Brahmā, cried the prince. Ranavīrasing
+was melted at the sight. He took the boy on his lap, and with his
+own upper garment wiped his eyes. The old man continued, "Thus you,
+my faithful Ranavīrasing, know everything. I now wish that I had
+not performed all that I did to get this son. For when I die at this
+moment, who is there to take care of him for the next? Kharavadana may
+devise plan after plan to remove my boy from this world, and secure
+the kingdom for himself. My only hope is in you. I give him into your
+hands." Here the aged father, notwithstanding his illness, rose up a
+little from his bed, took hold of his son's hand, and after kissing
+it for the last time, placed it in Ranavīrasing's. "Care not if he
+does not get the kingdom. If you only preserve him from the wicked
+hands of the minister whom I have all along seen to be covetous of
+the throne, you will do a great work for your old master. I make you
+from this moment the lord of my palace. From this minute you are
+father, mother, brother, servant, and everything to my son. Take
+care that you do not betray your trust." Thus ended the king, and
+sent at once for the minister. When he came he spoke to him thus,
+"Kharavadana! See what I am now. Yesterday I was on the throne. To-day,
+in a few minutes, I must breathe my last. Such is the uncertainty of
+life. Man's good acts alone follow him to the other world. Take my
+signet-ring. [Here the king took the ring from off his finger, and gave
+it to the minister.] Yours is the throne for the present, as long as
+the prince is in his minority. Govern well the kingdom. When the prince
+attains his sixteenth year kindly give him back the throne. Exercise
+a paternal care over him. Find a good and intelligent princess for
+his wife." Suddenly, before his speech was quite finished, the king
+felt the last pangs of death. The sage-looking minister promised
+him everything.
+
+Sivāchār breathed his last. After the usual weeping and wailing
+of a Hindū funeral, his corpse was burnt to ashes in a sandalwood
+pyre. All his queens--and there were several scores--committed satī
+[25] with the corpse. The ceremonies were all regularly conducted,
+the minister himself superintended everything.
+
+Kharavadana then succeeded to the throne of Vańjaimānagar. Ranavīrasing
+became the lord of the palace, and true to his promise exercised all
+care over his trust. He was always at the side of Sundara. That he
+might not lose the sweetness of boyhood in study and play, Ranavīrasing
+brought to the palace twenty gentlemen's sons of good conduct and
+learning and made them the prince's fellow-students. A professor
+for every branch of learning was employed to teach the prince and
+his companions. Sundara thus received a sound and liberal education,
+only he was never allowed to go out of the palace. Ranavīrasing guarded
+him very strictly, and he had every reason to do so. For Kharavadana,
+as soon as he became king, had issued a notice that the assassin
+of Sundara should have a reward of a karōr [26] mohurs; and already
+every avaricious hand was in search of his head. Before the issue of
+this notice, Kharavadana found out a good girl and married her to the
+prince. She lived with her husband in the palace, and Ranavīrasing
+strictly watched her, as she had been chosen by the minister. He would
+not allow Sundara to speak to her. These strict prohibitions displeased
+the prince, even with his faithful servant. But the latter could not
+help it till he had full confidence in her. He used to advise Sundara
+not even to take a betel-leaf from her hands. But love is blind. So
+the prince within himself accused his old guardian; but he could not
+help following his orders. Thus passed on a few years.
+
+Sundara reached his sixteenth year. Nothing happened about the
+transference of the kingdom; the prince, almost in imprisonment in
+the palace, had forgotten everything about the kingdom. Ranavīrasing
+wished to wait till, as he thought, the prince had acquired better
+governing faculties. Thus some time passed.
+
+Full eight years had elapsed from the death of Sivāchār. Sundara was
+already eighteen, and still he had not received his kingdom. Nothing
+was neglected in his education. Though Ranavīrasing exercised all
+paternal care over him, still it was not to his liking; for he found
+in him a great barrier to the pleasures of youth. The only pleasure
+for the prince, therefore, was the company of his friends.
+
+One fine evening on the fourteenth day of the dark half of the month of
+Vaisākha of the Vasanta [27] season, the prince was sitting with his
+companions in the seventh story of his mansion viewing the town. The
+dusk of evening was just throwing her mantle over the city. People in
+their several vocations were at that time ceasing work, and returning
+home. In the eastern division of the town the prince saw a big mansion,
+and just to break the silence asked his friends what that was. "That is
+the Rājasthānik Kachźri, [28] a place you ought to have been sitting
+in for the last two years. The wretched minister, Kharavadana, has
+already usurped your seat; for, if he had intended to give you back
+the kingdom he would have done it two years ago when you reached your
+sixteenth year. Let us now console ourselves that God has spared your
+life till now, notwithstanding all the awards promised to the taker
+of your head. Even the proclamation is dying out of the memory of
+the people now." So said one of his friends and ceased.
+
+These words fell like arrows in the ear of Sundara and troubled
+him. Shame that he had been thus treated brought a change of colour
+over his face which all his friends perceived, and they felt sorry for
+having touched upon the subject. The prince, perceiving that he had
+played a woman's part among his friends, resumed or pretended to resume
+his former cheerful countenance, and changed the conversation to some
+pleasanter topics. They separated very late that night. Before doing
+so, Sundara asked them all to present themselves in the durbār hall
+[29] early next morning. At the same time he also ordered Ranavīrasing
+to keep horses ready for himself and his friends for a morning ride
+through the town the next day. "I was only waiting to hear such an
+order from your own mouth, Mai Bāb Chakravarti! [30] I was thinking
+from your retired disposition that you were not an energetic man. I
+will have the horses ready." Ranavīrasing at once issued orders to
+his servants to keep ready saddled and decked twenty-one horses for
+the prince and his companions. He also appointed a certain number of
+his men to ride in front of the party.
+
+The morning came. The friends assembled, as promised the previous
+evening. The prince and they, after a light breakfast, mounted their
+horses. The horsemen rode in front and behind. The prince with his
+friends marched in the middle. Ranavīrasing with drawn sword rode
+by his side. The party went through the four main streets of the
+town. Every one rose up and paid due respect to their old king's
+son. When passing through the street where the minister's mansion was,
+Ranavīrasing perceived that Kharavadana paid no respect to the royal
+march. This seemed a most unbearable insult to Ranavīrasing. He bit
+his lips, gnashed his teeth, and wrung his hands. The prince observed
+all the mental pains of his faithful guardian, and laughed to himself
+at his simplicity. About mid-day the party returned to the palace. The
+friends dispersed, and Sundara after the ceremonies of the new-moon
+day had a slight dinner, and retired to rest.
+
+The morning ride was deep in the mind of the prince. Though he laughed
+to himself at the simplicity of Ranavīrasing when the latter gnashed
+his teeth in the morning, the insult had left a stronger and deeper
+impression in his heart. The day was almost spent. Sundara took a very
+light supper, and shut himself up in his bed-room before the first
+watch was quite over. Ranavīrasing, as usual, watched outside. The
+prince found his wife sound asleep in her bed, and without disturbing
+her he went up and down the room. A thread-like substance attracted his
+attention in a corner of the bed-chamber. On examination he found it
+to be a thread ladder. He had not even time to think how it came into
+the bed-chamber. Just then Ranavīrasing had retired for a few minutes
+to take his supper. "The old fool is off now to eat; and Paramźsvara
+has thrown this ladder in my way. Let me now escape." Thus thinking,
+Sundara came out unobserved by his old guardian, and ascended to the
+top of the seventh mansion. From that place he cast his ladder towards
+a big tree in the East Main street. On pulling it he found that it was
+firmly fixed. "Let me get down, and Paramźsvara will assist me." So
+praying, before the first watch was over, the prince got down from
+his palace, and was in a few minutes in the East street. The severe
+watch kept over him by Ranavīrasing made it very difficult for him
+to go out when he liked, and now by the grace of God, as he thought,
+he had escaped that dark new-moon night.
+
+"Life is dear to every one. What can I do if any of the minister's
+men find me out now and murder me? Na daivam Sankarāt param. No
+god but Sankara, and he will now help me." Thus thinking he walked
+to the nearest pyal, and lingered there till the bustle of the town
+subsided. Nor was it in vain that he stopped there. He overheard while
+there the following conversation take place between the master and
+mistress of the house at which he lingered:--"Console yourself, my
+wife. What shall we do? Fate has so willed it on our heads. May Brahmā
+[31] become without a temple for the evil that he has sent us. When the
+old king was living he appreciated my merits, and at every Sankrānti
+[32] gave me due dakshinā [33] for my knowledge of the Vźdas. [34]
+Now there reigns a tyrant over our kingdom. I have been lingering
+here with the hope that the son of Sivāchār would one day come to the
+throne and relieve our sufferings. Now that such hope is altogether
+gone, I have made up my mind to leave this nasty city, and go to some
+good place where there reigns a king who can appreciate our yōgyatā
+(merit)." Of these words Sundara overheard every syllable, and these
+supplied the fuel to the fire of shame and anger that was already
+burning in his mind. "Let me try to win back my kingdom. If I succeed,
+I shall save other lives. If I die, I alone die. May Paramźsvara help
+me." So saying he walked out of the town, and passed the east gate. The
+night was as dark as could be, for it was a new moon night. Clouds
+were gathering in the sky, and there were some symptoms of rain.
+
+There was a Ganźsa temple on the way. As it was already drizzling,
+the prince went inside till the rain should cease. No sooner had he
+entered it than he saw two men, who by their conversation appeared to
+be shepherds, coming towards that same temple. They seemed to have
+been watching their flocks near an adjacent field, and had come to
+shelter themselves from the rain in the temple. Sundara when he saw
+them, trembled for his life, and crept in. The shepherds sat down on
+the verandah, and taking out their bags began to chew betel-nuts. An
+idle lizard began to chirp in a corner. To break the silence, one
+said to the other, "Well, Rāmakōn, I have heard that you are a great
+soothsayer and interpreter of bird sounds and lizard speeches. Let me
+know what these chirps of the lizard that we heard just now mean. Tell
+me." Rāmakōn replied, "This is news which I would never have revealed
+at any other time. But as no fourth person is likely to be here at this
+time on a rainy night, let me tell you that the prince of the town is
+now lingering here in this temple. So the lizard says. Hence I said,
+'no fourth person.' I am glad that no evil hand has yet been tempted,
+though such a high price has been set upon his head. The very fact
+that he has lived up to this time unhurt in a tiger's domain augurs
+well for his future prosperity." Rāmakōn had scarcely finished his
+speech when the idle lizard again made its chit, chit, and Rāmakōn
+now asked his friend, Lakshmanakōn, for that was the other's name,
+to interpret those sounds. "This has rather a sad meaning for the
+prince. The Mantrī [35] and Pradhānī [36] are coming here in a few
+minutes (nimishas), to consult on a secret topic. So says the lizard,"
+said Lakshmanakōn to Rāmakōn, and at that very moment a light was
+seen at a distance. "It is the minister's carriage. Let us be off. God
+only must save the prince." So saying, they both ran away.
+
+The feelings of the prince inside were like that of a man who
+was being led to the gallows. The bitterest enemy of his life,
+the minister himself, was coming to that very place where he was
+hiding. "I foolishly accused my old guardian, Ranavīrasing, and now
+I see his good intentions. How I am to be spared from this calamity
+Sankara only knows." Thus thinking, he hurriedly fled to the inmost
+part of the temple behind the very image, and sat down there, still
+like a stump, without even breathing freely, lest his breath might
+reveal him. He had ample time there to admire the sound knowledge of
+the shepherds in interpreting the lizard chirps, their simplicity,
+their honesty and truthfulness; for, had they been otherwise, they
+might at once have caught hold of the prince and made him over to the
+tiger minister. True to the interpretation of the second shepherd, a
+carriage stopped in front of the Ganźsa temple, and there came out of
+it the Mantrī and the Pradhānī. Excepting themselves and, of course,
+the carriage driver and, as we know, the prince behind the Ganźsa,
+there were no others there. Kharavadana and his subordinate chose that
+solitary place at the dead of night to hold secret consultations. The
+Mantrī spoke first, and one could easily perceive from his words that
+he was in a fit of anger. "Why should the prince be thus allowed to
+ride free through my streets? Of the innumerable servants who eat our
+salt was there not one to cut down that impertinent head?" roared the
+minister. The Pradhānī replied, "My king, my lord, excuse me first
+for the humble words that I am going to speak before your honour. We
+have taken up a kingdom to which we have no right. If the prince
+had demanded the throne two years ago, we ought rightfully to have
+returned it to him. He never asked, and we did not restore it. He
+never troubles us with demands, but lives like a poor subject of the
+crown in his own quarters. Such being the case, why should we kill
+him? Why should we murder the only son of our old and much-respected
+king Sivāchār? What I beg to suggest to your honour is, that we should
+no more trouble ourselves about his poor head." The Pradhānī, as he
+discovered that these words were not to the taste of Kharavadana,
+stopped at once without proceeding further, though he had much to
+say upon that subject. "Vile wretch! Dare you preach morals to your
+superiors. You shall see the result of this, before the morning dawns,"
+bawled out the Minister. The Pradhānī saw that all his excellent advice
+was like blowing a horn in a deaf man's ears. He feared for his own
+life, and so at once begged a thousand pardons, and promised to bring
+the head of the prince within a week. And as Kharavadana wanted only
+that, he spared the Pradhānī. They then talked on different subjects,
+and prepared to start.
+
+The prince inside, behind the Ganźsavigraha, [37] was now almost
+stifled to death. The short breaths that he inhaled and exhaled
+were themselves enough to kill him. Add to that the horrible
+words that fell on his ears. For all that he continued to hide
+himself. Kharavadana and the Pradhānī finished their conversation
+and got into the carriage. Sundara called courage to his assistance,
+"Sankara has saved me till now; he may so save me throughout." So
+thinking to himself, he boldly came out of the temple without making
+the least noise and sat behind the carriage, and, as it rolled on,
+thought again within himself: "I will follow these, come what may,
+and find out what more plans they devise against my life."
+
+The carriage drove on to the opposite end of the town. It passed the
+west gate and entered a big park outside the town. The undaunted prince
+followed. In the middle of the park a fine tank was discovered. The
+banks looked like day, being lighted up profusely. In the midst of the
+tank a small island with a gaudy mansion was seen. Pillars of gold,
+sofas of silver and doors of diamonds made it the very Indralōka [38]
+itself. A broad road with avenues of sweet smelling flowering trees
+connected the island with the bank. It was at that road that the
+carriage stopped. The prince, before that was reached, had got down
+and hid himself under the shade of a tree, to see unobserved all that
+passed in the mansion which he had every reason to believe was the
+destination of the minister. Kharavadana descended from the carriage
+and sent the Pradhānī home. What most astonished the prince was the
+absence of male servants in that garden. At the entrance of the road
+twenty young females of the most exquisite beauty waited and conducted
+Kharavadana through the sweet bower to the mansion. When it was
+reached, the minister sat down on a most richly furnished gold couch,
+and ordered the females there to bring the queen. Ten females arranged
+themselves on each side of an ivory palanquin, and started, apparently,
+to bring the queen in it. "These females themselves resemble Rambhā,
+[39] Urvasī, [39] &c. A woman who has beauty superior to the heads of
+these females must, of course, be of the greatest beauty imaginable in
+this world. Let me see her." Thus thinking, the prince Sundara
+anxiously awaited the return of the palanquin. In a few minutes it
+came. A female of the most charming beauty jumped briskly out of it. The
+minister came running to give his helping hand to her. Horror of
+horrors, what sees the prince! It was his own wife, the very girl that
+the minister had married to him a few years before, that got down from
+the palanquin. "Are my eyes deceived? Do they perform their functions
+aright? Let me look once more." So again and again wiping his eyes to
+clear them a little, the prince saw distinctly. It was his very wife
+herself. "Oh, I most foolishly accused that grey-headed guardian for
+a wicked fool, because he would not allow me to be friends with my
+wife. I now see what he saw a long time ago. Perhaps if I had seen
+more of her I should have thus been brought in here by some secret
+way that these devils seem now to have to the inmost parts of the
+palace. If I had taken anything from her hands I should have died
+that very day. My poor old man, my Ranavīrasing it is, who has saved
+me from all these calamities." These thoughts and a thousand more
+were passing through Sundara's mind when he saw his wife sitting down
+on the same couch with the minister. She accused him of the delay in
+murdering her husband, of his letting all opportunities escape during
+the morning ride. "Horrible! Did you, Kharavadana, marry me to such
+a faithful wife! Thank God and Ranavīrasing that I have not fallen
+into her snares," thought Sundara to himself. The minister offered
+a thousand excuses, related to her all that had taken place between
+himself and the Pradhānī, and of what the latter had promised. Then
+they both retired to bed. At that moment the treacherous owl began
+to hoot, and one of the maid-servants, who happened to be a clever
+interpreter of owl-hootings revealed, to secure the favour of the
+minister, that the prince was lurking behind a tree in that very
+garden. Knowing the price set on Sundara's head even female hands
+flew to cut it off. All ran with torches to search the garden.
+
+These words, of course, fell upon the ears of the prince like
+thunder. Before the people there began their search he began his race,
+jumped over a high wall, and flew like a kite. Before the lady-racers
+and the minister had left their sweet road to the tank-bank, Sundara
+found himself in the north street of the town. The news that the
+prince was out that night spread like a flame from the pleasure-park
+outside throughout the whole town, and before long avaricious persons
+were searching in the streets for his valuable head. Sundara thought
+it dangerous to pass through the streets, and wished to hide himself
+in a safe place. Fortune conducted him to one. It was a ruined old
+choultry, where food, during the days of his father, was distributed
+in charity to the beggars of the town, and which was now only resorted
+to by them to sleep, and not to receive rice. The prince entered it,
+and laid himself down in the midst of them, fortunately unobserved. He
+could hear from where he was the noise of the persons searching
+outside. In the garden the minister searched in vain, and accusing
+the female for her wrong interpretation as he thought, retired to bed.
+
+Outside the north gate, at a distance of three ghatikās' walk, lived
+a robber. He used to start out on a plundering expedition once in
+seven years. In the houses and mansions he used to rob he took only
+jewels of various kinds, Gōmźda, [40] pushparūga, (topaz) vajra, [41]
+vaidūrya, [42] &c.; gold and silver he rejected as being too mean for
+his dignity. As he was a high-caste robber, he used to take a coolie
+with him on his way to carry his booty. Of course, that coolie never
+returned from the cave. He was put to death after his services were
+over, lest he should disclose the secret of the robber.
+
+Unfortunately, that new-moon night happened to be the night of that
+cruel robber's plundering expedition. He came out, and when he saw
+people in search of the prince, thinking that he was not in his palace,
+he wanted to plunder it. Wishing for a coolie, he entered the ruined
+choultry, to pick out one among the beggars there. Passing over the
+others he came to the prince. He found him stout and strong. "This
+beggar will do me good service to-day. I shall break my custom,
+and amply reward this man for his services." So thinking to himself,
+the gentleman robber tapped Sundara with his cane on the back. The
+prince had just closed his eyes. In the short sleep that ensued he
+dreamt that the minister's servants were pursuing him, and that
+one had caught him. At that very moment the gentleman-robber's
+stroke fell upon his back, giving a sort of reality to his dream. He
+awoke with horror. "Tell me who you are," asked the unknown person,
+"A beggar," was the reply. "How does the night appear to you?" asked
+the robber. "As dark as dark can be," replied the prince. The robber
+applied a sort of kajjala [43] to the prince's eyes, and asked, "How
+does the night appear now?" "As luminous as if a karōr of suns were
+in the sky," answered Sundara. The robber applied a tilaka [44] to the
+intended coolie's forehead and addressed him thus: "I am a robber, now
+going to plunder the palace, from which the prince is absent. Follow
+me. I shall reward you richly. The kajjala has made the night a day
+to you. The tilaka takes you unobserved wherever you wish to go." So
+saying, and dragging the coolie or supposed coolie by the hand,
+the robber went off to the palace. Wherever he found a door locked,
+he applied a leaf that he carried in his hand to the fastening, and
+behold, the lock flew back, and the door opened of its own accord. The
+prince was astonished. In a few minutes the robber opened one and all
+of the gates and boxes, and extracted all the precious stones. He tied
+them up in a bundle, and set it on the prince's head, and asked him to
+follow. Sundara followed. He assisted in the plunder of his own palace,
+and carried the booty behind the robber, who, praised be his stupidity,
+never for one moment suspected he was a prince, but admired his coolie
+for the beauty of his person, thought of saving his life, and also of
+making him his son-in-law. For the robber had a beautiful daughter,
+for whom he had long been searching for a suitable husband. So with
+this thought he reached the cave, stopped before it, and taking the
+bundle from the prince's head ordered him to go into a large cell,
+the mouth of which he covered with a big stone, which he lifted up by
+pronouncing an incantation over it. The robber went with the bundle
+to his wife, and described to her the beauty of the coolie, and what
+a fair match he would be for their daughter. The wife did not like it,
+and asked her husband to do with the coolie as they usually did, i.e.,
+murder him; and the robber, who never in anything acted against the
+will of his wife, went in to fetch his weapon.
+
+Meanwhile the robber's daughter, an excellent girl, of the most
+charming beauty, overhearing all that took place between her parents,
+came running to the cave where the coolie was confined. She pronounced
+a single word over the stone lid of the cave, and it opened, and the
+prince, who had lost all hopes of recovery, now beheld a beautiful girl
+coming towards him. "Whoever you may be, my dear coolie, fly for your
+life for the present. You are my husband. My father has so named you,
+but as my mother does not like it, he has gone to fetch his weapon to
+murder you. Excepting we three, none, not even Brahmā, can open the
+once-shut gates. After hearing you once called my husband, I must ever
+regard you so. Now fly, and escape my father's sharp sword. If you are
+a man, marry me in kind remembrance of the assistance rendered. If you
+fail to do so you are a beast, and I shall die a virgin." So saying she
+conducted out in haste the supposed coolie, who had only time to take a
+hasty embrace, whispering in her ear that he was the prince, and that
+he would marry her without fail. He now ran for his life. Fearing the
+robber would come after him he left the way by which he reached the
+cave, and passing through unknown fields reached the south gate of
+the town. By that time the search for him had almost abated, and the
+prince, praising God for his delivery, reached the south street. The
+night was almost spent. Before returning to the palace he wished
+to take rest for a few minutes, till he had recovered his breath,
+and so he sat down on the pyal of an old and almost ruined house.
+
+That happened to be the house of a poor Brāhman, who had not even
+sufficient clothes to wear. As the prince sat down in a corner of
+the pyal the door of the house opened, and the old Brāhman came
+out. The old woman, the Brāhmanī, was standing at the door with a
+vessel containing water for her husband. Subhāsāstrī, for that was
+the Brāhman's name, looked up to the sky for a couple of minutes,
+after which he heaved a deep sigh, and said, "Alas, the prince,
+the only son of our former protector, Sivāchār, is not to remain
+for more than two ghatikās. A kālasarpa (black serpent) will sting
+him. What shall we do? We are poor. If we could begin Sarpahōma [45]
+now we could tie the mouth of the snake, sacrifice it in the fire,
+and thus save the prince." So saying the poor Brāhman cried. Sundara,
+who overheard everything, jumped down in confusion, and fell at the
+feet of the Brāhman, who asked him who he was. "I am a herdsman of
+the palace. Preserve my master's life," was the reply. Subhāsāstrī
+was extremely poor. He had no means to procure a small quantity of
+ghī even to begin the hōma. [46] He did not know what to do. He begged
+from his neighbours, who all laughed at his stupidity, and ridiculed
+his astrology. The prince in a hopeless state of anguish wrung his
+hands, and in wringing them he felt his ring. Drawing it off his
+finger he gave it to Subhāsāstrī, and requested him to pawn it. The
+latter resorted to the nearest bāzār, and awakening the bāzār-keeper
+procured from him a little ghī, by pawning the ring. Running home and
+bathing in cold water the Brāhman sat down for the hōma. The prince,
+fearing the serpent, wished to sit inside the house, but at a distance
+from the place of the ceremony. Just at the appointed hour a large
+black serpent broke through the sky, fell on the head of the prince,
+whom he was not able to bite, and gave up its life in the fire. "This
+is no shepherd, but the very prince himself," said the Brāhmanī. [47]
+Sundara rose up, and running surrounded them thrice, spoke to them
+thus:--"You alone are my parents and protectors. This night has
+been a most adventurous one with me. There was every possibility of
+my escaping every other calamity, and so I did. But no other power
+except yours could have averted this snake-bite. So my rescue is due
+to you alone. I have no time to lose now. Before daylight I must fly
+unobserved to the palace, and you shall before long see my reward
+for this." So saying, Sundara ran to his palace and entered.
+
+Ranavīrasing was almost dead. The rumour that the prince was out
+reached him. He was astonished at the way in which Sundara had got
+out. He searched the whole palace. To his astonishment all the rooms
+had previously been opened and plundered. "Has the prince been stolen
+away by some vile tricks from the palace," thought Ranavīrasing,
+and without knowing what to do he was buried in the ocean of sorrow,
+from which he gave up all hopes of recovering. What was his joy,
+then, when he saw the prince enter the palace just at dawn. "Mai Bāb
+Chakravarti, where have you been the whole night, throwing away the
+advice of your poor slave? How many enemies you have in this world,
+you have yet to know," said Ranavīrasing. "I know them all now, only
+listen to what I say, and do as I bid. I have won the crown without
+a blow. Thank the day that gave me you as my protector, for it was
+only yesterday that I had ample reason to verify your statements. My
+adventures would make your hair stand on end. Thank God I have escaped
+from all of them unhurt. If you have a few men ready now, we have won
+the kingdom." So saying, the prince explained to him every detail of
+his adventure. "If we catch hold of the minister now, we have done
+all." "I could never for one moment think that you in a single night
+could have seen and done so much. Now that heaven has shown you the
+way, I shall obey you," said Ranavīrasing, and Sundara accordingly
+issued the orders. He described the house with the pyal at which he
+had lingered for a while the previous night, and asked a servant to
+bring the owner of that house to the Rājasthānik office. Ranavīrasing
+brought in the Pradhānī, who was extremely delighted at the good
+intention of the prince. He was offered the Mantrī's place. Two were
+sent to the shepherds. Twenty were sent to the pleasure-park to have
+the minister and his sweet paramour brought to the court in chains. The
+female servants were also ordered to be brought. The robber and his
+cruel wife were not forgotten. The prince minutely described the
+cave, and asked his servants to catch and imprison the robber by
+surprising him suddenly, without giving him time to have recourse
+to his vile tricks--lock-breaking kajjala, &c. The palace palanquin
+was sent for the robber's daughter, whom the prince had firmly made
+up his mind to marry. The palace elephants were decked and sent to
+fetch with all pomp Subhāsāstrī and his wife to the court. Thus,
+without a single stroke, Sundara won the kingdom. Ranavīrasing was
+thunder-struck by the excellent and bold way in which the prince in
+one night went through the series of calamities, and successfully
+overcame them all. The Pradhānī's delight knew no bounds. He himself
+broke open the court and every one connected with the previous night's
+adventure was ushered in. The prince bathed, offered up his prayers,
+and attended the council. When Subhāsāstrī came in with his wife the
+prince put them on the simhāsana, [48] and himself standing before
+them, explained to all his previous night's adventures, rewarded
+the poor Brāhman and the shepherds, punished by banishment the
+maid-servant who, knowing that the prince's head was coveted, revealed
+his concealment, and ordered his wife, the minister, the robber,
+and the robber's wife to be beheaded. He rewarded without limit his
+protector, Subhāsāstrī, and married the robber's daughter, being won
+over by her sincerity. The Pradhānī, as we have said already, he made
+his minister, and with his old guardian, the faithful Ranavīrasing,
+the prince reigned for several years in the kingdom of Vańjaimānagar.
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+V.
+
+"CHARITY ALONE CONQUERS."
+
+Dharmamź jayam.
+
+
+In the town of Tźvai [49] there lived a king called Suguna. He had
+an excellent minister named Dharmasīla. They ruled for a long time in
+prosperity over the kingdom. Both of them had sons. The prince's name
+was Subuddhi. He was a noble prince, and quite in keeping with his
+name, was always bent upon doing good to the world. The minister's son
+was named Durbuddhi, a most wicked boy, whose only delight was teasing
+beasts and birds from his infancy, and which ripened into all sorts
+of wickedness as he grew to boyhood. Notwithstanding the difference
+between their temperaments the prince and the minister's son were the
+best of friends. The motto of the prince was Dharmamź jayam--Charity
+alone conquers. That of the minister's son was Adharmamź jayam--Absence
+of Charity alone conquers. When rising from their beds, when beginning
+their prayers, when sitting down for meals or study, and, in fact,
+before beginning to do anything, each repeated his motto. The people
+had great hopes in Subuddhi, whom they fully expected to see a good
+and benevolent king; but the minister's son all thoroughly hated. Even
+the minister himself, his father, hated his son for his vile turn of
+mind, which he found impossible to change. His only friend, as we have
+already said, was the prince, who, notwithstanding all his faults,
+loved him sincerely. Both of them had grown up together from their
+very cradle, had played in the same dust, had read their lessons
+side by side in the same school under the same teachers. Fortune so
+ordained that the prince's mind should take such a bent, while the
+mind of the minister's son turned in a crooked way.
+
+Nor was Durbuddhi insensible to the disgust and dislike which every
+one manifested towards him. He was well aware of all that was going
+on around. Still he would not change.
+
+"I have no friend in this world excepting yourself, my dear Subuddhi,"
+exclaimed Durbuddhi one day to his royal friend while they were
+riding together.
+
+"Fear nothing. I shall ever stand by you as your true friend,"
+replied Subuddhi.
+
+"My very father hates me. Who else would like me then? On the other
+hand, every one likes you. You may soon get yourself married to some
+beautiful lady, while I must remain a bachelor; for no girl would marry
+me. You may soon rise to the place of a king; but I cannot become your
+minister, as the people do not like me. What can I do?" So said the
+minister's son, and hung down his head, as if conscious for a time
+of the utter hatred with which the people regarded him.
+
+Subuddhi replied, "Heed it not, I will make you my minister, give
+you everything you want, and see you well provided for."
+
+"If so, will you give me your wife one day, at least, if you happen
+to get married before me, and if I remain a bachelor after you,"
+were the words which the wretched Durbuddhi shamelessly uttered to
+the face of his only friend.
+
+These words were enough in themselves to enrage the prince's mind. But
+he was of so good a nature that instead of becoming angry, he smiled
+at the stupidity of his companion, and agreed that he would thus give
+him his wife one day in case he got married first. Thus took place
+an agreement between Subuddhi and Durbuddhi while they were still
+quite young.
+
+Several years passed after this agreement, when one day the prince
+went to hunt in a neighbouring forest. His inseparable companion,
+the minister's son, and several hunters followed him to the wood. The
+prince and the minister's son both gave chase to a deer. They rode
+so much in advance of the hunters that they lost themselves in a
+thick jungle, where the latter could neither see nor follow them. The
+hunters returned after dark, and informed the king and the minister
+about the disappearance of their sons. They thought that as their
+sons were grown-up men they need not fear for their safety.
+
+The two friends chased the deer and found themselves in the midst
+of a thick forest in the evening. Except a slight breakfast in the
+early morning they had tasted no other food. Hunger was pinching them
+severely. The hot chase had awakened a severe thirst, to quench which
+they were not able to find a drop of water. In utter hopelessness of
+life they resigned themselves to the course of their steeds. The beasts
+seemed very well to understand the wants of their royal riders. They
+went on trotting, and at last, about midnight, stopped on the banks
+of a large tank.
+
+The riders, who were almost dead with thirst, opened their closed eyes
+when the horses stopped. All of a sudden, and to their great joy,
+they found themselves on the banks of a large tank. Their joy knew
+no bounds.
+
+"Surely God takes care of His children. Had it not been for His kind
+care how could we have come to this tank, when we had given ourselves
+up to the guidance of our horses?" thought Subuddhi to himself,
+and got down from his horse.
+
+The minister's son, who had become more exhausted by that time than
+his companion, also alighted. Subuddhi, true to the nobility of his
+mind, took both the steeds first to water, and, after satisfying their
+thirst and loosening them to graze by the side of a grassy meadow,
+he went into the water to quench his thirst. The minister's son also
+followed. After a short prayer Subuddhi took some handfuls of water,
+and returned to the bank. Durbuddhi also returned. They chose a
+clean spot, and sat down to rest during the remaining part of the
+night. The prince, when taking his seat, pronounced his usual motto,
+"Charity alone conquers," and the minister's son also repeated his,
+"Absence of Charity alone conquers."
+
+These words fell like venom into the ears of the prince at that
+time. He could not control his anger then, notwithstanding his mild
+disposition. The hardships of the day, their fortunate arrival on a
+tank in the dead of night to have their thirst quenched, were fresh
+in Subuddhi's mind, and the prayers that he was offering to God were
+not yet over. That the minister's son should never think of all this,
+and go on with his own stupid motto even at that time was intolerable
+to Subuddhi.
+
+"Vile wretch! detested atheist! have you no shame, to utter your wicked
+motto even after such calamities? It is not too late even now. Mend
+your character. Think of the God that saved you just now. Believe in
+Him. Change your motto from this day." Thus spoke the angry prince
+to the minister's son.
+
+Durbuddhi, who was naturally of a wicked and quarrelsome temperament,
+flew into a rage at once at the excellent advice of the prince.
+
+"Stop your mouth. I know as well as you do; you cannot wag your tail
+here. I can oppose you single-handed in this forest."
+
+Thus saying, the minister's son sprang like an enraged lion at
+Subuddhi, who, as he never dreamt of any such thing, was completely
+overpowered by the wicked Durbuddhi. The prince was thrown down in the
+twinkling of an eye, and the minister's son was upon him. He severely
+thrashed his royal master, and, taking hold of a twig that was lying
+close by, tore out the prince's two eyes, filled up the sockets with
+sand, and ran away with his horse, thinking that he had completely
+killed him.
+
+Subuddhi was almost dead; his body was bruised all over; his eyes
+were no more; his physical pain was unbearable.
+
+"Is there a God over us all?" thought Subuddhi. The night was
+almost over. The cool and sweet breeze of the morning gave him some
+strength. He rose up, and, crawling on the ground, felt his way to
+the entrance of a temple. He crept in, shut the gates, and fastened
+the bolt.
+
+It happened to be a temple of the fierce Kālī. She used to go out every
+morning to gather roots and fruits, and to return at evening. That
+day, when she returned, she found her gates shut against her. She
+threatened with destruction the usurper of her temple. A voice,
+and we know that it was Subuddhi's, replied from within:
+
+"I am already dying of the loss of my eyes. So, if in anger you kill
+me, it is so much the better; for what use is there in my living
+blind? If, on the contrary, you pity me, and by your divine power
+give me my eyes, I shall open the gates."
+
+Kālī was in a very difficult position. She was very hungry, and saw
+no other way of going inside than by giving Subuddhi his eyes.
+
+"Open the gates; your request is granted," said Kālī. No sooner were
+these words uttered than the prince recovered his eyes. His delight
+may be better imagined than described. He opened the gates and vowed
+before Kālī that he would from that day continue in that temple as
+her servant and worshipper.
+
+The wretched Durbuddhi, after his horrible act, rode on composedly,
+following the footsteps of his horse, and reached the forest where
+he had been hunting the day before in company with the prince. He
+thence returned home all alone. When his father saw him coming back
+he suspected something wrong to the prince, and asked his son what
+had become of him.
+
+"We chased a deer, and he rode so much in advance of me that he
+was out of sight, and finding all search vain, I returned alone,"
+was Durbuddhi's reply.
+
+"This I would have believed from anyone but yourself. Never plant your
+feet in these dominions till you bring back the prince again. Run for
+your life," was the order of the minister, and Durbuddhi accordingly
+ran off, fearing the anger of his father.
+
+Thus the Prince Subuddhi served in the Kālī temple; and Durbuddhi,
+fully confident that he had killed his friend, roamed about from
+place to place, as he saw no possibility of returning to his own
+country without the prince.
+
+Thus passed several months. The goddess Kālī was extremely delighted
+at the sincere devotion of Subuddhi, and, calling him one day to her
+side, said:
+
+"My son! I am delighted with your great devotion to me. Enough of
+your menial services here. Better return now to your kingdom. Your
+parents are likely to be much vexed at your loss. Go and console
+their minds." Thus ended Kālī, and Subuddhi replied:
+
+"Excuse me, my goddess, my mother, I no more regard them as my
+parents. This wood is not a large place if they wished to search
+for me. As they were so careless about me, I shall also from this
+day disregard them. You are my father and mother. Therefore permit
+me to end my days here in your service." So saying, Subuddhi begged
+Kālī to allow him to stay, and the goddess agreed accordingly, for
+some time at least.
+
+After a few more months, Kālī called the prince again to her, and
+addressed him thus:
+
+"My boy! I have devised another plan. Better not, then, go to your
+parents, as you do not wish to go now. At a short distance from this
+place, in the Kāvźrī country, reigns a staunch devotee of mine. His
+daughter had small-pox, and as he forgot to do proper respect to me,
+I have blinded both her eyes. The king has issued a proclamation that
+he will give the whole kingdom and his daughter in marriage to him who
+would cure her of her defect. He has hung up a bell (ghantā) at which
+every physician who wishes to try the case strikes. The king comes
+running as soon as he hears the sound, takes home the doctor and shows
+him the case. Several persons have tried in vain; for who could repair
+a defect inflicted by the displeasure of the gods? Now I mean to send
+you there. That king is a staunch worshipper of my feet. Though I have
+punished him, still I pity the sad calamity that has come upon his
+daughter. You had better go there and strike the bell. He will take
+you and show you the case. For three consecutive days apply my holy
+ashes to her eyes. Though fools may deride these ashes, still by them
+a true devotee can work wonders. On the fourth day her eyes will be
+perfectly restored. Then you will secure her hand, and, what is more,
+the country of Kāvźrī. Reign there, for you are born to reign, being
+a prince, and not to spend your time here in this wood. If you do not
+do so you will commit a sin, and, what is more, incur my displeasure."
+
+Thus ended Kālī, and the prince could not refuse; for he feared the
+anger of the goddess. Agreeing to her words, and with her manifold
+blessings, he started and reached the kingdom of Kāvźrī.
+
+He struck the bell. The king came running to welcome the new
+doctor. All the previous physicians had tried by medicines external
+and internal. The new doctor--Prince Subuddhi--proposed to treat the
+case by mantras--incantations. The old king, who was very religious,
+fully believed that the new doctor might effect the cure, and, just
+as he expected, on the fourth day his daughter's sight was completely
+restored. The king's joy knew no bounds. He enquired into the parentage
+of the doctor: and when he came to know that he had princely blood
+in his veins, that he was as honourably descended as himself, his
+joy was greatly increased. He sent up a thousand prayers to the
+god for giving him a royal son-in-law. As promised in his notice,
+he would have to give his daughter to anyone, whatever he might be,
+who effected the cure. The lowest beggar, the lowest caste-man, if
+he had only succeeded in curing her, would have had as much claim to
+her hand as the prince-physician. So when the person that effected
+the cure proved to be a prince, the king was extremely delighted,
+and at once made all arrangements for the marriage of his daughter,
+and gave her to Subuddhi: and, himself being very old, he gave the
+kingdom also to the prince at the same time.
+
+Thus by the favour of Kālī, Subuddhi had a princess for his wife and a
+kingdom to govern. Subuddhi, as we know, was an excellent man. Though
+he became king now, he consulted his father-in-law in all matters,
+and, in fact, acted only as manager for the old man. Every evening he
+used to consult him for an hour or two before disposing of intricate
+cases. The duty of signing, too, he reserved for the old man. Thus
+even on those days when there were no cases he used to go to his
+father-in-law to get papers signed. Thus passed on a couple of years
+or so.
+
+One evening, while sitting in company with his wife in the loftiest
+room of his palace after the duties of the day, he cast his eyes to
+the east main street and contemplated the bustle of that part of the
+town. Carts creaking under the load of merchandise, the flourish
+with which the goods and wares were exposed for sale, fashionable
+gentlemen in their fanciful evening costumes walking to and fro,
+the troublesome hawkers that stand by the roadside questioning every
+one as to what they would buy, and several other things interested
+him, and for a time made him somewhat proud even, that he ruled over
+such a rich country. But sweetness is not always unaccompanied with
+bitterness. He saw in that same street a man whose face was very
+familiar to him, but whom he could not at once make out. A black
+man was sitting on a projecting pyal of a corner of a shop, and was
+mending some torn gunny bags. Subuddhi looked at him carefully.
+
+"Is it the minister's son, Durbuddhi? No; he is not so black; rather
+was not when I saw him last," thought Subuddhi with himself, and
+examining his face, he at last exclaimed, "It is he! It is he! It is my
+friend and companion." "Who is it?" exclaimed the princess, and rushed
+at once to his side. She had most carefully watched her husband's face
+for the past few minutes while he was in deep contemplation. "It is
+my friend, the minister's son, by name Durbuddhi. We were companions
+from our birth; we played in the same dust, read in the same school,
+and were ever inseparable companions. I do not know what has brought
+him to the condition in which I see him now," said Subuddhi, and
+sent some one to fetch him. Of the wicked and base act of the vile
+Durbuddhi he did not care to inform his gentle wife, who now retired
+to her inner apartments, as decorum did not allow her to be in company
+with her husband when he was receiving others.
+
+The persons sent brought in Durbuddhi. Whatever might have been the
+cruelty that he had received from the hands of the minister's son,
+the prince began to shed tears when he saw his old companion ushered
+in, not in that blooming cheerful red complexion in which he had seen
+him last, but in a weather-beaten dark skin and dejected colour of
+a coolie in which he saw him a few minutes ago.
+
+"I excuse you all your faults, my dear Durbuddhi. Tell me quickly
+what has brought you to this wretched plight," asked Subuddhi, and
+while asking he began to cry aloud. The minister's son also shed
+tears copiously, and cried or pretended to cry; for be it known that
+he was a perfect scoundrel, born to no good in the world.
+
+"My own mischief has brought me to this plight. When I returned to our
+country, after putting out your eyes and thinking that I had killed
+you, my father banished me from our dominions, and ordered me never
+to plant my feet within their limits without bringing you back. As I
+thought I had put an end to your life I never came back to that tank
+in search of you. I engaged myself as a coolie in the streets of this
+town after trying several other places without success, and I now
+stand before you." Thus ended Durbuddhi, and the prince quite forgot
+his cruelty to him. He ordered his servants to get the minister's
+son bathed, and attired in as rich robes as he himself wore. Then
+he related to him his own story, without omitting a single point,
+and at once made him his minister.
+
+The whole story of Durbuddhi, excepting the single point of his
+having put out his eyes, the prince related to his wife, father,
+and mother-in-law.
+
+Thus was Durbuddhi again restored to his high position, through the
+liberal kindness of Subuddhi. Subuddhi did not stop even at this. He
+began to send him with papers and other things to the old king for
+signature. This went on for some months. All the while Durbuddhi was
+as obedient as might be, and by his vile tricks had completely won
+over the heart of the old king.
+
+One evening, after the signatures were over, Durbuddhi stopped for
+a while as if desirous to speak. "What do you want?" said the old
+king. "Nothing but your favour," was the only reply, after which he
+retired. Thus he went on for some days and weeks. Every day he stopped
+for a few minutes after the state business was over, and when the
+old king asked the reason for it went on giving evasive answers. At
+last one evening the old king was extremely provoked. The cunning
+Durbuddhi had purposely intended this.
+
+"What a big fool are you to stop every day as if wishing to speak
+and never to utter a word," broke out the old king.
+
+"I beg pardon of your honour; I was thinking all the while whether I
+should let out my secret or not. At last, I have come to the conclusion
+that I will keep it to myself," replied the diabolical Durbuddhi.
+
+"No, you shall let it out," roared the old king, whose curiosity
+was more roused than abated by the words, purposely obscure, of
+the minister's son. Durbuddhi, after simulating much reluctance at
+disclosing the supposed secret, loudly began his harangue:
+
+"My lord, ever since I came here I have been making enquiries about
+the nobility of your family, about the sacrifices that you and your
+ancestors have performed, about the purifications that you and your
+elders have undergone, and about a thousand other particulars, each
+of which is enough to secure you and your descendants the place of
+Achyuta (Achyutapada) himself. These delighted me for a time--I say
+for a time--for listen, please, to what follows. When I compared with
+the pure fame of your famous family, that of your son-in-law, my heart
+began to pain me. Indeed the pain which began at that moment has not
+yet ceased. Know, then, that your son-in-law is not a prince. No doubt
+he has royal blood in his veins, which makes him look like a king. How
+came he to be so skilful in medicine. Just enquire the cause. To be no
+more in the dark, the king of my country--over which my father is the
+minister--set out one day on savār. While passing a barber's street he
+saw a beautiful damsel of that caste. Bewitched by her beauty the king
+wanted to include her in his harem, notwithstanding her low position
+in society. The child of that woman, is your son-in-law. He being the
+son of a barber-mother acquired thus easily the art of medicine. That
+a king was his father makes him look like a prince. If he had been of
+pure birth why should he leave his kingdom, and come here to effect
+the cure of your daughter? Except this prince, or supposed prince,
+all those that came here were mere doctors by caste." Thus ended the
+vile Durbuddhi, and taking in his hand the papers, vanished out of
+the room quickly, like a serpent that had stung.
+
+The sweet words in which the minister's son clothed his arguments,
+the rising passion at the thought that he had been falsely imposed
+upon by a barber's son, the shame--or rather supposed shame--that he
+thought had come over his family, and a thousand other feelings clouded
+for a time the clear reason of the old king. He saw no other way of
+putting an end to the shame than by the murder of his dear daughter and
+son-in-law first, and of his own self and queen afterwards. At once he
+sent for the executioner, who came in. He gave him his signet-ring,
+and commanded him to break open the bed-room of his son-in-law that
+midnight, and murder him with his wife while asleep. The hukums, or
+orders given with signet-rings, can never be disobeyed. The executioner
+humbled himself to the ground, as a sign of his accepting the order,
+and retired to sharpen his knife for his terrible duty.
+
+Neither Subuddhi nor his affectionate wife had any reason to suspect
+this terrible mandate. The old queen and the treacherous Durbuddhi
+had equally no reason to know anything about it. The old man, after
+issuing the hukum, shut himself up in his closet, and began to weep
+and wail as if he had lost his daughter from that moment. Durbuddhi,
+after kindling the fire, as says the Tamil proverb, by means of his
+treachery, came back with the papers to the prince. A thought occurred
+in his mind that Subuddhi's fate was drawing near. He wanted to carry
+out the agreement between himself and the prince about the latter's
+wife. The excellent Subuddhi, who always observed oaths most strictly,
+was confused for a time. He did not know what to do. To stick to the
+oath and surrender his wife to another; or to break it and preserve
+the chastity of his own wife. At last, repeating in his own mind,
+"Charity alone conquers," and also thinking that Heaven would somehow
+devise to preserve his wife, he went to her, explained to her how
+the matter stood, and ordered her to go to the minister's son. She
+hesitatingly consented; for, as a good wife, she could not disobey
+her husband's commands. Subuddhi then told Durbuddhi that he might
+have his wife as his own.
+
+The princess went to her mother, crying that her husband had turned
+out mad. "Or else who would promise to give his wife to another. What
+does he mean by that?"
+
+"My daughter! fear nothing, perhaps, in his boyhood, he made this rash
+promise without thinking. The promise once made now pains him. Unable
+to break it, and leaving it to yourself to preserve your chastity,
+he has so ordered you. And he would, nay must, excuse you, if you
+by some means or other save yourself, and apparently make good
+your husband's promise also. A thought just comes to me how to do
+that. There is your foster-sister, exactly resembling you. I shall
+send her in your place." So consoling her daughter, the old queen at
+once made all the requisite arrangements. And, of course, Subuddhi
+had no reason then to know anything about them.
+
+In the middle of the night his door is forced open, and a ruffian
+with a drawn sword, blazing like lightning, rushes in, and murders
+the pair. Thus in that very night in which Durbuddhi had reached the
+topmost point of his vice, he was cut down by the supreme hand of
+God. For, it is said, that when crime increases, God himself cannot
+tolerate it.
+
+The morning dawned. Subuddhi rose from his couch, and after his morning
+prayers was sitting in the council hall. The princess and her mother
+rose from their beds, and were attending to their business. A servant
+just at that time came running to the old queen, and said:
+
+"Our king is weeping in his room that his daughter is now no more. I
+think that there is something wrong with his majesty's brains
+to-day. Come and console him."
+
+The queen, who knew nothing of what had happened, ran to her husband's
+room, quite astonished at the change. The husband reported everything
+to her--the sage-looking minister's son, the barber's son-in-law,
+and everything, and then concluded that their daughter and son-in-law
+were no more.
+
+"What! compose yourself. Our son-in-law is sitting in his durbar. Our
+daughter is just adorning herself in her dressing-room. Were you
+dreaming? Are you in your right senses?" said the queen.
+
+The king ordered the executioner to bring the heads, which, on
+examination, proved to be those of the minister's son and of the
+foster-sister. The queen told everything of the one-day-wife-giving
+engagement, and her own arrangements about it. The old king could not
+understand what all this meant. He drew out his sword and ran to the
+durbar like a maddened lion, and stood armed before his son-in-law.
+
+"Relate to me your true origin, and everything respecting
+yourself. Speak the truth. How came you to learn medicine? If you are a
+prince why should you leave your own dominions and come down here? What
+about this wicked agreement of giving your wife to another? Who is
+this minister's son?"
+
+Subuddhi, without omitting a single point, related everything that
+had taken place, even to the putting out of his eyes. The old man
+threw down his sword, took his son-in-law in his arms almost, for so
+great was his joy at the excellent way which fate had prepared for
+his escape, and said:
+
+"My son, my life, my eye. True it is, true it is. Dharma alone
+conquers, and you that hold that motto have conquered everything. The
+vile wretch whom, notwithstanding the series of rogueries that
+he practised upon you, you protected, has at last found out that
+his Adharmam never conquers. But he never found it out. It was his
+Adharmam that cut him off on the very night of his supposed complete
+conquest by it."
+
+Letters were sent at once to Tźvai, inviting Suguna and Dharmasīla
+to the happy rejoicings at the prince and princess's delivery, and
+a re-marriage was celebrated with all pomp, in honour of their lucky
+escape. Dharmasīla, as he disliked his son, never shed a single tear
+for his loss. Subuddhi lived for a long time, giving much consolation
+to his own and his wife's parents. Through the blessings of Kālī they
+had several intelligent sons.
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+VI.
+
+VIDĀMUNDAN KODĀMUNDAN.
+
+MR. WON'T-GIVE AND MR. WON'T-LEAVE.
+
+
+In a certain town there lived a clever old Brāhman, named
+Won't-Give. [50] He used to go out daily and to beg in all the houses
+round, under the pretence that he had to feed several Brāhmans in
+his own house. Good people, that believed in his words, used to give
+him much rice and curry stuffs, with which he would come home, and
+explain to his wife how he had deceived such and such a gentleman
+by the imposition of feeding in charity many persons at home. But
+if any hungry Brāhman, who had heard of his empty boast of feeding
+Brāhmans at home, came to him, he was sent away with some excuse or
+other. In this way Mr. Won't-Give brought home a basketful of rice and
+other necessaries every day, of which he only used a small portion for
+himself and his wife, and converted the remainder into money. And thus,
+by imposition and tricks, he managed to live well for several years.
+
+In an adjoining village there lived another very clever Brāhman, named
+Won't-Leave. [51] Whenever he found any man reluctant and unwilling
+to give him anything that he begged of him, he would persist in
+bothering him until he had wrung from him a dole. This Mr. Won't-Leave,
+hearing of the charity of Mr. Won't-Give, and his benevolent feeding
+of Brāhmans, came to see him one day, and requested him to give him
+a meal. Mr. Won't-Give told him that for that day ten Brāhmans had
+already been settled, and that if he came the next day he would have
+his meal without fail. Mr. Won't-Leave agreed to this, and left him
+for that day. Mr. Won't-Give had, of course, told him the very lie
+he was accustomed to tell all that occasionally begged meals of him.
+
+Now Mr. Won't-Leave was not so stupid as to be thus imposed upon. He
+stood before Mr. Won't-Give's door precisely at the appointed ghatikā
+(hour) the next day, and reminded the master of the house of his
+promise. Mr. Won't-Give had never before been taken at his word,
+and determined to send away the impertinent guest by some stronger
+excuse than the first, and so he spoke to him thus:--
+
+"Sir, I am very sorry to say that my wife fell ill last night of a
+strong fever, from which she has not yet recovered. Owing to this
+unforeseen accident I have had to postpone my charitable feedings
+(samārādhana) till her recovery, so do not trouble me, please, for
+some days more."
+
+Mr. Won't-Leave heard these words with an expression of sincere,
+or rather, seemingly sincere, sorrow in his face, and replied:--
+
+"Respected sir, I am very sorry for the illness of the mistress of the
+house, but to give up charitable feeding of Brāhmans on that account
+is a great sin. For the last ten years I have been studying the art
+of cooking, and can now cook for even several hundreds of Brāhmans; so
+I can assist you now in preparing the necessaries for the samārādhana."
+
+Mr. Won't-Give could not refuse such a request, but he deceitfully
+determined in his mind to get Mr. Won't-Leave to cook for him, and
+then to drive him away without giving him his rice. And so he said:--
+
+"Yes, that is a very good idea. I am much obliged to you for your
+kind suggestion. Come in; let us cook together."
+
+So saying, the master of the house took Mr. Won't-Leave inside and
+they both went into the kitchen, while the mistress of the house,
+at the command of her husband, pretended to be ill.
+
+Now Mr. Won't-Give was a good liver, and prepared, with the assistance
+of Mr. Won't-Leave, several good dishes. And then the difficulty was
+to drive the fellow out, for the long-maintained rule of never feeding
+a single Brāhman must not be broken that day. So, when the cooking
+was all over, the master of the house gave to Mr. Won't-Leave a kāsu
+(copper coin), and asked him to bring some leaves from the bāzār
+(for plates), and he accordingly went. Mr. Won't-Give, meanwhile,
+came to his wife, and instructed her thus:--
+
+"My dearest wife, I have spared you the trouble of cooking
+to-day. Would that we could get such stupid fools as this every day
+to cook for us! I have now sent him out to fetch us some leaves,
+and it won't look well if we shut our doors against him or drive him
+away; so we must make him go away of his own accord. A thought has
+just come into my mind as to how we can do it. As soon as he comes
+you shall commence to quarrel with me. I shall then come to you
+and beat you, or, rather, the ground near you, with both my hands,
+and you must continue your abuse and cries. The guest will find this
+very disgusting, and will leave us of his own accord."
+
+Mr. Won't-Give had just finished when he saw Mr. Won't-Leave returning
+with the leaves. The wife, as pre-arranged, abused her husband right
+and left for his great imprudence and over-liberality in feeding the
+Brāhmans. Said she:
+
+"How are we to get on in the world if you thus empty the house of
+everything we have in feeding big-bellied Brāhmans? Must you be
+so particular as to invite them, even when I am sick?" These, and
+a thousand similar expressions, were now launched at the husband's
+head. He pretended not to hear it for a time, but at last, apparently
+overcome by anger, he went in and with his hands gave successive
+blows on the floor. At every blow on the floor the wife cried out
+that she was being murdered, and that those who had mercy in their
+hearts should come to her rescue.
+
+Mr. Won't-Leave, from the court-yard of the house, listened to what
+was taking place inside, but not wishing to interfere in a quarrel
+between husband and wife, left matters to take their own course,
+and got into the loft, where he hid himself, fearing that he would
+be summoned as a witness to the quarrel.
+
+After a time Mr. Won't-Give came out of the room where he had been
+beating the floor, and to his joy he could not find the guest. He
+cautiously looked round him and saw no signs of Mr. Won't-Leave. Of
+course, having had no reason to think that his guest would be sitting
+in the loft, he did not look up there; and even if he had done so,
+he would not have found him, for he had hidden himself out of sight.
+
+Mr. Won't-Give now carefully bolted the door, and his wife came out
+and changed her dirty cloth for a clean one. Said her husband to her:
+
+"At last we have succeeded in driving him out; come, you too must be
+hungry; let us have our dinner together."
+
+Two leaves were spread on the ground, and all the dishes were equally
+divided into them. Meanwhile Mr. Won't-Leave was watching all that took
+place below him and, being himself very hungry, was slyly watching
+for an opportunity to jump down. Mr. Won't-Give, gloating over his
+trickery, said to his wife:
+
+"Well, my love, did I not beat you without hurting you?" to which
+she replied:
+
+"Did I not continue to cry without shedding tears?" when suddenly
+there fell on their ears:
+
+"And did I not come to have my dinner without going away?" and down
+jumped Mr. Won't-Leave, from the loft, and took his seat in front of
+the leaf spread by Mr. Won't-Give for his wife. And Mr. Won't-Give,
+though disappointed, was highly pleased at the cleverness of his guest.
+
+This story is cited as the authority for three proverbs that have
+come into use in Tamil.
+
+
+        "Nōvāmal aditten."
+        "Oyāmal aluden."
+        "Pōkāmal vandźn."
+
+
+which represent the exchanges of politeness between the husband,
+the wife, and the guest, quoted in the foregoing paragraphs.
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+VII.
+
+VAYALVALLAN KAIYAVALLA.
+
+MR. MIGHTY-OF-HIS-MOUTH AND MR. MIGHTY-OF-HIS-HANDS.
+
+
+In two adjoining villages there lived two famous men. The one
+was called Mr. Mighty-of-his-mouth [52]--one that could accomplish
+wonders with words alone. The other was called Mr. Mighty-of-his-hands
+[53]--one who could make no use of that glib instrument the tongue, but
+was able to bear burdens, cut wood, and perform other physical labour.
+
+It so happened that they agreed to live together in the house of
+the Mr. Mighty-of-his-mouth, to try and see which of them was the
+superior. They accordingly kept company for several months, till the
+great feast of the nine nights (navarātrī) came on. On the first day
+of the feast Mr. Mighty-of-his-hands wanted to sacrifice a goat to
+the goddess Kālī. So he said to Mr. Mighty-of-his-mouth,
+
+"My dear friend, we both are mighty in our way, and so it would be
+shameful for us to buy the goat, that we want to sacrifice, with
+money. We should manage to get it without payment."
+
+"Yes, we must do so, and I know how," replied Mr. Mighty-of-his-mouth,
+and he asked his friend to wait till that evening.
+
+Now there lived a shepherd at one ghatikā's (hour's) distance from
+their house, and the two friends resolved to go to his fold that
+night and steal away one of his goats. Accordingly, when it was dark,
+they approached his fold. The shepherd had just finished his duties
+to the mute members of his flock, and wanted to go home and have
+his rice hot. But he had no second person to watch the flock, and he
+must not lose his supper. So he planted his crook before the fold,
+and throwing his blanket (kambalī) over it, thus addressed it:
+
+"My son, I am very hungry, and so must go for my rice. Till I return
+do you watch the flock. This wood is rich in tigers and goblins
+(bhūtas). Some mischievous thief or bhūta--or kūta [54] may come
+to steal away the sheep. Watch over them carefully." So saying the
+shepherd went away.
+
+The friends had heard what the shepherd said. Of course,
+Mr. Mighty-of-his-mouth laughed within himself at this device of the
+shepherd to impress upon would-be robbers that he had left some one
+there to watch his sheep, while really he had only planted a pole
+and thrown a blanket over it. Mr. Mighty-of-his-hands, however, did
+not see the trick, and mistaking the stick to be an actual watchman
+sitting at his duty before the fold, spoke thus to his friend:
+
+"Now what are we to do? There is a watchman sitting in front of the
+fold." Thereon, Mr. Mighty-of-his-mouth cleared away his doubts by
+saying that it was no watchman, but a mere stick, and entered the
+fold with his friend.
+
+It had also so happened that on that very night a bhūta (goblin) had
+come into the fold to steal away a sheep. It shuddered with fear on
+hearing the shepherd mention the kūta, for having never heard of the
+existence of kūtas, it mistook this imaginary being to be something
+superior in strength to itself. So thinking that a kūta might come
+to the fold, and not wishing to expose itself till it knew well what
+kūtas were, the bhūta transformed itself into a sheep and laid itself
+down among the flock. By this time the two Mighties had entered the
+fold and begun an examination of the sheep. They went on rejecting
+one animal after another for some defect or other, till at last they
+came to the sheep which was none other than the bhūta. They tested it,
+and when they found it very heavy--as, of course, it would be with
+the soul of the bhūta in it--they began to tie up its legs to carry
+it home. When hands began to shake it the bhūta mistook the Mighties
+for the kūtas, and said to itself:--
+
+"Alas! the kūtas have come to take me away. What am I to do? What
+a fool I was to come into the fold!" So thought the bhūta as
+Mr. Mighty-of-his-hands was carrying it away on his head, with his
+friend following him behind. But the bhūta soon began to work its
+devilish powers to extricate itself, and Mr. Mighty-of-his-hands
+began to feel pains all over his body and said to his friend:
+
+"My dear Mighty, I feel pains all over me. I think what we have brought
+is no sheep!" Mr. Mighty-of-his-mouth was inwardly alarmed at the words
+of his friend, but did not like to show that he was afraid. So he said:
+
+"Then put down the sheep, and let us tear open its belly, so that we
+shall each have only one-half of it to carry."
+
+This frightened the bhūta, and he melted away on the head of
+Mr. Mighty-of-his-hands, who, relieved of his devilish burden, was
+glad to return home safe with his friend.
+
+The bhūta, too, went to its abode and there told its fellow-goblins
+how it had involved itself in a great trouble and how narrowly it
+had escaped. They all laughed at its stupidity and said, "What a
+great fool you are! They were not kūtas. In fact there are no kūtas
+in the world. They were men, and it was most stupid of you to have
+got yourself into their hands. Are you not ashamed to make such a fuss
+about your escape?" The injured bhūta retorted that they would not have
+made such remarks had they seen the kūtas. "Then show us these kūtas,
+as you choose to call them," said they, "and we will crush them in
+the twinkling of an eye." "Agreed," said the injured bhūta, and the
+next night it took them to the house of the Mighties, and said from
+a distance: "There is their house. I cannot approach it. Do whatever
+you like." The other bhūtas were amazed at the fear of their timid
+brother, and resolved among themselves to put an end to the enemies
+of even one member of their caste. So they went in a great crowd
+to the house of the Mighties. Some stood outside the house, to see
+that none of the inmates escaped, and some watched in the back-yard,
+while a score of them jumped over the walls and entered the court-yard.
+
+Mr. Mighty-of-his-hands was sleeping in the verandah, adjoining the
+courtyard, and when he heard the noise of people jumping about,
+he opened his eyes, and to his terror saw some bhūtas in the
+court. Without opening his mouth he quietly rolled himself along
+the ground, and went to the room where Mr. Mighty-of-his-mouth was
+sleeping with his wife and children. Tapping gently at the door he
+awoke his friend and said:
+
+"What shall we do now? The bhūtas have invaded our house, and will
+soon kill us."
+
+Mr. Mighty-of-his-mouth told him quietly not to be afraid, but to go
+and sleep in his original place, and that he himself would make the
+bhūtas run away. Mr. Mighty-of-his-hands did not understand what his
+friend meant, but not wishing to argue rolled his way back to his
+original place and pretended to sleep, though his heart was beating
+terribly with fright. Mr. Mighty-of-his-mouth now awoke his wife,
+and instructed her thus:
+
+"My dearest wife, the foolish bhūtas have invaded our house, but
+if you act according to my advice we are safe, and the goblins will
+depart harmlessly. What I want you to do is, to go to the hall and
+light a lamp, spread leaves on the floor, and then pretend to awake
+me for my supper. I shall get up and enquire what you have ready to
+give me to eat. You will then reply that you have only pepper water
+and vegetables. With an angry face I shall say, 'What have you done
+with the three bhūtas that our son caught hold of on his way back
+from school?' Your reply must be, 'The rogue wanted some sweetmeats
+on coming home. Unfortunately I had none in the house, so he roasted
+the three bhūtas and gobbled them up.'"
+
+Thus instructing his wife Mr. Mighty-of-his-mouth pretended to go to
+sleep. The wife accordingly spread the leaves and called her husband
+for his supper. During the conversation that followed, the fact that
+the son had roasted three goblins for sweetmeats was conveyed to the
+bhūtas. They shuddered at the son's extraordinary ability, and thought,
+
+"What must the father do for his meals when a son roasts three bhūtas
+for sweetmeats?"
+
+So they at once took to their heels. Then going to the brother they
+had jeered at, they said to him that indeed the kūtas were their
+greatest enemies, and that none of their lives were safe while they
+remained where they were, as on that very evening the son of a kūta
+had roasted three of them for sweetmeats. They therefore all resolved
+to fly away to the adjoining forest, and disappeared accordingly. Thus
+Mr. Mighty-of-his-mouth saved himself and his friend on two occasions
+from the bhūtas.
+
+The friends after this went out one day to an adjoining village and
+were returning home rather late in the evening. Darkness fell on them
+before half the way was traversed, and there lay before them a dense
+wood infested by beasts of prey: so they resolved to spend the night in
+a high tree and go home next morning, and accordingly got up into a big
+pīpal. Now this was the very wood into which the bhūtas had migrated,
+and at midnight they all came down with torches to catch jackals
+and other animals to feast upon. The fear of Mr. Mighty-of-his-hands
+may be more imagined than described. The dreaded bhūtas were at the
+foot of the very tree in which he had taken up his abode for the
+night! His hands trembled. His body shook. He lost his hold, and down
+he came with a horrible rustling of leaves. His friend, however, was,
+as usual, ready with a device, and bawled out:
+
+"I wished to leave these poor beings to their own revelry. But you
+are hungry and must needs jump down to catch some of them. Do not
+fail to lay your hands on the stoutest bhūta."
+
+The goblins heard the voice which was already very familiar to their
+ears, for was it not the kūta whose son had roasted up three bhūtas
+for sweetmeats that spoke? So they ran away at once, crying out:
+
+"Alas, what misery! Our bitter enemies have followed us even to
+this wood!"
+
+Thus the wit of Mr. Mighty-of-his-mouth saved himself and his friend
+for the third time.
+
+The sun began to rise, and Mr. Mighty-of-his-hands thrice walked
+round Mr. Mighty-of-his-mouth and said:
+
+"My dear friend, truly you only of us two are mighty. Mere physical
+strength is of no use without skill in words. The latter is far
+superior to the former, and if a man possess both, he is, as it were,
+a golden lotus having a sweet scent. It is enough for me now to have
+arrived at this moral! With your kind permission I shall return to
+my village." Mr. Mighty-of-his-mouth asked his friend not to consider
+himself under any obligation, and, after honouring him as became his
+position he let him return to his village.
+
+The moral of this short story is that in man there is nothing great
+but mind.
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+VIII.
+
+THE MOTHER-IN-LAW BECAME AN ASS.
+
+
+Little by little the mother-in-law became an ass--vara vara māmi
+kaludai pōl ānāl, is a proverb among the Tamils, applied to those
+who day by day go downwards in their progress in study, position,
+or life, and based on the following story:--
+
+In a certain village their lived a Brāhman with his wife, mother,
+and mother-in-law. He was a very good man, and equally kind to all
+of them. His mother complained of nothing at his hands, but his wife
+was a very bad-tempered woman, and always troubled her mother-in-law
+by keeping her engaged in this work or that throughout the day, and
+giving her very little food in the evening. Owing to this the poor
+Brāhman's mother was almost dying of misery. On the other hand, her
+own mother received very kind treatment, of course, at her daughter's
+hands, but the husband was so completely ruled by his wife, that he
+had no strength of mind to oppose her ill-treatment of his mother.
+
+One evening, just before sunset, the wife abused her mother-in-law with
+such fury, that the latter had to fly away to escape a thrashing. Full
+of misery she ran out of the village, but the sun had begun to set,
+and the darkness of night was fast overtaking her. So finding a ruined
+temple she entered it to pass the night there. It happened to be
+the abode of the village Kālī (goddess), who used to come out every
+night at midnight to inspect her village. That night she perceived a
+woman--the mother of the poor Brāhman--lurking within her prākāras
+(boundaries), and being a most benevolent Kālī, called out to her,
+and asked her what made her so miserable that she should leave her
+home on such a dark night. The Brāhmanī told her story in a few
+words, and while she was speaking the cunning goddess was using her
+supernatural powers to see whether all she said was true or not, and
+finding it to be the truth, she thus replied in very soothing tones:--
+
+"I pity your misery, mother, because your daughter-in-law troubles
+and vexes you thus when you have become old, and have no strength
+in your body. Now take this mango," and taking a ripe one from out
+her waist-band, she gave it to the old Brāhmanī with a smiling
+face--"eat it, and you will soon become a young woman like your
+own daughter-in-law, and then she shall no longer trouble you." Thus
+consoling the afflicted old woman, the kind-hearted Kālī went away. The
+Brāhmanī lingered for the remainder of the night in the temple, and
+being a fond mother she did not like to eat the whole of the mango
+without giving a portion of it to her son.
+
+Meanwhile, when her son returned home in the evening he found his
+mother absent, but his wife explained the matter to him, so as to throw
+the blame on the old woman, as she always did. As it was dark he had no
+chance of going out to search for her, so he waited for the daylight,
+and as soon as he saw the dawn, started to look for his mother. He
+had not walked far when to his joy he found her in the temple of Kālī.
+
+"How did you pass the cold night, my dearest mother?" said he. "What
+did you have for dinner? Wretch that I am to have got myself married
+to a cur. Forget all her faults, and return home."
+
+His mother shed tears of joy and sorrow, and related her previous
+night's adventure, upon which he said:--
+
+"Delay not even one nimisha (minute), but eat this fruit at once. I
+do not want any of it. Only if you become young and strong enough to
+stand that nasty cur's troubles, well and good."
+
+So the mother ate up the divine fruit, and the son took her upon his
+shoulders and brought her home, on reaching which he placed her on the
+ground, when to his joy she was no longer an old woman, but a young
+girl of sixteen, and stronger than his own wife. The troublesome
+wife was now totally put down, and was powerless against so strong
+a mother-in-law.
+
+She did not at all like the change, and having to give up her habits
+of bullying, and so she argued to herself thus:--
+
+"This jade of a mother-in-law became young through the fruit of the
+Kālī, why should not my mother also do the same, if I instruct her
+and send her to the same temple."
+
+So she instructed her mother as to the story she ought to give to
+the goddess and sent her there. Her old mother, agreeably to her
+daughter's injunctions, went to the temple, and on meeting with the
+goddess at midnight, gave a false story that she was being greatly
+ill-treated by her daughter-in-law, though, in truth, she had nothing
+of the kind to complain of. The goddess perceived the lie through her
+divine powers, but pretending to pity her, gave her also a fruit. Her
+daughter had instructed her not to eat it till next morning, and till
+she saw her son-in-law.
+
+As soon as morning approached, the poor hen-pecked Brāhman was ordered
+by his wife to go to the temple and fetch his mother-in-law, as he
+had some time back fetched away his mother. He accordingly went, and
+invited her to come home. She wanted him to eat part of the fruit, as
+she had been instructed, but he refused, and so she swallowed it all,
+fully expecting to become young again on reaching home. Meanwhile her
+son-in-law took her on his shoulders and returned home, expecting,
+as his former experience had taught him, to see his mother-in-law
+also turn into a young woman. Anxiety to see how the change came on
+over-came him, and half way he turned his head, and found such part
+of the burden on his shoulders as he could see, to be like parts of an
+ass, but he took this to be a mere preliminary stage towards youthful
+womanhood! Again he turned, and again he saw the same thing several
+times, and the more he looked the more his burden became like an ass,
+till at last when he reached home, his burden jumped down braying
+like an ass and ran away.
+
+Thus the Kālī, perceiving the evil intentions of the wife, disappointed
+her by turning her mother into an ass, but no one knew of it till
+she actually jumped down from the shoulders of her son-in-law.
+
+This story is always cited as the explanation of the proverb
+quoted above--vara vara māmi kaludai pōl ānāl--little by little
+the mother-in-law became an ass, to which is also commonly added ūr
+varumbōdu ūlaiyida talaippattal--and as she approached the village,
+she began to bray.
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+IX.
+
+The Story of Appayya. [55]
+
+                                                 Apupena hatah chorah
+                                                 Hata khadgona kesari
+                                                 Turamgena hatam sainyam
+                                                 Vidhirbhagyanu sarini
+
+
+In a remote village there lived a poor Brāhman and his wife. Though
+several years of their wedded life had passed, they unfortunately had
+no children, and so, being very eager for a child, and having no hope
+of one by his first wife, the poor Brāhman made up his mind to marry
+a second. His wife would not permit it for some time, but finding
+her husband resolved, she gave way, thinking within herself that she
+would manage somehow to do away with the second wife. As soon as he
+had got her consent the Brāhman arranged for his second marriage and
+wedded a beautiful Brāhman girl. She went to live with him in the same
+house with the first wife, who, thinking that she would be making the
+world suspicious if she did anything suddenly, waited for some time.
+
+Isvara himself seemed to favour the new marriage, and the second wife,
+a year after her wedding, becoming pregnant, went in the sixth month of
+her pregnancy to her mother's house for her confinement. Her husband
+bore his separation from her patiently for a fortnight, but after
+this the desire to see her again began to prey upon his mind, and
+he was always asking his first wife when he ought to go to her. She
+seemed to sympathise fully with his trouble, and said:--
+
+"My dearest husband, your health is daily being injured, and I am glad
+that your love for her has not made it worse than it is. To-morrow
+you must start on a visit to her. It is said that we should not go
+empty-handed to children, a king, or a pregnant woman; so I shall
+give you one hundred apūpa cakes, packed up separately in a vessel,
+which you must give to her. You are very fond of apūpas and I fear
+that you will eat some of them on the way; but you had better not do
+so. And I will give you some cakes packed in a cloth separately for
+you to eat on your journey."
+
+So the first wife spent the whole night in preparing the apūpa cakes,
+and mixed poison in the sugar and rice-flour of those she made for
+her co-wife and rival; but as she entertained no enmity against her
+husband the apūpas cakes for him were properly prepared. By the time
+the morning dawned she had packed up the hundred apūpas in a brass
+vessel which could be easily carried on a man's head.
+
+After a light breakfast--for a heavy one is always bad before a
+journey on foot--the Brāhman placed the brass vessel on his head,
+and holding in his hand the kerchief containing the food for himself
+on the way, started for the village of his second wife, which happened
+to be at a distance of two days' journey. He walked in hot haste till
+evening approached, and when the darkness of night overtook him the
+rapidity of his walk had exhausted him, and he felt very hungry. He
+espied a wayside shed and a tank near his path, and entered the water
+to perform his evening ablution to the god of the day, who was fast
+going down below the horizon. As soon as this was over he untied his
+kerchief, and did full justice to its contents by swallowing every cake
+whole. He then drank some water, and being quite overcome by fatigue,
+fell into a deep slumber in the shed, with his brass vessel and its
+sweet, or rather poisonous, contents under his head.
+
+Close by the spot where the Brāhman slept there reigned a famous
+king who had a very beautiful daughter. Several persons demanded her
+hand in marriage, among whom was a robber chieftain who wanted her
+for his only son. Though the king liked the boy for his beauty, the
+thought that he was only a robber for all that prevented him from
+making up his mind to give his daughter in marriage to him. The
+robber chief, however, was determined to have his own way, and
+accordingly despatched one hundred of his band to fetch away the
+princess in the night without her knowledge while she was sleeping,
+to his palace in the woods. In obedience to their chieftain's order
+the robbers, on the night the Brāhman happened to sleep in the shed,
+entered the king's palace and stole away the princess, together with
+the bed on which she was sleeping. On reaching the shed the hundred
+robbers found themselves very thirsty--for being awake at midnight
+always brings on thirst. So they placed the cot on the ground and
+were entering the water to quench their thirst; just then they
+smelt the apūpa cakes, which, for all that they contained poison,
+had a very sweet savour. The robbers searched about the shed, and
+found the Brāhman sleeping on one side and the brass vessel lying at
+a distance from him, for he had pushed it from underneath his head
+when he had stretched himself in his sleep; they opened the vessel,
+and to their joy found in it exactly one hundred apūpa cakes.
+
+"We have one here for each of us, and that is something better than
+mere water. Let us each eat before we go into it," said the leader
+of the gang, and at once each man swallowed greedily what he had in
+his hand, and immediately all fell down dead. Lucky it was that no
+one knew of the old Brāhmanī's trick. Had the robbers had any reason
+to suspect it they would never have eaten the cakes; had the Brāhman
+known it he would never have brought them with him for his dear second
+wife. Lucky was it for the poor old Brāhman and his second wife,
+and lucky was it for the sleeping princess, that these cakes went,
+after all, into the stomachs of the villainous robbers!
+
+After sleeping his fill the Brāhman, who had been dreaming of his
+second wife all night, awoke in haste to pursue the remainder of his
+journey to her house. He could not find his brass vessel, but near the
+place where he had left it he found several men of the woods, whom
+he knew very well by their appearance to be robbers, as he thought,
+sleeping. Angered at the loss of his vessel he took up a sword from
+one of the dead robbers and cut off all their heads, thinking all
+the while that he was killing one hundred living robbers, who were
+sleeping after having eaten all his cakes. Presently the princess's
+cot fell under his gaze, and he approached it and found on it a most
+beautiful lady fast asleep. Being an intelligent man he perceived that
+the persons whose heads he had cut off must have been some thieves,
+or other wicked men, who had carried her off. He was not long in doubt,
+for not far off he saw an army marching up rapidly with a king at its
+head, who was saying, "Down with the robber who has stolen away my
+daughter." The Brāhman at once inferred that this must be the father
+of the sleeping princess, and suddenly waking her up from her sleep
+spoke thus to her:--
+
+"Behold before you the hundred robbers that brought you here a few
+hours ago from your palace. I fought one and all of them single-handed,
+and have killed them all."
+
+The princess was highly pleased at what she heard, for she knew of
+all the tricks the robbers had previously played to carry her off. So
+she fell reverently at the Brāhman's feet and said:--
+
+"Friend, never till now have I heard of a warrior who, single-handed,
+fought one hundred robbers. Your valour is unparalleled. I will be
+your wife, if only in remembrance of your having saved me from falling
+into the hands of these ruffians."
+
+Her father and his army was now near the shed, for he had all along
+watched the conduct of the robber chieftain, and as soon as the
+maid-servants of the palace informed him of the disappearance of the
+princess and her bed, he marched straight with his soldiers for the
+woods. His joy, when he saw his daughter safe, knew no bounds, and
+he flew into his daughter's arms, while she pointed to the Brāhman
+as her preserver. The king now put a thousand questions to our hero,
+who, being well versed in matters of fighting, gave sound replies, and
+so came successfully out of his first adventure. The king, astonished
+at his valour, took him to his palace, and rewarded him with the hand
+of the princess. And the robber chieftain, fearing the new son-in-law,
+who, single-handed, had killed a hundred of his robbers, never troubled
+himself about the princess. Thus the Brāhman's first adventure ended
+in making him son-in-law to a king!
+
+Now there lived a lioness in a wood near the princess's country,
+who had a great taste for human flesh, and so, once a week, the king
+used to send a man into the wood to serve as her prey. All the people
+now collected together before the king, and said:--
+
+"Most honoured king, while you have a son-in-law who killed one hundred
+robbers with his sword, why should you continue to send a man into
+the wood every week. We request you to send your son-in-law next week
+to the wood and have the lioness killed."
+
+This seemed most reasonable to the king, who called for his son-in-law,
+and sent him, armed to the teeth, into the wood.
+
+Now our Brāhman could not refuse to go, for fear of losing the fame
+of his former exploit, and, hoping that fortune would favour him, he
+asked his father-in-law to have him hoisted up into a big banyan tree
+with all kinds of weapons, and this was done. The appointed time for
+the lioness to eat her prey approached, and as she saw no one coming
+for her, and as sometimes those that had to come used to linger for
+a short time in the tree in which the Brāhman had taken refuge, she
+went up to it to see that no such trick has been played upon her this
+time. This made the Brāhman tremble so violently that he dropped the
+sword he held in his hand. At that very moment the lioness happened
+to yawn, and the sword dropped right into her jaws and killed her. As
+soon as the Brāhman saw the course which events had taken, he came
+down from the tree, and invented a thousand stories of how he had
+given battle to the terrible lioness and overcome her. This exploit
+fully established his valour, and feasts and rejoicings in honour of
+it followed, and the whole country round blessed the son-in-law of
+their king.
+
+Near this kingdom there also reigned a powerful emperor, who levied
+tribute from all the surrounding countries. To this emperor the
+father-in-law of our most valorous Brāhman, who, at one stroke,
+had killed one hundred robbers, and, at another, a fierce lioness,
+had also to pay a certain amount of tribute; but, trusting to the
+power of his son-in-law, he stopped the tribute to the emperor, who,
+by the way, was named Appayya Rāja, and who, as soon as the tribute
+was stopped, invaded his dominions, and his father-in-law besought
+the Brāhman for assistance.
+
+Again the poor Brāhman could not refuse, for, if he did, all his
+former fame would have been lost; so he determined to undertake
+this adventure also, and to trust to fortune rather than give up the
+attempt. He asked for the best horse and the sharpest sword, and set
+out to fight the enemy, who had already encamped on the other side
+of the river, which flowed at a short distance to the east of the town.
+
+Now the king had a very unruly horse, which had never been broken in,
+and this he gave his son-in-law; and, supplying him with a sharp sword,
+asked him to start. The Brāhman then asked the king's servants to
+tie him up with cotton strings tight on to the saddle, and set out
+on the expedition.
+
+The horse, having never till then felt a man on its back, began to
+gallop most furiously, and flew onwards so fast that all who saw it
+thought the rider must lose his life, and he too was almost dead
+with fear. He tried his best to curb his steed, but the more he
+pulled the faster it galloped, till giving up all hopes of life he
+let it take its course. It jumped into the water and swam across to
+the other side of the river, wetting the cotton cords by which the
+Brāhman was tied down to the saddle, making them swell and giving
+him the most excruciating pain. He bore it, however, with all the
+patience imaginable. Presently the horse reached the other side
+of the river, where there was a big palmyra tree, which a recent
+flood had left almost uprooted and ready to fall at the slightest
+touch. The Brāhman, unable to stop the course of the horse, held
+fast on to the tree, hoping thus to check its wild career. But
+unfortunately for him the tree gave way, and the steed galloped on
+so furiously that he did not know which was the safer--to leave the
+tree or to hold on to it. Meanwhile the wet cotton cords hurt him so
+that he, in the hopelessness of despair, bawled out appa! ayya! [56]
+On went his steed, and still he held on to the palmyra tree. Though
+now fighting for his own life, the people that were watching him
+from a great distance thought him to be flying to the battlefield,
+armed with a palmyra tree! The cry of lamentation, appa ayya, which he
+uttered, his enemy mistook for a challenge, because, as we know, his
+name happened to be Appayya. Horror-struck at the sight of a warrior
+armed with a huge tree, his enemy turned and fled. Yathā rājā tathā
+prajāh--"As is the king so are the subjects,"--and accordingly his
+followers also fled. The Brāhman warrior (!) seeing the fortunate
+course events had again taken pursued the enemy, or rather let his
+courser have its own furious way. Thus the enemy and his vast army
+melted away in the twinkling of an eye, and the horse, too, when it
+became exhausted, returned towards the palace.
+
+The old king had been watching from the loftiest rooms of his palace
+all that had passed on the other side of the river, and believing his
+son-in-law had, by his own prowess, driven out the enemy, approached
+him with all pomp. Eager hands quickly cut the knots by which the
+victorious (!) Brāhman had been held tight in his saddle, and his old
+father-in-law with tears of joy embraced him on his victory, saying
+that the whole kingdom was indebted to him. A splendid triumphal
+march was conducted, in which the eyes of the whole town were directed
+towards our victorious hero.
+
+Thus, on three different occasions, and in three different adventures,
+fortune favoured the poor Brāhman and brought him fame. He then sent
+for his two former wives and took them into his palace. His second
+wife, who was pregnant when he first started with the apūpa cakes to
+see her, had given birth to a male child, who was, when she came back
+to him, more than a year old. The first wife confessed to her husband
+her sin of having given him poisoned cakes, and craved his pardon;
+and it was only now that he came to know that the hundred robbers he
+killed in his first adventure were all really dead men, and that they
+must have died from the effects of the poison in the cakes, and, since
+her treachery had given him a new start in life, he forgave her. She,
+too, gave up her enmity to the partners of her husband's bed, and
+all the four lived in peace and plenty for many a long day afterwards.
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+X.
+
+THE BRĀHMIN GIRL THAT MARRIED A TIGER.
+
+
+In a certain village there lived an old Brāhmin who had three sons and
+a daughter. The girl being the youngest was brought up most tenderly
+and became spoilt, and so whenever she saw a beautiful boy she would
+say to her parents that she must be wedded to him. Her parents were,
+therefore, much put about to devise excuses for taking her away from
+her youthful lovers. Thus passed on some years, till the girl was
+very nearly grown up, and then the parents, fearing that they would
+be driven out of their caste if they failed to dispose of her hand
+in marriage before she came to the years of maturity, began to be
+eager about finding a bridegroom for her.
+
+Now near their village there lived a fierce tiger, that had attained to
+great proficiency in the art of magic, and had the power of assuming
+different forms. Having a great taste for Brāhmin's food, the tiger
+used now and then to frequent temples and other places of public
+refreshment in the shape of an old famished Brāhmin in order to share
+the food prepared for the Brāhmins. The tiger also wanted, if possible,
+a Brāhmin wife to take to the woods, and there to make her cook his
+meals after her fashion. One day, when he was partaking of his meals
+in Brāhmin shape at a satra [57], he heard the talk about the Brāhmin
+girl who was always falling in love with every beautiful Brāhmin boy.
+
+Said he to himself, "Praised be the face that I saw first this
+morning. I shall assume the shape of a Brāhmin boy, and appear as
+beautiful can be, and win the heart of the girl."
+
+Next morning he accordingly became in the form of a great Sāstrin
+(proficient in the Rāmāyana) and took his seat near the ghāt of the
+sacred river of the village. Scattering holy ashes profusely over
+his body he opened the Rāmāyana and began to read.
+
+"The voice of the new Sāstrin is most enchanting. Let us go and hear
+him," said some women among themselves, and sat down before him to
+hear him expound the great book. The girl for whom the tiger had
+assumed this shape came in due time to bathe at the river, and as
+soon as she saw the new Sāstrin fell in love with him, and bothered
+her old mother to speak to her father about him, so as not to lose
+her new lover. The old woman too was delighted at the bridegroom
+whom fortune had thrown in her way, and ran home to her husband,
+who, when he came and saw the Sāstrin, raised up his hands in praise
+of the great god Mahźsvara. The Sāstrin was now invited to take his
+meals with them, and as he had come with the express intention of
+marrying the daughter, he, of course, agreed.
+
+A grand dinner followed in honour of the Sāstrin, and his host began
+to question him as to his parentage, &c., to which the cunning
+tiger replied that he was born in a village beyond the adjacent
+wood. The Brāhmin had no time to wait for further enquiries, and as
+the boy was very fair he married his daughter to him the very next
+day. Feasts followed for a month, during which time the bridegroom
+gave every satisfaction to his new relatives, who supposed him to be
+human all the while. He also did full justice to the Brāhmin dishes,
+and swallowed everything that was placed before him.
+
+After the first month was over the tiger-bridegroom bethought him of
+his accustomed prey, and hankered after his abode in the woods. A
+change of diet for a day or two is all very well, but to renounce
+his own proper food for more than a month was hard. So one day he
+said to his father-in-law, "I must go back soon to my old parents,
+for they will be pining at my absence. But why should we have to
+bear the double expense of my coming all the way here again to take
+my wife to my village? So if you will kindly let me take the girl
+with me I shall take her to her future home, and hand her over to
+her mother-in-law, and see that she is well taken care of."
+
+The old Brāhmin agreed to this, and replied, "My dear son-in-law,
+you are her husband, and she is yours, and we now send her with you,
+though it is like sending her into the wilderness with her eyes tied
+up. But as we take you to be everything to her, we trust you to treat
+her kindly."
+
+The mother of the bride shed tears at the idea of having to send her
+away, but nevertheless the very next day was fixed for the journey. The
+old woman spent the whole day in preparing cakes and sweetmeats for
+her daughter, and when the time for the journey arrived, she took care
+to place in her bundles and on her head one or two margosa [58] leaves
+to keep off demons. The relatives of the bride requested her husband
+to allow her to rest wherever she found shade, and to eat wherever she
+found water, and to this he agreed, and so they began their journey.
+
+The boy tiger and his human wife pursued their journey for two or
+three ghatikās [59] in free and pleasant conversation, when the girl
+happened to see a fine pond, round which the birds were warbling their
+sweet notes. She requested her husband to follow her to the water's
+edge and to partake of some of the cakes and sweetmeats with her.
+
+But he replied, "Be quiet, or I shall show you my original shape."
+
+This made her afraid, so she pursued her journey in silence until she
+saw another pond, when she asked the same question of her husband,
+who replied in the same tone.
+
+Now she was very hungry, and not liking her husband's tone, which
+she found had greatly changed ever since they had entered the woods,
+said to him,
+
+"Show me your original shape."
+
+No sooner were these words uttered than her husband's form changed
+from that of a man. Four legs, striped skin, a long tail, and a
+tiger's face came over him suddenly and, horror of horrors! a tiger
+and not a man stood before her! Nor were her fears stilled when the
+tiger in human voice began as follows:--
+
+"Know henceforth that I, your husband, am a tiger--this very tiger
+that now speaks to you. If you have any regard for your life you must
+obey all my orders implicitly, for I can speak to you in human voice,
+and understand what you say. In a couple of ghatikās we shall reach
+my home, of which you will become the mistress. In the front of my
+house you will see half-a-dozen tubs, each of which you must fill up
+daily with some dish or other, cooked in your own way. I shall take
+care to supply you with all the provisions you want." So saying the
+tiger slowly conducted her to his house.
+
+The misery of the girl may more be imagined than described, for if
+she were to object she would be put to death. So, weeping all the
+way, she reached her husband's house. Leaving her there he went out
+and returned with several pumpkins and some flesh, of which she soon
+prepared a curry and gave it to her husband. He went out again after
+this and returned in the evening with several vegetables and some
+more flesh, and gave her an order:--
+
+"Every morning I shall go out in search of provisions and prey,
+and bring something with me on my return; you must keep cooked for
+me whatever I leave in the house."
+
+So next morning as soon as the tiger had gone away she cooked
+everything left in the house and filled all the tubs with food. At
+the tenth ghatikā the tiger returned and growled out,
+
+"I smell a man! I smell a woman in my wood." And his wife for very
+fear shut herself up in the house.
+
+As soon as the tiger had satisfied his appetite he told her to open
+the door, which she did, and they talked together for a time, after
+which the tiger rested awhile, and then went out hunting again. Thus
+passed many a day, till the tiger's Brāhmin wife had a son, which
+also turned out to be only a tiger.
+
+One day, after the tiger had gone out to the woods, his wife was
+crying all alone in the house, when a crow happened to peck at some
+rice that was scattered near her, and seeing the girl crying, began
+to shed tears.
+
+"Can you assist me?" asked the girl.
+
+"Yes," said the crow.
+
+So she brought out a palmyra leaf and wrote on it with an iron nail
+all her sufferings in the wood, and requested her brothers to come
+and relieve her. This palmyra leaf she tied to the neck of the crow,
+which, seeming to understand her thoughts, flew to her village and
+sat down before one of her brothers. He untied the leaf and read the
+contents of the letter and told them to his other brothers. All the
+three then started for the wood, asking their mother to give them
+something to eat on the way. She had not enough rice for the three,
+so she made a big ball of clay and stuck it over with what rice she
+had, so as to make it look like a ball of rice. This she gave to the
+brothers to eat on their way, and started them off to the woods.
+
+They had not proceeded long before they espied an ass. The youngest,
+who was of a playful disposition, wished to take the ass with him. The
+two elder brothers objected to this for a time, but in the end they
+allowed him to have his own way. Further on they saw an ant, which
+the middle brother took with him. Near the ant there was a big palmyra
+tree lying on the ground, which the eldest took with him to keep off
+the tiger.
+
+The sun was now high in the horizon and the three brothers became very
+hungry. So they sat down near a tank and opened the bundle containing
+the ball of rice. To their utter disappointment they found it to be
+all clay, but being extremely hungry they drank all the water in the
+pond and continued their journey. On leaving the tank they found a big
+iron tub belonging to the washerman of the adjacent village. This they
+took also with them in addition to the ass, the ant, and the palmyra
+tree. Following the road described by their sister in her letter sent
+by the crow, they walked on and on till they reached the tiger's house.
+
+The sister, overjoyed to see her brothers again, ran out at once to
+welcome them.
+
+"My dearest brothers, I am so glad to see that you have come here
+to relieve me after all, but the time for the tiger's coming home is
+approaching, so hide yourselves in the loft, and wait till he is gone."
+
+So saying, she helped her brothers to ascend into the loft. By this
+time the tiger returned, and perceived the presence of human beings
+by the peculiar smell. He asked his wife whether any one had come to
+their house. She said, "No." But when the brothers, who with their
+trophies of the way--the ass, the ant, and so on--were sitting upon
+the loft, saw the tiger dallying with their sister, they were greatly
+frightened; so much so that the youngest, through fear, began to quake,
+and they all fell on the floor.
+
+"What is all this?" said the terrified tiger to his wife.
+
+"Nothing," said she, "but your brothers-in-law. They came here a watch
+[60] ago, and as soon as you have finished your meals they want to
+see you."
+
+"How can my brothers-in-law be such cowards," thought the tiger
+to himself.
+
+He then asked them to speak to him, whereon the youngest brother put
+the ant which he had in his hand into the ear of the ass, and as soon
+as the latter was bitten, it began to bawl out most horribly.
+
+"How is it that your brothers have such a hoarse voice?" said the
+tiger to his wife.
+
+He next asked them to show him their legs. Taking courage at the
+stupidity of the tiger on the two former occasions, the eldest brother
+now stretched out the palmyra tree.
+
+"By my father, I have never seen such a leg," said the tiger, and
+asked his brothers-in-law to show their bellies. The second brother
+now showed the tub, at which the tiger shuddered, and saying, "such
+a harsh voice, so stout a leg, and such a belly, truly I have never
+heard of such persons as these!" He ran away.
+
+It was already dark, and the brothers, wishing to take advantage
+of the tiger's terror, prepared to return home with their sister
+at once. They ate up what little food she had, and ordered her to
+start. Fortunately for her her tiger-child was asleep. So she tore it
+into two pieces and suspended them over the hearth, and, thus getting
+rid of the child, she ran off with her brothers towards home.
+
+Before leaving she bolted the front door from inside, and went out
+at the back of the house. As soon as the pieces of the cub, which
+were hung up over the hearth, began to roast, they dripped, which
+made the fire hiss and sputter; and when the tiger returned at about
+midnight, he found the door shut and heard the hissing of the fire,
+which he mistook for the noise of cooking muffins. [61]
+
+"I see," said he to himself, "how very cunning you are; you have
+bolted the door and are cooking muffins for your brothers. Let us
+see if we can't get your muffins."
+
+So saying he went round to the back door and entered his house, and
+was greatly perplexed to find his cub torn in two and being roasted,
+his house deserted by his Brāhmin wife, and his property plundered;
+for his wife, before leaving, had taken with her as much of the
+tiger's property as she could conveniently carry.
+
+The tiger now discovered all the treachery of his wife, and his heart
+grieved for the loss of his son, that was now no more. He determined
+to be revenged on his wife, and to bring her back into the wood, and
+there tear her into many pieces in place of only two. But how to bring
+her back? He assumed his original shape of a young bridegroom, making,
+of course, due allowance for the number of years that had passed since
+his marriage, and next morning went to his father-in-law's house. His
+brothers-in-law and his wife saw from a distance the deceitful form
+he had assumed, and devised means to kill him. Meanwhile the tiger
+Brāhmin approached his father-in-law's house, and the old people
+welcomed him. The younger ones too ran here and there to bring
+provisions to feed him sumptuously, and the tiger was highly pleased
+at the hospitable way in which he was received.
+
+There was a ruined well at the back of the house, and the eldest of
+the brothers placed some thin sticks across its mouth, over which
+he spread a fine mat. Now it is usual to ask guests to have an oil
+bath before dinner, and so his three brothers-in-law requested the
+tiger to take his seat on the fine mat for his bath. As soon as he
+sat on it, the thin sticks being unable to bear his weight, gave way,
+and down fell the cunning tiger with a heavy crash! The well was at
+once filled in with stones and other rubbish, and thus the tiger was
+effectually prevented from doing any more mischief.
+
+But the Brāhmin girl, in memory of her having married a tiger, raised
+a pillar over the well and planted a tulasi [62] shrub on the top of
+it. Morning and evening, for the rest of her life, she used to smear
+the pillar with sacred cowdung, and water the tulasi shrub.
+
+This story is told to explain the Tamil proverb, "Summā irukkiraya,
+suruvattai kāttattuma," which means--
+
+"Be quiet, or I shall show you my original shape."
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+XI.
+
+THE GOOD HUSBAND AND THE BAD WIFE.
+
+
+In a remote village there lived a Brāhmin whose good nature and
+charitable disposition were proverbial. Equally proverbial also were
+the ill-nature and uncharitable disposition of the Brāhmanī--his
+wife. But as Paramźsvara (God) had joined them in matrimony, they
+had to live together as husband and wife, though their temperaments
+were so incompatible. Every day the Brāhmin had a taste of his wife's
+ill-temper, and if any other Brāhmin was invited to dinner by him,
+his wife, somehow or other, would manage to drive him away.
+
+One fine summer morning a rather stupid Brāhmin friend of his came
+to visit our hero and was at once invited to dinner. He told his
+wife to have dinner ready earlier than usual, and went off to the
+river to bathe. His friend not feeling very well that day wanted a
+hot bath at the house, and so did not follow him to the river, but
+remained sitting in the outer verandah. If any other guest had come,
+the wife would have accused him of greediness to his face and sent
+him away, but this visitor seemed to be a special friend of her lord,
+so she did not like to say anything; but she devised a plan to make
+him go away of his own accord.
+
+She proceeded to smear the ground before her husband's friend with
+cowdung, and placed in the midst of it a long pestle, supporting
+one end of it against the wall. She next approached the pestle most
+solemnly and performed worship (pūjā) to it. The guest did not in the
+least understand what she was doing, and respectfully asked her what
+it all meant.
+
+"This is what is called pestle worship," she replied. "I do it as a
+daily duty, and this pestle is intended to break the head of some human
+being in honour of a goddess, whose feet are most devoutly worshipped
+by my husband. Every day as soon as he returns from his bath in the
+river, he takes this pestle, which I am ordered to keep ready for him
+before his return, and with it breaks the head of any human being
+whom he has managed to get hold of by inviting him to a meal. This
+is his tribute (dakshinā) to the goddess; to-day you are the victim."
+
+The guest was much alarmed.
+
+"What! break the head of a guest! I at any rate shall not be deceived
+to-day," thought he, and prepared to run away.
+
+The Brāhmin's wife appeared to sympathise with his sad plight,
+and said:--
+
+"Really, I do pity you. But there is one thing you can do now to save
+yourself. If you go out by the front door and walk down the street
+my husband may follow you, so you had better go out by the back door."
+
+To this plan the guest most thankfully agreed, and hastily ran off
+by the back door.
+
+Almost immediately our hero returned from his bath, but before he
+could arrive his wife had cleaned up the place she had prepared for
+the pestle worship, and when the Brāhmin, not finding his friend in
+the house inquired of her as to what had become of him, she said in
+seeming anger:--
+
+"The greedy brute! he wanted me to give him this pestle--this very
+pestle which I brought forty years ago as a dowry from my mother's
+house, and when I refused he ran away by the back-yard in haste."
+
+But her kind-hearted lord observed that he would rather lose the
+pestle than his guest, even though it was a part of his wife's dowry,
+and more than forty years old. So he ran off with the pestle in his
+hand after his friend, crying out,
+
+"Oh Brāhmin! Oh Brāhmin! Stop please, and take the pestle."
+
+But the story told by the old woman now seemed all the more true to
+the guest when he saw her husband running after him, and so he said,
+
+"You and your pestle may go where you please. Never more will you
+catch me in your house," and ran away.
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+XII.
+
+THE GOOD WIFE AND THE BAD HUSBAND. [63]
+
+
+In a remote village there lived a man and his wife, who was a stupid
+little woman and believed everything that was told her. Whenever
+people wanted anything from her they used to come and flatter her;
+but this had to be done in the absence of her husband, because he
+was a very miserly man, and would never part with any of his money,
+for all he was exceedingly rich. Nevertheless, without his knowledge
+cunning beggars would now and then come to his wife and beg of her, and
+they used generally to succeed, as she was so amenable to flattery. But
+whenever her husband found her out he would come down heavily upon her,
+sometimes with words and sometimes with blows. Thus quarrels arose,
+till at last, for the sake of peace, the wife had to give up her
+charitable propensities.
+
+Now there lived in the village a rogue of the first water, who had many
+a time witnessed what took place in the rich miser's family. Wishing
+to revive his old habit of getting what he wanted from the miser's
+wife he watched his opportunity and one day, when the miser had gone
+out on horseback to inspect his land, he came to his wife in the
+middle of the day and fell down at the threshold as if overcome by
+exhaustion. She ran up to him at once and asked him who he was.
+
+"I am a native of Kailāsa," said he, "sent down by an old couple
+living there, for news of their son and his wife."
+
+"Who are those fortunate dwellers on Siva's mountain?" said she.
+
+On this the rogue gave the names of her husband's deceased parents,
+which he had taken good care, of course, to learn from the neighbours.
+
+"Do you really come from them?" said she. "Are they doing well
+there? Dear old people. How glad my husband would be to see you, were
+he here! Sit down please, and take rest awhile till he returns. How
+do they live there? Have they enough to eat and to dress themselves?"
+
+These and a thousand other questions she put to the rogue, who, for
+his part, wanted to get away as quick as possible, as he knew full
+well how he would be treated if the miser should return while he was
+there, so he said:--
+
+"Mother, language has no words to describe the miseries they are
+undergoing in the other world. They have not a rag to cover themselves,
+and for the last six days they have eaten nothing, and have lived on
+water only. It would break your heart to see them."
+
+The rogue's pathetic words fully deceived the good woman, who firmly
+believed that he had come down from Kailāsa, sent by the old couple
+to her.
+
+"Why should they suffer so?" said she, "when their son has plenty to
+eat and to dress himself, and when their daughter-in-law wears all
+sorts of costly ornaments?"
+
+With that she went into the house and came out with two boxes
+containing all the clothes of herself and her husband, and gave
+the whole lot to the rogue, with instructions to take them to her
+poor old people in Kailāsa. She also gave him her jewel box for her
+mother-in-law.
+
+"But dress and jewels will not fill their hungry stomachs," said he.
+
+Requesting him to wait a little, the silly woman brought out her
+husband's cash chest and emptied the contents into the rogue's coat,
+[64] who now went off in haste, promising to give everything to the
+good people in Kailāsa. Our good lady in accordance with etiquette,
+conducted him a few hundred yards along the road and sent news of
+herself through him to her relatives, and then returned home. The
+rogue now tied up all his booty in his coat and ran in haste towards
+the river and crossed over it.
+
+No sooner had our heroine reached home than her husband returned
+after his inspection of his lands. Her pleasure at what she had done
+was so great, that she met him at the door and told him all about the
+arrival of the messenger from Kailāsa, and how she had sent clothes,
+and jewels, and money through him to her husband's parents. The anger
+of her husband knew no bounds. But he checked himself for a while,
+and asked her which road the messenger from Kailāsa had taken, as he
+said he wanted to follow him and send some more news to his parents. To
+this she willingly agreed and pointed out the direction the rogue had
+gone. With rage in his heart at the trick played upon his stupid wife,
+our hero rode on in hot haste, and after a ride of two ghatikās he
+caught sight of the departing rogue, who, finding escape hopeless,
+climbed up into a big pīpal tree. Our hero soon reached the bottom
+of the tree and shouted to the rogue to come down.
+
+"No, I cannot, this is the way to Kailāsa," said the rogue, and
+climbed up on the top of the tree.
+
+Seeing no chance of the rogue's coming down, and as there was no
+third person present to whom he could call for help, our hero tied
+his horse to an adjacent tree and began climbing up the pīpal tree
+himself. The rogue thanked all his gods when he saw this, and waited
+till his enemy had climbed nearly up to him, and then, throwing down
+his bundle of booty, leapt quickly from branch to branch till he
+reached the bottom. He then got upon his enemy's horse, and with his
+bundle rode into a dense forest in which no one was likely to find him.
+
+Our hero being much older in years was no match for the rogue. So
+he slowly came down, and cursing his stupidity in having risked his
+horse to recover his property, returned home at his leisure. His wife,
+who was waiting his arrival, welcomed him with a cheerful countenance
+and said:--
+
+"I thought as much, you have sent away your horse to Kailāsa to be
+used by your father."
+
+Vexed as he was at his wife's words, our hero replied in the
+affirmative to conceal his own stupidity.
+
+Thus, some there are in this world, who, though they may not willingly
+give away anything, pretend to have done so when, by accident, or
+stupidity, they happen to lose it.
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+XIII.
+
+THE LOST CAMEL AND OTHER TALES.
+
+
+FIRST PART.
+
+There was a city called Alakapuri, famous for all the riches that
+sea and land can yield, and inhabited by people speaking different
+languages. In that city reigned a king named Alakesa, who was a
+storehouse of all excellent qualities. He was so just a king that
+during his reign the cow and the tiger amicably quenched their thirst
+side by side in the same pond, the cats and the rats sported in one
+and the same spot, and the kite and the parrot laid their eggs in the
+same nest, as though they were "birds of a feather." [65] The women
+never deviated from the path of virtue, and regarded their husbands
+as gods. Timely rain refreshed the soil, and all Alakesa's subjects
+lived in plenty and happiness. In short, Alakesa was the body, and
+his subjects the soul of that body, for he was upright in all things.
+
+Now there was in Alakapuri a rich merchant who lost a camel one day. He
+searched for it without success in all directions, and at last reached
+a road which he was informed led to another city, called Mathurapuri,
+the king of which was named Mathuresa. He had under him four excellent
+ministers, whose names were Bodhaditya, Bodhachandra, Bodhavyapaka,
+and Bodhavibhishana. These four ministers, being, for some reason,
+displeased with the king, quitted his dominions, and set out for
+another country. As they journeyed along they observed the track of a
+camel, and each made a remark on the peculiar condition of the animal,
+judging from the footsteps and other indications on the road. [66]
+
+Presently they met the merchant who was searching for his camel, and,
+entering into conversation with him, one of the travellers inquired if
+the animal was not lame in one of its legs; another asked if it was not
+blind of the right eye; the third asked if its tail was not unusually
+short; and the fourth inquired if it was not suffering from colic. They
+were all answered in the affirmative by the merchant, who was convinced
+that they must have seen the animal, and eagerly demanded where they
+had seen it. They replied that they had seen traces of the camel,
+but not the camel itself, which being inconsistent with the minute
+description they had given of it, the merchant accused them of having
+stolen the beast, and immediately applied to king Alakesa for redress.
+
+On hearing the merchant's story, the king was equally impressed
+with the belief that the travellers must know what had become of the
+camel, and sending for them threatened them with his displeasure if
+they did not confess the truth. How could they know, he demanded,
+that the camel was lame or blind, or whether the tail was long or
+short, or that it was suffering from any malady, unless they had it
+in their possession? In reply, they each explained the reasons which
+had induced them to express their belief in these particulars. The
+first traveller said:--
+
+"I noticed in the footmarks of the animal that one was deficient,
+and I concluded accordingly that it was lame of one of its legs."
+
+The second said:--"I noticed that the leaves of the trees on the left
+side of the road had been snapped or torn off, whilst those on the
+right side were untouched, whence I concluded that the animal was
+blind of his right eye."
+
+The third said:--"I saw some drops of blood on the road, which I
+conjectured had flowed from the bites of gnats or flies, and I thence
+concluded that the camel's tail was shorter than usual, in consequence
+of which he could not brush the insects away."
+
+The fourth said:--"I observed that while the forefeet of the animal
+were planted firmly on the ground the hind ones appeared to have
+scarcely touched it, whence I guessed that they were contracted by
+pain in the belly of the animal."
+
+When the king heard their explanation he was much struck by the
+sagacity of the travellers, and giving 500 pagodas to the merchant who
+had lost the camel; he made the four young men his principal ministers,
+and bestowed on each of them several villages as free gifts.
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+XIII.
+
+THE THREE CALAMITIES.
+
+
+From that time these four young men became the confidential advisers
+of king Alakesa in all important affairs of state, and, as night is
+the house of sins, they in turn kept a regular watch in the city of
+Alakapuri, each patrolling the streets during three hours of the
+night. Thus they continued to faithfully serve king Alakesa, till
+one night, the First Minister, when his watch was over, proceeded
+as usual, to see whether the royal bedchamber was properly guarded;
+after which he went to the temple of the goddess Kālī, where he heard
+what seemed to him the voice of a woman, lamenting and sobbing in
+great distress. Concealing himself behind the vad-tree of the temple,
+he called out:--
+
+"Who are you, poor woman? and why do you thus weep?"
+
+At once the cries ceased, and a voice from the temple inquired:--
+
+"Who art thou that thus questionest me?"
+
+Then the minister knew that it was Kālī herself who wept; so he threw
+himself on the ground, and, rising up, exclaimed:--
+
+"O, my mother!--Kālī!--Sambhavi!--Mahamayi! [67] Why should you thus
+weep?" quoth Kālī.
+
+"What is the use of my revealing it to thee? Canst thou render any
+assistance?"
+
+The minister said that, if he had but her favour, there was nothing
+he could not do. Then the goddess told him that a calamity was about
+to come upon the king, and fearing that such a good monarch was soon
+to disappear from the world, she wept.
+
+The thought of such a misfortune caused the minister to tremble;
+he fell down before the goddess, and with tears streaming from his
+eyes besought her to save him. Kālī was much gratified to observe
+his devotion to his master, and thus addressed him:--
+
+"Know, then, that your king will be in danger of three calamities
+to-morrow, any one of which will be sufficient to cause his
+death. First of all, early in the morning, there will come to the
+palace several carts containing newly-reaped paddy grains. The king
+will be delighted at this, and immediately order a measure of the
+paddy to be shelled and cooked for his morning meal. Now, the field
+in which that paddy grew is the abode of serpents, two of which
+were fighting together one day, when they emitted poison, which has
+permeated those grains. Therefore, the morning meal of your king will
+contain poison, but only in the first handful will it take effect and
+he will die. Should he escape, another calamity is in store for him
+at noon. The king of Vijayanagara will send to-morrow some baskets of
+sweetmeats; in the first basket he has concealed arrows. King Alakesa,
+suspecting no treachery, will order the first basket to be opened in
+his presence, and will meet his death by that device. And even should
+he escape this second calamity, a third will put an end to his life
+to-morrow night. A deadly serpent will descend into his bed room,
+by means of the chain of his hanging bed, and bite him. But, should
+he be saved from this last misfortune, Alakesa will live long and
+prosperously, till he attains the age of a hundred and twenty years."
+
+Thus spake Kālī, in tones of sorrow, for she feared that the king
+would lose his life by one of these three calamities. The Minister
+prostrated himself on the ground, and said that if the goddess would
+grant him her favour he was confident he could contrive to avert all
+the threatened evils from the king. Kālī smiled and disappeared;
+and the Minister, taking her kind smile as a token of her favour,
+returned home and slept soundly.
+
+As soon as morning dawned, the First Minister arose, and having made
+the customary ablutions, proceeded to the palace. He took care to
+reveal to no one the important secret communicated to him by the
+goddess--not even to his three colleagues. The sun was not yet two
+ghatikās [68] above the horizon when several carts containing the
+finest paddy grains, specially selected for the king's use, came
+into the courtyard of the palace. Alakesa was present, and ordered
+a measure of it to be at once shelled and cooked. The coming in of
+the carts and the king's order so exactly coincided with Kālī's words
+that the Minister began to fear that he was quite unequal to the task
+of averting the fatality; yet the recollection of the smile of the
+goddess inspired him with fresh resolution, and he at once went to
+the palace-kitchen and requested the servants to inform him when the
+king was about to go to dinner. After issuing orders for the storing
+of the grain, king Alakesa retired to perform his morning ablutions
+and other religious duties.
+
+Meanwhile a carriage containing the jars of sweetmeats sent by the
+king of Vijayanagara drove up to the palace, and the emissary who
+accompanied the present, told the royal servants that his master
+had commanded him to deliver it to king Alakesa in person. The
+First Minister well understood the meaning of this, and, promising
+to bring the king, went into the palace, caused one of the servants
+to be dressed like Alakesa, and conducted him to the carriage. The
+officer of the Vijayanagara king placed the first jar before the
+supposed Alakesa, who at once opened it, when lo! there darted forth
+several arrows, one of which pierced his heart, and he fell dead on
+the spot. [69] In an instant the emissary was seized and bound, and
+the officers began to lament the death of their good king. But the
+fatal occurrence spread rapidly through the palace, and soon the real
+Alakesa made his appearance on the scene. The officers now beheld
+one Alakesa dead and fallen to the ground, pierced by the arrow,
+and another standing there alive and well. The First Minister then
+related how, suspecting treachery, he brought out a servant of the
+palace dressed like the king, and how he had been slain in place of his
+royal master. Alakesa thanked the Minister for having so ingeniously
+saved his life, and went into the palace. Thus was one of the three
+calamities to the king averted by the faithful Bodhaditya.
+
+When it was the hour for dinner, the king and his courtiers all sat
+down, with the exception of the First Minister, who remained standing,
+without having taken a leaf for his own use. The king, observing this,
+with a smile pointed out a leaf to him, [70] but Bodhaditya would not
+sit; he wished to be near the king and to abstain from eating on that
+occasion. So the king allowed him to have his own way. The food having
+been served on the leaves, the hands of all, including the king, were
+mingling the rice, ghī, and dhāl for the first course. Near the king
+stood his faithful Minister Bodhaditya, and, when the king raised the
+first handful to his mouth, "Stop, my master," cried he, "I have long
+hoped for this handful as a present to me from your royal hands. I pray
+you give it to me, and feast upon the rest of the rice on your leaf."
+
+This was uttered more in a tone of command than of request, and the
+king was highly incensed at what he naturally considered as insolence
+on the part of the Minister. For such a request, especially when made
+to a king, is deemed nothing less than an insult, while to refuse it
+is equally offensive. So, whatever thoughts may have passed through
+Alakesa's mind, recollecting how the Minister had that morning saved
+his life, he gave him the handful of rice, which Bodhaditya received
+with delight, feeling grateful for the favour of the goddess in being
+the means of averting this second calamity.
+
+Far different, however, were the sentiments of the king and the
+assembled company. One and all declared Bodhaditya to be an insolent,
+proud fellow; but the king, while secretly blaming himself for having
+allowed him to use so much familiarity, suppressed his anger, in
+consideration of the important service the Minister had rendered him.
+
+On the approach of night the heart of the First Minister throbbed
+violently, for the third calamity predicted by the goddess was yet
+to be encountered. His watch being ended, before retiring to rest,
+he went to examine the royal bedroom, where he saw the light burning
+brightly, and the king and queen asleep side by side in the ornamented
+swing cot, which was suspended from the roof by four chains. Presently,
+he perceived, with horror, a fierce black snake, the smell of which
+is enough to kill a man, slowly gliding down the chain near the head
+of the queen. The Minister noiselessly went forward, and with a single
+stroke of his sharp sword, cut the venomous brute in two. Bodhaditya,
+to avoid disturbing any person at such an hour of the night, threw the
+pieces over the canopy of the bed, rejoicing at having thus averted
+the third and last calamity. But a fresh horror then met his eyes;
+a drop of the snake's poison had fallen on the bosom of the queen,
+which was exposed in the carelessness of slumber.
+
+"Alas, sacred goddess," he muttered, "why do you thus raise up new
+obstacles in my efforts to avert the evil which you predicted? I have
+done what I could to save the king, and in this last attempt I have
+killed his beloved queen. What shall I do?"
+
+Having thus briefly reflected, he wiped off the poison from the queen's
+bosom with the tip of his little finger, and, lest the contact of the
+venom with his finger should endanger his own life, he cut the tip
+of it off and threw it on the canopy. Just then the queen awoke, and
+perceiving a man hastily leaving the room, she cried: "Who are you?"
+
+The Minister respectfully answered: "Most venerable mother! I am your
+son, Bodhaditya," and at once retired.
+
+Upon this the queen thought within herself: "Alas! is there such
+a thing as a good man in the world? Hitherto I have regarded this
+Bodhaditya as my son; but now he has basely taken the opportunity
+of thus disgracing me when my lord and I were sound asleep. I shall
+inform the king of this, and have that wretch's head struck off before
+the morning."
+
+Accordingly she gently awakened the king, and with tears trickling
+down her beauteous face, she told him what had occurred, and concluded
+with these words:--"Till now, my lord, I considered that I was wife to
+you alone; but this night your First Minister has made me doubt it,
+since to my question, 'Who are you?' he answered, without any shame,
+'I am Bodhaditya,' and went away."
+
+On hearing of this violation of the sanctity of his bedchamber,
+Alakesa was greatly enraged, and determined to put to death such
+an unprincipled servant, but first to communicate the affair to his
+three other Ministers.
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+XIII.
+
+SECOND PART.
+
+
+When the Second Minister's watch was over, he went to inspect the
+guard at the royal bedchamber, and Alakesa hearing his footsteps
+inquired who was there.
+
+"Your servant, Bodhachandra, most royal lord," was the reply.
+
+"Enter, Bodhachandra," said the king; "I have somewhat to communicate
+to you."
+
+Then Alakesa, almost choking with rage, told him of the gross offence
+of which his colleague the First Minister had been guilty, and demanded
+to know whether any punishment could be too severe. Bodhachandra
+humbled himself before the king, and thus replied--
+
+"My lord, such a crime merits a heavy requital. Can one tie up fire
+in one's cloth and think that as it is but a small spark it will
+do us no harm? How, then, can we excuse even slight deviations from
+the rules of propriety? Therefore, if Bodhaditya be really guilty,
+he must be signally punished. But permit me to represent to your
+Majesty the advisability of carefully inquiring into this matter
+before proceeding to judgment. We ought to ascertain what reasons he
+had for such a breach of the harem rules; for should we, carried away
+by anger, act rashly in this affair, we may repent when repentance is
+of no avail. As an example, I shall, with your Majesty's permission
+relate a story." The king having at once given his consent, the Second
+Minister began to relate the
+
+
+
+STORY OF THE HONEST BUT RASH HUNTER AND HIS FAITHFUL DOG.
+
+There dwelt in a certain forest a hunter named Ugravira, who was lord
+of the woods, and as such, had to pay a fixed sum of money to the king
+of the country. It happened once that the king unexpectedly demanded
+of him one thousand five hundred pons. [71] The hunter sold all his
+property and realised only a thousand pons, and was perplexed how
+to procure the rest of the required amount. At length he bethought
+him of his dog, which was of the best kind, and was beloved by him
+more than anything else in the whole world. He took his dog to an
+adjacent city, where he pledged him to a merchant named Kubera for
+five hundred pons, at the same time giving the merchant his bond
+for the loan. Before going away, the hunter with tears in his eyes,
+thus addressed the intelligent animal:--
+
+"Mrigasimha, [i.e., lion among beasts] O my faithful friend, do not
+leave thy new master until I have paid him back the money I have
+borrowed of him. Obey and serve him, even as thou hast ever obeyed
+and served me."
+
+Some time after this, the merchant Kubera had to leave home and
+proceed with his merchandise to foreign countries: so he called the
+hunter's dog to his side, and bade him watch at his doors and prevent
+the intrusion of robbers and other evil-disposed persons. The dog
+indicated, both by his eyes and his tail, that he perfectly understood
+his instructions. Then the merchant, having enjoined his wife to
+feed the dog three times every day with rice and milk, set out on
+his travels. The dog kept his watch outside the house, and for a few
+days the merchant's wife fed him regularly three times a day. But this
+kind treatment was not to continue. She had for her paramour a wicked
+youth of the Setti caste, who, soon after the departure of Kubera,
+became a constant visitor at the merchant's house. The faithful dog
+instinctively surmised that his new master would not approve of such
+conduct; so one night, when the youth was leaving the house, Mrigasimha
+sprang upon him like an enraged lion, and seizing him by the throat,
+sent the evildoer to the other world. The merchant's wife hearing
+the scuffle, ran to the spot to save her lover, but found him dead.
+
+Though extremely grieved at the loss of her paramour, she had the
+presence of mind to immediately carry the body to the garden at the
+back of the house, where she concealed it in a great pit, and covered
+it with earth and leaves, vainly thinking that she had thus concealed
+her own shame. All this was not done, however, without being observed
+by the watchful dog; and, henceforward, the merchant's wife hated
+him with a deadly hatred. She no longer gave him food, and the poor
+creature was fain to eat such grains of rice as he found adhering to
+the leaves thrown out of the house after meals, still keeping guard
+at the door.
+
+After an absence of two months the merchant returned, and the dog,
+the moment he saw him, ran up to him and rolled himself on the ground
+at his feet; then seizing the merchant's cloth he dragged him to the
+very spot in the garden where the youth's body was hidden, and began
+to scratch the ground, at the same time looking into the merchant's
+face and howling dismally, from which Kubera concluded that the dog
+wished him to examine the place. Accordingly he dug up the spot and
+discovered the body of the youth, whom, indeed, he had suspected
+of being his wife's paramour. In a great fury he rushed into the
+house and commanded his wife, on pain of instant death, to relate the
+particulars of this affair without concealing anything. The wretched
+woman, seeing that her sin was discovered, confessed all, upon which
+her husband exclaimed!--
+
+"Disgrace of womankind! you have not a fraction of the virtue possessed
+by this faithful brute, which you have, out of revenge, allowed to
+starve. But why should I waste words on thee? Happy am I in having no
+children by thee! Depart, and let me see thy face no more." So saying,
+he thrust her out of the house. Then the merchant fed the dog with
+milk, rice and sugar, after which he said to that lion of beasts
+(Mrigasimha, as he was called)--
+
+"Thou trusty friend, language fails to express my gratitude to
+thee. The five hundred pons which I lent thy old master the hunter
+are as nothing compared with thy services to me, by which I consider
+the debt as more than paid. What must be the feelings of the hunter
+without thy companionship? I now give thee leave to return to him."
+
+The merchant took the hunter's bond, and tearing it slightly at the
+top as a token that it was cancelled, he placed it in the dog's mouth
+and sent him back to his former master, and he at once set off towards
+the forest.
+
+Now by this time the hunter had contrived to save up the five
+hundred pons, and with the money and the interest due thereon, he
+was going to the merchant to redeem his bond and reclaim his dog. To
+his great surprise he met Mrigasimha on the way, and as soon as the
+dog perceived him he ran up to him to receive his caresses. But the
+hunter immediately concluded that the poor brute, in his eagerness to
+rejoin him, had run away from the merchant, and determined to put him
+to death. Accordingly he plucked a creeper, and fastening it round the
+dog's neck tied him to a branch of a tree, and the faithful creature,
+who was expecting nothing but kindness from his old master, was by him
+most cruelly strangled. The hunter then continued his journey, and,
+on reaching the merchant's house, he laid down the money before him.
+
+"My dear friend," said Kubera, "the important service your dog
+rendered me in killing my wife's paramour, has amply repaid your
+debt, so I gave him permission to return to you, with your bond in
+his mouth. Did you not meet him on your way? But why do you look so
+horrified? What have you done to the dog?"
+
+The hunter, to whom everything was now only too clear, threw himself
+on the ground, like a huge tree cut at the root, and, after telling
+Kubera how he had inconsiderately slain the faithful dog, stabbed
+himself with his dagger. The merchant grieved at the death both of
+the dog and the hunter, which would not have occurred had he waited
+until Ugravira came to redeem his bond, snatched the weapon out of the
+hunter's breast and also stabbed himself. The news of this tragedy
+soon reached the forest, and the wife of the hunter, not wishing to
+survive her lord, threw herself into a well and was drowned. Lastly,
+even the wife of the merchant, finding that so many fatalities were
+due to her own misconduct, and that she was despised by the very
+children in the streets, put an end to her wretched life.
+
+"Thus," added the Second Minister, "five lives were lost in consequence
+of the hunter's rashness. Wherefore I would respectfully beseech your
+Majesty to investigate the case of Bodhaditya, and to refrain from
+acting merely under the influence of anger."
+
+Having thus spoken, Bodhachandra obtained leave to retire to his
+own house.
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+XIII.
+
+THIRD PART.
+
+
+At the end of the third watch of the night, Bodhavyapaka, the Third
+Minister of king Alakesa, went to see whether the royal bedchamber
+was properly guarded, and the king, summoning him to his presence,
+told him of the First Minister's crime, upon which Bodhavyapaka,
+after making due obeisance, thus spake:--
+
+"Most noble king, such a grave crime should be severely punished,
+but it behoves us not to act before having ascertained that he is
+guilty beyond doubt, for evil are the consequences of precipitation,
+in proof of which I know a story which I will relate, with your
+Majesty's leave."
+
+
+
+STORY OF THE BRĀHMAN'S WIFE AND THE MUNGOOSE.
+
+On the banks of the Ganges, which also flows by the most holy city
+of Banaras, there is a town named Mithila, where dwelt a very poor
+Brāhman called Vidyadhara. He had no children, and to compensate
+for this want, he and his wife tenderly nourished in their house a
+mungoose--a species of weasel. It was their all in all--their younger
+son, their elder daughter--their elder son, their younger daughter,
+so fondly did they regard that little creature. The god Visvesvara
+and his spouse Visalakshi observed this, and had pity for the unhappy
+pair; so by their divine power they blessed them with a son. This
+most welcome addition to their family did not alienate the affections
+of the Brāhman and his wife from the mungoose; on the contrary,
+their attachment increased, for they believed that it was because of
+their having adopted the pet that a son had been born to them. So the
+child and the mungoose were brought up together, as twin brothers,
+in the same cradle.
+
+It happened one day when the Brāhman had gone out to beg alms of the
+pious and charitable, that his wife went into the garden to cull some
+pot-herbs, leaving the child asleep in his cradle, and by his side
+the mungoose kept guard. An old serpent, which was living in the
+well in the garden, crept into the house and under the cradle, and
+was beginning to climb into it to bite the child when the mungoose
+fiercely attacked it and tore it into several pieces, thus saving
+the life of the Brāhman's little son, and the venomous snake, that
+came to slay, itself lay dead beneath the cradle.
+
+Pleased at having performed such an exploit, the mungoose ran into
+the garden to show the Brāhman's wife its blood-smeared mouth, but
+she rashly mistook the deliverer of her child for his destroyer,
+and with one stroke of the knife in her hand with which she was
+cutting herbs she killed the faithful creature, and then hastened
+into the house to see her dead son. But there she found the child
+in his cradle alive and well, only crying at the absence of his
+little companion, the mungoose, and under the cradle lay the great
+serpent cut to pieces. The real state of affairs was now evident,
+and the Brāhman presently returning home, his wife told him of her
+rash act and then put an end to her life. The Brāhman, in his turn,
+disconsolate at the death of the mungoose and his wife, first slew
+his child and then killed himself.
+
+
+
+"And thus," added the Third Minister, "by one rash act four creatures
+perished, so true is it that precipitation results in a series of
+calamities. Do not, then, condemn Bodhaditya before his guilt is
+clearly proved." Alakesa, having given Bodhachandra the signal to
+retire, he quitted the presence and went home.
+
+When the watch of the Fourth Minister, Bodhavibhishana, was terminated,
+he visited the private apartments of the king (who had been meanwhile
+pondering over the stories he had heard), and was called into
+the sleeping chamber by Alakesa, and informed of his colleague's
+unpardonable offence. The Minister, after due prostration, thus
+addressed his royal master:--
+
+"Great king, I can scarcely bring myself to believe that Bodhaditya
+could ever be guilty of such a crime, and I would respectfully remind
+your Majesty that it would not be consistent with your world-wide
+reputation for wisdom and justice were you to pronounce judgment in
+this case without having inquired into all the circumstances. Evil
+and injustice result from hasty decisions and actions, of which a
+striking illustration is furnished in the
+
+
+
+STORY OF THE FAITHLESS WIFE AND THE UNGRATEFUL BLIND MAN.
+
+In the town of Mithila there lived a young Brāhman who, having
+had a quarrel with his father-in-law, set out on a pilgrimage to
+Banaras. Going through a forest he met a blind man, whose wife was
+leading him by means of a stick, one end of which she held in her
+hand, and her husband holding the other end was following her. She was
+young and fair of face, and the pilgrim made signs to her that she
+should go with him and leave her blind husband behind. The proposal
+thus signified pleased this wanton woman, so she bade her husband
+sit under a tree for a few minutes while she went and plucked him
+a ripe mango. The blind man sat down accordingly, and his wife went
+away with the Brāhman. After waiting a long time in expectation of
+his wife's return, and no person coming near him, (for it was an
+unfrequented place), her infidelity became painfully apparent to him,
+and he bitterly cursed both her and the villain who had enticed her
+away from him. For six days he remained at the foot of the tree,
+in woeful condition, without a morsel of rice or a drop of water,
+and he was well nigh dead, when at length he heard the sound of
+footsteps near him, and cried faintly for help. A man of the Setti
+caste and his wife came up to him, and inquired how he happened to be
+in such a plight. The blind man told them how his wife had deserted
+him, and gone away with a young Brāhman whom they had met, leaving
+him there alone and helpless. His story excited the compassion of the
+Setti and his wife. They gave him to eat of the small quantity of rice
+they had with them, and, having supplied him with water to quench his
+thirst, the Setti bade his wife lead him with his stick. The woman,
+though somewhat reluctant to walk thus in company with a man who
+was not her husband, yet, reflecting that charitable actions ought
+never to be left undone, complied with her lord's request, and began
+to lead the blind man. After travelling in this manner for a day,
+the three reached a town, and took up their abode for the night in
+the house of a friend of the Setti, where the latter and his wife
+gave the blind man a share of their rice before tasting a morsel
+themselves. At daybreak the next morning they advised him to try to
+provide for himself in some way in that town, and prepared to resume
+their journey. But the blind man, forgetting all the kindness they
+had shown him, began to raise an alarm, crying out:--
+
+"Is there no king in this city to protect me and give me my
+rights? Here is a Setti rascal taking away my wife with him! As I am
+blind, she denies that I am her husband, and follows that rogue! But
+will not the king give me justice?"
+
+The people in the street at once reported these words to the king,
+who caused inquiry to be made into the matter. The fact of the Setti's
+wife having led the blind man, seemed to indicate that the latter,
+and not the Setti, was the woman's husband, and foolishly concluded
+that both the Setti and his wife were the real criminals. Accordingly
+he sentenced the Setti to the gallows, because he attempted to entice
+away a married woman, and his wife to be burnt in the kiln, as she
+wished to forsake her husband, and he a blind man. When these sentences
+were pronounced the blind man was thunder-struck. The thought that
+by a deliberate lie he had caused the death of two innocent persons
+now stung him to the heart. By this lie he expected that the Setti
+only should be punished, and that his wife would be made over to him
+as his own wife, but now he found she also was condemned to death.
+
+"Vile wretch that I am!" said he; "I do not know what sins I committed
+in my former life to be thus blind now. My real wife, too, deserted me;
+and I, heaping sins upon sins, have now by a false report sent to death
+an innocent man and his wife, who rescued me from a horrible fate and
+tended to all my wants last night. O, Mahźsvara! what punishment you
+have in reserve for me I know not."
+
+This soliloquy, being overheard by some by-standers, was communicated
+to the king, who bitterly reproaching himself for having acted so
+rashly, at once released the good Setti and his wife, and caused the
+ungrateful blind man to be burnt in the kiln.
+
+"Thus, you see, my lord," added the fourth Minister, "how
+nearly that king had plunged himself into a gulf of crime by his
+rashness. Therefore, my most noble king, I would respectfully and
+humbly request you to consider well the case of Bodhaditya, and punish
+him severely if he be found really guilty."
+
+
+
+Having thus spoken, the Fourth Minister obtained leave to depart.
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+XIII.
+
+FOURTH PART.
+
+
+The night was now over: darkness, the harbourer of vice, fled away;
+the day dawned. King Alakesa left his bedchamber, bathed and made his
+religious ablutions, and, after breakfasting, summoned a council of all
+his father's old ministers and advisers. Alakesa took his seat in the
+midst of the assembly; anger was clearly visible in his countenance;
+his eyes had lost their natural expression and had turned very red;
+his breath was as hot as that of a furnace. He thus addressed them:--
+
+"Know ye all, the ministers of my father and of myself, that last
+night, during the first watch, my First Minister, Bodhaditya, while
+I and my queen were asleep in our chamber, came and touched with his
+finger the bosom of my queen. Consider well the gravity of this crime,
+and express your opinions as to what punishment he merits."
+
+Thus spake king Alakesa, but all the ministers, not knowing what answer
+to return, hung down their heads in silence. Among those present was
+an aged minister named Manuniti, who called Bodhaditya to his side
+and privately learned the whole story. He then humbly bowed before
+the king, and thus spake:--
+
+"Most noble king, men are not always all-wise, and, before replying to
+your Majesty's question, I beg permission to relate in your presence
+the story of a king in whose reign a certain benevolent action was
+repaid with disgrace and ignominy:--
+
+
+
+STORY OF THE WONDERFUL MANGO FRUIT.
+
+On the banks of the Kāvźrī there was a city called Tiruvidaimarudur,
+where ruled a king named Chakraditya. In that city there lived a
+poor Brāhman and his wife, who, having no children, brought up in
+their house a young parrot as tenderly as if it had been their own
+offspring. One day the parrot was sitting on the roof of the house,
+basking itself in the morning sun, when a large flock of parrots flew
+past, talking to each other about certain mango fruits. The Brāhman's
+parrot asked them what were the peculiar properties of those fruits,
+and was informed that beyond the seven oceans there was a great mango
+tree, the fruit of which gave perpetual youth to the person who ate
+of it, however old and infirm he might be. On hearing of this wonder
+the Brāhman's parrot requested permission to accompany them, which
+being granted, they all continued their flight. When at length they
+arrived at the mango tree, all ate of its fruit; but the Brāhman's
+parrot reflected:--
+
+"It would not be right for me to eat this fruit; I am young, while
+my adopted parents, the poor Brāhman and his wife are very old. So I
+shall give them this fruit, and they will become young and blooming
+by eating it."
+
+And that same evening the good parrot brought the fruit to the Brāhman,
+and explained to him its extraordinary properties. But the Brāhman
+thought within himself:--
+
+"I am a beggar. What matters it if I become young and live for ever,
+or else die this very moment? Our king is very good and charitable. If
+such a great man should eat of this fruit and renew his youth, he
+would confer the greatest benefit on mankind. Therefore I will give
+this mango to our good king."
+
+In pursuance of this self-denying resolution, the poor Brāhman
+proceeded to the palace and presented the fruit to the king, at the
+same time relating how he had obtained it and its qualities. The king
+richly rewarded the Brāhman for his gift, and sent him away. Then he
+began to reflect thus:--
+
+"Here is a fruit which can bestow perpetual youth on the person who
+eats it. I should gain this great boon for myself alone, and what
+happiness could I expect under such circumstances unless shared by
+my friends and subjects? I shall therefore not eat this mango-fruit,
+but plant it carefully in my garden, and it will in time become a
+tree, which will bear much fruit having the same wonderful virtue,
+and my subjects shall, every one, eat of the fruit, and, with myself,
+be endowed with everlasting youth."
+
+So, calling his gardener, the king gave him the fruit, and he planted
+it in the royal presence. In due course of time the fruit grew
+into a fine tree, and during the spring season it began to bud and
+blossom and bear fruit. The king, having fixed upon an auspicious
+day for cutting one of the mango-fruits, gave it to his domestic
+chaplain, who was ninety years old, in order that his youth should
+be renewed. But no sooner had the priest tasted it than he fell down
+dead. At this unexpected calamity the king was both astonished and
+deeply grieved. When the old priest's wife heard of her husband's
+sudden death she came and prayed the king to allow her to perform sati
+with him on the same funeral pyre, which increased the king's sorrow;
+but he gave her the desired permission, and himself superintended
+all the ceremonies of the cremation. King Chakraditya then sent for
+the poor Brāhman, and demanded of him how he had dared to present a
+poisonous fruit to his king. The Brāhman replied:--
+
+"My lord, I brought up a young parrot in my house, in order to console
+me for having no son. That parrot brought me the fruit one day,
+and told me of its wonderful properties. Believing that the parrot
+spoke the truth, I presented it to your Majesty, never for a moment
+suspecting it to be poisonous."
+
+The king listened to the poor Brāhman's words, but thought that the
+poor priest's death should be avenged. So he consulted his ministers
+who recommended, as a slight punishment, that the Brāhman should
+be deprived of his left eye. This was done accordingly, and, on his
+return home, when his wife saw his condition, she asked the reason
+of such mutilation.
+
+"My dear," said she, "the parrot we have fostered so tenderly is the
+cause of this."
+
+And they resolved to break the neck of the treacherous bird. But the
+parrot, having overheard their conversation, thus addressed them:--
+
+"My kind foster parents, everyone must be rewarded for the good actions
+or punished for the evil deeds of his previous life. I brought you the
+fruit with a good intention, but my sins in my former life have given
+it a different effect. Therefore I pray you to kill me and bury me
+with a little milk in a pit. And, after my funeral ceremony is over,
+I request you to undertake a pilgrimage to Banaras to expiate your
+own sins."
+
+So the old Brāhman and his wife killed their pet parrot and buried
+it as directed, after which, overcome with grief, they set out on a
+pilgrimage to the Holy City.
+
+Meanwhile the king commanded his gardener to set guards over the
+poison-tree, and to allow no one to eat of its fruit; and all the
+inhabitants soon came to know that the king had a mango tree in
+his garden, the fruit of which was deadly poison. Now, there was
+in the city an old washerwoman, who had frequent quarrels with her
+daughter-in-law, and one day, being weary of life, she left the house,
+threatening to eat of the poison tree and die.
+
+The young parrot who was killed for having brought the poisonous
+mango-fruit was re-born as a green parrot, and was waiting for an
+opportunity to demonstrate the harmless nature of the tree; and when he
+saw the old woman approach with a determination to put an end to her
+life by eating of its fruit, he plucked one with his beak and dropped
+it down before her. The old woman rejoiced that fate sanctioned her
+death, and greedily ate the fruit, when lo! instead of dying she
+became young and blooming again. Those who had seen her leave the
+house a woman over sixty years of age were astonished on seeing her
+return as a handsome girl of sixteen and learning that the wonderful
+transformation was caused by the supposed poisonous mango-tree.
+
+The strange news soon reached the king, who, in order to test the tree
+still further, ordered another fruit of it to be brought and gave it
+to a goldsmith of more than ninety years of age, who had embezzled
+some gold which had been entrusted to him to make into ornaments
+for the ladies of the palace, and was on that account undergoing
+imprisonment. When he had eaten the fruit, he, in his turn, became
+a young man of sixteen. The king was now convinced that the fruit
+of the mango-tree, so far from being poisonous, had the power of
+converting decrepit age into lusty and perennial youth. But how had
+the old priest died by eating of it?
+
+It was by a mere accident. One day a huge serpent was sleeping on a
+branch of the mango-tree, and its head hung over one of the fruit;
+poison dropped from its mouth and fell on the rind of that fruit;
+the gardener, who had no knowledge of this, when asked to bring a
+fruit for the priest, happened to bring the one on which the poison
+had fallen, and the priest having eaten it, died.
+
+And now the king caused proclamation to be made throughout his kingdom
+that all who pleased might come and partake of the mango-fruit, and
+everyone ate of it and became young. But king Chakaraditya's heart
+burnt within him at the remembrance of his ill-treatment of the poor
+Brāhman, who had returned with his wife from Banaras. So he sent
+for him, explained his mistake, and gave him a fruit to eat, which,
+having tasted, the aged Brāhman became young and his eye was also
+restored to him. But the greatest loss of all, that of the parrot who
+brought the fruit from beyond the seven oceans, remained irreparable.
+
+
+
+"Thus, my lord," continued the old minister, Manuniti, "it behoves us
+not to act precipitately in this affair of Bodhaditya, which we must
+carefully sift before expressing our opinion as to the punishment he
+may deserve at your majesty's hands."
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+XIII.
+
+FIFTH PART.
+
+
+When Manuniti had concluded his story of the wonderful mango-fruit,
+king Alakesa ordered his four ministers to approach the throne,
+and then, with an angry countenance he thus addressed Bodhaditya:--
+
+"What excuse have you for entering my bedchamber without permission,
+thus violating the rules of the harem?"
+
+Bodhaditya humbly begged leave to relate to his majesty a story of
+how a Brāhman fed a hungry traveller and had afterwards to endure the
+infamy of having caused that traveller's death, and on king Alakesa
+signifying his consent, he thus began:--
+
+
+
+STORY OF THE POISONED FOOD.
+
+There was a city called Vijayanagara, to the north of which flowed
+a small river with mango topes [72] on both banks. One day a young
+Brāhmin pilgrim came and sat down to rest by the side of the stream,
+and, finding the place very cool and shady, he resolved to bathe,
+perform his religious ablutions, and make his dinner off the rice
+which he carried tied up in a bundle.
+
+Three days before there had come to the same spot an old Brāhmin whose
+years numbered more than three score and ten; he had quarrelled with
+his family, and had fled from his house to die. Since he had reached
+that place he had tasted no food, and the young pilgrim found him lying
+in a pitiable state, and placed near him a portion of his rice. The old
+man arose, and proceeded to the rivulet in order to wash his feet and
+hands, and pronounce a holy incantation or two before tasting the food.
+
+While thus engaged a kite, carrying in its beak a huge serpent,
+alighted upon the tree at the foot of which was the rice given by
+the pilgrim to the old man, and while the bird was feasting on the
+serpent some of its poison dropped on the rice, and the old Brāhmin,
+in his hunger, did not observe it on his return; he greedily devoured
+some of the rice, and instantly fell down dead.
+
+The young pilgrim, seeing him prostrate on the ground, ran to help
+him, but found that life was gone; and concluding that the old man's
+hasty eating after his three days' fast must have caused his death,
+and being unwilling to leave his corpse to be devoured by kites and
+jackals, he determined to cremate it before resuming his journey. With
+this object he ran to the neighbouring village, and, reporting to the
+people what had occurred on the tope, requested their assistance in
+cremating the old man's body.
+
+The villagers, however, suspected that the young pilgrim had killed
+and robbed the old Brāhmin; so they laid hold of him, and, after
+giving him a severe flogging, imprisoned him in the village temple
+of Kālī. Alas! what a reward was this for his kind hospitality! and
+how was he repaid for his beneficence!
+
+The unhappy pilgrim gave vent to his sorrows in the form of verses
+in praise of the goddess in whose temple he was a prisoner; for he
+was a great Pandit, versed in the four Vźdas, and the six Sāstras,
+and the sixty-four varieties of knowledge. On hearing the pilgrim's
+verses, the rage of the goddess descended upon the villagers, who
+had so rashly accused and punished him for a crime of which he was
+innocent. Suddenly the whole village was destroyed by fire, and the
+people lost all their property, and were houseless. In their extremity
+they went to the temple of Kālī, and humbly requested the goddess to
+inform them of the cause of the calamity which had thus unexpectedly
+come upon them. The goddess infused herself into the person of one
+of the villagers, and thus responded:--
+
+"Know ye, unkind villagers, that ye have most unjustly scourged
+and imprisoned in our presence an innocent, charitable, and pious
+Brāhmin. The old man died from the effects of the poison, which dropped
+from a serpent's mouth on some rice at the foot of a tree when it
+was being devoured by a kite. Ye did not know of this; nevertheless
+ye have maltreated a good man without first making due inquiry as to
+his guilt or innocence. For this reason we visited your village with
+this calamity. Beware, and henceforward avoid such sins."
+
+So saying, Kālī departed from the person through whom she had
+manifested herself. [73] Then the villagers perceived the grievous
+error into which they had fallen. They released the good pilgrim and
+implored his forgiveness, which he readily granted. And thus was an
+innocent man charged with murder in return for his benevolent actions.
+
+"Even so," continued Bodhaditya, "my most noble sovereign, I have
+this day had to endure the infamy of having violated the harem for
+saving your valuable life."
+
+He then sent for a thief who was undergoing imprisonment, and gave
+him the handful of rice which he had the preceding day snatched
+from the king at dinner, and the thief having eaten it, instantly
+died. He next caused a servant to go to the royal bed-chamber, and
+fetch from the canopy of the couch the pieces of the serpent and his
+little finger-tip, which he laid before the wonder-struck king and
+the counsellors, and then addressed his majesty as follows:--
+
+"My most noble king, and ye wise counsellors, it is known to you
+all that we four ministers keep watch over the town during the four
+quarters of the night, and mine is the first watch. Well, while I
+was on duty the day before yesterday, I heard a weeping voice in the
+direction of the temple. I proceeded to the spot, and discovered the
+goddess sobbing bitterly. She related to me how three calamities
+awaited the king on the morrow. The first of them was the arrows
+despatched by the king of Vijayanagara as sweetmeats to our Sovereign;
+the second was the poisoned rice, and the third the serpent. In trying
+to avert these calamities, I have committed the offence of entering
+the harem."
+
+
+
+And he thereupon explained the whole affair from first to last.
+
+King Alakesa and the whole assembly were highly delighted at the
+fidelity and devotion of Bodhaditya; for it was now very evident
+that he had done nothing amiss, but had saved the life of the king
+on three occasions, and indeed also the life of the queen by wiping
+off the serpent's poison which had fallen on her bosom. Then Alakesa
+related the following story in explanation of the proverb:--
+
+
+
+"EATING UP THE PROTECTOR." [74]
+
+In the country of Uttara there lived a Brāhmin named Kusalanatha,
+who had a wife and six sons. All lived in a state of prosperity for
+some time, but the entrance of Saturn into the Brāhmin's horoscope
+turned everything upside down. The once prosperous Brāhmin became poor,
+and was reduced to go to the neighbouring woods to gather bamboo rice
+with which to feed his hungry family. [75]
+
+One day while plucking the bamboo ears, he saw a bush close by
+in flames, in the midst of which was a serpent struggling for its
+life. The Brāhmin at once ran to its rescue, and stretching towards
+it a long green stick the reptile crept on to it and escaped from the
+flames, and then spread its hood and with a hissing sound approached
+to sting its rescuer. The Brāhmin began to weep and bewail his folly in
+having saved the ungrateful creature, at which the serpent asked him:--
+
+"O Brāhmin, why do you weep?"
+
+Said the old man: "You now purpose to kill me; is this the reward
+for my having saved your life?"
+
+"True, you have rescued me from a terrible death, but how am I to
+appease my hunger?" replied the serpent.
+
+And quoth the Brāhmin, "You speak of your hunger, but who is to feed
+my old wife and six hungry children at my house?"
+
+The serpent, seeing the anxiety of the Brāhmin, emitted a precious
+gem from its hood, and bade him take it home and give it to his
+wife for household expenses, after which to return to the wood to be
+devoured. The old man agreed, and, solemnly promising to return without
+fail, went home. Having given the gem to his family, and told them
+of his pact with the serpent, the Brāhmin went back to the wood. The
+serpent had meanwhile reflected upon its own base ingratitude.
+
+"Is it right," said it to itself, "to kill him who saved me from the
+flames? No! I shall rather perish of hunger, if I cannot find a prey
+to-day, than slay my protector."
+
+So when the old Brāhmin appeared, true to his word, the serpent
+presented him with another valuable gem, and after expressing a wish
+that he should live long and happily with his wife and children,
+went its own way, while the Brāhmin returned joyously to his home.
+
+"Even as the serpent purposed acting towards its benefactor," continued
+the king, "so did I, in my rage, intend putting to death my faithful
+minister and the protector of my life, Bodhaditya; and to free myself
+from this grievous sin there is no penance I should not undergo."
+
+
+
+Then king Alakesa ordered a thousand Brāhmins to be fed every day
+during his life, and many rich gifts to be distributed in temples as
+atonement for his great error. And from that day Bodhaditya and his
+three colleagues enjoyed still more of the royal favour. With those
+four faithful ministers king Alakesa lived a most happy life and had
+a most prosperous reign.
+
+May there be prosperity to all!
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+XIV.
+
+THE MONKEY WITH THE TOM-TOM. [76]
+
+
+In a remote wood there lived a monkey, and one day while he was eating
+wood-apples, a sharp thorn from the tree ran into the tip of his tail,
+he tried his best to get it out but could not. So he proceeded to
+the nearest village, and calling the barber asked him to oblige him
+by removing the thorn.
+
+"Friend barber," said the monkey, "a thorn has run into my tail. Kindly
+remove it and I will reward you."
+
+The barber took up his razor and began to examine the tail; but as he
+was cutting out the thorn he cut off the tip of the tail. The monkey
+was greatly enraged and said:--
+
+"Friend barber, give me back my tail. If you cannot do that, give me
+your razor."
+
+The barber was now in a difficulty, and as he could not replace the
+tip of the tail he had to give up his razor to the monkey.
+
+The monkey, went back to the wood with his razor thus trickishly
+acquired. On the way he met an old woman, who was cutting fuel from
+a dried-up tree.
+
+"Grandmother, grandmother," said the monkey, "the tree is very
+hard. You had better use this sharp razor, and you will cut your
+fuel easily."
+
+The poor woman was very pleased, and took the razor from the monkey. In
+cutting the wood she, of course, blunted the razor, and the monkey
+seeing his razor thus spoiled, said:--
+
+"Grandmother, you have spoiled my razor. So you must either give me
+your fuel or get me a better razor."
+
+The woman was not able to procure another razor. So she gave the
+monkey her fuel and returned to her house bearing no load that day.
+
+The roguish monkey now put the bundle of dry fuel on his head and
+proceeded to a village to sell it. There he met an old woman seated
+by the roadside and making puddings. Said the monkey to her:--
+
+"Grandmother, grandmother, you are making puddings and your fuel is
+already exhausted. Use mine also and make more cakes."
+
+The old lady thanked him for his kindness and used his fuel for her
+puddings. The cunning monkey waited till the last stick of his fuel
+was burnt up, and then he said to the old woman:--
+
+"Grandmother, grandmother, return me my fuel or give me all your
+puddings."
+
+She was unable to return him the fuel, and so had to give him all
+her puddings.
+
+The monkey with the basket of puddings on his head walked and walked
+till he met a Paraiya [77] coming with a tom-tom towards him.
+
+"Brother Paraiya," said the monkey, "I have a basketful of puddings
+to give you. Will you, in return, present me with your tom-tom?"
+
+The Paraiya gladly agreed, as he was then very hungry, and had nothing
+with him to eat.
+
+The monkey now ascended with the tom-tom to the topmost branch of a
+big tree and there beat his drum most triumphantly, saying in honour
+of his several tricks:--
+
+"I lost my tail and got a razor; dum dum." [78]
+
+"I lost my razor and got a bundle of fuel; dum dum."
+
+"I lost my fuel and got a basket of puddings; dum dum".
+
+"I lost my puddings and got a tom-tom; dum dum."
+
+Thus there are rogues in this innocent world, who live to glory over
+their wicked tricks.
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+XV.
+
+PRIDE GOETH BEFORE A FALL.
+
+
+Corresponding to this English proverb, there is one in Tamil--Ahambhā
+vam ālai alikkum--"Self-pride brings destruction;" and the following
+story is related by the common folk to illustrate it.
+
+In a certain village there lived ten cloth merchants, who always
+went about together. Once upon a time they had travelled far afield,
+and were returning home with a great deal of money which they had
+obtained by selling their wares. Now there happened to be a dense
+forest near their village, and this they reached early one morning. In
+it there lived three notorious robbers, of whose existence the traders
+had never heard, and while they were still in the middle of it, the
+robbers stood before them, with swords and cudgels in their hands,
+and ordered them to lay down all they had. The traders had no weapons
+with them, and so, though they were many more in number, they had
+to submit themselves to the robbers, who took away everything from
+them, even the very clothes they wore, and gave to each only a small
+loin-cloth (langōtī), a span in breadth and a cubit in length.
+
+The idea that they had conquered ten men, and plundered all their
+property, now took possession of the robbers' minds. They seated
+themselves like three monarchs before the men they had plundered, and
+ordered them to dance to them before returning home. The merchants now
+mourned their fate. They had lost all they had, except their chief
+essential, the langōtī, and still the robbers were not satisfied,
+but ordered them to dance.
+
+There was, among the ten merchants, one who was very intelligent. He
+pondered over the calamity that had come upon him and his friends,
+the dance they would have to perform, and the magnificent manner in
+which the three robbers had seated themselves on the grass. At the
+same time he observed that these last had placed their weapons on
+the ground, in the assurance of having thoroughly cowed the traders,
+who were now commencing to dance. So he took the lead in the dance,
+and, as a song is always sung by the leader on such occasions, to
+which the rest keep time with hands and feet, he thus began to sing:--
+
+
+                Nāmānum puli per,
+                Tālanum tiru pźr:
+                Sāvana tālanai
+                Tiruvanan suttinān,
+                Sāvana tālan mīdi
+                Tā tai tōm tadingana.
+
+                "We are puli men,
+                They are tiru men:
+                If one sā man,
+                Surrounds tiru men.
+                Sa man remains.
+                Tā, tai, tōm, tadingana."
+
+
+The robbers were all uneducated, and thought that the leader was
+merely singing a song as usual. So it was in one sense; for the leader
+commenced from a distance, and had sung the song over twice, before
+he and his companions commenced to approach the robbers. They had
+understood his meaning, which, however, even to the best educated,
+unless trained to the technical expressions of trade, would have
+remained a riddle.
+
+When two traders discuss the price of an article in the presence of
+a purchaser, they use an enigmatic form of language.
+
+"What is the price of this cloth?" one trader will ask another.
+
+"Puli rupees," another will reply, meaning "ten rupees."
+
+Thus, there is no possibility of the purchaser knowing what is meant
+unless he be acquainted with trade technicalities. [79] By the rules of
+this secret language tiru means "three," puli means "ten," and sāvana
+(or shortly sa) means "one." So the leader by his song meant to hint
+to his fellow-traders that they were ten men, the robbers only three,
+that if three pounced upon each of the robbers, nine of them could hold
+them down, while the remaining one bound the robbers' hands and feet.
+
+The three thieves, glorying in their victory, and little understanding
+the meaning of the song and the intentions of the dancers, were proudly
+seated chewing betel and tambāk (tobacco). Meanwhile the song was
+sung a third time. Tā tai tōm had left the lips of the singer; and,
+before tadingana was out of them, the traders separated into parties
+of three, and each party pounced upon a thief. The remaining one--the
+leader himself, for to him the other nine left the conclusion--tore
+up into long narrow strips a large piece of cloth, six cubits long,
+and tied the hands and feet of the robbers. These were entirely
+humbled now, and rolled on the ground like three bags of rice!
+
+The ten traders now took back all their property, and armed themselves
+with the swords and cudgels of their enemies; and when they reached
+their village, they often amused their friends and relatives by
+relating their adventure. [80]
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+XVI.
+
+GOOD WILL GROW OUT OF GOOD.
+
+
+In a certain town there reigned a king named Patnīpriya, [81] to whose
+court, a poor old Brāhmin, named Pāpabhīru, [82] came every morning,
+with a yellow lime in his hand, and presenting it to the king,
+pronounced a benediction in Tamil:--
+
+
+            Nanmai vidaittāl, nanmai vilaiyum:
+            Tīmai vidaittāl, tīmai vijaiyum:
+            Nanmaiyum tīmaiyum pinvara kānalām.
+
+            "If good is sown, then good will grow:
+            If bad is sown, then bad will grow:
+            Thus good or bad the end will show."
+
+
+The king respected as much the noble benediction of the Brāhman as
+he did his grey hairs.
+
+In this way the presentation of the fruit continued daily, though
+the Brāhmin had nothing to request from the king, but simply wished
+to pay his respects. On observing that he had no ulterior motives,
+but was merely actuated by rājasźvana, or duty to his king, the king's
+admiration for his old morning visitor increased the more.
+
+After presenting the fruit the Brāhmin waited upon his sovereign till
+his pūjā [83] was over, and then went home where his wife kept ready
+for him all the requisites for his own pūjā. Pāpabhīru then partook
+of what dinner his wife had prepared for him. Sometimes, however,
+a Brāhmin neighbour sent him an invitation to dinner, which he at
+once accepted. For his father, before he breathed his last, had
+called him to his bedside, and, pronouncing his last benediction,
+had thus advised him in Tamil:--
+
+
+            Kālai sōttai tallāde,
+            Kannil Kandadai sollāde,
+            Rājanukku payandu nada."
+
+            "Morning meal do thou never spurn,
+            Nor say thou what thine eyes discern,
+            But serve thy king for fame to earn."
+
+
+Thus it was that Pāpabhīru began his visits to the king, nor did he
+ever reject an invitation to dinner, though it might come at a very
+inconvenient time.
+
+Now on a certain źkādasi [84] morning, Pāpabhīru went to the king
+to pay his respects as usual, with the lime and the benediction, but
+found that he had gone to his pūjā and so followed him there. On seeing
+the Brāhmin, the king's face glowed with pleasure, and he said:--
+
+"My most revered god on earth, [85] I thought that some ill must have
+befallen you, when I missed you in the council-hall this morning;
+but praised be Paramźsvara for having sent you to me, though it is
+a little late. I never do my pūjā without placing my scimitar by the
+side of the god, but last night I left it in my queen's room. It is
+under the pillow of the couch on which I usually sleep. Until you
+came I could find no suitable person to fetch it for me, and so I have
+waited for you. Would you kindly take the trouble to fetch it for me?"
+
+The poor Brāhmin was only too glad of the opportunity thus presented
+to him of serving his king, and so he ran to the harem and into the
+room where the king usually slept. The queen was a very wicked woman
+and always having secret meetings with courtiers of her husband, so
+when Pāpabhīru returned he surprised the queen and one of her lovers
+walking in the garden, he went through, however, to the king's room,
+and lifting up the king's pillow felt for the scimitar, and went
+away. True however, to his father's words, "Nor say thou what thine
+eyes discern," he never opened his lips and went his way with a
+heavy heart.
+
+The queen and her wicked suitor were greatly alarmed.
+
+"That rogue of an old Brāhmin has seen us and may report to the king
+at the first opportunity," faltered the minister.
+
+But the queen, as bold in words as in sin, said; "I will have him
+murdered before the sun rises. Wait you here. I shall inform the king
+of what is to be done and report the result to you, and then you may
+go home."
+
+So saying, she went and stood before her royal husband who was at
+his worship. Patnīpriya rose up and asked her the reason of her
+sudden appearance.
+
+Said she, "Your Majesty seems to think the whole world as innocent
+as yourself. That wretched old Brāhmin, though his hair is as white
+as milk, has not forgotten his younger days, he asked me to run away
+with him. If you do not order his death before to-morrow morning,
+I shall kill myself."
+
+The king was much vexed with what he heard, and all the regard he had
+for the Brāhmin disappeared at once. He called two of his executioners
+and spoke to them thus before his wife:--
+
+"Take to the east gate of the town a large iron caldron, and keep it
+boiling to the brim with gingely oil. [86] A certain person shall
+come to you in the morning and ask you, 'Is it all done?' Without
+observing who he is, tie his hands and feet and throw him into the
+boiling oil. When he has been boiled to death, put out the fire and
+empty out the oil."
+
+The executioners received the order and went away to perform
+their terrible duty. The queen, too, glad at heart at having thus
+successfully arranged for the murder of the Brāhmin, reported the
+fact to the minister, but said nothing about the special question to
+be put by the victim. The minister, much pleased, went to his palace
+and waited for news of the Brāhmin's death.
+
+When his pūjā was over the king sent for Pāpabhīru, and the poor
+Brāhmin, never having before been sent for at such a time, made his
+appearance with a beating heart. When he arrived the king, in order
+to arouse no suspicion in his mind, said gently to him:--
+
+"My dear Brāhmin, to-morrow morning, when you go to make your
+ablutions, pass by the east gate. There you will see two persons
+seated by the side of a large caldron. Ask them, 'Is it all done?' And
+whatever reply they give you, come and communicate to me."
+
+Thus spoke the king, firmly believing that Pāpabhīru would never
+return to him; while the Brāhmin, glad to be able to serve the king
+a second time next morning, went home and slept soundly. Early in
+the morning, even a ghatikā before his usual time, he got up, and,
+placing on his head a bag containing dry clothes, proceeded to the
+river for his morning bath. He took the road to the eastern gate as
+he had been ordered, but had not walked far when a friend invited
+him to a dvādasi [87] breakfast.
+
+"My poor old mother did not taste even a drop of water the whole of the
+źkādasi, (yesterday). Rice and hot water for a bath are ready. Pour a
+little of the water over your head, [88] pronounce one gāyatrī [89]
+and taste a handful of rice. Whatever may be the urgency of your
+business, oblige me for my poor mother's sake."
+
+Thus spoke his friend, and Pāpabhīru, out of regard to his father's
+order never to spurn a morning meal, ran in haste into his friend's
+house to oblige him; the king's order all the while sitting heavily
+on his mind.
+
+Meanwhile the minister was most anxious to hear the news of the
+Brāhmin's death, but was afraid to send any one to inquire about it,
+lest he should arouse suspicion. So he went himself to the east gate,
+as soon as the sun had risen, and asked the executioners, sitting by
+the side of the caldron, by way of a simple question: "Is the business
+all done?" And as they were instructed not to observe who the person
+was that came to question them, but to tie him up and boil him in the
+oil, they, notwithstanding his howls, bound him and threw him in. As
+soon as he was dead, they extinguished the fire, poured out the oil,
+turned over the caldron, corpse and all.
+
+The Brāhmin finished his dvādasi breakfast, in great haste, and,
+with the betel leaf still in his hand, ran to the gate to inquire of
+the persons seated by the caldron whether it was all done. When he
+put them the question, they smilingly replied:--
+
+"Yes, Sir, it is all done. The minister is boiled to death. We gave
+full execution to the king's orders. You may go and report the affair
+to him."
+
+The Brāhmin, not knowing the reason for the course events had taken,
+ran back and reported the reply of the executioners to the king. The
+minister's interference in the affair at once kindled suspicion in the
+king's mind. He unsheathed his scimitar, and holding it in his right
+hand, twisted the lock of hair on the Brāhmin's head into his left. He
+then asked him whether he had not tried to get his wife away from him
+the previous morning, and told him that, if he concealed the truth,
+he would make an end of him. The poor Brāhmin now confessed what he
+had seen, on which the king threw down the scimitar and fell down on
+his knees before him.
+
+"The words of thy benediction, O respected Brāhmin, have only
+now been explained to me. Thou hast sown nothing but good; and
+good in having thy life preserved, hast thou reaped. The wicked
+minister--whose conscious guilt made him so very anxious to hear
+about thy death--because he sowed a bad intention in his heart has
+reaped evil, even a death that he never expected. Another victim of
+evil sowing, remains in my queen, in whom I placed an undeserved love."
+
+So said he, and ordered her to the gallows. The old Brāhmin he
+appointed his minister and reigned for a long time.
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+XVII.
+
+LIGHT MAKES PROSPERITY.
+
+
+There is a Tamil proverb dīpam lakshmīkaram, meaning, "light makes
+prosperity," and the following story is related to explain it:--
+
+In the town of Gōvindapāthī there lived a merchant named Pasupati
+Setti, who had a son and a daughter. The son's name was Vinīta and the
+daughter's Garvī, and while still playmates they made a mutual vow,
+that in case they ever had children that could be married to each
+other, they would certainly see that this was done. Garvī grew up
+to marry a very rich merchant, and gave birth in due course to three
+daughters, the last of whom was named Sungunī. Vinīta, too, had three
+sons. Before, however, this brother and sister could fulfil their
+vow an event happened which threw a gloom over all their expectations.
+
+Pasupati Setti died, and his creditors--for he had many--grew
+troublesome. All his property had to be sold to clear his debts,
+and in a month or two after his father's death Vinīta was reduced to
+the condition of a penniless pauper. But being a sensible person he
+patiently bore up against his calamity, and tried his best to live
+an honest life on what little was left to him.
+
+His sister Garvī was, as has been already said, married into a rich
+family, and when she saw the penniless condition of her brother the
+engagements she had entered into with him began to trouble her. To
+give or not to give her daughters in marriage to the sons of her
+brother! This was the question that occupied her thoughts for several
+months, till at last she determined within herself never to give poor
+husbands to her children. Fortunately for her, two young merchants of
+respectable family offered themselves to her two eldest daughters,
+she gladly accepted them and had the weddings celebrated. The last
+daughter, Sugunī, alone remained unmarried.
+
+Vinīta was sorely troubled in his heart at this disappointment,
+as he never thought that his sister would thus look down upon his
+poverty; but, being very sensible, he never interfered and never said
+a word. The vow of his childhood was, however, known to every one, and
+some came to sympathise with him; while others spoke in a criticising
+tone to Garvī for having broken her promise, because her brother had
+become poor through unforeseen circumstances. Their remarks fell on the
+ears of Sugunī, who was as yet unmarried, and also was a very learned
+and sensible girl. She found her uncle Vinīta extremely courteous and
+respectful, and his sons all persons of virtue and good nature. The
+thought that her mother should have forgotten all these excellent and
+rare qualities in the presence of fleeting mammon (asthiraisvarya)
+vexed her heart very greatly. So, though it is considered most
+contrary to etiquette for a girl in Hindū society to fix upon a boy
+as her husband, she approached her mother and thus addressed her:--
+
+"Mother, I have heard all the story about your vow to your brother
+to marry us--myself and my sisters--to his sons, our cousins; but
+I am ashamed to see you have unwarrantably broken it in the case of
+my sisters. I cannot bear such shame. I cannot marry anyone in the
+world except one of my three cousins. You must make up your mind to
+give me your consent."
+
+Garvī was astonished to hear her youngest daughter talk thus to her.
+
+"You wish to marry a beggar?" said she. "We will never agree to it,
+and if you persist we will give you away to your penniless pauper,
+but we will never see your face again."
+
+But Sugunī persisted. So her marriage with the youngest son of Vinīta
+was arranged. He had never spoken a word about it to his sister,
+but he had waited to make matches for his children till all his
+sister's daughters had been given away, and when he heard that Sugunī
+was determined to marry his youngest son, he was very pleased. He
+soon fixed upon two girls from a poor family for his other sons,
+and celebrated the three weddings as became his position.
+
+Sugunī was as noble in her conduct as in her love for her poor
+cousin. She was never proud or insolent on account of having come
+from a rich family. Nor did she ever disregard her husband, or his
+brothers, or father.
+
+Now Vinīta and his sons used to go out in the mornings to gather
+dried leaves which his three daughters-in-law stitched into plates
+(patrāvalī), which the male members of the family sold in the bāzār for
+about four panams each. [90] Sometimes these leaf-plates would go for
+more, sometimes for less; but whatever money the father-in-law brought
+home his daughters-in-law used for the day's expense. The youngest
+of them was Sugunī, who spent the money most judiciously, and fed her
+father-in-law and his sons sumptuously. Whatever remained she partook
+of with her two poor sisters-in-law, and lived most contentedly. And
+the family respected Sugunī as a paragon of virtue, and had a very
+great regard for her. Her parents, as they had threatened, never
+returned to see how their last, and of course once beloved, child
+was doing in her husband's home. Thus passed a couple of years.
+
+One day the king of the town was taking an oil bath, and pulling a
+ring off his finger, left it in a niche in the open courtyard. A garuda
+(Brāhmanī kite) was at that moment describing circles in the air, and,
+mistaking the glittering rubies in the ring for flesh, pounced upon it
+and flew away. Finding it not to be flesh he dropped it in the house of
+Sugunī's husband. She happened to be alone working in the courtyard,
+while her sisters-in-law and the others were in different parts of
+the house. So she took up the sparkling ring and hid it in her lap.
+
+Soon afterwards she heard a proclamation made in the street that the
+king had lost a valuable ring, and that any person who could trace it
+and give it back to him should obtain a great reward. Sugunī called
+her husband and his brothers and thus addressed them:--
+
+"My lord and brothers, I have the king's ring. Exactly at midday a
+garuda dropped it in our courtyard and here it is. We must all go to
+the king, and there, before you three, I shall deliver up the ring,
+explaining how I got it. When his majesty desires me to name my
+reward I shall do so, and beg of you never to contradict or gainsay
+my desires, if they appear very humble in your opinion."
+
+The brothers agreed, and they all started for the palace. They had
+a very great respect for Sugunī and expected a good result from this
+visit to the king.
+
+The palace was reached, and the ring was given back to the king
+with the explanation. His majesty was charmed at the modesty and
+truthfulness of Sugunī, and asked her to name her reward.
+
+"My most gracious sovereign! King of kings! Supreme lord! Only a slight
+favour thy dog of a servant requests of your majesty. It is this,
+that on a Friday night all the lights in the town be extinguished,
+and not a lamp be lit even in the palace. Only the house of thy dog
+of a servant must be lighted up with such lights as it can afford."
+
+"Agreed, most modest lady. We grant your request, and we permit you
+to have the privilege you desire this very next Friday."
+
+Joyfully she bowed before his majesty, and returned with her husband
+and the others to her house. She then pledged the last jewel she had
+by her and procured some money.
+
+Friday came. She fasted the whole day, and as soon as twilight
+approached she called both the brothers of her husband, and thus
+addressed them:--
+
+"My brothers, I have made arrangements for lighting up our house
+with one thousand lamps to-night. One of you, without ever closing
+your eyes for a moment, must watch the front of our house and the
+other the back. If a woman of a graceful appearance and of feminine
+majesty wishes you to permit her to enter it, boldly tell her to
+swear first never to go out again. If she solemnly agrees to this,
+then permit her to come in. If in the same way any woman wishes to
+go out, make a similar condition that she must swear never to return
+at any time in her life."
+
+What Sugunī said seemed ridiculous to the brothers; but they allowed
+her to have her way, and waited to see patiently what would take place.
+
+The whole town was gloomy that night, except Sugunī's house; for,
+by order of his majesty, no light was lit in any other house. The
+Ashtalakshmīs--the Eight Prosperities--entered the town that night and
+went house by house into every street. All of them were dark, and the
+only house lit up was Sugunī's. They tried to enter it, but the brother
+at the door stopped them and ordered them to take the oath. This they
+did, and when he came to understand that these ladies were the Eight
+Prosperities, he admired the sagacity of his brother's wife.
+
+A nimisha after the eight ladies had gone in, there came out of the
+house a hideous female and requested permission to go, but the brother
+at the back would not permit this unless she swore never to come back
+again. She solemnly swore, and the next moment he came to know that
+she was Mūdźvī, or Adversity, the elder sister of Prosperity.
+
+For she said:--"My sisters have come. I cannot stay here for a minute
+longer. God bless you and your people. I swear by everything sacred
+never to come back."
+
+And so, unable to breathe there any longer, Adversity ran away.
+
+When the morning dawned, the Prosperities had already taken up a
+permanent abode with the family. The rice bag became filled. The money
+chest overflowed with money. The pot contained milk. And thus plenty
+began to reign in Sugunī's house from that day. The three brothers and
+her father-in-law were overjoyed at the way Sugunī had driven away
+their poverty for ever, and even Sugunī's parents did not feel it a
+disgrace to come and beg their daughter's pardon. She nobly granted
+it and lived with all the members of her family in prosperity for a
+long life.
+
+It is a notion, therefore, among orthodox Hindūs, that light in the
+house brings prosperity, and darkness adversity. [91]
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+XVIII.
+
+CHANDRALŹKHĀ AND THE EIGHT ROBBERS.
+
+
+There was an ancient city named Kaivalyam, in the Pāndiya country,
+and in that city there lived a dancing girl named Muttumōhanā. She was
+an excellent gem of womankind, for though born of the dancing-girls'
+caste, she was a very learned and pious woman, and never would she
+taste her food without first going and worshipping in the temple of
+Siva. She moved in the society of kings, ministers, and Brāhmins, and
+never mingled with low people, however rich they might be. She had a
+daughter named Chandralźkhā, whom she put to school with the sons of
+kings, ministers and Brāhmins. Chandralźkhā showed signs of very great
+intelligence, even when she was beginning her alphabet, so that the
+master took the greatest care with her tuition, and in less than four
+years she began her lessons and became a great panditā. [92] However,
+as she was only a dancing-girl by birth, there was no objection to her
+attending to her studies in open school till she attained to maturity,
+and, accordingly, up to that age she attended the school and mastered
+the four Vźdas and Sāstras and the sixty-four varieties of knowledge.
+
+She then ceased to attend the school, and Muttumōhanā said to her:--
+
+"My darling daughter, for the last seven or eight years you have
+been taking lessons under the Brāhmin, your master, in the various
+departments of knowledge, and you must now pay a large fee to
+remunerate your master's labours in having taught you so much. You
+are at liberty to take as much money as you please from my hoard."
+
+So saying she handed over the key to her daughter, and Chandralźkhā,
+delighted at her mother's sound advice, filled up five baskets with
+five thousand mohars in each, and setting them on the heads of five
+maid-servants, went to her master's house with betel leaves, areca nut,
+flowers and cocoanuts in a platter in her hand, to be presented along
+with the money. The servants placed the baskets before the master and
+stood outside the house, while Chandralźkhā took the dish of betel
+leaves, nuts, &c., and humbly prostrated herself on the ground before
+him. Then, rising up, she said:--
+
+"My most holy gurū (master), great are the pains your holiness
+undertook in instructing me, and thus destroying the darkness of my
+ignorance. For the last eight years I have been a regular student
+under your holiness, and all the branches of knowledge hath your
+holiness taught me. Though what I offer might be insufficient for
+the pains your holiness took in my case, still I humbly request your
+holiness to accept what I have brought."
+
+Thus said she, and respectfully pushed the baskets of mohars and
+the betel-nut platter towards the Brāhmin. She expected to hear
+benedictions from her tutor, but in that we shall see she was soon
+disappointed.
+
+Replied the wretched Brāhmin:--
+
+"My dear Chandralźkhā, do you not know that I am the tutor of the
+prince, the minister's son and several others of great wealth in
+Kaivalyam? Of money I have more than enough. I do not want a single
+mohar from you, but what I want is that you should marry me." [93]
+
+Thus spoke the shameless teacher, and Chandralźkhā's face changed
+colour. She was horrified to hear such a suggestion from one whom she
+had thought till then to be an incarnation of perfection. But, still
+hoping to convince him of the unjustness of the request, she said:--
+
+"My most holy master! The deep respect I entertain towards your holy
+feet is such that, though your holiness's words are plain, I am led
+to think that they are merely uttered to test my character. Does not
+your holiness know the rules by which a preceptor is to be regarded
+as a father, and that I thus stand in the relationship of a daughter
+to your holiness? So kindly forget all that your holiness has said,
+and accepting what I have brought in my humble state, permit me to
+go home."
+
+But the wretched teacher never meant anything of the sort. He had
+spoken in earnest, and his silence now and lascivious look at once
+convinced the dancing-girl's daughter of what was passing in his
+mind. So she quickly went out and told her servants to take back
+the money.
+
+At home Muttumōhanā was anxiously awaiting the return of her daughter,
+and as soon as Chandralźkhā came in without the usual cheerfulness in
+her face, and without having given the presents, her mother suspected
+that something had gone wrong, and inquired of her daughter the cause
+of her gloom. She then related to her mother the whole story of her
+interview with her old master. Muttumōhanā was glad to find such a
+firm heart in her daughter, and blessed her, saying that she would
+be wedded to a young husband, and lead a chaste life, though born of
+the dancing-girls' caste. The money she safely locked up in her room.
+
+Now, the Brāhmin, in consequence of his disappointment, was very angry
+with Chandralźkhā, and, that no young and wealthy gentleman might
+visit her house, he spread reports that Chandralźkhā was possessed of
+a demon (kuttīchchātti). So no one approached Chandralźkhā's house to
+win her love, and her mother was much vexed. Her great wish was that
+some respectable young man should secure her daughter's affections,
+but the master's rumours stood in the way. And thus a year passed,
+and the belief that a kuttīchchātti had possessed Chandralźkhā gained
+firm ground.
+
+After what seemed to these two to be a long period, a sage happened to
+visit Muttumōhanā's house, and she related to him all her daughter's
+story. He listened and said:--
+
+"Since the belief that a demon has taken possession of your daughter
+has taken firm hold of the citizens, it is but necessary now that
+she should perform (pūjā) worship to the demon-king on the night of
+the new moon of this month in the cremation-ground. Let her do this
+and she will be all right, for then some worthy young man can secure
+her affections."
+
+So saying the sage went away, and his advice seemed to be reasonable
+to the mother. She very well knew that no such demon had possessed
+her daughter, but that it was all the master's idle report. But still,
+to wipe away any evil notion in the minds of the people she publicly
+proclaimed that her daughter would perform pūjā in the cremation-ground
+at midnight at the next new moon. [94] Now, it is always the rule in
+such rites that the person who is possessed should go alone to the
+cremation-ground, and, accordingly, on the night of the next new moon,
+Chandralźkhā went to the burning-ground with a basket containing all
+the necessary things for worship, and a light.
+
+Near Kaivalyam, at a distance of five kōs from it, was a great
+forest called Khāndavam. In it there dwelt eight robbers, who used
+to commit the greatest havoc in the country round. At the time that
+Chandralźkhā proceeded to the cremation-ground, these eight robbers
+also happened to go there to conceal what they had stolen in the
+earlier part of that night. Then, being relieved of their burden,
+they determined to go to some other place to plunder during the
+latter half of the night also. When Chandralźkhā heard the sound of
+footsteps at a distance she feared something wrong, and, covering up
+her glittering light by means of her empty basket, concealed herself
+in a hollow place. The thieves came and looked round about them. They
+found nobody, but, fearing that some one might be near, one of them
+took out an instrument called kannakkōl, and, whirling it round his
+head, threw it towards the east. This kannakkōl is the instrument
+by which these robbers bore holes in walls and enter buildings, and
+some robbers say they get it from a thunderbolt. During a stormy
+day they make a large heap of cow-dung, into which a thunderbolt
+falls and leaves a rod in the middle, which is so powerful that it
+can bore even through stone walls without making any noise. It has
+also the attribute of obeying its master's orders. So when the chief
+of the eight robbers threw his kannakkōl towards the east, true to
+its nature, it fell into the hole in which Chandralźkhā was hiding,
+and began to pierce her in the back. As soon as she felt it, she
+dragged it out by both her hands without making the slightest noise,
+and, throwing it under her feet, stood firmly over it. The robbers,
+having concealed the eight boxes of wealth they had brought with
+them in the sands near the cremation-ground, went away to spend the
+remaining part of the night usefully in their own fashion.
+
+As soon as the robbers had left the place Chandralźkhā came out, and,
+taking possession of the robbers' rod, took out the eight boxes that
+the robbers had buried. With these she quickly hastened home, where
+her mother was awaiting her return. She soon made her appearance,
+and related all that had occurred during the night to her mother. They
+soon removed the contents of the boxes and locked them up safely. Then,
+taking the empty boxes, she filled them up with stones, old iron and
+other useless materials, and, arranging them two and two by the side
+of each leg of her cot, went to sleep on it.
+
+As the night was drawing to a close, the robbers, with still more
+booty, came to the ground, and were thunderstruck when they missed
+their boxes. But as the day was dawning they went away into the jungle,
+leaving the investigation of the matter to the next night. They were
+astonished at the trick that had been played upon them and were very
+anxious to find out the thief who had outwitted thieves. Now they were
+sure that their boring-rod, which they had aimed against the unknown
+person who might be lurking in the smasānam (cremation-ground),
+must have wounded him. So one of them assumed the guise of an
+ointment-seller, [95] and, with some ointment in a cocoanut-bottle,
+began to walk the streets of Kaivalyam city, crying out:--
+
+"Ointment to sell. The best of ointments to cure new wounds and old
+sores. Please buy my ointment."
+
+And the other seven thieves assumed seven different disguises and
+also went wandering round the streets of the city. A maid-servant
+of Chandralźkhā had seen that her mistress was suffering from the
+effects of a wound in her back, and never suspecting a thief in the
+medicine seller, called out to the ointment-man and took him inside
+the house. She then informed Chandralźkhā that she had brought in
+an ointment-man, and that she would do well to buy a little of his
+medicine for her wound. The clever Chandralźkhā at once recognised the
+thief in the medicine vendor, and he too, as he was a very cunning
+brute, recognised in the young lady the thief of his boxes, and
+found her wound to be that made by his boring-rod. They soon parted
+company. The lady bought a little ointment, and the thief in disguise,
+gladly giving a little of his precious stuff from his cocoanut-bottle,
+went away. The eight thieves had appointed a place outside Kaivalyam
+for their rendezvous, and there they learnt who had robbed them of
+their treasure. Not wishing to remain idle, they chose that very
+night both to break into Chandralźkhā's house and bring away herself
+and their boxes.
+
+Chandralźkhā, too, was very careful. She locked up all the treasures
+and kept the eight boxes filled with rubbish, so as to correspond with
+their original weights, under the cot on which she slept, or rather
+pretended to sleep, that night. The thieves in due course made a hole
+into her bedroom and entered. They found her to all appearance sound
+asleep, and to their still greater joy, they found beneath her cot
+their eight boxes.
+
+"The vixen is asleep. Let us come to-morrow night and take her away;
+but first let us remove our boxes."
+
+So saying to each other, they took their boxes, each placing one on his
+head, and returned in haste to their cave, which they reached early in
+the morning. But when they opened the boxes to sort out their booty,
+astonishment of astonishments, their eyes met only broken pieces of
+stone, lumps of iron, and other such rubbish. Every one of them placed
+his forefinger at right angles to the tip of his nose, and exclaimed:--
+
+"Ah! A very clever girl. She has managed to deceive us all. But let
+this day pass. We shall see whether she will not fall into our hands
+to-night."
+
+Thus, in wonder and amazement, they spent the whole day. Nor was
+Chandralźkhā idle at her own house. She was sure she would again see
+the robbers in her room that night, and, in order to be prepared for
+the occasion, she made a small sharp knife out of the robber's rod,
+and kept it beneath her pillow, in the place where she was accustomed
+to keep her purse containing a few betel leaves, nuts, chunam, &c.,
+to chew. The night came on. Early Chandralźkhā had her supper and
+retired to bed. Sleep she could not, but she cunningly kept eyelids
+closed and pretended to sleep. Even before it was midnight the eight
+thieves broke into her room, saying to themselves:--
+
+"This clever lady-thief sleeps soundly. We will do her no mischief
+here. Let us range ourselves two and two at each leg of her cot,
+and carry her away unconscious to the woods. There we can kill her."
+
+Thus thinking, the eight thieves ranged themselves at the side
+of the four legs of the cot, and, without the slightest shaking,
+removed the cot with the sleeper on it outside the town. Their
+joy in thus having brought away their enemy was very great, and,
+not fearing for the safe custody of their prisoner, they marched to
+their cave. Meanwhile Chandralźkhā was not idle on the cot. The way
+to the jungle was through a long and fine avenue of mango trees. It
+was the mango season, and all the branches were hanging with bunches
+of ripe and unripe fruit. To make up for her weight on the cot she
+kept plucking mango bunches and heaping them on it, and as soon as
+a quantity which she thought would make up her weight was upon her
+cot, she without the slightest noise took hold of a branch and swung
+herself off it. The thieves walked on as before, the weight on their
+heads not apparently diminishing, leaving our heroine safely seated
+on a mango branch to pass the few remaining ghatikās of that anxious
+night there. The thieves reached their cave just at daybreak, and
+when they placed their burden down their eyes met only bunches of
+ripe mangoes, and not the lady they looked for.
+
+"Is she a woman of flesh and blood, or is she a devil?" asked the
+chief of the next in rank.
+
+"My lord! she is a woman fast enough, and if we search in the wood
+we shall find her," replied he, and at once all the eight robbers
+after a light breakfast began to search for her.
+
+Meanwhile the morning dawned upon Chandralźkhā and let her see that
+she was in the midst of a thick jungle. She feared to escape in
+the daytime as the way was long, and she was sure that the robbers
+would soon be after her. So she resolved to conceal herself in some
+deep ambush and wait for the night. Before she left the cot for the
+mango branch she had secured in her hip the small knife she had made
+for herself out of the robbers' rod and the purse containing the
+materials for chewing betel; and near the tree into which she had
+climbed she saw a deep hollow surrounded by impenetrable reeds on all
+sides. So she slowly let herself down from the tree into this hollow,
+and anxiously waited there for the night.
+
+All this time the eight thieves were searching for her in different
+places, and one of them came to the spot where Chandralźkhā had sat
+in the tree, and the dense bushes near made him suspect that she
+was hidden there; so he proceeded to examine the place by climbing
+up the tree. When Chandralźkhā saw the thief on the tree she gave
+up all hopes of life. But suddenly a bright thought came into her
+mind, just as the man up above saw her. Putting on a most cheerful
+countenance she slowly spoke to him.
+
+"My dear husband, for I must term you so from this moment, since God
+has elevated you now to that position, do not raise an alarm. Come
+down here gently, that we may be happy in each other's company. You
+are my husband and I am your wife from this moment."
+
+So spoke the clever Chandralźkhā, and the head of the thief began
+to turn with joy when he heard so sweet a speech, and forgetting all
+her previous conduct to himself and his brethren, he leapt into the
+hollow. She welcomed him with a smiling face, in which the eager heart
+of the robber read sincere affection, and gave him some betel-nut
+to chew and chewed some herself merrily. Now redness of the tongue
+after chewing betel is always an indication of the mutual affection
+of a husband and wife among the illiterate of Hindu society. So while
+the betel-leaf was being chewed she put out her tongue to show the
+thief how red it was, letting him see thereby how deeply she loved
+him: and he, to show in return how deeply he loved her, put out his
+tongue too. And she, as if examining it closely, clutched it in her
+left hand, while with her right hand in the twinkling of an eye cut
+off the tongue and nose of the robber, and taking advantage of the
+confusion that came over him she cut his throat and left him dead.
+
+By this time evening was fast approaching, and the other seven robbers,
+after fruitless search, returned to their cave, feeling sure that
+the eighth man must have discovered Chandralźkhā. They waited and
+waited the whole night, but no one returned, for how could a man who
+had been killed come back?
+
+Our heroine, meanwhile, as soon as evening set in started homewards,
+being emboldened by the occasion and the circumstances in which she
+was placed. She reached home safely at midnight and related all her
+adventures to her mother. Overcome by exhaustion she slept the rest of
+the night, and as soon as morning dawned began to strengthen the walls
+of her bedroom by iron plates. To her most useful pocket-knife she now
+added a bagful of powdered chillies, and went to bed, not to sleep,
+but to watch for the robbers. Just as she expected, a small hole was
+bored in the east wall of her bedroom, and one of the seven robbers
+thrust in his head. As soon as she saw the hole our heroine stood
+by the side of it with the powder and knife, and with the latter she
+cut off the nose of the man who peeped in and thrust the powder into
+the wound. Unable to bear the burning pain he dragged himself back,
+uttering "na, na, na, na," having now no nose to pronounce properly
+with. A second thief, abusing the former for having lost his nose
+so carelessly, went in, and the bold lady inside dealt in the same
+way with his nose, and he too, dragged himself back in the same way,
+calling out "na, na, na, na." A third thief abused the second in his
+turn, and going in lost his nose also. Thus all the seven thieves
+lost their noses, and, fearing to be discovered if they remained,
+ran off to the forest, where they had to take a few days' rest from
+their plundering habits to cure their mutilated noses.
+
+Chandralźkhā had thus three or four times disappointed the thieves. The
+more she disappointed them the more she feared for her own safety,
+especially as she had now inflicted a life-long shame on them.
+
+"The thieves will surely come as soon as their noses are cured and
+kill me in some way or other. I am, after all, only a girl," she
+thought to herself. So she went at once to the palace and reported
+all her adventures with the eight robbers to the prince, who had been
+her former class-mate. The prince was astonished at the bravery of
+Chandralźkhā, and promised the next time the robbers came to lend
+her his assistance. So every night a spy from the palace slept in
+Chandralźkhā's house to carry the news of the arrival of the robbers to
+the prince, should they ever go there. But the robbers were terribly
+afraid of approaching Chandralźkhā's house, after they came to know
+that she had a knife made out of the boring-rod. But they devised
+among themselves a plan of inviting Chandralźkhā to the forest under
+the pretence of holding a nautch, and sent to her house a servant for
+that purpose. The servant came, and, entering Chandralźkhā's house,
+spoke thus to her:--
+
+"My dear young lady, whoever you may be, you have now a chance of
+enriching yourself. I see plainly from the situation of your house
+that you are one of the dancing-girls' caste. My masters in the forest
+have made a plan to give a nautch to their relatives on the occasion
+of a wedding which is to take place there the day after to-morrow. If
+you come there they will reward you with a karōr of mohars for every
+nimisha (minute) of your performance."
+
+Thus spoke the servant, and Chandralźkhā, knowing that the mission
+was from the thieves, agreed to perform the nautch, and, asking the
+man to come and take her and her party the next morning to the forest,
+sent him away.
+
+In order to lose no time she went at once to the prince and told him
+all about the nautch. Said she:--
+
+"I know very well that this is a scheme of the thieves to kill me,
+but before they can do that we must try to kill them. A way suggests
+itself to me in this wise. To make up a nautch party more than seven
+persons are required. One must play the drum; a second must sound the
+cymbals; a third must blow upon the nāgasvara pipe, etc., etc. So I
+request you to give me seven of your strongest men to accompany me
+disguised as men of my party, and some of your troops must secretly
+lie in ambush in readiness to take the robbers prisoners when a signal
+is given to them."
+
+Thus Chandralźkhā spoke, and all her advice the prince received with
+great admiration. He himself offered to follow her as her drummer for
+the nautch, and he chose six of the ablest commanders from his army,
+and asked them to disguise themselves as fiddlers, pipers, etc., and
+he directed an army of a thousand men to follow their footsteps at a
+distance of two ghatikās' march, and to lie in ambush near the place
+where they were going to perform the nautch, ready for a call. Thus
+everything was arranged and all were ready by the morning to start
+from Chandralźkhā's house.
+
+Before the third ghatikā of the morning was over, the robbers' servant
+came to conduct Chandralźkhā with her party to the forest, where the
+prince and six of his strongest men disguised as her followers, were
+waiting for him. Chandralźkhā with all her followers accompanied him,
+but as soon as she left her house a spy ran off to the army, which,
+as ordered by the prince, began to follow her party at a distance of
+two ghatikās.
+
+After travelling a long way Chandralźkhā and her party reached the
+nautch pavilion at about five ghatikās before sunset. All their
+hosts were without their noses, and some still had their noses
+bandaged up. When they saw that Chandralźkhā's followers had a fine
+and prepossessing appearance, even the hard hearts of the robbers
+softened a little.
+
+"Let us have a look at her performance. She is now entirely in
+our possession. Instead of murdering her now, we will witness her
+performance for a ghatikā," said the robbers to each other; and all
+with one voice said "agreed," and at once the order for the performance
+was given.
+
+Chandralźkhā, who was clever in every department of knowledge, began
+her performance, and, by the most exquisite movement of her limbs,
+held the audience spell-bound, when suddenly tā tai, tōm clashed the
+cymbals. This was the signal for the destruction of the robbers, as
+well as the sign of the close of a part of the nautch. In the twinkling
+of an eye the seven disguised followers of the dancing-girl had thrown
+down the thieves and were upon them. Before the servants of the robbers
+could come to the help of their masters the footsteps of an army near
+were heard, and in no time the prince's one thousand men were on the
+spot and took all the robbers and their followers prisoners.
+
+So great had been the ravages of these robbers in and round Kaivalyam
+that, without any mercy being shown to them, they and their followers
+were all ordered to be beheaded, and the prince was so much won over
+by the excellent qualities of Chandralźkhā that, notwithstanding her
+birth as a dancing-girl, he regarded her as a gem of womankind and
+married her.
+
+"Buy a girl in a bāzār" (kanniyai kadaiyir kol) is a proverb. What
+matter where a girl is born provided she is virtuous! And Chandralźkhā,
+by her excellent virtue, won a prince for her lord. And when that
+lord came to know of the real nature of his teacher, who was also
+the teacher of Chandralźkhā, he banished him from his kingdom, as a
+merciful punishment, in consideration of his previous services.
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+XIX.
+
+THE CONQUEST OF FATE.
+
+
+In the Dakshinadźsa there lived a Brāhmin boy who from his childhood
+was given a very liberal education in Sanskrit. He had read so much
+in philosophy that before he reached the sixteenth year of his life
+he began to despise the pleasures of the world. Everything which he
+saw was an illusion (mithyā) to him. So he resolved to renounce the
+world and to go to a forest, there to meet with some great sage,
+and pass his days with him in peace and happiness.
+
+Having thus made up his mind, he left his home one day without the
+knowledge of his parents and travelled towards the Dandakāranya. After
+wandering for a long time in that impenetrable forest, and undergoing
+all the miseries of a wood inhabited only by wild beasts, he reached
+the banks of the Tungabhadrā. His sufferings in his wanderings in a
+forest untrodden by human feet, his loneliness in the midst of wild
+beasts, his fears whether after all he had not failed in his search
+for consolation in a preceptor to teach him the higher branches of
+philosophy, came up one after another before his mind. Dejected and
+weary, he cast his glance forward as far as it could reach. Was it
+a reality or only imagination? He saw before him a lonely cottage
+of leaves (parnasālā). To a lonely traveller even the appearance of
+shelter is welcome, so he followed up his vision till it became a
+reality, and an aged hoary Brāhmin, full fourscore and more in years,
+welcomed our young philosopher.
+
+"What has brought you here, my child, to this lonely forest thus
+alone?" spoke in a sweet voice the hoary lord of the cottage of leaves.
+
+"A thirst for knowledge, so that I may acquire the mastery over the
+higher branches of philosophy," was the reply of our young adventurer,
+whose name was Subrahmanya.
+
+"Sit down my child," said the old sage, much pleased that in this
+Kaliyuga, which is one long epoch of sin, there was at least one
+young lad who had forsaken his home for philosophy.
+
+Having thus seen our hero safely relieved from falling a prey to the
+tigers and lions of the Dandakāranya, let us enquire into the story
+of the old sage. In the good old days even of this Kaliyuga learned
+people, after fully enjoying the world, retired to the forests,
+with or without their wives, to pass the decline of life in solemn
+solitude and contemplation. When they went with their wives they were
+said to undergo the vānaprastha stage of family life.
+
+The hoary sage of our story was undergoing vānaprastha, for he was
+in the woods with his wife. His name while living was Jńānanidhi. He
+had built a neat parnasālā, or cottage of leaves, on the banks of
+the commingled waters of the Tungā and Bhadrā, and here his days and
+nights were spent in meditation. Though old in years he retained the
+full vigour of manhood, the result of a well-spent youth. The life
+of his later years was most simple and sinless.
+
+
+        "Remote from man, with God he passed his days;
+        Prayer all his business, all his pleasures praise."
+
+
+The wood yielded him herbs, fruits, and roots, and the river,
+proverbial [96] for its sweet waters, supplied him with drink. He
+lived, in fact, as simply as the bard who sang:--
+
+
+                "But from the mountain's grassy side
+                    A guiltless feast I bring;
+                A bag with herbs and fruits supplied,
+                    And water from the spring."
+
+
+His faithful wife brought him these, while Jńānanidhi himself devoted
+his whole time to the contemplation of God.
+
+Such was Jńānanidhi--the abode of all wise people--to whom the
+boy-philosopher, Subrahmanya, resorted. After questioning each other
+both were mightily pleased at the fortune which had brought them
+together. Jńānanidhi was glad to impart his hard-earned knowledge
+during his leisure moments to the young student, and Subrahmanya,
+with that longing which made him renounce the city and take to the
+woods eagerly swallowed and assimilated whatever was administered to
+him. He relieved his mother--for as such he regarded his master's
+wife--of all her troubles, and used, himself, to go out to bring
+the fruits, herbs, and roots necessary for the repasts of the little
+family. Thus passed five years, by which time our young friend had
+become learned in the many branches of Aryan philosophy.
+
+Jńānanidhi had a desire to visit the source of the Tungabhadrā, but
+his wife was eight months advanced in her pregnancy. So he could not
+take her; and to take care of her he had to leave behind his disciple,
+Subrahmanya. Thus after commending the lady to Subrahmanya's care,
+and leaving for female assistance another sage's wife, whom he had
+brought from a distant forest, Jńānanidhi went his way.
+
+Now, there is a strong belief among Hindus that Brahmā, the great
+creator, writes on everyone's head at the time of his birth his
+future fortunes in life. He is supposed to do this just at the
+moment of birth. Of course, the great god when he enters the room
+to discharge his onerous duty, is invisible to all human eyes. But
+the eyes of Subrahmanya were not exactly human. The supreme knowledge
+which Jńānanidhi had imparted to him made it easy for him to discern at
+once a person entering most impolitely the room in which his master's
+wife had been confined.
+
+"Let your reverence stop here," said the disciple angrily though
+respectfully.
+
+The great god shuddered, for he had been in the habit of entering
+hourly innumerable buildings on his eternal rounds of duty, but never
+till then had a human being perceived him and asked him to stop. His
+wonder knew no measure, and as he stood bewildered the following
+reprimand fell on his ears:
+
+"Hoary Brāhmin sage (for so Brahmā appeared), it is unbecoming your age
+thus to enter the hut of my master, unallowed by me, who am watching
+here. My teacher's wife is ill. Stop!"
+
+Brahmā hastily--for the time of inscribing the future fortune on the
+forehead of the baby to be born was fast approaching--explained to
+Subrahmanya who he was and what had brought him there. As soon as
+our young hero came to know the person who stood before him he rose
+up, and, tying his upper cloth round his hips as a mark of respect,
+went round the creator thrice, fell down before Brahmā's most holy
+feet and begged his pardon. Brahmā had not much time. He wanted to
+go in at once, but our young friend would not leave the god until he
+explained what he meant to write on the head of the child.
+
+"My son!" said Brahmā, "I myself do not know what my iron nail will
+write on the head of the child. When the child is born I place the
+nail on its head, and the instrument writes the fate of the baby in
+proportion to its good or bad acts in its former life. To delay me
+is merely wrong. Let me go in."
+
+"Then," said Subrahmanya, "your holiness must inform me when your
+holiness goes out what has been written on the child's head."
+
+"Agreed," said Brahmā and went in. After a moment he returned, and
+our young hero at the door asked the god what his nail had written.
+
+"My child!" said Brahmā, "I will inform you what it wrote; but if you
+disclose it to anyone your head will split into a thousand pieces. The
+child is a male child. It has before it a very hard life. A buffalo and
+a sack of grain will be its livelihood. What is to be done. Perhaps
+it had not done any good acts in its former life, and as the result
+of its sin it must undergo miseries now."
+
+"What! Your supreme holiness, the father of this child is a great
+sage! And is this the fate reserved to the son of a sage?" wept the
+true disciple of the sage.
+
+"What have I to do with the matter? The fruits of acts in a former
+life must be undergone in the present life. But, remember, if you
+should reveal this news to any one your head will split into a
+thousand pieces."
+
+Having said this Brahmā went away, leaving Subrahmanya extremely pained
+to hear that the son of a great sage was to have a hard life. He could
+not even open his lips on the subject, for if he did his head would be
+split. In sorrow he passed some days, when Jńānanidhi returned from
+his pilgrimage and was delighted to see his wife and the child doing
+well, and in the learned company of the old sage our young disciple
+forgot all his sorrow.
+
+Three more years passed away in deep study, and again the old
+sage wanted to go on a pilgrimage to the sacred source of the
+Tungabhadrā. Again was his wife expecting her confinement, and he
+had to leave her and his disciple behind with the usual temporary
+female assistance. Again, too, did Brahmā come at the moment of birth,
+but found easy admittance as Subrahmanya had now become acquainted
+with him owing to the previous event. Again did Brahmā take an oath
+from him not to communicate the fortunes of the second child, with
+the curse that if he broke his oath, his head would split into a
+thousand pieces. This child was a female, and the nail had written
+that her fate was to be that of a frivolous woman. Extremely vexed
+was our young philosopher. The thought vexed him to such a degree,
+that language has no words to express it. After worrying a great deal
+he consoled himself with the soothing philosophies of the fatalists,
+that fate alone governs the world.
+
+The old sage in due course returned, and our young disciple spent
+two more happy years with him. After a little more than ten years
+had been thus spent the boy reached to five years and the girl to
+two. The more they advanced in years the more did the recollection
+of their future pain Subrahmanya. So one morning he humbly requested
+the old sage to permit him to go on a long journey to the Himālayas
+and other mountains, and Jńānanidhi, knowing that all that he knew
+had been grasped by the young disciple, permitted him with a glad
+heart to satisfy his curiosity.
+
+Our hero started, and after several years, during which he visited
+several towns and learned men, reached the Himālayas. There he saw
+many sages, and lived with them for some time. He did not remain in
+one place, for his object was more to examine the world. So he went
+from place to place, and after a long and interesting journey of
+twenty years he again returned to the banks of the Tungabhadrā, at
+the very place where he lived for ten years and imbibed philosophical
+knowledge from Jńānanidhi. But he saw there neither Jńānanidhi nor his
+old wife. They had long since fallen a prey to the lord of death. Much
+afflicted at heart at seeing his master and mistress no more, he went
+to the nearest town, and there after a deal of search he found a coolie
+with a single buffalo. The fate which Brahmā's nail had written on
+his master's son rushed into the mind of Subrahmanya. He approached
+the coolie, and, on closely examining him from a distance, our hero
+found distinct indications of his master's face in the labourer. His
+grief knew no bounds at seeing the son of a great sage thus earning
+his livelihood by minding a buffalo. He followed him to his home,
+and found that he had a wife and two children. One sack of corn he had
+in his house and no more, from which he took out a portion every day
+and gave it to his wife to be shelled. The rice was cooked, and with
+the petty earnings of a coolie, he and his family kept body and soul
+together. Each time the corn in the sack became exhausted he used to
+be able to save enough to replenish it again with corn. Thus did he
+(according to the writing of Brahmā's nail) pass his days. Kapālī
+was the name of this coolie, the sage's son.
+
+"Do you know me, Kapālī?" said our hero, as he remembered his name.
+
+The coolie was astonished to hear his name so readily pronounced by
+one who was apparently a stranger to him, but he said:--
+
+"I am sorry that I do not know you, Sir."
+
+Subrahmanya then explained to him who he was, and requested him to
+follow his advice.
+
+"My dear son," said he, "do as I bid you. Early morning to-morrow leave
+your bed and take to the market your buffalo and the corn sack. Dispose
+of them for whatever amount they will fetch. Do not think twice about
+the matter. Buy all that is necessary for a sumptuous meal from the
+sale proceeds and eat it all up at once without reserving a morsel
+for the morrow. You will get a great deal more than you can eat in a
+day; but do not reserve any, even the smallest portion of it. Feed
+several other Brāhmins with it. Do not think that I advise you for
+your ruin. You will see in the end that what your father's disciple
+tells you is for your own prosperity."
+
+However, whatever the sage might say, Kapālī could not bring himself
+to believe him.
+
+"What shall I do to feed my wife and children to-morrow if I sell
+everything belonging to me to-day?"
+
+Thus thought Kapālī, and consulted his wife.
+
+Now she was a very virtuous and intelligent woman. Said she:--
+
+"My dear lord, we have heard that your father was a great mahātmā. This
+disciple must equally be a mahātmā. His holiness would not advise us
+to our ruin. Let us follow the sage's advice."
+
+When Kapālī's wife thus supported the sage, he resolved to dispose of
+his beast and sack the next morning, and he did so accordingly. The
+provisions he bought were enough to feed fifty Brāhmins morning and
+evening, as well as his own family. So that day he fed Brāhmins for
+the first time in his life. Night came on, and after an adventurous day
+Kapālī retired to sleep, but sleep he could not. Meanwhile Subrahmanya
+was sleeping on the bare verandah outside the house, and he came to
+the sage and said:--
+
+"Holy sage, nearly half the night is spent, and there are only
+fifteen ghatikās more for the dawn. What shall I do for the morrow
+for my hungry children? All that I had I have spent. I have not even
+a morsel of cold rice for the morning."
+
+Subrahmanya showed him some money that he had in his hand, enough to
+buy a buffalo and a sack of corn in case the great god did not help
+him, and asked him to spend that night, at least the remainder of it,
+in calm sleep. So Kapālī, with his heart at ease, retired to rest.
+
+He had not slept more than ten ghatikās when he dreamt that all
+his family--his wife and children--were screaming for a mouthful
+of rice. Suddenly he awoke and cursed his poverty which always
+made such thoughts dwell uppermost in his mind. There were only
+five ghatikās for the lord of the day to make his appearance in the
+eastern horizon, and before this could happen he wanted to finish his
+morning bath and ablutions, and so he went to his garden to bathe at
+the well. The shed for the buffalo was erected in the garden, and it
+had been his habit daily before bathing to give fresh straw to his
+beast. That morning he thought he would be spared that duty. But,
+wonder of wonders! He saw another buffalo standing there. He cursed
+his poverty again which made him imagine impossibilities. How could it
+be possible that his beast should be standing there when he had sold
+it the previous morning? So he went into the shed and found a real
+buffalo standing there. He could not believe his eyes, and hastily
+brought a lamp from his house. It was, however, a real buffalo, and
+beside it was a sack of corn! His heart leapt with joy, and he ran
+out to tell his patron, Subrahmanya. But when the latter heard it he
+said with a disgusted air:--
+
+"My dear Kapālī, why do you care so much? Why do you feel so
+overjoyed? Take the beast at once with the corn-sack and sell them
+as you did yesterday."
+
+Kapālī at once obeyed the orders and changed the money into
+provisions. Again fifty Brāhmins were fed the next day too, and
+nothing was reserved for the third day's use. Thus it went on in
+Kapālī's house. Every morning he found a buffalo and a sack of corn,
+which he sold and fed Brāhmins with the proceeds. In this way a month
+passed. Said Subrahmanya one day:--
+
+"My dear Kapālī, I am your holy father's disciple, and I would never
+advise you to do a thing prejudicial to your welfare. When I came to
+know that you were the son of the great sage, Jńānanidhi, and were
+leading so wretched a life, I came to see you in order to alleviate
+your miseries. I have now done so, having pointed out the way to you
+to live comfortably. Daily must you continue thus. Do as you have
+been doing for the past month, and never store away anything, for if
+you reserve a portion all this happiness may fail, and you will have
+to revert to your former wretched life. I have done my duty towards
+you. If you become ambitious of hoarding up money this good fortune
+may desert you."
+
+Kapālī agreed to follow the advice of the sage to the uttermost detail
+and requested him to remain in his house. Again said Subrahmanya:--
+
+"My son! I have better work before me than living in your house. So
+please excuse me. But before leaving you, I request you to inform
+me as to where your sister is. She was a child of two years of age
+when I saw her twenty years ago. She must be about twenty-two or
+twenty-three now. Where is she?"
+
+Tears trickled down the eyes of Kapālī when his sister was
+mentioned. Said he:--
+
+"Do not, my patron, think of her. She is lost to the world. I am
+ashamed to think of her. Why should we think of such a wretch at this
+happy time?"
+
+At once the inscription made by Brahmā's nail rushed into Subrahmanya's
+mind and he understood what was meant. Said he:--
+
+"Never mind; be open and tell me where she is."
+
+Then her brother, Kapālī, with his eyes still wet with tears, said
+that his sister, the daughter of the sage Jńānanidhi, was leading the
+worst of lives in an adjoining village, and that her name was Kalyānī.
+
+Subrahmanya took leave of Kapālī and his wife, after blessing his
+little children and again warning his friend. He had conferred what
+happiness he could upon his master's son, and now the thought of
+reforming his master's daughter reigned supreme in his heart. He
+went at once to the village indicated and reached it at about
+nightfall. After an easy search he found her house and knocked at the
+door. The door was at once opened. But on that day she was astonished
+to see a face such as she could never expect to approach her house.
+
+"Do you know me, Kalyānī?" said Subrahmanya, and she in reply said that
+she did not. He then explained who he was, and when she came to know
+that it was a disciple of her father that was standing before her she
+wept most bitterly. The thought that after having been born of such
+a holy sage, she had adopted so wretched a life, the most shameful in
+the world, made her miserable at heart. She fell down at his feet and
+asked to be forgiven. She then explained to him her extreme misery,
+and the hard necessity which had compelled her to take to her present
+way of living. He then consoled her and spoke thus:--
+
+"My dear daughter! My heart burns within me when I see that necessity
+has driven you to this wretched life. But I can redeem you if you
+will only follow my advice. From this night you had better shut your
+door, and never open it to any other person except to him who brings
+to you a large measure full of pearls of the first water. You follow
+this advice for a day and I shall then advise you further."
+
+Being the daughter of a great sage, and having been compelled by
+necessity to take to a wretched life, she readily consented to follow
+her father's disciple when he promised to redeem her. She bolted the
+door, and refused admission to anyone unless they brought a large
+measure full of pearls. Her visitors, fancying that she must have
+gone mad, went away. The night was almost drawing to a close and all
+her friends had gone away disappointed. Who was there in the village
+to give to her one measure full of pearls? But as the nail of Brahmā
+had appointed for her such a life as stated, some one was bound to
+comply with her terms. And as there was no human being who could do
+so, the god Brahmā himself assumed the shape of a young man, and,
+with a measure full of pearls, visited her in the last watch of the
+night and remained with her.
+
+When morning dawned he disappeared, and when Kalyānī explained to the
+disciple of her father the next morning that after all one person had
+visited her with a measure full of pearls on the previous night, he was
+glad to hear of it. He knew that his plan was working well. Said he:--
+
+"My dear daughter, you are restored to your former good self hereafter
+from this day. There are very few people in this world who could
+afford to give you a measure full of pearls every night. So he that
+brought you the pearls last night must continue to do so every night,
+and he shall be hereafter your only husband. No other person must ever
+hereafter see your face, and you must obey my orders. You must sell all
+the pearls he brings you every day and convert them into money. This
+money you should spend in feeding the poor and other charities. None
+of it must you reserve for the next day, neither must you entertain
+a desire to hoard up money. The day you fail to follow my advice you
+will lose your husband, and then you will have to fall back on your
+former wretched life."
+
+Thus said Subrahmanya, and Kalyānī agreed to strictly follow his
+injunctions. He then went to live under a tree opposite to her house
+for a month to see whether his plan was working well, and found it
+worked admirably.
+
+Thus, after having conferred happiness, to the best of his abilities,
+on the son and daughter of his former master, Subrahmanya took
+leave of Kalyānī, and with her permission, most reluctantly given,
+he pursued his pilgrimage.
+
+One moonlight night, after a long sleep, Subrahmanya rose up almost
+at midnight, and hearing the crows crowing he mistook it for the dawn
+and commenced his journey. He had not proceeded far, when on his way
+he met a beautiful person coming towards him, with a sack of corn
+on his head and a bundle of pearls tied up in the end of his upper
+cloth on his shoulder, leading a buffalo before him.
+
+"Who are you, sir, walking thus in this forest?" said Subrahmanya.
+
+When thus addressed, the person before him threw down the sack and
+wept most bitterly.
+
+"See, sir, my head is almost become bald by having to bear to Kapālī's
+house a sack of corn every night. This buffalo I lead to Kapālī's
+shed and this bundle of pearls I take to Kalyānī's house. My nail
+wrote their fate on their respective heads and by your device I have
+to supply them with what my nail wrote. When will you relieve me of
+these troubles?"
+
+Thus wept Brahmā, for it was no other personage. He was the creator
+and protector of all beings, and when Subrahmanya had pointed out the
+way for his master's children, and they had conquered fate, Brahmā
+too was conquered. So the great god soon gave them eternal felicity
+and relieved himself of his troubles.
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+XX.
+
+THE BRĀHMAN PRIEST WHO BECAME AN AMILDĀR. [97]
+
+
+In the Karnāta dźsa there reigned a famous king named Chāmunda,
+who was served by an household priest, named Gundappa, well versed
+in all the rituals at which he officiated.
+
+Chāmunda, one day, while chewing betel-leaves, thus addressed Gundappa,
+who was sitting opposite him:--
+
+"My most holy priest, I am greatly pleased at your faithfulness in
+the discharge of your sacred duties; and you may ask of me now what
+you wish and I shall grant your request."
+
+The priest elated replied: "I have always had a desire to become
+the Amildār [98] of a district and to exercise power over a number
+of people; and if your Majesty should grant me this I shall have
+attained my ambition."
+
+"Agreed," said the king, and at that time the Amildārship of Nańjangōd
+happening to be vacant, his Majesty at once appointed his priest to the
+post, thinking that his priest, who was intelligent in his duties,
+would do well in the new post. Before he sent him off, however,
+he gave Gundappa three bits of advice:--
+
+(1). Mukha kappage irabźku.
+
+(2). Ellāru kevianna kachchi mātan ādu.
+
+(3). ellār juttu kayyalii irabźku.
+
+The meaning of which is:
+
+(1). You should always keep a black (i.e. frowning) countenance.
+
+(2). When you speak about State affairs you should do it biting the
+ear (i.e. secretly--close to the ear).
+
+(3.) The locks of every one should be in your hand (i.e. you must
+use your influence and make every one subservient to you).
+
+Gundappa heard these words so kindly given by the king, and the way
+in which he listened to them made his Majesty understand that he had
+taken them to heart. So with a smiling face the king gave the letter
+containing the appointment to Gundappa, who returned home with an
+elated heart.
+
+He told his wife about the change that had come over his prospects,
+and wished to start at once to take charge of the new post. The king
+and his officers at once sent messengers to Nańjangōd informing the
+officers of the Amīldārī that a newly appointed Amīldār would be
+coming soon. So they all waited near the gate of the town to pay
+their respects to the new Amīldār and escort him into it.
+
+Gundappa started the very next morning to Nańjangōd with a bundle
+containing clean clothes, six by twelve cubits long, on his head. Poor
+priest! Wherever he saw the kusa grass on the road, he was drawn
+to it by its freshness, and kept on storing it up all the way. The
+sacred grass had become so dear to him, that, though he would have no
+occasion to use it as Amīldār of Nańjangōd, he could not pass by it
+without gathering some of it. So with his bundle of clothes on his
+head and his beloved kusa grass in his hands, Gundappa approached
+the city of Nańjangōd about the twentieth ghatikā of the day.
+
+Now, though it was very late in the day, none of the officers,
+who had come out to receive the Amildār had returned home to their
+meals. Everyone was waiting in the gate and when Gundappa turned
+up, no one took him to be anything more than a priest. The bundle
+on his head and the green ritual grass in his hands proclaimed his
+vocation. But everyone thought that, as a priest was coming by the
+very road the Amildār would take, he might bring news of him--whether
+he had halted on the road and would or might be expected before the
+evening. So the next officer in rank to the Amildār came to the most
+reverend priest and asked him whether he had any news of the coming
+Amildār; on which our hero put down his bundle and taking out the cover
+containing the order of his appointment with a handful of kusa grass,
+lest his clothes be polluted if he touched them with his bare hands
+informed his subordinate that he was himself the Amildār!
+
+All those assembled were astonished to find such a wretched priest
+appointed to so responsible a post, but when it was made known that
+Gundappa was the new Amildār the customary music was played and he was
+escorted in a manner due to his position, into the town. He had been
+fasting from the morning, and a grand feast was prepared for him in
+the house of the next senior official, which Gundappa entered for a
+dinner and rest. He there informed the officials that he would be at
+the office at the twenty-fifth ghatikā of the evening. From the way
+in which he issued the order all thought that he was really an able
+man, and that he had come in the guise of a simple priest in order to
+find out the real state of his district. So every officer went home,
+bathed, had his meal in haste and attended at the office.
+
+The chief assistant took the Amildār to his house, and entertained
+his guest as became his position. Gundappa, being a priest, was a very
+good eater, for never for a day in his life had he spent money out of
+his own pocket on meals, so what reason had he to enquire about the
+price of provisions? It was at the expense of others he had grown so
+fat! And doing more than full justice to all the good things, much to
+the secret amusement of his host and assistant, Gundappa rose up from
+his food, and washed his hands. He then wanted betel-leaves though to
+ask for these before the host offers them is very impolite. But his
+subordinate interpreted it as an order from a master and brought the
+platter containing the necessary nutmeg, mace, nut, leaves, and chunam
+(lime).
+
+"Where is the dakshina?" [99] next asked the Amildār. His host did
+not quite understand whether this was meant in earnest or in joke,
+but before he could solve the question in his mind:--
+
+"Where is the dakshinā?" reiterated the Amildār, and his assistant,
+thinking that his new superior was prone to taking bribes, at once
+brought a bag containing 500 mohars and placed it in the platter. Now
+a dakshina to a Brāhmin is not usually more than a couple of rupees,
+but should an Amildār ask for one, his assistant would naturally
+mistake him, and think he was hinting at a bribe!
+
+Gundappa greatly pleased at a princely dakshina such as he had never
+seen before in all his life, at once opened the bag and counted out
+every gold piece in it, carefully tying them up in his bundle. He
+then began to chew his betel, and at one gulp swallowed up all the
+nutmeg and mace in the platter! All this made his assistant strongly
+suspect the real nature of the new Amildār; but then there was the
+order of the king, and it must be obeyed! Gundappa next asked his
+assistant to go on in advance of him to the office, saying that he
+would be there himself in a ghatikā. The assistant accordingly left
+a messenger to attend on the Amildār, and being very anxious to see
+things in good order, left his house for the office.
+
+Gundappa now remembered the three bits of advice given by the king,
+the first of which was that he should always put on, when in office,
+a black countenance. Now he understood the word "black" in its literal
+sense, and not in its allegorical one of "frowning," and, so going
+into the kitchen, he asked for a lump of charcoal paste. When this
+was ready he blackened the whole of his face with it, and covering
+his face with his cloth--as he was ashamed to show it--entered the
+office. With his face thus blackened and partly covered with a cloth,
+the new Amildār came and took his seat. Now and then he would remove
+the cloth from his eyes to see how his officers were working, and
+meanwhile all the clerks and others present were laughing in their
+sleeves at the queer conduct of their chief.
+
+The evening was drawing to a close, and there were certain orders to
+be signed: so taking them all in his hand the assistant approached
+the Amildār, and stood at a respectful distance. Gundappa, however,
+asked him to come nearer, and nearer the assistant came.
+
+"Still nearer," said Gundappa, and nearer still came the assistant.
+
+The second bit of advice from the king now rushed into the Amildār's
+mind that he should bite the ears of his officials when he enquired
+into State affairs, and as Gundappa's want of sense always made
+him take what was said literally, he opened his mouth and bit the
+ear of his assistant, while in a muffled voice he asked him whether
+all his people enjoyed full prosperity! The assistant, now in very
+fear of his life, roared out that all the people were enjoying the
+greatest prosperity. But Gundappa would not let go his ear till the
+poor assistant had roared out the answer more than twenty times. The
+poor wretch's ear soon began to swell enormously, and leaving the
+office in disgust, he started to report to the king the insane acts
+of the new Amildār.
+
+Two out of the three bits of advice from the king had now been duly
+obeyed, but the third, that the locks of all the people must be in
+his hands, remained unfulfilled, and Gundappa wished to carry out that
+also quickly. Night had now set in, and as the Amildār still remained
+in his seat, all his officers were compelled to do the same. In this
+way the tenth ghatikā of the night approached, and still the Amildār
+would not get up, but sat with his black face secured in his cloth, now
+and then peeping out to see whether they were all asleep or awake. The
+fact was, he was waiting for an opportunity to have all the locks of
+his officers in his hand! As soon as all his officers fell asleep
+he intended to cut off all their locks, as usual understanding the
+words in their literal sense! At about midnight, never dreaming of
+the stupid act that the Amildār was contemplating in his mind, every
+one fell asleep, and Gundappa rose up, and with a pair of scissors
+cut off all the locks of his officers. He then tied them all up in
+a bundle and returned to his assistant's home late at night, where
+the servants gave him something to eat; after which he started with
+his bag of mohars and bundle of locks to his king to inform him of
+how well he had obeyed his orders!
+
+In the early morning he reached the presence of his Majesty only a
+nimisha after his assistant had arrived. Seeing the Amildār he was
+too afraid to to lodge any complaint, but his swollen ear drew the
+attention of every eye in the assembly.
+
+Gundappa now stood before the king with the charcoal on his face
+and said:--
+
+"Most noble king, you ordered me to blacken my face for my new
+duty. See, I have not even yet removed the dye! You ordered me next
+only to speak while biting an ear. Look, please, at my assistant's
+ear, who stands before you and tell me whether I have not obeyed
+you!! And as for having the locks of my officers in my hands; why
+here they are in this bundle!!!"
+
+Never had the king seen a similar instance of such stupidity, and
+the thought that Gundappa had shorn so many respectable heads of
+their locks, and had really bitten the ear of a worthy gentleman,
+brought much shame to his heart. He begged pardon of the injured
+man and from that day forward was very careful in the choice of his
+officers! Poor Gundappa was dismissed even from the priestship, and
+his belly grew lean from having no longer the privilege of eating
+rich food at others' cost!
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+XXI.
+
+THE GARDENER'S CUNNING WIFE.
+
+
+In a certain village there lived with his wife a poor gardener who
+cultivated greens in a small patch in the backyard of his house. They
+were in thirty little beds, half of which he would water every
+day. This occupied him from the fifth to the fifteenth ghatikā.
+
+His wife used to cut a basketful of greens every evening, and he
+took them in the mornings to sell in the village. The sale brought
+him a measure or two of rice, and on this the family lived! If he
+could manage any extra work of an evening he got a few coppers which
+served to meet their other expenses.
+
+Now in that village there was a temple to Kālī, before which was a
+fine tank with a mango tree on its bank. The fish in the tank and the
+mangoes from the tree were dedicated to the goddess, and were strictly
+forbidden to the villagers. If any one was discovered cutting a mango
+or catching a fish, he was at once excommunicated from the village. So
+strict was the prohibition.
+
+The gardener was returning home one morning after selling his
+greens and passed the temple. The mangoes, so carefully guarded by
+religious protection, were hanging on the tree in great numbers,
+and the gardener's eyes fell on them! His mouth watered. He looked
+round about him, and fortunately there was no one by, at least, as
+far as his eyes could reach. So he hastily plucked one of the mangoes
+and with nimble feet descended into the tank to wash it. Just then
+a most charming shoal of fish met his eyes. These protected dwellers
+in the tank had no notion of danger, and so were frolicking about at
+their ease. The gardener looked about him first and finding no one
+by caught half a dozen stout fish at one plunge of his hand. He hid
+them and the mango underneath the rice in his basket and returned
+home, happy in the thought that he had not been caught. Now he had
+a special delight in fish, and when he reached his house he showed
+what he brought to his wife and asked her to prepare a dish with the
+newly caught fish and the never-till-then tasted mango.
+
+Meanwhile he had to water his garden, and went to the backyard for
+the purpose. The watering was done by a pikōta. He used to run up
+and down the pole while a friend of his, the son of his neighbour,
+lifted the water and irrigated the garden.
+
+Meanwhile his wife cooked the dish of mango and fish in a pan, and
+found the flavour so sweet that even while the fish was only half
+cooked she began to taste one bit of it after another till more than
+half had already gone down her throat! The dish was at last cooked,
+and the few remaining slices in the pan were taken off the fire, so
+she went into the verandah and from thence saw her husband running up
+and down the pikōta. She beckoned to him that the dish was ready and
+that he should come in and taste it. However, he never noticed her,
+but kept on running up and down the pikōta, and while running up
+and down he was obliged to wave his hands about, and this his wife
+mistook as an indication that she might eat up her portion of the
+dish. At any rate her imagination made her think so; and she went in
+and ate a slice, and then went out into the verandah again to call
+her husband who was still running up and down the pikōta. Again, her
+husband, so she thought, waved his hands in permission to go on with
+her dinner. Again she went in and had another slice. Thus it went on
+for a full ghatikā till the last slice was consumed.
+
+"Alas!" thought she, "With what great eagerness my husband fetched
+the fish and the mango, and how sadly, out of greediness, have I
+disappointed him. Surely his anger will know no bounds when he comes
+in. I must soon devise some means to save myself."
+
+So she brought the pan in which she cooked the fish and mango out
+of the house and covered it with another pan of similar size and
+sat down before it. Then she undid her hair and twisted it about
+her head until it was dishevelled. She then began to make a great
+noise. This action by a woman in an illiterate family of low caste is
+always supposed to indicate a visitation from a goddess and a demon;
+so when her husband from the pikōta tree saw the state of his wife,
+his guilty conscience smote him. The change in his wife alarmed him,
+and he came down suddenly and stood before her. As soon as she saw
+him she roared out at him:--
+
+"Why have you injured me to-day by plundering my mango and fish? How
+dare you do such an irreligious act? You shall soon see the results
+of your impertinence!"
+
+"The goddess has come upon my wife most terribly," thought the poor
+man. "Her divine power may soon kill her! What shall I do?"
+
+So he fell at the feet of the divine visitation as he thought it to
+be, and said:--
+
+"My most holy goddess, your dog of a servant has this day deviated
+from the straight path. Excuse him this time, and he will never do
+so a second time."
+
+"Run then with the pan which contains the fruits of your robbery and
+dip it deep into my tank. Then shall the fish become alive and the
+mango shall take its place in the tree."
+
+The gardener received the order most submissively, and taking the
+pan in his hand flew to the tank. There he dipped it in the water
+and came back to his house fully believing that his sin that day had
+been forgiven, and that the cooked fish had become alive again and
+the mango a living one. Thus did the cunning wife save herself from
+her husband's wrath!
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+XXII.
+
+KEEP IT FOR THE BEGGAR.
+
+
+When anything sweet is prepared in the house on a particular night, and
+when the children, after feeding to their fill, say to the mother:--
+
+"Ammā, this pudding is sweet; keep it for the morning," the mother
+says at once:--
+
+"Ask me to keep it for the beggar, and I shall do it."
+
+"Why should I not say keep it for the morning, Ammā," ask the curious
+children, and the South Indian mother gives to her listening children
+the following story:--
+
+In a certain village there lived an affectionate husband and wife. The
+husband would go to look after the fields and garden and return home
+with abundance of vegetables. The wife would cook and serve her lord
+to his fill. Before going out in the morning the husband used to
+take whatever of last night's dishes were left cold to remain for
+his breakfast.
+
+The husband was a great eater of dhāl [100] soup. Every night the
+wife used to prepare a large quantity of it and leave a good portion
+of it to stand for the morning's breakfast of her lord. And he, too,
+owing to his taste for the cold rice, used to warn his wife--though
+she was very careful--and say:--
+
+"Keep me some of this soup for the next morning."
+
+The wife used to say: "Yes, my dear husband, I shall do so."
+
+This went on for several years. Every day the dhāl soup was invariably
+prepared for the night meal and a good portion of it was reserved for
+the cold rice. Every night, the husband, without forgetting for even
+a single day, used to ask his wife to reserve a portion. Thus passed
+on several years, as we have already said.
+
+One night this husband had his supper. The wife had sat at her
+husband's leaf to take her supper after her lord had had his. That
+night, too, our hero, as usual, repeated:--
+
+"Keep, my dear, some of this soup for the morning."
+
+At once a gurgling laughter was heard near the doorsill of their
+house. The pair were astonished, and searched their whole house. No
+one was discovered. Again the husband said:--
+
+"Keep, my dear, some of this soup for the morning."
+
+Again the laughter was heard. Finding that the laughter immediately
+followed his order, the husband repeated it a third time. A third
+time also the laughter broke out. They were astonished. Three times
+had laughter been heard in their house, and still they could see no
+one. Thinking that some one must have mocked him from the neighbouring
+houses, he made careful inquiries and satisfied himself that none
+of his neighbours had mocked him. He was afraid at the laughter
+which thrice proceeded from a part of his house, as he had heard
+it distinctly.
+
+That very night our hero had a sudden and unforeseen calamity, and
+just as he was dragging the latch of his backyard door a serpent
+stung him in his finger. Neighbours hearing of the venomous reptile
+in their next house, ran there with a stout cudgel. Already the
+master of the house, who was passionately fond of the dhāl soup,
+had swooned away. His wife was mourning by his side, saying:--
+
+"My dear husband. How did you forget your soup so soon and leave us
+all for the other world? Just now you gave me the order, and before
+tasting it even you have died."
+
+The neighbours began to search for the snake; but they did not
+succeed. And again a voice exclaimed from vacuum:--
+
+"This husband's fate ended at the twelfth ghatikā of this night. Yama
+ordered me to go and fetch him to his world. I came down and reached
+this house at the eighth ghatikā when the husband was giving the
+order to reserve for the morning meal his dear dhāl soup. I could not
+contain my laughter, and so broke out with a gurgling noise. As I am
+divine no one could perceive me. And so none ever found me in this
+house after they heard the laughter. Then I transformed myself into
+a serpent and waited for the hour to do my death-dealing duty. The
+poor man is now no more. Four ghatikās ago he was of opinion that he
+would live and eat his cold rice to-morrow morning. How very sanguine
+people are in this world of uncertainty. The cause for my laughter
+was the husband's certainty when he issued that order to reserve the
+dhāl soup for the breakfast."
+
+Thus ended the messenger, and vanished of course to inform his master
+how he had executed his orders.
+
+And from that day, my children, it was fixed that our life in this
+world is always uncertain, and that one who lives at this moment
+cannot be sure of doing so at the next moment. While such is the case,
+how can you say, "Keep the pudding for to-morrow morning." Since you
+saw in the story just related to you, that we can never be certain
+of our life, you must say, instead of "for to-morrow morning, for
+the beggar." If we keep it for the beggar, and if we fortunately
+live till to-morrow morning, we shall use a portion of it and give
+the remainder to the beggar. Hence you must always, hereafter,
+say when any supper from overnight is to be left for the morning,
+"Keep it for the beggar, Ammā."
+
+"Yes, mother. We shall do so hereafter," replied the children.
+
+In India, among Brāhmins, the wife must never take her food before her
+lord, unless she is pregnant or sick. In these two cases even on the
+days when it is possible to avoid the meal before her lord, the wife
+invariably does it; on other days she cannot probably help it when she
+is physically unable. And in taking her meal, the wife sits in front
+of the leaf (dish) from which her husband has eaten. Most husbands
+generally leave their leaves clean, some out of pure affection to
+their wives and out of a good intention of not injuring the feelings
+of their wives. But there are others, who, as they are unclean in
+their other habits, are also unclean in their eating. The appearance
+of their leaves after they have left off eating, is like those thrown
+out in the streets and mutilated by crows and dogs. But their wives,
+cursing their lot to have married such husbands, must, as long as
+they are orthodox, eat out of those leaves.
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+XXIII.
+
+GOOD LUCK TO THE LUCKY ONE; OR, SHALL I FALL DOWN?
+
+
+In a certain town there lived a wealthy Brāhmin. He wished to build
+a house--pretty large and spacious--as became his riches. For that
+purpose he called in a great number of soothsayers, and fixed,
+guided by their scientific opinion, a place for building the
+mansion. A certain portion of every day is supposed to be bad for
+doing work. This portion is sometimes called the Rāhu-kāla--the
+evil time of the demon rāhu and sometimes tyājya--the time to be
+avoided. And abandoning carefully all these evil hours the wealthy
+Brāhmin built his mansion in ten years. The first entrance into a
+new house to dwell is performed always with a great deal of pomp and
+ceremony, even by the poor according to their means. And our wealthy
+Brāhmin to please the gods of the other world and the gods of this
+world--bhūsuras Brāhmins--spent a great deal of his wealth, and with
+veoras and music sounding all around him he entered into his house.
+
+The whole of the day almost was spent in ceremonies and
+festivities. All the guests left the place at evening, and much
+exhausted by the exertions of the day the Brāhmin house-owner retired
+to rest. Before sleep could close his eyelids he heard a fearful voice
+over his head exclaiming:--"Shall I fall down? Shall I fall down?"
+
+Great was the concern of the landlord at hearing this voice. He thought
+that some demon had taken possession of his house, and that he was
+going to pull down the roof of his house over his own head. That very
+night with as much haste as he entered the new house, he vacated it
+and went back to his old house.
+
+Sirukakhatti perukavālka is the Tamil proverb. The meaning of it
+is "build small and live great," i.e., build small houses without
+laying out much capital uselessly in houses and live prosperously;
+and in villages many a rich landlord would prefer small houses to big
+ones. The idea that he had spent a great deal of money to build a big
+house troubled our hero. The spaciousness of the house was one reason
+for the devil to come in so easily, as he thought. When he vacated
+his house on the very night of the day he entered it people began to
+talk all sorts of scandals about it. The ladies in the bathing places
+(ghats) in rivers began to give all sorts of colour to the devils in
+that house. One said that when she was coming to the river she saw
+a company of devils dancing round and round the middle pillar of the
+upper storey of that unfortunate house. Another said that she observed
+unearthly lights in that mansion the previous night. Thus people
+talked and talked, furnishing new colours and new adventures out of
+their pure imagination for a phenomena which they never saw. And our
+unfortunate rich man had to lock up his house which he built after so
+many days, and at the expense of so much money. Thus passed six months.
+
+In that town there lived a poor beggar Brāhmin. He was in extreme
+poverty, and spent a great portion of the day in begging from house
+to house his meal and clothes. He had, poor man, seven children. With
+this large family he was constantly in the greatest misery. He had
+not a proper house to live in. A miserable hut was all his wealth in
+that village. Winter was approaching, and the roof of their only hut
+began to fall down. The increasing miseries made the poor Brāhmin
+resolve upon suicide. He could not bring himself to do that by his
+own hand. He had heard of the haunted house, and resolved to go there
+with all his family and perish by the hands of the devils. This was
+his secret intention, but he never spoke of it to any one. One day
+he came to the rich Brāhmin who was the owner of the haunted mansion,
+and spoke to him thus:--
+
+"My noble lord! The winter is approaching and the roof of my hut has
+fallen away. If you would kindly allow it I shall pass the rainy days
+in your big house."
+
+When the rich man heard this he was very glad to see that one person
+at least there was in his little world who wanted the use of his
+house. So, without hesitating any longer, he replied:--
+
+"My most holy sir, you can have the free use of that whole house for
+whatever time you may want it. It is enough if you light a lamp there
+and live happily. I built it, and I am not destined to live there. You
+can go and try your fortune there."
+
+So said the rich landlord, and gave the key of that haunted house to
+the poor Brāhmin. The latter took it, and with his family went and
+lived there from that day. That very night he also heard the same
+voice: "Shall I fall down?" "Shall I fall down?" twice. Nothing
+daunted, and quite resolved to perish with his wife and children,
+who were sound asleep near him, he exclaimed, "Fall down," and lo! a
+golden river of mohurs and pagodas began to fall down in the middle of
+the room from the top of the roof. It began falling and falling without
+any stopping till the poor Brāhmin, who sat agape with wonder, began
+to fear that they would all be buried in mohurs. The moment he saw
+the sea of wealth before him, his idea of suicide abandoned him. "Stop
+please," said he at once, and the mohur-fall came to a sudden stop. He
+was delighted at the good nature of the devil, or whatever good spirit
+might have taken possession of the house, for its having given him so
+much wealth. He heaped up all the mohurs in one room, and locked it up,
+and had the key of it in his own possession. His wife and children got
+up during the mohur-fall. They also were informed of everything. The
+poor Brāhmin advised his wife and children to keep the matter secret,
+and they, to their great credit, did so. They all--the poor parents and
+children--rejoiced at the good fortune that had made its visit to them.
+
+As soon as morning dawned the poor Brāhmin converted little by
+little his mohurs into money and bought grains and clothes for his
+family. This he did day by day till rumour began to spread that
+the poor Brāhmin had found a treasure-trove in the rich landlord's
+house. Of course this rumour reached the ears of the wealthy
+man also. He came to the poor Brāhmin and asked him all about the
+treasure-trove. The latter to his great honour related to the landlord
+every bit of the mohur-fall. He also wished to witness it and sleep
+in the room with the poor Brāhmin, for the first time in his life,
+his thirst for mohurs inducing him to do so. At about midnight "Shall
+I fall down?" was again heard.
+
+"Fall down" said the poor Brāhmin, and lo! the mohurs began to descend
+like a water-fall. But, horror of horrors, they all appeared as so
+many scorpions to the house-owner. The poor man was heaping up the
+gold coins, but all of them seemed to crawl as so many scorpions to
+the eyes of the landlord.
+
+"Stop please," said the poor man, and the mohur-fall stopped.
+
+Then turning to the house-owner, the poor man said: "My lord, you
+may take home this heap for your use."
+
+The house-owner began to weep and said: "Most fortunate of mankind,
+I have heard my old father often repeat a proverb, 'To the fortunate
+fortune comes,' and its meaning I have discovered to-day only. I built
+the house and ran away when I heard the 'shall I fall.' No doubt I
+did very well, for had I remained a scorpion torrent would have sent
+me to the other world. Know then my most fortunate friend, that I
+see all your mohurs as so many scorpions. I have not the fortune to
+see them as mohurs. But you have that gift. So from this moment this
+house is yours. Whatever you can convert into money of your mohurs
+I shall receive and bless you."
+
+So saying the house-owner came out of the room fearing the
+scorpions. And our poor man thus had all the fortune to himself,
+and was no longer a poor man. He soon became one of the wealthiest
+of men of his time, but remembering that he owed all his riches to
+the wealthy landlord who gave him the house, he used to share with
+the latter half of his wealth every year.
+
+This story explains the Tamil proverb Madrishtam ullavanukku kidaikkum;
+to the fortunate good fortune.
+
+
+    N.B.--This story was also related to me by my step-mother
+    whose birth-place is a village in the Trichinopoly district.
+
+        N. S.
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+XXIV.
+
+RETALIATION--PALIKKUPPALI.
+
+
+There is a proverb in Tamil called Palikkuppali vāngukiradu which
+would best be translated by the expression "tit for tat," and the
+following story I heard when a boy from my step-mother, illustrating
+that proverb, and I have of late found the same story also in the
+Trichinopoly districts.
+
+In a certain village there lived a poor Sūdra. He had made a vow
+to the goddess of his village, that if he came out successfully in
+a certain undertaking he would offer her a couple of goats. And he
+succeeded in his undertaking, and thought that his goddess alone had
+granted his request. Great was his joy and greater became his faith
+in her extraordinary powers. And as he promised he brought two fat
+goats and sacrificed them to her.
+
+These goats thus sacrificed and the Sūdra sacrificer who meanwhile
+had died by a sudden fever, after a short time were all re-born in
+the world to undergo the results of their goodness or sin. The two
+goats, because they were sacrificed to the goddess, were re-born as
+the king and the minister of a large country. The Sūdra, as he had
+as much faith in his former life as in his goddess, was reborn in
+the priest's (gurukkula) caste, of course neither the king and his
+minister nor the priest had any reason to know their former life,
+until the death of the latter approached, as we shall presently see. A
+large kingdom fell to the share of the king, and he with his minister
+reigned over it most peacefully. In an unfrequented wilderness was a
+famous temple of a powerful goddess of of that country, and in that
+pagoda the priest regularly conducted her worship.
+
+Thus passed several years, the king and minister happy in their
+own kingdom, and the priest executing his religious duties in the
+wilderness. The priest was leading a most calm and holy life, eating
+what grew in the wilderness. His life was as pure as pure can be.
+
+But for all that fate would not forgive him for his acts in his
+former life.
+
+The king and the minister had vowed to the goddess of the wilderness
+that if they returned successfully from the conquest of an enemy of
+theirs they would offer her some human sacrifice. And so they returned,
+and to make entire their vow to the goddess they left their kingdom
+like ordinary men and came to the wood. All along the way they searched
+for a person to sacrifice, but no one--fortunately for him--was to be
+found. They still thought that the vow must not be left unaccomplished,
+and resolved upon catching the priest of the temple and offering him
+up as their intended sacrifice. When such strong people like the king
+and his minister resolved to do so, what could the poor priest do? He
+was quite unable to escape when those two informed him of what they
+were going to do with him on his entering to worship the goddess. Said
+the priest:--
+
+"Sirs! You have come here resolved upon offering me up as a sacrifice
+to the goddess. I cannot hereafter escape your hold. But if you
+would allow me to perform my pūjā to the goddess this morning also,
+I shall gladly die after having done my duty."
+
+So said the priest, and the king and the minister watched at the
+entrance and let him in.
+
+The priest went into the Garbhagriha--the holy of the holies in the
+temple, and performed his worship to the goddess. After that was over
+he gave the image a severe blow on its back and thus addressed it:--
+
+"Most merciless goddess. What have you done for all my faith in you. In
+this lonely wilderness, without knowing any other duty than your
+worship, I had been your true servant for the past many years. And
+in reward for all that, I must fall now a prey to the sacrifice of
+the king and the minister who are sharpening their knives outside
+to cut off my head at this moment. Is this the result of all my pūjā
+(worship) to you."
+
+So spake the priest, and the goddess, laughing, thus replied from
+the vacuum:--
+
+"My true priest. Your acts in your former life must trouble you in
+this. And the charitable acts of this life, even, cannot protect
+you in your next birth. In your former birth you had murdered two
+goats. They were born as king and minister, and have dragged you here
+to murder you. But this--the murder you are to undergo soon, by these
+hands will relieve you only of one of the two murders of your former
+life. And for the other murder you and they would be re-born again,
+and again they would kill you. So in your next third life from this
+one you would enjoy the fruits of all this devotion. Since now you
+know the story of your former life, you will forgive me, I think."
+
+Thus spoke the goddess, and the priest, as the knowledge of his former
+life dawned upon him, by the grace of the goddess, seemed resolved
+to die, in order to pay for his former sin. But the idea that in the
+next life he was to undergo the same punishment, vexed him much, and
+falling down at the goddess's feet, he respectfully requested her to
+try her best to let him off the next life; and the goddess's heart
+was also moved at the severity of fate which would make her devotee
+pass through one more life in misery before he enjoyed the fruits of
+his devotion. So she devised the following plan to exculpate him from
+his two crimes at the same time, and thus replied:--
+
+"Priest! 'Intelligence can conquer even Fate,' is the proverb. When
+Kāli gave 500 years' life to Vikramāditya in his town, Bhatti,
+his minister, by making the king live six months in his capital and
+six months in the jungle, made his master's life to last for 1000
+years. So by intelligence we conquer our fate too, sometimes. So hear
+my advice. Ask the king who has come to murder you to hold one end of
+the knife, and request his minister to hold the other end. Ask both
+of them to aim the blow at your neck; that will accomplish everything
+complete during this life. They will have no revenge to take from
+you in your next life."
+
+So saying, the voice of the goddess stopped. The priest came back
+with a cheerful heart to the king and the minister, and asked them to
+oblige him by each of them holding one end of the knife and murdering
+him. They agreed, and performed thus their vow. The poor priest, too,
+without having another miserable life, was born a king in his next
+life, and lived in prosperity.
+
+Here the story ends, and the story-teller in the Hindū household,
+and in my case my stepmother, would at once moralise, that if we did
+anything to any one in this life, that one would pay us out for it
+in our next life.
+
+
+    N.B.--I am led to think that this story does not contain a
+    purely Hindū moral.
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+XXV.
+
+THE BEGGAR AND THE FIVE MUFFINS.
+
+
+In a certain village there lived a poor beggar and his wife. The man
+used to go out every morning with a clean vessel in his hand, return
+home with rice enough for the day's meal, and thus they lived on in
+extreme poverty.
+
+One day a poor Mįdhava Brāhmin invited the pair to a feast, and
+among Mįdhavas muffins (tōsai) are always a part of the good things
+on festive occasions. So during the feast the beggar and his wife had
+their fill of muffins. They were so pleased with them, that the woman
+was extremely anxious to prepare some muffins in her own house, and
+began to save a little rice every day from what her husband brought
+her for the purpose. When enough had been thus collected she begged
+a poor neighbour's wife to give her a little black pulse which the
+latter--praised be her charity--readily did. The faces of the beggar
+and his wife literally glowed with joy that day, for were they not
+to taste the long-desired muffins for a second time?
+
+The woman soon turned the rice she had been saving, and the black
+pulse she had obtained from her neighbour into a paste, and mixing it
+well with a little salt, green chillies, coriander seed and curds,
+set it in a pan on the fire; and with her mouth watering all the
+while, prepared five muffins! By the time her husband had returned
+from his collection of alms, she was just turning out of the pan the
+fifth muffin! And when she placed the whole five muffins before him
+his mouth, too, began to water. He kept two for himself and two he
+placed before his wife, but what was to be done with the fifth? He did
+not understand the way out of this difficulty. That half and half made
+one, and that each could take two and a half muffins was a question too
+hard for him to solve. The beloved muffins must not be torn in pieces;
+so he said to his wife that either he or she must take the remaining
+one. But how were they to decide which should be the lucky one?
+
+Proposed the husband:--"Let us both shut our eyes and stretch ourselves
+as if in sleep, each on a verandah on either side the kitchen. Whoever
+opens an eye and speaks first gets only two muffins; and the other
+gets three."
+
+So great was the desire of each to get the three muffins, that they
+both abided by the agreement, and the woman, though her mouth watered
+for the muffins, resolved to go through the ordeal. She placed the
+five cakes in a pan and covered it over with another pan. She then
+carefully bolted the door inside and asking her husband to go into
+the east verandah, she lay down in the west one. Sleep she had none,
+and with closed eyes kept guard over her husband: for if he spoke
+first he would have only two muffins, and the other three would come
+to her share. Equally watchful was her husband over her.
+
+Thus passed one whole day--two--three! The house was never opened! No
+beggar came to receive the morning dole. The whole village began to
+enquire after the missing beggar. What had become of him? What had
+become of his wife?
+
+"See whether his house is locked on the outside and whether he has
+left us to go to some other village," spoke the greyheads.
+
+So the village watchman came and tried to push the door open, but it
+would not open!
+
+"Surely," said they, "it is locked on the inside! Some great calamity
+must have happened. Perhaps thieves have entered the house, and after
+plundering their property, murdered the inmates."
+
+"But what property is a beggar likely to have?" thought the village
+assembly, and not liking to waste time in idle speculations, they
+sent two watchmen to climb the roof and open the latch from the inside.
+
+Meanwhile the whole village, men, women, and children, stood outside
+the beggar's house to see what had taken place inside. The watchmen
+jumped into the house, and to their horror found the beggar and his
+wife stretched on opposite verandahs like two corpses. They opened
+the door, and the whole village rushed in. They, too, saw the beggar
+and his wife lying so still that they thought them to be dead. And
+though the beggar pair had heard everything that passed around them,
+neither would open an eye or speak. For whoever did it first would
+get only two muffins!
+
+At the public expense of the village two green litters of bamboo and
+cocoanut leaves were prepared on which to remove the unfortunate pair
+to the cremation ground.
+
+"How loving they must have been to have died together like this!" said
+some greybeards of the village.
+
+In time the cremation ground was reached, and village watchmen had
+collected a score of dried cowdung cakes and a bundle of firewood from
+each house, for the funeral pyre. From these charitable contributions
+two pyres had been prepared, one for the man and one for the woman. The
+pyre was then lighted, and when the fire approached his leg, the man
+thought it time to give up the ordeal and to be satisfied with only
+two muffins! So while the villagers were still continuing the funeral
+rites, they suddenly heard a voice:--
+
+"I shall be satisfied with two muffins!"
+
+Immediately another voice replied from the woman's pyre:--
+
+"I have gained the day; let me have the three!"
+
+The villagers were amazed and ran away. One bold man alone stood face
+to face with the supposed dead husband and wife. He was a bold man,
+indeed for when a dead man or a man supposed to have died comes to
+life, village people consider him to be a ghost. However, this bold
+villager questioned the beggars until he came to know their story. He
+then went after the runaways and related to them the whole story of
+the five muffins to their great amazement.
+
+But what was to be done to the people who had thus voluntarily faced
+death out of love for muffins. Persons who had ascended the green
+litter and slept on the funeral pyre could never come back to the
+village! If they did the whole village would perish. So the elders
+built a small hut in a deserted meadow outside the village and made
+the beggar and his wife live there.
+
+Ever after that memorable day our hero and his wife were called the
+muffin beggar, and the muffin beggar's wife, and many old ladies and
+young children from the village use to bring them muffins in the
+morning and evening, out of pity for them, for had they not loved
+muffin so much that they underwent death in life?
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+XXVI.
+
+THE BRAHMARĀKSHAS AND THE HAIR.
+
+
+In a certain village there lived a very rich landlord, who owned
+several villages, but was such a great miser that no tenant would
+willingly cultivate his lands, and those he had gave him not a little
+trouble. He was indeed so vexed with them that he left all his lands
+untilled, and his tanks and irrigation channels dried up. All this,
+of course, made him poorer and poorer day by day. Nevertheless he
+never liked the idea of freely opening his purse to his tenants and
+obtaining their good will.
+
+While he was in this frame of mind a learned Sanyāsi paid him a visit,
+and on his representing his case to him, he said:--
+
+"My dear son,--I know an incantation (mantra) in which I can instruct
+you. If you repeat it for three months day and night, a Brahmarākshas
+will appear before you on the first day of the fourth month. Make him
+your servant, and then you can set at naught all your petty troubles
+with your tenants. The Brahmarākshas will obey all your orders,
+and you will find him equal to one hundred servants."
+
+Our hero fell at his feet and begged to be instructed at once. The
+sage then sat facing the east and his disciple the landlord facing
+the west, and in this position formal instruction was given, after
+which the Sanyāsi went his way.
+
+The landlord, mightily pleased at what he had learnt, went on
+practising the incantation, till, on the first day of the fourth month,
+the great Brahmarākshas stood before him.
+
+"What do you want, sir, from my hands?" said he; "what is the object
+of your having propitiated me for these three months?"
+
+The landlord was thunderstruck at the huge monster who now stood
+before him and still more so at his terrible voice, but nevertheless
+he said:--
+
+"I want you to become my servant and obey all my commands."
+
+"Agreed," answered the Brahmarākshas in a very mild tone, for it
+was his duty to leave off his impertinent ways when any one who had
+performed the required penance wanted him to become his servant;
+"Agreed. But you must always give me work to do; when one job is
+finished you must at once give me a second, and so on. If you fail
+I shall kill you."
+
+The landlord, thinking that he would have work for several such
+Brahmarākshasas, was pleased to see that his demoniacal servant was
+so eager to help him. He at once took him to a big tank which had been
+dried up for several years, and pointing it out spoke as follows:--
+
+"You see this big tank; you must make it as deep as the height of
+two palmyra trees and repair the embankment wherever it is broken."
+
+"Yes, my master, your orders shall be obeyed," humbly replied the
+servant and fell to work.
+
+The landlord, thinking that it would take several months, if not
+years, to do the work in the tank, for it was two kos long and one
+kos broad, returned delighted to his home, where his people were
+awaiting him with a sumptuous dinner. When enemies were approaching
+the Brahmarākshas came to inform his master that he had finished his
+work in the tank. He was indeed astonished and feared for his own life!
+
+"What! finished the work in one day which I thought would occupy him
+for months and years; if he goes on at this rate, how shall I keep
+him employed. And when I cannot find it for him he will kill me!" Thus
+he thought and began to weep; his wife wiped the tears that ran down
+his face, and said:--
+
+"My dearest husband, you must not lose courage. Get out of the
+Brahmarākshas all the work you can and then let me know. I'll give
+him something that will keep him engaged for a very very long time,
+and then he'll trouble us no more."
+
+But her husband only thought her words to be meaningless and followed
+the Brahmarākshas to see what he had done. Sure enough the thing was
+as complete as could be, so he asked him to plough all his lands,
+which extended over twenty villages! This was done in two ghatikās! He
+next made him dig and cultivate all his garden lands. This was done
+in the twinkling of an eye! The landlord now grew hopeless.
+
+"What more work have you for me?" roared the Brahmarākshas, as he
+found that his master had nothing for him to do, and that the time
+for his eating him up was approaching.
+
+"My dear friend," said he, "my wife says she has a little job to give
+you; do it please now. I think that that is the last thing I can give
+you to do, and after it in obedience to the conditions under which
+you took service with me, I must become your prey!"
+
+At this moment his wife came to them, holding in her left hand a long
+hair, which she had just pulled out from her head, and said:--
+
+"Well, Brahmarākshas, I have only a very light job for you. Take this
+hair, and when you have made it straight, bring it back to me."
+
+The Brahmarākshas calmly took it, and sat in a pīpal tree to make it
+straight. He rolled it several times on his thigh and lifted it up to
+see if it became straight; but no, it would still bend! Just then it
+occurred to him that goldsmiths, when they want to make their metal
+wires straight, have them heated in fire; so he went to a fire and
+placed the hair over it, and of course it frizzled up with a nasty
+smell! He was horrified!
+
+"What will my master's wife say if I do not produce the hair she
+gave me?"
+
+So he became mightily afraid, and ran away.
+
+This story is told to explain the modern custom of nailing a handful
+of hair to a tree in which devils are supposed to dwell, to drive
+them away.
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+NOTES
+
+
+NOTES TO XIII.--FIRST PART.
+
+
+Few stories are more familiar and widely spread than that of the Lost
+Camel, which occurs in the opening of the romance. It was formerly, and
+perhaps is still, reproduced in English school reading-books. Voltaire,
+in chapter iii. of his "Zadig; ou, La Destinée" (the materials of which
+he is said to have derived from Geuelette's "Soirées Bretonnes,")
+has a version in which a lost palfrey and a she dog are described
+by the "sage" from the traces they had left on the path over which
+they passed. The great Arabian historian and traveller Mas'udi, in
+his "Meadows of Gold, and Mines of Gems," written A.D. 943, gives
+the story of the Lost Camel, and from Mas'udi it was probably taken
+into the MS. text of the "Thousand and One Nights," procured in the
+East (?Constantinople) by Wortley Montague, and now preserved in the
+Bodleian Library, Oxford. [101] In that MS. it forms an incident in
+the story of the Sultan of Yeman and his Three Sons: the princes,
+after their father's death, quarrel over the succession to the throne,
+and at length agree to lay their respective claims before one of the
+tributary princes. On the road one of them remarks, "A camel has lately
+passed this way loaded with grain on one side, and with sweetmeats
+on the other." The second observes, "and the camel is blind of one
+eye." The third adds, "and it has lost its tail." The owner comes up,
+and on hearing their description of his beast, forces them to go before
+the king of the country, to whom they explain how they discovered
+the defects of the camel and its lading. In a Persian work, entitled
+"Nigaristan," three brothers rightly conjecture in like manner that
+a camel which had passed, and which they had not seen, was blind
+of an eye, wanted a tooth, was lame, and laden with oil on the one
+side, and honey on the other. The story is also found in the Hebrew
+Talmud. Two slaves are overheard by their master conversing about a
+camel that had gone before them along the road. It was blind of an
+eye, and laden with two skin bottles, one of which contained wine,
+the other oil. In a Siberian version (Radloff), three youths are met
+by a man who asks them if they had seen his camel, to which they reply
+by describing the colour and defects of the animal so exactly that he
+accuses them to the Prince of having stolen it. "I have lost a camel,
+my lord," said he, "and when I met these three young men we saluted,
+and I told them that I had lost my camel. Quoth one of these youths,
+'Was thy camel of a light colour?' The second asked, 'was thy camel
+lame?' And the third, 'Was it not blind of an eye?' I answered
+Yes to their questions. Now decide, my lord. It is evident these
+young men have stolen my camel." Then the Prince asked the eldest,
+"How did you know that the camel was of a light colour?" He replied,
+"By some hairs which has fallen on the ground when it had rubbed
+itself against trees." The two others gave answers similar to those
+in our version. Then said the Prince to the man, "Thy camel is lost;
+go and look for it." So the stranger mounted his horse and departed.
+
+
+
+NOTES TO XIII.--THE SECOND PART.
+
+The Hunter and his Faithful Dog.--A variety of this story is cited
+from a Cawnpore newspaper, in the "Asiatic Journal," Vol. XV. (new
+series), Part II. October, 1834, p. 78, which is to the following
+effect:--A Bunjarrah named Dabee had a dog called Bhyro, the faithful
+companion of his travels, who guarded his goods from robbers while
+he slept. He wished to go to a distant part of the country to trade
+in grain, but had not sufficient funds for the purpose. After much
+cogitation, he at length resolved to pledge his dog for 1,000 rupees,
+and when he applied to several persons was laughed at for his folly;
+but a wealthy merchant named Dyaram gave the money, on condition that
+it should be paid back within twelve months, taking the dog Bhyro in
+pledge. When eleven months had passed, the merchant began to bewail
+the stupidity which had induced him to lend so large a sum on so
+precarious a security. His relentings were, however, premature. One
+dark and dreary night he was aroused from his slumbers by a great
+noise, occasioned by the clashing of swords and the barking of Bhyro. A
+band of armed men had entered the house with intent to plunder, but
+before they could effect their purpose they had been observed by the
+faithful Bhyro, who commenced an attack upon them. Before Dyaram could
+render any assistance, Bhyro had laid two of the robbers dead at his
+feet; a third, on the approach of Dyaram, aimed a blow at his head,
+which was prevented from taking effect by Bhyro seizing the ruffian
+by the throat and laying him prostrate on the ground. After peace
+was restored, Dyaram congratulated himself on having received Bhyro
+in pledge for the Bunjarrah, by which act he not only escaped being
+plundered, but in all probably murdered. Next morning Dyaram called
+Bhyro, and after caressing him, said:--"The service you rendered me
+last night is more than an equivalent for the 1,000 rupees I lent
+your master; go, faithful creature. I give you a free discharge from
+your obligation as security for him." Bhyro shook his head in token
+that it was impossible for him to go until his master returned; but
+Dyaram, comprehending his meaning, soon arranged matters by writing
+a statement of the circumstances, and giving a voucher for the 1,000
+rupees. This document he tied round Bhyro's neck, which done, Bhyro
+expressed his delight by leaping about in every direction, and, after
+licking the hands of Dyaram, darted out of the house and set off in
+quest of his master. While these scenes were transpiring in Dyaram's
+house, Dabee was not unmindful of the pledge he had left behind him,
+and, having succeeded in his speculation, was returning with all haste
+to redeem it. At his last stage homewards he was surprised to see
+Bhyro approaching him with every demonstration of joy, but at sight
+of him Dabee's rage was kindled, and repulsing Bhyro as he fawned
+upon him he thus addressed him:--"O, ungrateful wretch! is this the
+return you have made for my kindness to you? and is this the manner
+in which you have established my character for veracity? You remained
+faithful to your trust during eleven months--could you not have held
+out for thirty short days? You have, by your desertion from your
+post, entailed dishonour upon me, and for this you shall die." And,
+so saying, he drew his sword and slew him. After having committed this
+deed, he observed a paper tied round Bhyro's neck; having read it,
+his grief was indescribable. To atone in some measure for his rash
+act, caused poor Bhyro to be buried on the spot where he fell, and a
+superb monument to be erected over his remains. To the grave of Bhyro,
+even at the present day, resort natives who have been bitten by dogs,
+they believing that the dust collected there, when applied to the
+wounds, is an antidote for hydrophobia.
+
+
+
+NOTES TO XIII.--THE THIRD PART.
+
+The Brahman's Wife and the Mongoose.--We have, in this story,
+an Indian variety of the well-known Welsh legend of Llewellyn and
+his dog Gellert. A similar legend was current in France during the
+Middle Ages. But our story--mutatis mutandis--is as old as the third
+century B.C., since it is found in a Buddhist work of that period. It
+also occurs in two Sanskrit forms of the celebrated Fables of Pilpay,
+or Bidnaia namely the "Pancha Tantra" (five chapters), which is said
+to date as far back as the 5th century A.D., and the "Hitopadesa"
+(Friendly Counsels); also in the Arabian and other Eastern versions
+of the same work. It is found in all the texts of the Book of
+Sindibad--Greek, Syriac, Persian, Hebrew, Old Castilian, Arabic,
+&c., and in the several European versions, known generally under
+the title of "The History of the Seven Wise Masters," the earliest
+form of which being a Latin prose work entitled "Dolopathos." There
+are, of course, differences in the details of the numerous versions
+both Western and Eastern, but the fundamental outline is the same in
+all. In my work on the migrations of popular tales, I have reproduced
+all the known versions of this world-wide story, with the exception
+of that in the present romance, which is singular in representing the
+woman as killing herself after she had discovered her fatal mistake,
+and her husband as slaying his little son and himself. The author of
+the romance probably added these tragedies, in order to enable the
+supposed narrator to more forcibly impress the king with the grievous
+consequences of acting in affairs of moment with inconsiderateness
+and precipitation. In most versions it is the husband who kills the
+faithful animal. Among the Malays the story of the Snake and the
+Mongoose is current in this form:--A man left a tame bear in charge
+of his house, and of his sleeping child, while he was absent from
+home. On his return he missed his child, the house was in disorder,
+as if some great struggle had taken place, and the floor was covered
+with blood. Hastily concluding that the bear had killed and devoured
+the child, the enraged father slew the animal with his spear, but
+almost immediately afterwards found the carcase of a tiger, which the
+faithful bear had defeated and killed, and the child emerged unharmed
+from the jungle, where it had taken refuge.
+
+In a black-letter English edition of the "Seven Wise Masters,"
+the knight, having slain his hound and discovered his child safe in
+its cradle, exclaims (and here the hand of the misogynist monkish
+writer is very evident!)--"Woe be to me, that, for the words of my
+wife, I have slain my good and best greyhound, the which had saved
+my child's life, and hath slain the serpent; therefore I will put
+myself to penance." And so he brake his sword in three pieces, and
+travelled in the direction of the Holy Land, and abode there all the
+days of his life. The preceding story of the Hunter and his Dog, it
+will be observed, is closely allied to that of the Brahman's Wife and
+the Mongoose; and in conclusion, where the hunter erects a stately
+tomb over his dog's remains, it presents a striking resemblance to
+the Welsh legend of Llewellyn and the dog Gellert, which is probably
+not merely fortuitous.
+
+A very curious version is found in a black-letter chapter-book,
+entitled the "Seven Wise Mistresses," written in imitation of the
+"Seven Wise Masters," by one Thomas Howard, about the end of the
+seventeenth century, in which a knight and his lady are wrecked
+and cast ashore on a desert island, and the knight soon afterwards
+dies. His wife takes a thorn out of a lion's foot (Androcles in
+petticoats), and the grateful animal follows her about, and provides
+her with food, and this is how the story goes on:--
+
+"At last she began mourning to herself, deploring her condition
+in living in such obscurity in a foreign Country, and as her daily
+companion, a savage Beast, her mind yearning after her own habitation,
+she thus complained: 'Oh, how hath fortune frowned on me that I
+am driven out from all human knowledge, and am glad to take up my
+habitation with the Beast of the Field!'
+
+"As she thus complained to herself, the Devil chanced to appear to her,
+and demanded the cause of her complaint, and she related all to him as
+you have heard. Then said he to her: 'What wilt thou give and I will
+provide a ship which shall carry thee home to thy own country.' She
+answered: 'Half my Estates.'
+
+"'Nay,' said the Devil, 'If thou wilt give me thy Soul at the term of
+twelve years, I will set thee down in thy own country, and thou shalt
+live and flourish so long.' 'God forbid,' said the Lady. 'I would
+rather end my wretched life in this solitary island than that.' 'Why
+then,' said the Devil, 'I will make this bargain with you, that if you
+abstain from sleeping all the time of our voyage, which shall be but
+three days, I will have nothing to do with your Soul; if you sleep,
+I will have it as I have said.'
+
+"And upon this bargain the lady ventured, provided she might have her
+Lion with her. So 'twas concluded, and a brave Ship came and took the
+Lady and her Lion. When she lay down the Lion lay by her, and if she
+slumbered the Lion would touch her with his paw, by which means he
+kept her awake all the voyage, until she landed in her own country,
+and being come to her Father's house, she knocked at the gate. Then
+the Porter coming with all speed opened the gate and thought that it
+was a Beggar.
+
+"Frowningly he shut it again, saying, 'There's nothing here for
+you.' Then she bounced at the gate again, and asked the Porter if such
+a Knight lived there, meaning her Father, and he said 'Yes.' 'Then,'
+said she, 'Pray, deliver this piece of ring unto him.' Now this ring
+was it she brake betwixt her Father and she at her departure out of
+the land. Then the Porter delivered the Ring to his Master, saying:
+'The Beggar woman at the gate willed me to deliver the piece of ring
+unto you.'
+
+"When the Knight saw the ring he fell down in a swound but when he
+was revived he said, 'Call her in, for she is my only Daughter, whom
+I thought was dead.' 'Then,' said the Porter, 'I dare not call her in,
+for there is a mighty Lion with her.' 'Though it be,' said the Knight,
+'call her in.' Then said the Porter [to the Lady], 'You are to come
+in, but leave your Lion outside.' 'No,' said the Lady, 'my Lion goes
+whereever I go, and where he is not, there will I not be.'
+
+"And when she came to her Father she fell down on her knees and
+wept. Her Father took her up in his arms and kissed her, weeping as
+fast, and after he clothed her in purple, and placed her by him in a
+chair, and demanded an account of her travels, and she told him all
+that had happened, and how the Lion had saved her life, and was the
+greatest comfort she had in the Wilderness. It chanced afterwards
+that as the Knight was going into his Wood to look after his young
+Horses, he met with a wild Boar, with whom he fell in combat. The
+Lion loved the Old Knight, and by accident walking along he scented
+the Boar, and as the Lion ran toward the place where the Boar was,
+the Steward espied him, and he ran into the Palace, and cryed out,
+'the Lion is running after my Master to destroy him.'
+
+"Then the Lady sent after him ten of her servants, who met the Lion,
+his mouth all bloody, and they ran back and told the Lady the Lion
+had destroyed her aged Father. Then said the Lady, 'O woe is me
+that ever I was born, that have brought a Lion from far to destroy
+my own Father.' Therefore she commanded her servants to slay the
+Lion, which no sooner was done but her Father came in, and said;
+'O, I have met with a wild Boar, with whom I fought, and there came
+the Lion to my aid, and slew the Boar, and so saved my life, else I
+had died by the Boar.'
+
+"When the Lady heard this, O how she wept and wrung her hands, saying,
+'For the words of a wicked Steward, I have slain my good Lion, who
+hath saved my life and my Father's. Cursed be the time I was advised
+by him.'"
+
+
+
+The Faithless Wife and the Ungrateful Blind Man.--I do not remember
+having met with this story in any other collection, although there are
+there many tales in Asiatic story-books of women abandoning their blind
+or infirm husbands, and going off with strange men. A very considerable
+proportion, in fact of Eastern stories turn upon the alleged wickedness
+and profligacy and intrigues of women. This most unjust estimate of
+"the sex" seems to have been universal in Asiatic countries from
+every remote times and probably was introduced into Europe through
+the Crusades. Not a few of the medięval Monkish tales represent women
+in a very unfavourable light, and this is also the case in our early
+English jest-books, which were compiled soon after the invention of
+printing. In the oldest Indian literature, however, especially the
+two grand epics "Ramayana" and "Mahabharata," occur several notable
+tales of noble women, such as "Dushyanta and Sakuntala," and the
+charming romance of "Nala and Damayanti;" and in another work, the
+"Adventures of the Ten princes," ("Dasa Kumara Charita,") the fine
+story of Gomiui, who is held up as a pattern to her sex.
+
+
+
+NOTES TO XIII.--THE FOURTH PART.
+
+The Wonderful Mango-fruit.--A variety of this story occurs in the
+Persian "Tuti Nama" of Nakhshabi:--A Prince, who is very ill, sends
+a parrot of great sagacity to procure him some fruit of the Tree of
+Life. When at length the bird returns with the life-giving fruit,
+the Prince scruples to eat of it, upon which the parrot relates
+the legend of "Solomon and the Water of Immortality;" how that wise
+monarch declined to procure immunity from death, on consideration that
+he should thus survive all his friends and female favourites. The
+Prince, however, being suspicious regarding the fruit, sent some
+trusty messengers to "bring the first apple that fell from the Tree
+of Existence." But it happened that a black snake had poisoned it
+by seizing it in its mouth and then letting it drop again. When the
+messengers returned with the fruit, the Prince tried the effect on a
+holy man, who instantly falls down dead. Upon seeing this, the Prince
+dooms the parrot to death; but the sagacious bird suggests that, before
+the Prince should execute him for treason, he should himself go to the
+Tree of Life and make another experiment with its fruit. The Prince
+does so, and, returning home, gives part of the fruit to an old woman,
+"who, from age and infirmity, had not stirred abroad for many years;"
+and, no sooner had she tasted it, than she was changed into a charming
+girl of eighteen. But more closely resembling our story is a version
+in a Canarese collection, entitled "Katha Manjari":--A certain king
+had a magpie that flew one day to heaven with another magpie. From
+thence it took away some mango seed, and, having returned, gave it
+to the king, saying:--
+
+"If you cause this to be planted and grow, whoever eats of its fruit
+old age will forsake him and his youth be restored."
+
+The king was much pleased, and caused it to be planted in his favourite
+garden. After some years, buds appeared and became flowers, then
+young fruit, then full grown; and when the fruit was ripe the king
+ordered one to be plucked and brought to him, when he gave it to an
+old man. But on it had fallen poison from a serpent as it was carried
+through the air by a kite, so the old man immediately withered and
+died. The king, on seeing this, exclaimed in wrath:--
+
+"Is not this bird attempting to kill me?" And he seized the magpie and
+wrung off its head. Afterwards in the village the tree had the name
+of the poisonous mango. Now, it happened that a washerman, taking the
+part of his wife in a quarrel with his old mother, struck the latter,
+who was so angry at her son that she resolved to die, in order that
+the blame of her death should fall upon him; and having gone to the
+poisonous mango-tree in the garden, she cut off a fruit and ate it,
+when instantly she became more blooming than a girl of sixteen. This
+miracle she published everywhere and it came to the king's ears, who,
+having called her and seen her, caused the fruit to be given to other
+old people. Having seen what was thus done by the marvelous virtue
+of the mango-fruit, the king sorrowfully exclaimed:--
+
+"Alas, the faithful magpie is killed which gave me this divine
+tree! How guilty am I!" And he pierced himself with his sword and died.
+
+"Therefore," adds the story-teller, "those who act without thought
+are certain to be ruined." The old Brahman's generously presenting
+the king with the wonderful mango-fruit in our story, finds its
+parallel with a difference, in the Hindu romance entitled "Simhasana
+Dwatrinsatri," or Thirty-two Tales of a throne, where a Brahman having
+received from the gods, as a reward for his devotional austerities,
+the fruit of immortality, joyfully proceeds home and shows it to
+his wife, who advises him to give it to the Raja Bhartrihari, as the
+wealth he should receive in return were preferable to an endless life
+of poverty. He goes to the palace, and presenting the fruit to the
+Raja, acquaints him of its nature, and is rewarded with a lakh of
+rupees. The Raja gives the fruit to his wife, telling her that if
+she ate it her beauty would increase day by day, and she should be
+immortal. The Kani gives it to her paramour, the chief of police, who,
+in his turn, presents it as the choicest of gifts to a courtesan, who,
+after reflecting that it would only enable her to commit innumerable
+sins, resolves to offer it to the Raja, in hope of a reward in a future
+life. When Raja Bhartrihari receives the fruit again he is astonished,
+and, on learning from the hętera from whom she had obtained it, he
+knew that his queen was unfaithful, and, abandoning his throne and
+kingdom, departs into the jungle, where he became an ascetic.
+
+
+
+NOTES TO XIII.--THE FIFTH PART.
+
+The Poisoned Food.--This is a third instance of food or fruit
+being poisoned by serpents, and it occurs very frequently in Eastern
+stories. The oldest form of this tale is found in a Sanskrit collection
+entitled "Twenty-five Tales of a Vampyre" (Vetalapanchavimsati),
+which is probably of Buddhist extraction, and which also exists in
+many of the vernacular languages of India. The wife of a man named
+Harisvamin having been stolen from him one night by a Vidyadhara
+Prince, he gave away all his wealth to the Brahmans, and resolved to
+visit the sacred waters to wash away his sins, after which he hoped
+to recover his beloved wife; and the story thus proceeds:--Then
+he left the country, with his Brahman birth as his only fortune,
+and began to go round to all the sacred bathing-places in order to
+recover his beloved. And as he was roaming about there came upon him
+the terrible lion of the hot season, with the blazing sun for mouth
+and with a mane composed of his fiery rays. And the winds blew with
+excessive heat, as if warmed by the breath of sighs furnaced forth by
+travellers grieved at being separated from their wives. And the tanks,
+with their supply of water diminished by the heat and their drying
+white mud, appeared to be showing their broken hearts. And the trees
+by the roadside seemed to lament on account of the departure of the
+glory of spring, making their wailing heard in the shrill moaning of
+their bark, with leaves, as it were, lips, parched with heat.
+
+At that season Harisvamin, wearied out with the heat of the sun,
+with bereavement, hunger and thirst, and continual travelling,
+emaciated and dirty, and pining for food, reached in the course of his
+wanderings a certain village, and found in it the house of a Brahman
+named Padmanabha, who was engaged in a sacrifice. And, seeing that
+many Brahmans were eating in his house, he stood leaning against the
+door-post, silent and motionless. And the good wife of that Brahman
+named Padmanabha, seeing him in this position, felt pity for him,
+and reflected:--
+
+"Alas! mighty is hunger! Whom will it not bring down? For here stands
+a man at the door, who appears to be a householder, desiring food,
+with downcast countenance; evidently come from a long journey, and
+with all his faculties impaired by hunger. So is not he a man to whom
+food ought to be given?" Having gone through these reflections, that
+kind woman took up in her hand a vessel full of rice boiled in milk,
+with ghī and sugar, and brought it, and courteously presented it to
+him, and said:--
+
+"Go and eat this somewhere on the bank of the lake, for this place
+is unfit to eat in, as it is filled with feasting Brahmans." He said
+"I will do so," and took the vessel of rice and placed it at no great
+distance under a banyan-tree on the edge of the lake; and he washed
+his hands and feet in the lake, and rinsed his mouth, and then came
+back in high spirits to eat the rice. But while he was thus engaged
+a kite, holding a black cobra with its beak and claws, came and sat
+on that tree. And it so happened that poisonous saliva issued from
+the mouth of that dead snake, which the bird had captured and was
+carrying along. The saliva fell into the dish of rice which was placed
+under the tree, and Harisvamin, without observing it, came and ate up
+that rice. As soon as in his hunger he had devoured all that food, he
+began to suffer terrible agonies, caused by the poison. He exclaimed:--
+
+"When fate has turned against a man, everything in this world turns
+also; accordingly this rice has become poison to me." Thus speaking,
+Harisvamin, tortured with the poison, tottered to the house of that
+Brahman who was engaged in a sacrifice, and said to his wife:--
+
+"The rice which you gave me has poisoned me; so fetch me quickly a
+charmer who can counteract the operation of poison; otherwise you
+will be guilty of the death of a Brahman." When Harisvamin had said
+this to the good woman, who was beside herself to think what it could
+all mean, his eyes closed and he died.
+
+Then the Brahman who was engaged in a sacrifice drove his wife out
+of the house, though she was innocent and hospitable, being enraged
+with her for the supposed murder of her guest. The good woman, for
+her part, having incurred groundless blame from her charitable deed,
+and so become burdened with infamy, went to a holy bathing-place, to
+perform penance. Then there was a discussion before the superintendent
+of religion as to which of the four parties, the kite, the snake,
+and the couple who gave rice, was guilty of the murder of a Brahman;
+but the question was not decided.
+
+It will be seen that our story differs very considerably from the
+foregoing, which we must regard as the original. The same story occurs
+in all the Eastern versions of the Book of Sindibad, but in most of
+these it is not a traveller who is thus poisoned, but a wealthy man and
+his guests; having sent a domestic to the market to buy sour curds,
+which she carried back in an open vessel, poison from a serpent in
+a stork's mouth dropped into the curds, of which the master of the
+house and his guests partook and died. The story is probably more
+than 2,000 years old.
+
+"Eating up the Protector." Akin to this, but with a very different
+conclusion, is the well-known story of the traveller who released a
+tiger from a trap into which he had fallen. The Brahman's fidelity
+to his pact with the serpent reminds one of the Arabian story of
+the Merchant and the Genie. In a Tamil tale, a cow having given
+herself up to a tiger to redeem her owner (it is to be understood,
+of course, that both animals are human beings re-born in those forms)
+she obtains leave to go and suckle her calf, after which she returns
+when the tiger, moved by her fidelity, lets her go free.
+
+The serpent's emitting gems recalls Shakespeare's allusion to the
+popular notion of the "toad, ugly and venomous, which bears a precious
+jewel in its head." It is a very ancient and widespread belief that
+serpents are the guardians of hidden treasures. Preller, in his work
+on Grecian mythology, refers to a Servian story in which a shepherd,
+as in our tale, saves the life of a snake in a forest fire, and,
+in return for this service, the snake's father gives him endless
+treasures and teaches him the language of birds. There is a very
+similar story in Dozon's "Contes Albanais."
+
+In the charming tale of "Nala and Damayanti," which occurs in the third
+part ("Vana Parva") of the grand Indian epic "Mahabharata," the exiled
+king perceives a snake with a ray of jewels in its crest, writhing
+in a jungle fire, and lifting it out, carries it some distance, and
+is about to set it down, when the snake says to him, "Carry me ten
+steps farther, and count them aloud as you go." So Nala proceeds,
+counting the steps--one, two, three--and when he said "ten" (dasa,
+which means "ten" and also "bite") the snake took him at his word, and
+bit the king in the forehead, upon which he became black and deformed.
+
+An abstract of a considerably modified form of our romance orally
+current among the people of Bengal may be given in conclusion: A king
+appoints his three sons to patrol in turn the streets of his capital
+during the night. It happens that the youngest Prince in going his
+rounds one night sees a beautiful woman issuing from the royal palace,
+and accosting her, asks her business at such an hour. She replies:--
+
+"I am the guardian deity of this palace; the king will be killed this
+night, therefore I am going away."
+
+The Prince persuades the goddess to return into the palace and await
+the event. As in our story, he enters his father's sleeping chamber
+and discovers a huge cobra near the royal couch. He cuts the serpent
+into many pieces, which he puts inside a brass vessel that is in the
+room. Then seeing that some drops of the serpent's blood had fallen on
+his step-mother's breast, he wraps a piece of cloth round his tongue to
+protect it from the poison, and licks off the blood. The lady awakes,
+and recognises him as he is leaving the room. She accuses him to the
+king of having used an unpardonable freedom with her. In the morning
+the king sends for his eldest son, and asks him: "If a trusted servant
+should prove faithless how should he be punished?"
+
+Quoth the Prince: "Surely his head should be parted from his body;
+but before doing so you should ascertain whether the man is actually
+guilty."
+
+And then he proceeds to relate the following story:--"Once upon a
+time there was a goldsmith who had a grown-up son, whose wife was
+acquainted with the language of animals, but she kept secret from her
+husband and all others the fact of her being endowed with such a rare
+gift. It happened one night she heard a jackal exclaim: 'There is a
+dead body floating on the river; would that some one might give me
+that body to eat, and for his pains take the diamond ring from the
+finger of the dead man.'
+
+"The woman arose from her bed and went to the bank of the river, and
+her husband, who was not asleep, followed her unobserved. She went
+into the water, drew the corpse to land, and unable to loosen the
+ring from the dead man's finger, which had swelled, she bit off the
+finger, and leaving the corpse on the bank, returned home, whither
+she had been preceded by her husband. Almost petrified with fear,
+the young goldsmith concluded from what he had seen that his wife was
+not a human being, but a ghoul (rakshasi), and early in the morning
+he hastened to his father and related the whole affair to him--how
+the woman had got up during the night and gone to the river, out of
+which she dragged a dead body to the land, and was busy devouring it
+when he ran home in horror.
+
+"The old man was greatly shocked, and advised his son to take his wife
+on some pretext into the forest and leave her there to be destroyed by
+wild beasts. So the husband caused the woman to get herself ready to go
+on a visit to her father, and after a hasty breakfast they set out. In
+going through a dense jungle, where the goldsmith proposed abandoning
+his wife, she heard a serpent cry, 'O, passenger, I pray thee to seize
+and give me that croaking frog, and take for thy reward the gold and
+precious stones concealed in yonder hole.' The woman at once seized
+the frog and threw it towards the serpent, and then began digging into
+the ground with a stick. Her husband quaked with fear, thinking that
+his ghoul-wife was about to kill him, but she called to him, saying,
+'My dear husband, gather up all this gold and precious gems.'
+
+"Approaching the spot with hesitation he was surprised to perceive an
+immense treasure laid bare by his wife, who then explained to him how
+she had learned of it from the snake that lay coiled up near them,
+whose language she understood. Then he said to his wife--'It is now
+so late that we cannot reach your father's house before dark, and
+we might be slain by wild beasts. Let us therefore return home.' So
+they retraced their steps, and approaching the house the goldsmith
+said to his wife--'Do, you, my dear, go in by the back door, while
+I enter by the front and show my father all this treasure.'
+
+The woman went in by the back door and was met by her father-in-law,
+who, on seeing her, concluded that she had killed and devoured his
+son, and striking her on the head with a hammer which he happened to
+have in his hand, she instantly expired. Just then the son came into
+the room, but it was too late."
+
+"I have told your Majesty this story," adds the eldest Prince, "in
+order that before putting the man to death you should make sure that
+he is guilty."
+
+The king next calls his second son and asks him the same question,
+to which he replies by relating a story to caution his father against
+rash actions.
+
+"A king, separated from his attendants while engaged in the chase, saw
+what he conceived to be rain-water dropping from the top of a tree,
+and, being very thirst, held his drinking cup under it until it was
+nearly filled, and, just as he was about to put it to his lips, his
+horse purposely moved so as to cause the contents to be spilled on the
+ground, upon which the king in a rage drew his sword and killed the
+faithful animal; but afterwards discovering that what he had taken
+for rain-water was poison that dropped from a cobra in the tree,
+his grief knew no bounds."
+
+Calling lastly his third son, the king asks him what should be done
+to the man who proved false to his trust. The Prince tells the story
+of the wonderful tree, the fruit of which bestowed on him who ate of
+it perennial youth, with unimportant variations from the version in
+our romance.
+
+Then the Prince explained the occasion of his presence in the Royal
+bedchamber, and how he had saved the king and his consort from the
+cobra's deadly bite. And the king, overjoyed and full of gratitude,
+strained his faithful son to his heart, and ever after cherished and
+loved him with all a father's love.
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+NOTES
+
+
+[1] Soothsaying.
+
+[2] An Indian hour equal to twenty-four minutes.
+
+[3] It is the custom amongst widows to use betel leaves instead
+of plates.
+
+[4] In English, Benares.
+
+[5] The Deccan.
+
+[6] A small vessel.
+
+[7] Storey is here put for divisions in an Indian well. These
+divisions are little projecting ledges of stone made for natives to
+stand on so that they can get down close to the water if the well
+is not full. There are sometimes six or seven divisions, or ledges,
+of this sort.
+
+[8] The first serpent--the king of serpents.
+
+[9] Literally the stealer of gold--a practice very common in India
+among that class. There is a proverb to the effect that even from
+the gold given by their mothers to be turned into jewels, they will
+pilfer a little.
+
+[10] The distance of a kās being equal to 2000 Indian poles.
+
+[11] Dungeon.
+
+[12] A period of time equal to an hour and a half.
+
+[13] King of tigers.
+
+[14] A ghatikā is equal to twenty-four minutes.
+
+[15] Siva.
+
+[16] The eldest son of Siva commonly known as the belly god.
+
+[17] Another name of Ganapati.
+
+[18] Worship.
+
+[19] Attendants of Ganźsa.
+
+[20] Classical name of Karūr, a small, but very ancient, town in the
+Kōyambatūr District of the Madras Presidency.
+
+[21] Naraka of Put--Naraka is hell, and Put is a certain kind of
+hell to which, according to Hindū mythology, son-less persons are
+hurled down.
+
+[22] Putra-son, so-called as he protects the father from the hell
+of Put.
+
+[23] Ficus religiosa.
+
+[24] The fair.
+
+[25] Voluntary cremation of widows with the dead bodies of their
+husbands on the funeral pile.
+
+[26] Karōr is equal to ten lacs (lākhs); mohur is an old gold coin.
+
+[27] Spring.
+
+[28] The king's court.
+
+[29] Council chamber.
+
+[30] My darling prince.
+
+[31] The creator of the Hindu mythology.
+
+[32] A Hindū feast.
+
+[33] Fee.
+
+[34] Vźdas--The sacred books of the Hindūs.
+
+[35] Minister.
+
+[36] The chief officer of the realm next to the minister.
+
+[37] The image of the belly-god.
+
+[38] The world of Indra, the regent of the sky.
+
+[39] Names of divine damsels.
+
+[40] Cinnamon-stone.
+
+[41] Diamond.
+
+[42] A precious stone (cat's eye).
+
+[43] A sort of paint for the eye (Hindustani--Surmā).
+
+[44] A mark on the forehead.
+
+[45] Serpent sacrifice.
+
+[46] Sacrifice.
+
+[47] Brāhman woman.
+
+[48] Throne.
+
+[49] Tźvai is the classical name of the modern town of Rāmnād in the
+district of Madurā.
+
+[50] Kodāmundan.
+
+[51] Vidāmundan.
+
+[52] Vāyālvallan.
+
+[53] Kaiyālvallan.
+
+[54] There is no such word as kūta in Tamil. The Tamil and other
+Dravidian languages allow rhyming repetitions of word, like
+this--bhūta-kūta.
+
+[55] [Compare the tale of Fattū, the Valiant Weaver, Indian Antiquary,
+Vol. XI., p. 282 ff.--R. C. T.]
+
+[56] Which in Tamil are exclamations of lamentation, meaning, Ah! Alas!
+
+[57] A place of public feeding.
+
+[58] Among high caste Hindūs, when girls leave one village and go to
+another, the old woman of the house--the mother or grandmother--always
+places in her bundles and on her head a few margosa leaves as a
+talisman against demons.
+
+[59] A ghatikā is twenty-four minutes. The story being Hindu, the
+Hindū method of reckoning distance is used.
+
+[60] A "watch" is a yāma, or three hours.
+
+[61] Tamil, tō'sai.
+
+[62] A fragrant herb, held in great veneration by the Hindūs; Ocymum
+sanctum. This herb is sacred alike to Siva and Vishnu. Those species
+specially sacred to Siva are--Vendulasī, Siru-tulasī, and Siva-tulasī;
+those to Vishnu are Sendulasī, Karundulasī and Vishnu-tulasī.
+
+[63] Compare the Singalese folktale given on p. 62, Vol I. of the
+Orientalist.--Ed.
+
+[64] Uparani or upavastra, an upper garment.
+
+[65] This kind of statement often occurs in stories in proof of the
+just reign of a monarch. The Hindu idea is that so long as justice
+and equity characterise a king's rule, even beasts naturally inimical
+are disposed to live in friendship. When timely rain fails or famine
+stalks through the land, turning his eyes from the natural causes,
+the orthodox Hindu will say that such a king is now reigning over
+them unjustly, and hence the calamity.--Translator.
+
+[66] "Distinguishing the peculiarities of an animal by its footsteps,
+&c., is often met with in Indian stories. Precisely the reverse of
+this is the tale of the four blind men who disputed about the form
+of an elephant. One of them had felt only the elephant's ears, and
+said it was like a winnow; another examined the breast and a foreleg,
+and said it was like a thick stump of wood; the third felt the trunk,
+and said it was like a heavy crook; while the fourth, having touched
+only the tail, declared it was like a sweeping rake."--W. A. Clouston.
+
+[67] The night-watch hearing the tutelary goddess of the village
+mourning, is a very ancient idea. It also occurs, for example,
+in the story of Viravara, in the Sanskrit book of fables entitled
+"Hitopadesa." Sambhavi and Mahamayi are different names of Kālī--a
+fierce goddess, much worshipped as the presiding deity of cholera
+and smallpox.--T.
+
+[68] A ghatikā = 24 minutes.--T.
+
+[69] Apparently the arrows were attached to some kind of mechanism
+which discharged them on the opening of the jar. There is "nothing
+new under the sun." Dynamite is perhaps a discovery of our own times,
+but "infernal machines," which served the purpose of king-killers,
+are of ancient date.
+
+[70] The Hindūs, at their meals, squat on the ground, with leaves in
+place of earthenware dishes, on which their food is served.--T.
+
+[71] A sum of money varying in different localities of the South of
+India. In the Chola grants "pon" also occurs.
+
+[72] An Indian word meaning clumps of trees.
+
+[73] It is a very common practice to dupe the ordinary people in
+this manner in Hindu temples. Some impostor will proclaim to the
+crowd that the spirit of a god, or goddess, is upon him, and utters
+whatever comes uppermost in his mind. He occasionally contrives to
+accomplish his private ends by such "revelations." The ignorant are
+greatly misled by these impostors, and learned Hindus condemn the
+practice as gross superstition.--T.
+
+[74] Corresponding to the English proverb: "Quarrelling with one's
+bread and butter."
+
+[75] Full grown and ripe bamboo bears a kind of corn which when
+collected and shelled resembles wheat. Hunters cook a most excellent
+food of bamboo grain and honey.--T.
+
+[76] Compare the story of "The Rat's Wedding" from the Pańjāb, The
+Indian Antiquary, Vol. XI., pp, 226ff: where, however, a better moral
+from the tale is drawn.
+
+[77] A low caste man; Pariah.
+
+[78] In response to the sound of the tom-tom.
+
+[79] Traders have also certain secret symbols for marking their prices
+on their cloths.
+
+[80] This story, apart from its folklore value, is specially
+interesting as showing that the customs mentioned in the Indian
+Antiquary, Vol. XIV., pp. 155ff., as being prevalent at Delhi,
+regarding secret trade language are universal in India.
+
+[81] i.e., lover of his wife.
+
+[82] i.e., a shudder at sin.
+
+[83] Worship of the household gods or devotion.
+
+[84] The eleventh lunar day of every fortnight, on which a fast is
+observed by orthodox Hindūs.
+
+[85] Bhūsura, bhūdźva; a generic name for a Brāhmin.
+
+[86] Oil of sesamun; til and gingely oil are the ordinary names for
+this common product of India.
+
+[87] Dvādasi is the twelfth lunar day, on which early in the morning,
+before even the fifth ghatikā is over, every orthodox Hindū is obliged
+by his religious codes to break the previous day's fast.
+
+[88] Lit. a "chombu-full;" the chombu is a small vessel.
+
+[89] A sacred hymn.
+
+[90] A panam is generally worth two ānās.
+
+[91] See also the second tale in this series.
+
+[92] Learned woman.
+
+[93] There would of course be no real marriage between a dancing girl
+and a Brāhmin. Hence the insult.
+
+[94] In stories of a master falling in love with the girl he has been
+teaching, he is usually himself made a soothsayer. In that capacity
+he asks the guardian (father or mother) to put the girl in a light
+box and to float her down a river. The girl in the box is taken by
+a young man, sometimes a prince, and becomes his wife. A tiger or a
+lion is then put into the box, and when the teacher, a great way down
+the river, takes the box and wishes to run away with the girl inside,
+he is torn to pieces, as a fit reward for his evil intentions, by
+the beast. But here the story takes a different turn.
+
+[95] From this point up to the end we shall find the story to be
+similar to "Alī Bābā and the Forty Thieves" in the Arabian Nights,
+though the plot is different.
+
+[96] Gangā snāna Tunga pāna. The Ganges for bath and Tunga
+(Tungabhadrā) for drink.
+
+[97] A Kanarese tale related by a risāldār.
+
+[98] Headman of the village.
+
+[99] Dakshinās (fees given in donation to Brāhmins) are ordinarily
+given to priests.
+
+[100] A yellow grain, peculiar to India.
+
+[101] It is not generally known that the "Birnam Wood" incident in
+Shakespeare's "Macbeth" occurs in the same Arabian historical work.
+
+
+
+
+
+
+End of the Project Gutenberg EBook of Tales of the Sun, by 
+Mrs. Howard Kingscote and Pandit Natesa Sastri
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+
+<pre>
+
+The Project Gutenberg EBook of Tales of the Sun, by 
+Mrs. Howard Kingscote and Pandit Natesa Sastri
+
+This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and with
+almost no restrictions whatsoever.  You may copy it, give it away or
+re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included
+with this eBook or online at www.gutenberg.org
+
+
+Title: Tales of the Sun
+       or Folklore of Southern India
+
+Author: Mrs. Howard Kingscote
+        Pandit Natesa Sastri
+
+Release Date: August 7, 2011 [EBook #37002]
+
+Language: English
+
+Character set encoding: ASCII
+
+*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK TALES OF THE SUN ***
+
+
+
+
+Produced by Jeroen Hellingman and the Online Distributed
+Proofreading Team at https://www.pgdp.net (This book was
+produced from scanned images of public domain material
+from the Google Print project.)
+
+
+
+
+
+
+</pre>
+
+<div class="front">
+<div class="div1"><span class="pagenum">[<a href=
+"#toc">Contents</a>]</span>
+<div class="divBody">
+<p class="first xd20e103"><span class="sc">Tales of the Sun</span>:</p>
+<p class="xd20e103">Or,</p>
+<p class="xd20e103">Folklore of Southern India.</p>
+</div>
+</div>
+<div class="titlePage">
+<div class="docTitle">
+<div class="mainTitle">Tales of the Sun</div>
+<div class="subTitle">Or</div>
+<div class="subTitle">Folklore<br>
+of Southern India.</div>
+</div>
+<div class="byline">Collected by<br>
+<span class="docAuthor">Mrs. Howard Kingscote</span><br>
+and<br>
+<span class="docAuthor">Pa&#7751;&#7693;it Na&#7789;&ecirc;s&aacute;
+S&aacute;str&icirc;.</span></div>
+<div class="docImprint">London:<br>
+W. H. Allen &amp; Co. 13 Waterloo Place,<br>
+and at Calcutta.<br>
+<span class="docDate">1890.</span></div>
+</div>
+<div class="div1"><span class="pagenum">[<a href=
+"#toc">Contents</a>]</span>
+<div class="divBody">
+<p class="first xd20e103">London:<br>
+Printed by T. Brettell and Co. 51 Rupert Street,&mdash;W. <span class=
+"pagenum">[<a id="xd20e151" href="#xd20e151" name=
+"xd20e151">v</a>]</span></p>
+</div>
+</div>
+<div class="div1"><span class="pagenum">[<a href=
+"#toc">Contents</a>]</span>
+<div class="divHead">
+<h2 class="main">Preface.</h2>
+</div>
+<div class="divBody">
+<p class="first">In offering these few Indian tales to the public, I
+cannot refrain from adding a few words at the beginning to express to
+<span class="corr" id="xd20e157" title=
+"Source: Pandit">Pa&#7751;&#7693;it</span> Nat&ecirc;&#347;a
+S&aacute;str&icirc; my gratitude for the great assistance he has given
+me in collecting them, assistance without which they would never have
+seen the light in the shape of a complete volume. When I began writing
+down these tales, my only means of collecting them was through my
+native servants, who used to get them from the old women in the
+bazaars; but the fables they brought me were as full of corruptions and
+foreign adaptions as the miscellaneous ingredients that find their way
+into a dish of their own curry and rice, and had it not been for Mr.
+S&aacute;str&icirc;&rsquo;s timely aid, my small work would have gone
+forth to the world laden with inaccuracies.</p>
+<p>Mr. S&aacute;str&icirc; not only corrected the errors of my own
+tales, but allowed me to add to them many <span class="pagenum">[<a id=
+"xd20e162" href="#xd20e162" name="xd20e162">vi</a>]</span>that he had
+himself collected, and that had already been published, either in small
+volumes or in numbers of <i>The Indian Antiquary</i>. For this reason I
+have left several notes which Mr. Cowper Temple, Mr. Clowston, and
+others had added to the tales that had already been printed, as they
+were too valuable to dispense with, and may be of service to students
+of folklore. In conclusion, I would crave the indulgence of my readers
+with regard to the style in which the tales are written, which has been
+left as nearly as possible in the form of a literal translation, in
+order to lend the Stories a &ldquo;<i>couleur locale</i>,&rdquo; which
+is characteristic of the country they spring from.</p>
+<p class="signed">G. K. <span class="pagenum">[<a id="xd20e172" href=
+"#xd20e172" name="xd20e172">vii</a>]</span></p>
+</div>
+</div>
+<div id="toc" class="div1"><span class="pagenum">[<a href=
+"#toc">Contents</a>]</span>
+<div class="divHead">
+<h2 class="main">Contents.</h2>
+<table class="tocList">
+<tr>
+<td class="tocDivNum">Chapter</td>
+<td class="tocDivTitle"></td>
+<td class="tocPageNum">Page</td>
+</tr>
+<tr>
+<td class="tocDivNum">I.</td>
+<td class="tocDivTitle"><span class="sc"><a href="#ch1">The Three Deaf
+Men</a></span></td>
+<td class="tocPageNum">1</td>
+</tr>
+<tr>
+<td class="tocDivNum">II.</td>
+<td class="tocDivTitle"><span class="sc"><a href="#ch2">Why
+Br&acirc;hma&#7751;s cannot eat in the Dark</a></span></td>
+<td class="tocPageNum">5</td>
+</tr>
+<tr>
+<td class="tocDivNum">III.</td>
+<td class="tocDivTitle"><span class="sc"><a href="#ch3">The
+Soothsayer&rsquo;s Son</a></span></td>
+<td class="tocPageNum">11</td>
+</tr>
+<tr>
+<td class="tocDivNum">IV.</td>
+<td class="tocDivTitle"><span class="sc"><a href=
+"#ch4">Ra&#7751;av&icirc;rasi&#7749;g</a></span></td>
+<td class="tocPageNum">36</td>
+</tr>
+<tr>
+<td class="tocDivNum">V.</td>
+<td class="tocDivTitle"><span class="sc"><a href="#ch5">Charity alone
+Conquers</a></span></td>
+<td class="tocPageNum">65</td>
+</tr>
+<tr>
+<td class="tocDivNum">VI.</td>
+<td class="tocDivTitle"><span class="sc"><a href="#ch6">Mr. Won&rsquo;t
+Give and Mr. Won&rsquo;t Leave</a></span></td>
+<td class="tocPageNum">86</td>
+</tr>
+<tr>
+<td class="tocDivNum">VII.</td>
+<td class="tocDivTitle"><span class="sc"><a href="#ch7">Mr.
+Mighty-of-his-Mouth</a></span></td>
+<td class="tocPageNum">93</td>
+</tr>
+<tr>
+<td class="tocDivNum">VIII.</td>
+<td class="tocDivTitle"><span class="sc"><a href="#ch8">The
+Mother-in-Law became an Ass</a></span></td>
+<td class="tocPageNum">102</td>
+</tr>
+<tr>
+<td class="tocDivNum">IX.</td>
+<td class="tocDivTitle"><span class="sc"><a href="#ch9">The Story of
+Appayya</a></span></td>
+<td class="tocPageNum">107</td>
+</tr>
+<tr>
+<td class="tocDivNum">X.</td>
+<td class="tocDivTitle"><span class="sc"><a href="#ch10">The
+Br&acirc;hmi&#7751; Girl that Married a Tiger</a></span></td>
+<td class="tocPageNum">119</td>
+</tr>
+<tr>
+<td class="tocDivNum">XI.</td>
+<td class="tocDivTitle"><span class="sc"><a href="#ch11">The Good
+Husband and the Bad Wife</a></span></td>
+<td class="tocPageNum">131</td>
+</tr>
+<tr>
+<td class="tocDivNum">XII.</td>
+<td class="tocDivTitle"><span class="sc"><a href="#ch12">The Good Wife
+and the Bad Husband</a></span></td>
+<td class="tocPageNum">135</td>
+</tr>
+<tr>
+<td class="tocDivNum">XIII.</td>
+<td class="tocDivTitle"><span class="sc"><a href="#ch13">The Lost
+Camel</a></span></td>
+<td class="tocPageNum">140</td>
+</tr>
+<tr>
+<td class="tocDivNum"></td>
+<td class="tocDivTitle"><span class="sc"><a href="#ch13a">The Three
+Calamities</a></span></td>
+<td class="tocPageNum">143</td>
+</tr>
+<tr>
+<td class="tocDivNum"></td>
+<td class="tocDivTitle"><span class="sc"><a href="#ch13b">The Honest
+but Rash Hunter</a></span></td>
+<td class="tocPageNum">155</td>
+</tr>
+<tr>
+<td class="tocDivNum"></td>
+<td class="tocDivTitle"><span class="sc"><a href="#ch13c">The
+Br&acirc;hma&#7751;&rsquo;s Wife and the Mungoose</a></span>
+<span class="pagenum">[<a id="xd20e340" href="#xd20e340" name=
+"xd20e340">viii</a>]</span></td>
+<td class="tocPageNum">162</td>
+</tr>
+<tr>
+<td class="tocDivNum"></td>
+<td class="tocDivTitle"><span class="sc"><a href="#ch13d">The Faithless
+Wife and the Ungrateful Blind Man</a></span></td>
+<td class="tocPageNum">165</td>
+</tr>
+<tr>
+<td class="tocDivNum"></td>
+<td class="tocDivTitle"><span class="sc"><a href="#ch13e">The Wonderful
+Mango Fruit</a></span></td>
+<td class="tocPageNum">171</td>
+</tr>
+<tr>
+<td class="tocDivNum"></td>
+<td class="tocDivTitle"><span class="sc"><a href="#ch13f">The Poisoned
+Food</a></span></td>
+<td class="tocPageNum">179</td>
+</tr>
+<tr>
+<td class="tocDivNum"></td>
+<td class="tocDivTitle"><span class="sc"><a href="#ch13g">Eating up the
+Protector</a></span></td>
+<td class="tocPageNum">184</td>
+</tr>
+<tr>
+<td class="tocDivNum">XIV.</td>
+<td class="tocDivTitle"><span class="sc"><a href="#ch14">The Monkey
+with the Tom-Tom</a></span></td>
+<td class="tocPageNum">187</td>
+</tr>
+<tr>
+<td class="tocDivNum">XV.</td>
+<td class="tocDivTitle"><span class="sc"><a href="#ch15">Pride goeth
+before a Fall</a></span></td>
+<td class="tocPageNum">190</td>
+</tr>
+<tr>
+<td class="tocDivNum">XVI.</td>
+<td class="tocDivTitle"><span class="sc"><a href="#ch16">Good will grow
+out of Good</a></span></td>
+<td class="tocPageNum">194</td>
+</tr>
+<tr>
+<td class="tocDivNum">XVII.</td>
+<td class="tocDivTitle"><span class="sc"><a href="#ch17">Light makes
+Prosperity</a></span></td>
+<td class="tocPageNum">202</td>
+</tr>
+<tr>
+<td class="tocDivNum">XVIII.</td>
+<td class="tocDivTitle"><span class="sc"><a href="#ch18"><span class=
+"corr" id="xd20e420" title=
+"Source: Chandralekh&acirc;">Chandral&ecirc;kh&acirc;</span> and the
+Eight Robbers</a></span></td>
+<td class="tocPageNum">210</td>
+</tr>
+<tr>
+<td class="tocDivNum">XIX.</td>
+<td class="tocDivTitle"><span class="sc"><a href="#ch19">The Conquest
+of Fate</a></span></td>
+<td class="tocPageNum">230</td>
+</tr>
+<tr>
+<td class="tocDivNum">XX.</td>
+<td class="tocDivTitle"><span class="sc"><a href="#ch20">The
+Br&acirc;hma&#7751; Priest who became an Amild&acirc;r</a></span></td>
+<td class="tocPageNum">248</td>
+</tr>
+<tr>
+<td class="tocDivNum">XXI.</td>
+<td class="tocDivTitle"><span class="sc"><a href="#ch21">The
+Gardener&rsquo;s Cunning Wife</a></span></td>
+<td class="tocPageNum">257</td>
+</tr>
+<tr>
+<td class="tocDivNum">XXII.</td>
+<td class="tocDivTitle"><span class="sc"><a href="#ch22">Keep it for
+the Beggar</a></span></td>
+<td class="tocPageNum">262</td>
+</tr>
+<tr>
+<td class="tocDivNum">XXIII.</td>
+<td class="tocDivTitle"><span class="sc"><a href="#ch23">Good Luck to
+the Lucky One</a></span></td>
+<td class="tocPageNum">267</td>
+</tr>
+<tr>
+<td class="tocDivNum">XXIV.</td>
+<td class="tocDivTitle"><span class="sc"><a href=
+"#ch24">Retaliation</a></span></td>
+<td class="tocPageNum">274</td>
+</tr>
+<tr>
+<td class="tocDivNum">XXV.</td>
+<td class="tocDivTitle"><span class="sc"><a href="#ch25">The Beggar and
+the Five Muffins</a></span></td>
+<td class="tocPageNum">280</td>
+</tr>
+<tr>
+<td class="tocDivNum">XXVI.</td>
+<td class="tocDivTitle"><span class="sc"><a href="#ch26">The
+<span class="corr" id="xd20e504" title=
+"Source: Brahmar&acirc;kshars">Brahmar&acirc;kshas</span> and the
+Hair</a></span></td>
+<td class="tocPageNum">285</td>
+</tr>
+<tr>
+<td class="tocDivNum"></td>
+<td class="tocDivTitle"><span class="sc"><a href=
+"#notes">Notes</a></span></td>
+<td class="tocPageNum">290</td>
+</tr>
+</table>
+<p><span class="pagenum">[<a id="xd20e517" href="#xd20e517" name=
+"xd20e517">ix</a>]</span></p>
+</div>
+</div>
+<div class="div1"><span class="pagenum">[<a href=
+"#toc">Contents</a>]</span>
+<div class="divHead">
+<h2 class="main">Introduction.</h2>
+</div>
+<div class="divBody">
+<p class="first">It has often struck all lovers of Folklore and
+National Legends with wonder, that so many countries should have
+reproduced in different imagery and language the same tales. Persia,
+Arabia, and India give us the same fables as Italy, France, Norway, and
+Iceland, except for slight variations principally arising from
+difference of custom, distance of time, idiom and nationality.</p>
+<p>Able writers have explained this to us by a theory worthy of
+consideration, and admirable in its origin, but nevertheless wholly
+their own. They would have us believe that a certain group of tales
+belonged to a certain nation, and that through emigration and
+immigration, through wars and dispersions, these same tales have been
+carried backwards and forwards and dragged from country to country
+borrowing the language and peculiarities of the lands they passed
+through, just as the seed of some rare plant is borne <span class=
+"pagenum">[<a id="xd20e525" href="#xd20e525" name=
+"xd20e525">x</a>]</span>on the breeze and bears fruit coarse or more
+refined according to the soil in which it at last takes root.</p>
+<p>In Germany we have G&ouml;deck, K&ouml;hler, Sichecht, and a host of
+others who tell us that these tales are Oriental, and that all fable
+originates in the East, others again that they are transmitted to us by
+the same channel as the Aryan languages from Aryan tradition. I cannot
+see why one nation or one country alone should have the intelligence of
+producing fables which as a rule are next to religion in their teaching
+and intentions. If proverbs are the wisdom of nations, what are fables
+and legends but developed proverbs. What is the meaning of fable? It
+means an intent to convey moral instruction in a narrative in which the
+characters are represented by birds, beasts, or fishes; and often
+plants.</p>
+<p>Practically a parable is the same thing, and folklore and
+fairy-tales are the attempts of intelligent people to inculcate in
+their children or other ignorant people the great truths of religion or
+wisdom, by means of word-pictures that would bring these truths within
+the easy grasp of undeveloped <span class="pagenum">[<a id="xd20e531"
+href="#xd20e531" name="xd20e531">xi</a>]</span>minds, it is the old
+repeated tale? The Struggle between Right and Wrong. &ldquo;Faust and
+Marguerite.&rdquo; The Wicked Punished, The Virtuous Rewarded.</p>
+<p>Disguise them as you will, there are certain tendons which run
+through the world from age to age; cords which no human hand has yet
+severed&mdash;which no decree of God&rsquo;s has changed&mdash;these
+are love and death, hate and vengeance, virtue and vice, right and
+wrong, suffering and joy; and as long as there is a world, as long as
+children are born, parents will invent fables with which to bring these
+facts before their offsprings&rsquo; eyes in an intelligible
+manner.</p>
+<p>In the fables of the East, and especially of India, there is one
+peculiarity, namely, that craft and cunning are more generally rewarded
+than virtue, and stupidity condemned. This is the national
+characteristic. The tales of Southern India are as varied as any
+others, either Eastern or European. Magic and supernatural phenomena
+play a great part, but are usually assisted by the powers of the gods.
+This is again a national Hindoo characteristic. <span class=
+"pagenum">[<a id="xd20e537" href="#xd20e537" name=
+"xd20e537">xii</a>]</span>The Hindoo would shrink from any undertaking
+that is not under the patronage of the gods; yet here is a very
+noticeable feature, namely, that the divinities are treated as entirely
+secondary in power, interwoven only into a man&rsquo;s daily affairs as
+a sort of backbone or support in time of need, but to be despised and
+trampled upon at other times with impunity. This is a natural feature
+in a nation which has a deity to represent every vice and sin, and
+lends a certain character to the tales of Southern India different to
+the folklore of other countries.</p>
+<p>Probably further research will lay bare many still hidden treasures
+of Hindoo folklore; but this small collection of tales will doubtless
+suffice to throw light on Indian tradition, and to bring forward the
+natural peculiarities of the Hindoos as well as the assimilation of the
+folklore of different nations, an assimilation which I maintain results
+from the teaching propensities of each country and not from
+appropriation.</p>
+<p class="signed"><span class="sc">Georgiana Kingscote.</span>
+<span class="pagenum">[<a id="pb1" href="#pb1" name=
+"pb1">1</a>]</span></p>
+</div>
+</div>
+</div>
+<div class="body">
+<div id="ch1" class="div1"><span class="pagenum">[<a href=
+"#toc">Contents</a>]</span>
+<div class="divHead">
+<h2 class="super">Folklore in Southern India.</h2>
+<h2 class="label">I.</h2>
+<h2 class="main">The Story of the Three Deaf Men.</h2>
+</div>
+<div class="divBody">
+<p class="first">When any awkward blunder occurs from a person acting
+under a mistaken notion, there is a common proverb in Tamil to the
+effect that the matter ended like the story of the three deaf
+men&mdash;(<i>Muchchevi&#7693;an kadaiy&acirc;y mu&#7693;indadu</i>).
+The following is the story told to explain the allusion:&mdash;</p>
+<p>In a remote village there lived a husband and wife. Both of them
+were quite deaf. They had made this household arrangement, namely, to
+cook cabbage with tamarind and soup without tamarind one day, and
+cabbage without tamarind and soup with tamarind on the other. Thus on
+every alternate day the same dishes were repeated. One day, when taking
+his meal, the husband found the tamarind cabbage so very tasty that he
+wanted to have it also next day, and gave instructions to that effect.
+The deaf wife did not <span class="pagenum">[<a id="pb2" href="#pb2"
+name="pb2">2</a>]</span>understand the order. According to the
+established rule she cooked cabbage without tamarind next day. The
+husband, when he sat down to his meal, found his order disregarded and,
+being enraged thereat, threw the cabbage against the wall, and went out
+in a rage. The wife ate her fill, and prepared tamarind cabbage for her
+husband.</p>
+<p>The husband went out, and sat down in a place where three roads
+crossed, to calm down his anger. At that time a shepherd happened to
+pass that way. He had lately lost a good cow and calf of his, and had
+been seeking them for some days. When he saw the deaf man sitting by
+the way, he took him for a soothsayer, and asked him to find out by his
+knowledge of <i>J&ocirc;syam</i><a class="noteref" id="xd20e567src"
+href="#xd20e567" name="xd20e567src">1</a> where the cow was likely to
+be found. The herdsman, too, was very deaf; and the man, without
+hearing what he was saying, abused him, and wished to be left
+undisturbed. In abusing him the husband stretched out his hand,
+pointing to the shepherd&rsquo;s face. This pointing the shepherd
+understood to indicate the direction where the lost cow and calf would
+be found. Thus thinking the poor shepherd went on in that direction,
+promising to present the soothsayer with the calf if he found it there
+with the cow. To his joy, and by mere chance, he found them. His
+delight knew no bounds. &ldquo;That is a <span class="pagenum">[<a id=
+"pb3" href="#pb3" name="pb3">3</a>]</span>capital soothsayer. Surely I
+must present him with the calf.&rdquo; So thought he to himself, and
+returned with them to the deaf man, and, pointing to the calf,
+requested him to accept it.</p>
+<p>Now it unfortunately happened that the calf&rsquo;s tail was broken
+and crooked. The man thought the herdsman was blaming him unreasonably
+for having broken the calf&rsquo;s tail, while he knew nothing about
+it, and so, by a waive of his hand, denied the charge. This the
+shepherd mistook for a refusal of the calf, and a demand for the cow.
+The shepherd said, &ldquo;How very greedy you are! I promised you only
+the calf, and not the cow.&rdquo; The husband said, &ldquo;Never; I
+know nothing of either your cow or calf. I never broke the calf&rsquo;s
+tail. Some other must have done it.&rdquo; Thus they quarrelled,
+without understanding each other, for a long time, when a third party
+happened to pass by. Understanding the cause of the dispute, and,
+desiring to profit by their stupidity, he interfered, and said in a
+loud voice, and yet so as not to be heard by the deaf husband,
+&ldquo;Well, shepherd, you had better go away with the cow. These
+soothsayers are always greedy. Leave the calf with me, and I shall make
+him accept it.&rdquo; The shepherd, much pleased to have secured the
+cow, walked home, leaving the calf with the third person. When the
+shepherd had gone, the passenger said to the deaf man, &ldquo;You see
+how very unlawful <span class="pagenum">[<a id="pb4" href="#pb4" name=
+"pb4">4</a>]</span>it is for the shepherd to charge you with an offence
+which you never committed. It is always the case with shepherds. They
+are the biggest fools in the world! But never mind, so long as you have
+a friend in me. I shall somehow explain to him your innocence, and
+restore the calf to him.&rdquo; The husband, much pleased, ran home to
+escape from the consequences of supposed guilt. At the expense of the
+stupidity and deafness of both, the third traveller walked home with
+the calf.</p>
+<p>The husband, on his return, sat down to his dinner, and his wife
+served him the tamarind cabbage. He happened to put his finger to the
+place where the cabbage without tamarind had previously been served on
+the leaf. On applying it to his mouth, he found it so very sweet that
+he demanded that dish again. The wife replied to him that she had
+already emptied the pan. &ldquo;Then at least bring me the cabbage that
+is sticking to the saucepan,&rdquo; said the husband; and the wife did
+accordingly.</p>
+<p>Here ends the story. The latter portion is also said to be the
+explanation of a proverb that is prevalent in
+Tamil,&mdash;&ldquo;<i lang="ta-latn">&#346;evuru k&icirc;raiyai
+val&#804;ichchu p&ocirc;&#7693;u&#7693;i
+&#347;u&#7751;aike&#7789;&#7789;a m&ucirc;l&#803;i</i>,&rdquo; meaning,
+&ldquo;O thou feelingless deaf woman, give me at least the cabbage that
+is sticking to the saucepan.<span class="corr" id="xd20e583" title=
+"Not in source">&rdquo;</span> This proverb is applied to stubborn
+wives, who will have their own way, and do not obey their husbands
+submissively in unrefined society. <span class="pagenum">[<a id="pb5"
+href="#pb5" name="pb5">5</a>]</span></p>
+</div>
+<div class="footnotes">
+<hr class="fnsep">
+<p class="footnote"><span class="label"><a class="noteref" id=
+"xd20e567" href="#xd20e567src" name="xd20e567">1</a></span>
+Soothsaying.</p>
+</div>
+</div>
+<div id="ch2" class="div1"><span class="pagenum">[<a href=
+"#toc">Contents</a>]</span>
+<div class="divHead">
+<h2 class="label">II.</h2>
+<h2 class="main">Why Br&acirc;hma&#7751;s cannot eat in the Dark.</h2>
+</div>
+<div class="divBody">
+<p class="first">Among Hind&ucirc;s, especially among
+Br&acirc;hma&#7751;s of the Madras Presidency&mdash;and I now see from
+personal observation that it is the same in the Bombay Presidency
+also&mdash;there is a custom, while taking their meals, of leaving
+their food uneaten when it so happens that from any cause the light is
+blown out. Of course this could occur only in the night-time. Such
+mishaps now-a-days take place only in poor families, sitting down to
+supper with a single light. Hence the following story, told as the
+origin of this custom, is beginning to be forgotten. It runs as
+follows:&mdash;</p>
+<p>In a certain village there lived a Br&acirc;hma&#7751; who had an
+only daughter. She was deeply read in Sa&#7749;sk&#7771;it, and was of
+the most charming beauty. He procured a husband for her as deeply read
+as herself. The betrothal had already taken place; the
+<i>muh&ucirc;rta</i> or auspicious time for her marriage was fixed at
+the tenth <i>gha&#7789;ik&acirc;</i><a class="noteref" id="xd20e601src"
+href="#xd20e601" name="xd20e601src">1</a> of that night. On that
+<span class="pagenum">[<a id="pb6" href="#pb6" name=
+"pb6">6</a>]</span>very evening the son-in-law went to a tank to
+perform his <i>Sandhy&acirc; vandana</i> or evening prayers. It swarmed
+with crocodiles. People never went near it. The son-in-law, being quite
+new to the village, entered the tank without knowing anything of the
+danger. Unfortunately, there was none near to warn him. He had set his
+foot in the water when a crocodile caught him by the leg, and began to
+drag him into the water. That very night was fixed for his nuptials,
+and a crocodile was taking him to feast on his flesh. He was extremely
+horrified at his position, and said humbly to his enemy, &ldquo;My
+friend crocodile! Listen to my words first, and then decide for
+yourself. A wife, the only daughter of an old Br&acirc;hma&#7751;, is
+waiting for me to-night. If you eat me now, you take me away without my
+seeing her, my father-in-law, and other relatives. Their hearts may
+break at the news of my death on the very day of the wedding. They may
+all curse you. If, on the contrary, you leave me now, I shall go home,
+speak to my wife and others about the sad calamity that has come over
+me, and after embracing and taking leave of her will come to you for
+your supper at the fifteenth <i>gha&#7789;ik&acirc;</i>. Till then
+leave me.&rdquo; The cruel crocodile, though very fond of human flesh,
+and himself dying of hunger, spared him for a few
+<i>gha&#7789;ik&acirc;s</i> at his humble request. After extracting
+several oaths from <span class="pagenum">[<a id="pb7" href="#pb7" name=
+"pb7">7</a>]</span>him that he would return in accordance to his
+promise, the crocodile went into the water.</p>
+<p>The son-in-law also went home. All his joy vanished; how could he be
+happy after his promise to the crocodile. Still, to give no uneasiness
+to the aged parents of his wife, he underwent all the ceremonies of the
+marriage. Only five more <i>gha&#7789;ik&acirc;s</i> remained for him
+to live in the world, as he thought. He, in a few words, explained
+everything to his wife, and asked her permission to leave her. She
+showed no sign of sorrow, preached to him about the iron hand of fate,
+and that he must undergo what was written on his forehead. She most
+willingly gave him permission to go, and he returned to the tank even a
+<i>gha&#7789;ik&acirc;</i> earlier, and called the crocodile, who came
+and seized him.</p>
+<p>At this moment a certain light glittered before the eyes of the
+crocodile and vanished. It was a <span class="corr" id="xd20e628"
+title="Source: woman&rsquo;s">woman</span> that did it. The wife, after
+consoling her husband, and preaching to him about the supremacy of
+fate, had accompanied him unobserved with a lighted lamp concealed in a
+vessel. Just when the crocodile applied its teeth to the leg of her
+husband, she took the lamp out, flashed it before the crocodile&rsquo;s
+eyes, and quenched it. Nor was it without its intended effect. The
+crocodile left the husband to himself, and said, &ldquo;You had better
+go now; I will never touch you after seeing a lamp <span class=
+"pagenum">[<a id="pb8" href="#pb8" name="pb8">8</a>]</span>extinguished
+when I began my meal to-day.&rdquo; The husband was astonished at the
+device of his wife, and still more at the faithful observance of a rule
+in an unreasonable beast. From that day it was fixed that men, who are
+still more reasonable, should never eat when the lamp is blown out.</p>
+<p>Another story is told. In a remote village there lived a poor woman,
+who laboured from morning till night in different houses, and returned
+to her hut with two measures of rice. That quantity would serve for ten
+ordinary persons. Being extremely poor, she used to keep no lamp, but
+cook her rice in the dark, only guided by the light of the fire. When
+she sat down for her meal even the light of the fire faded; so she had
+to eat in the dark. Though she used the full two measures of rice that
+she brought away every day, her hunger was never satisfied; she was
+always in extreme want.</p>
+<p>Now it so happened that she had a younger sister, who was somewhat
+richer than herself. The younger came to see her elder sister. The
+former never used to be without a light, and so asked her sister to buy
+some oil that night and light a lamp. The elder was compelled by
+necessity to do so; for that, she devoted a portion of her two measures
+of rice, and returned home with great uneasiness and perplexity of mind
+as to how less than two measures would furnish their supper that night,
+while full two measures <span class="pagenum">[<a id="pb9" href="#pb9"
+name="pb9">9</a>]</span>were found insufficient on former occasions for
+herself alone. The lamp was set for the first time in her house, and
+she cooked the remaining rice. The younger sister was astonished to see
+her using so much for two. The elder, thinking within herself that the
+younger would soon see her mistake, cooked everything. Two leaves were
+spread, and they sat down to their supper.<a class="noteref" id=
+"xd20e639src" href="#xd20e639" name="xd20e639src">2</a> Not even a
+fourth part of the rice in the pot was consumed, but already they were
+satisfied. The younger sister laughed at the foolishness of her elder,
+who now said, &ldquo;I do not know what magic you have in you. Every
+day I cook two measures of rice, and fast the whole night, without
+finding them sufficient for myself. Now a fourth of less than two
+measures has satiated both<span class="corr" id="xd20e642" title=
+"Source: ,">.</span> Please explain the cause.&rdquo; The younger
+sister, who was very intelligent herself, wanted to find out the cause,
+and asked next day if she might serve the meals without the lamp.
+Instead of eating she stretched out her hand and caught hold of a lock
+of hair. She asked the other at once to light the lamp, which, being
+done, they found a devil sitting by their side. On being questioned how
+he came there, he said that he was in the habit of going to every one
+who ate without a lamp, and swallowing his meals fast without leaving
+him a morsel. The elder sister <span class="pagenum">[<a id="pb10"
+href="#pb10" name="pb10">10</a>]</span>perceived her mistake, and used
+a lamp from that day. The demon ceased to come. She had abundance for
+herself and something to spare. So when the lamp is blown out, devils
+are said to come and eat out of our leaves. Hence the custom of rising
+whenever such mishaps occur. <span class="pagenum">[<a id="pb11" href=
+"#pb11" name="pb11">11</a>]</span></p>
+</div>
+<div class="footnotes">
+<hr class="fnsep">
+<p class="footnote"><span class="label"><a class="noteref" id=
+"xd20e601" href="#xd20e601src" name="xd20e601">1</a></span> An Indian
+hour equal to twenty-four minutes.</p>
+<p class="footnote"><span class="label"><a class="noteref" id=
+"xd20e639" href="#xd20e639src" name="xd20e639">2</a></span> It is the
+custom amongst widows to use betel leaves instead of plates.</p>
+</div>
+</div>
+<div id="ch3" class="div1"><span class="pagenum">[<a href=
+"#toc">Contents</a>]</span>
+<div class="divHead">
+<h2 class="label">III.</h2>
+<h2 class="main">The Soothsayer&rsquo;s Son.</h2>
+<div class="epigraph">
+<div class="lgouter">
+<p class="line"><span lang=
+"sa">&#2332;&#2344;&#2381;&#2350;&#2346;&#2381;&#2352;&#2349;&#2371;&#2340;&#2367;
+&#2342;&#2366;&#2352;&#2367;&#2342;&#2381;&#2352;&#2381;&#2351;&#2306;
+&#2342;&#2358;&#2357;&#2352;&#2381;&#2359;&#2366;&#2339;&#2367;
+&#2348;&#2344;&#2381;&#2343;&#2344;&#2350;&#2381;&zwnj;
+&#2404;</span></p>
+<p class="line"><span lang=
+"sa">&#2360;&#2350;&#2369;&#2342;&#2381;&#2352;&#2340;&#2368;&#2352;&#2375;
+&#2350;&#2352;&#2375;&#2339;&#2306;
+&#2325;&#2367;&#2334;&#2381;&#2330;&#2367;&#2340;&#2381;&zwnj;
+&#2349;&#2379;&#2327;&#2306;
+&#2349;&#2357;&#2367;&#2359;&#2381;&#2351;&#2340;&#2367;
+&#2405;</span></p>
+</div>
+</div>
+</div>
+<div class="divBody">
+<p class="first">Thus a Soothsayer when on his death-bed wrote the
+horoscope of his second son, and bequeathed it to him as his only
+property, leaving the whole of his estate to his eldest son. The second
+son pondered over the horoscope, and fell into the following
+reflections:&mdash;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;Alas, am I born to this only in the world? The sayings of my
+father never failed. I have seen them prove true to the last word while
+he was living; and how has he fixed my horoscope! <i lang=
+"sa-latn">Janma parabh&#7771;iti d&acirc;ridryam!</i> From my birth
+poverty! Nor is that my only fate. <i lang="sa-latn">Da&#347;a
+varsh&acirc;&#7751;i bandhanam</i>: for ten years, imprisonment&mdash;a
+fate harder than poverty; and what comes next? <i lang=
+"sa-latn">Samudrat&icirc;r&ecirc; mara&#7751;am</i>: death on the
+sea-shore; which means that I must die away from home, far from friends
+and relatives on a sea-coast. The misery has reached its extreme height
+here. Now comes the funniest part of the <span class="pagenum">[<a id=
+"pb12" href="#pb12" name="pb12">12</a>]</span>horoscope, <i lang=
+"sa-latn">Ki&ntilde;chit <span class="corr" id="xd20e680" title=
+"Source: bh&oacute;gam">bh&ocirc;gam</span> bhavishyati</i>&mdash;that
+I am to have some happiness afterwards! What this happiness is, is an
+enigma to me: To die first, to be happy for some time after! What
+happiness? Is it the happiness of this world? So it must be. For
+however clever one may be, he cannot foretell what may take place in
+the other world. Therefore it must be the happiness of this world; and
+how can that be possible after my death? It is impossible. I think my
+father has only meant this as a consoling conclusion to the series of
+calamities that he has prophesied. Three portions of his prophecy must
+prove true; the fourth and last is a mere comforting statement to bear
+patiently the calamities enumerated, and never to prove true. Therefore
+let me go to B&acirc;n&acirc;ras, bathe in the holy Ga&#7749;g&acirc;,
+wash away my sins, and prepare myself for my end. Let me avoid
+sea-coasts, lest death meet me there in accordance with my
+father&rsquo;s words. Come imprisonment: I am prepared for it for ten
+years.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>Thus thought he, and after all the funeral obsequies of his father
+were over, took leave of his elder brother, and started for
+B&acirc;n&acirc;ras.<a class="noteref" id="xd20e686src" href=
+"#xd20e686" name="xd20e686src">1</a> He went by the middle of the
+Dakha&#7751;,<a class="noteref" id="xd20e689src" href="#xd20e689" name=
+"xd20e689src">2</a> avoiding both the coasts, and went on journeying
+and journeying <span class="pagenum">[<a id="pb13" href="#pb13" name=
+"pb13">13</a>]</span>for weeks and months, till at last he reached the
+Vindhya mountains. While passing that desert he had to journey for a
+couple of days through a sandy plain, with no signs of life or
+vegetation. The little store of provision with which he was provided
+for a couple of days, at last was exhausted. The
+<i>chombu</i>,<a class="noteref" id="xd20e697src" href="#xd20e697"
+name="xd20e697src">3</a> which he carried always full, replenishing it
+with the sweet water from the flowing rivulet or plenteous tank, he had
+exhausted in the heat of the desert. There was not a morsel in his hand
+to eat; nor a drop of water to drink. Turn his eyes wherever he might
+he found a vast desert, out of which he saw no means of escape. Still
+he thought within himself, &ldquo;Surely my father&rsquo;s prophecy
+never proved untrue. I must survive this calamity to find my death on
+some sea-coast.&rdquo; So thought he, and this thought gave him
+strength of mind to walk fast and try to find a drop of water somewhere
+to slake his dry throat. At last he succeeded, or rather thought that
+he succeeded. Heaven threw in his way a ruined well. He thought that he
+could collect some water if he let down his <i>chombu</i> with the
+string that he always carried noosed to the neck of it. Accordingly he
+let it down; it went some way and stopped, and the following words came
+from the well, &ldquo;Oh, relieve me! I am the king of tigers,
+<span class="pagenum">[<a id="pb14" href="#pb14" name=
+"pb14">14</a>]</span>dying here of hunger. For the last three days I
+have had nothing. Fortune has sent you here. If you assist me now you
+will find a sure help in me throughout your life. Do not think that I
+am a beast of prey. When you have become my deliverer I can never touch
+you. Pray, kindly lift me up.&rdquo; Ga&#7749;g&acirc;dhara, for that
+was the name of the Soothsayer&rsquo;s second son, found himself in a
+very perplexing position. &ldquo;Shall I take him out or not? If I take
+him out he may make me the first morsel of his hungry mouth. No; that
+he will not do. For my father&rsquo;s prophecy never came untrue. I
+must die on a sea-coast and not by a tiger.&rdquo; Thus thinking, he
+asked the tiger king to hold tight to the vessel, which he accordingly
+did, and he lifted him up slowly. The tiger reached the top of the well
+and felt himself on safe ground. True to his word he did no harm to
+Ga&#7749;g&acirc;dhara. On the other hand, he walked round his patron
+three times, and standing before him, humbly spoke the following
+words:&mdash;&ldquo;My life-giver, my benefactor! I shall never forget
+this day, when I regained my life through your kind hands. In return
+for this kind assistance I pledge my oath to stand by you in all
+calamities. Whenever you are in any difficulty just think of me. I am
+there with you ready to oblige you by all the means that I can. To tell
+you briefly how I came in here:&mdash;Three days ago I was roaming
+<span class="pagenum">[<a id="pb15" href="#pb15" name=
+"pb15">15</a>]</span>in yonder forest, when I saw a goldsmith passing
+through it. I chased him. He, finding it impossible to escape my claws,
+jumped into this well, and is living to this moment in the very bottom
+of it. I also jumped in, but found myself in the first storey;<a class=
+"noteref" id="xd20e708src" href="#xd20e708" name="xd20e708src">4</a> he
+is on the last and fourth storey. In the second storey lives a serpent
+half-famished with hunger. In the third storey lies a rat, similarly
+half-famished, and when you again begin to draw water these may request
+you first to release them. In the same way the goldsmith also may
+request. I tell you, as your bosom friend, never assist that wretched
+man, though he is your relation as a human being. Goldsmiths are never
+to be trusted. You can place more faith in me, a tiger, though I feast
+sometimes upon men, in a serpent whose sting makes your blood cold the
+very next moment, or in a rat, which does a thousand pieces of mischief
+in your house. But never trust a goldsmith. Do not release him; and if
+you do, you shall surely repent of it one day or other.&rdquo; Thus
+advising, the hungry tiger went away without waiting for an answer.</p>
+<p>Ga&#7749;g&acirc;dhara thought several times of the eloquent
+<span class="pagenum">[<a id="pb16" href="#pb16" name=
+"pb16">16</a>]</span>way in which the tiger addressed him, and admired
+his fluency of speech. His thirst was not quenched. So he let down his
+vessel again, which was now caught hold of by the serpent, who
+addressed him thus:&mdash;&ldquo;Oh my protector! Lift me up. I am the
+king of serpents, and the son of &Acirc;di&#347;&ecirc;sha,<a class=
+"noteref" id="xd20e715src" href="#xd20e715" name="xd20e715src">5</a>
+who is now pining away in agony for my disappearance. Release me now. I
+shall ever remain your servant, remember your assistance, and help you
+throughout life in all possible ways. Oblige me: I am dying.&rdquo;
+Ga&#7749;g&acirc;dhara, calling again to mind the
+<i>Samudrat&icirc;r&ecirc; mara&#7751;am</i>&mdash;death on the
+sea-shore&mdash;lifted him up. He, like the tiger-king, walked round
+him thrice, and prostrating himself before him spoke
+thus:&mdash;&ldquo;Oh, my life-giver, my father, for so I must call
+you, as you have given me another birth. I have already told you that I
+am &Acirc;di&#347;&ecirc;sha&rsquo;s son, and that I am the king of
+serpents. I was three days ago basking myself in the morning sun, when
+I saw a rat running before me. I chased him. He fell into this well. I
+followed him, but instead of falling on the third storey where he is
+now lying, I fell into the second. It was on the same evening that the
+goldsmith also fell down into the fourth storey, and the tiger whom you
+released just before me fell down into the first. What I have to
+<span class="pagenum">[<a id="pb17" href="#pb17" name=
+"pb17">17</a>]</span>tell you now is&mdash;do not relieve the
+goldsmith, though you may release the rat. As a rule, goldsmiths are
+never to be trusted. I am going away now to see my father. Whenever you
+are in any difficulty just think of me. I will be there by your side to
+assist you by all possible means. If, notwithstanding my repeated
+advice, you happen to release the goldsmith, you shall suffer for it
+severely.&rdquo; So saying, the N&acirc;gar&acirc;ja (serpent-king)
+glided away in zigzag movements, and was out of sight in a moment.</p>
+<p>The poor son of the Soothsayer who was now almost dying of thirst,
+and was even led to think that the messengers of death were near him,
+notwithstanding his firm belief in the words of his father let down his
+vessel for a third time. The rat caught hold of it, and without
+discussing, he lifted up the poor animal at once. But it would not go
+away without showing its gratitude&mdash;&ldquo;Oh life of my life! My
+benefactor! I am the king of rats. Whenever you are in any calamity
+just think of me. I will come to you, and assist you. My keen ears
+overheard all that the tiger-king and serpent-king told you about the
+Svar&#7751;ataskara<a class="noteref" id="xd20e725src" href="#xd20e725"
+name="xd20e725src">6</a> (<i>gold-smith</i>), who is in <span class=
+"pagenum">[<a id="pb18" href="#pb18" name="pb18">18</a>]</span>the
+fourth storey. It is nothing but a sad truth that goldsmiths ought
+never to be trusted. Therefore never assist him as you have done to us
+all. And if you do, you shall feel it. I am hungry; let me go for the
+present.&rdquo; Thus taking leave of his benefactor, the rat, too, ran
+away.</p>
+<p>Ga&#7749;g&acirc;dhara for a while thought upon the repeated advice
+given by the three animals about releasing the goldsmith, &ldquo;What
+wrong would there be in my assisting him? Why should I not release him
+also?&rdquo; So thinking to himself, Ga&#7749;g&acirc;dhara let down
+the vessel again. The goldsmith caught hold of it, and demanded help.
+The Soothsayer&rsquo;s son had no time to lose; he was himself dying of
+thirst. Therefore he lifted the goldsmith up, who now began his
+story:&mdash;&ldquo;Stop for a while,&rdquo; said
+Ga&#7749;g&acirc;dhara, and after quenching his thirst by letting down
+his vessel for the fifth time, still fearing that some one might remain
+in the well and demand his assistance, he listened to the goldsmith,
+who began as follows:&mdash;&ldquo;My dear friend, my protector, what a
+deal of nonsense these brutes have been talking to you about me; I am
+glad you have not followed their advice. I am just now dying of hunger.
+Permit me to go away. My name is
+M&acirc;&#7751;ikk&acirc;&#347;&acirc;ri. I live in the East main
+street of Ujjaini which is twenty <i>k&acirc;s</i><a class="noteref"
+id="xd20e737src" href="#xd20e737" name="xd20e737src">7</a> to the
+<span class="pagenum">[<a id="pb19" href="#pb19" name=
+"pb19">19</a>]</span>south of this place, and so lies on your way when
+you return from B&acirc;n&acirc;ras. Do not forget to come to me and
+receive my kind remembrances of your assistance, on your way back to
+your country.&rdquo; So saying the goldsmith took his leave, and
+Ga&#7749;g&acirc;dhara also pursued his way north after the above
+adventures.</p>
+<p>He reached B&acirc;n&acirc;ras, and lived there for more than ten
+years, spending his time in bathing, prayers, and other religious
+ceremonies. He quite forgot the tiger, serpent, rat, and goldsmith.
+After ten years of religious life, thoughts of home and of his brother
+rushed into his mind. &ldquo;I have secured enough merit now by my
+religious observances. Let me return home.&rdquo; Thus thought
+Ga&#7749;g&acirc;dhara within himself, and immediately he was on his
+way back to his country. Remembering the prophecy of his father he
+returned by the same way by which he went to B&acirc;n&acirc;ras ten
+years before. While thus retracing his steps he reached the ruined well
+where he had released the three brute kings and the goldsmith. At once
+the old recollections rushed into his mind, and he thought of the tiger
+to test his fidelity. Only a moment passed, and the tiger-king came
+running before him carrying a large crown in his mouth, the glitter of
+the diamonds of which for a time outshone even the bright rays of the
+sun. He dropped the crown at his life-giver&rsquo;s <span class=
+"pagenum">[<a id="pb20" href="#pb20" name="pb20">20</a>]</span>feet,
+and putting aside all his pride, humbled himself like a pet cat to the
+strokes of his protector, and began in the following
+words:&mdash;&ldquo;My life-giver! How is it that you have forgotten
+me, your poor servant, for such a long time? I am glad to find that I
+still occupy a corner in your mind. I can never forget the day when I
+owed my life to your lotus hands. I have several jewels with me of
+little value. This crown, being the best of all, I have brought here as
+a single ornament of great value, and hence easily portable and useful
+to you in your own country.&rdquo; Ga&#7749;g&acirc;dhara looked at the
+crown, examined it over and over, counted and recounted the gems, and
+thought within himself that he would become the richest of men by
+separating the diamonds and gold, and selling them in his own country.
+He took leave of the tiger-king, and after his disappearance thought of
+the kings of serpents and rats, who came in their turns with their
+presents, and after the usual formalities and exchange of words took
+their leave. Ga&#7749;g&acirc;dhara was extremely delighted at the
+faithfulness with which the brute beasts behaved themselves, and went
+on his way to the south. While going along he spoke to himself
+thus:&mdash;&ldquo;These beasts have been so very faithful in their
+assistance. Much more, therefore, must
+M&acirc;&#7751;ikk&acirc;&#347;&acirc;ri be faithful. I do not want
+anything from him now. If I take this crown with me as it is, it
+occupies <span class="pagenum">[<a id="pb21" href="#pb21" name=
+"pb21">21</a>]</span>much space in my bundle. It may also excite the
+curiosity of some robbers on the way. I will go now to Ujjaini on my
+way, M&acirc;&#7751;ikk&acirc;&#347;&acirc;ri requested me to see him
+without failure on my return journey. I shall do so, and request him to
+have the crown melted, the diamonds and gold separated. He must do that
+kindness at least for me. I shall then roll up these diamonds and gold
+ball in my rags, and bend my way homewards.&rdquo; Thus thinking and
+thinking he reached Ujjaini. At once he enquired for the house of his
+goldsmith friend, and found him without difficulty.
+M&acirc;&#7751;ikk&acirc;&#347;&acirc;ri was extremely delighted to
+find on his threshold him who ten years before, notwithstanding the
+advice repeatedly given him by the sage-looking tiger, serpent, and
+rat, had relieved him from the pit of death. Ga&#7749;g&acirc;dhara at
+once showed him the crown that he received from the tiger-king, told
+him how he got it, and requested his kind assistance to separate the
+gold and diamonds. M&acirc;&#7751;ikk&acirc;&#347;&acirc;ri agreed to
+do so, and meanwhile asked his friend to rest himself for a while to
+have his bath and meals; and Ga&#7749;g&acirc;dhara, who was very
+observant of his religious ceremonies, went direct to the river to
+bathe.</p>
+<p>How came a crown in the jaws of a tiger? It is not a difficult
+question to solve. A king must have furnished the table of the tiger
+for a day or two. Had it not been for that, the tiger could not have
+<span class="pagenum">[<a id="pb22" href="#pb22" name=
+"pb22">22</a>]</span>had a crown with him. Even so it was. The king of
+Ujjaini had a week before gone with all his hunters on a hunting
+expedition. All of a sudden a tiger&mdash;as we know now, the very
+tiger-king himself&mdash;started from the wood, seized the king, and
+vanished. The hunters returned and informed the prince about the sad
+calamity that had befallen his father. They all saw the tiger carrying
+away the king. Yet such was their courage that they could not lift
+their weapons to bring to the prince the corpse at least of his
+father.</p>
+<p>When they informed the prince about the death of his father he wept
+and wailed, and gave notice that he would give half of his kingdom to
+any one who should bring him news about the murderer of his father. The
+prince did not at all believe that his father was devoured by the
+tiger. His belief was that some hunters, coveting the ornaments on the
+king&rsquo;s person, had murdered him. Hence he had issued the notice.
+The goldsmith knew full well that it was a tiger that killed the king,
+and not any hunter&rsquo;s hands, since he had heard from
+Ga&#7749;g&acirc;dhara about how he obtained the crown. Still, ambition
+to get half the kingdom prevailed, and he resolved with himself to make
+over Ga&#7749;g&acirc;dhara as the king&rsquo;s murderer. The crown was
+lying on the floor where Ga&#7749;g&acirc;dhara left it with his full
+confidence in M&acirc;&#7751;ikk&acirc;&#347;&acirc;ri. Before his
+protector&rsquo;s <span class="pagenum">[<a id="pb23" href="#pb23"
+name="pb23">23</a>]</span>return the goldsmith, hiding the crown under
+his garments, flew to the palace. He went before the prince and
+informed him that the assassin was caught, and placed the crown before
+him. The prince took it into his hands, examined it, and at once gave
+half the kingdom to M&acirc;&#7751;ikk&acirc;&#347;&acirc;ri, and then
+enquired about the murderer. &ldquo;He is bathing in the river, and is
+of such and such appearance,&rdquo; was the reply. At once four armed
+soldiers fly to the river, and bound the poor Br&acirc;hma&#7751; hand
+and foot, he sitting in meditation the while, without any knowledge of
+the fate that hung over him. They brought Ga&#7749;g&acirc;dhara to the
+presence of the prince, who turned his face away from the murderer or
+supposed murderer, and asked his soldiers to throw him into the
+<i>k&acirc;r&acirc;g&#7771;iham</i>.<a class="noteref" id="xd20e763src"
+href="#xd20e763" name="xd20e763src">8</a> In a minute, without knowing
+the cause, the poor Br&acirc;hma&#7751; found himself in the dark caves
+of the <i>k&acirc;r&acirc;g&#7771;iham</i>.</p>
+<p>In old times the <i>k&acirc;r&acirc;g&#7771;iham</i> answered the
+purposes of the modern jail. It was a dark cellar underground, built
+with strong stone walls, into which any criminal guilty of a capital
+offence was ushered to breathe his last there without food and drink.
+Such was the cellar into which Ga&#7749;g&acirc;dhara was thrust. In a
+few hours after he left the goldsmith he found himself inside a dark
+cell stinking with <span class="pagenum">[<a id="pb24" href="#pb24"
+name="pb24">24</a>]</span>human bodies, dying and dead. What were his
+thoughts when he reached that place? &ldquo;It is the goldsmith that
+has brought me to this wretched state; and, as for the prince: Why
+should he not enquire as to how I obtained the crown? It is of no use
+to accuse either the goldsmith or the prince now. We are all the
+children of fate. We must obey her commands.
+<i>Da&#347;avarsh&acirc;&#7751;i Bandhanam.</i> This is but the first
+day of my father&rsquo;s prophecy<span class="corr" id="xd20e779"
+title="Not in source">.</span> So far his statement is true. But how am
+I going to pass ten years here? Perhaps without anything to sustain
+life I may drag on my existence for a day or two. But how pass ten
+years? That cannot be, and I must die. Before death comes let me think
+of my faithful brute friends.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>So pondered Ga&#7749;g&acirc;dhara in the dark cell underground, and
+at that moment thought of his three friends. The tiger-king,
+serpent-king, and rat-king assembled at once with their armies at a
+garden near the <i>k&acirc;r&acirc;g&#7771;iham</i>, and for a while
+did not know what to do. A common cause&mdash;how to reach their
+protector, who was now in the dark cell underneath&mdash;united them
+all. They held their council, and decided to make an underground
+passage from the inside of a ruined well to the
+<i>k&acirc;r&acirc;g&#7771;iham</i>. The rat <i>r&acirc;j&acirc;</i>
+issued an order at once to that effect to his army. They, with their
+nimble teeth, bored the ground a long way to the walls of the prison.
+After <span class="pagenum">[<a id="pb25" href="#pb25" name=
+"pb25">25</a>]</span>reaching it they found that their teeth could not
+work on the hard stones. The bandicoots were then specially ordered for
+the business; they, with their hard teeth, made a small slit in the
+wall for a rat to pass and repass without difficulty. Thus a passage
+was effected.</p>
+<p>The rat <i>r&acirc;j&acirc;</i> entered first to condole with his
+protector on his misfortune. The king of the tigers sent word through
+the snake-king that he sympathised most sincerely with his sorrow, and
+that he was ready to render all help for his deliverance. He suggested
+a means for his escape also. The serpent <i>r&acirc;j&acirc;</i> went
+in, and gave Ga&#7749;g&acirc;dhara hopes of delivery. The rat-king
+undertook to supply his protector with provisions. &ldquo;Whatever
+sweetmeats or bread are prepared in any house, one and all of you must
+try to bring whatever you can to our benefactor. Whatever clothes you
+find hanging in a house, cut down, dip the pieces in water, and bring
+the wet bits to our benefactor. He will squeeze them and gather water
+for drink! and the bread and sweetmeats shall form his food.&rdquo;
+Having issued these orders the king of the rats, took leave of
+Ga&#7749;g&acirc;dhara. They, in obedience to their king&rsquo;s order,
+continued to supply provisions and water.</p>
+<p>The N&acirc;gar&acirc;ja said:&mdash;&ldquo;I sincerely condole with
+you in your calamity; the tiger-king also fully sympathises with you,
+and wants me to tell you so, as <span class="pagenum">[<a id="pb26"
+href="#pb26" name="pb26">26</a>]</span>he cannot drag his huge body
+here as we have done with our small ones. The king of the rats has
+promised to do his best to provide you with food. We would now do what
+we can for your release. From this day we shall issue orders to our
+armies to oppress all the subjects of this kingdom. The percentage of
+death by snake-bite and tigers shall increase from this day. And day by
+day it shall continue to increase till your release. After eating what
+the rats bring you, you had better take your seat near the entrance of
+the <i>k&acirc;r&acirc;g&#7771;iham</i>. Owing to the many sudden
+deaths that will occur some people that walk over the prison may say,
+&lsquo;How wicked the king has become. Were it not for his wickedness
+so many dreadful deaths by snake-bites could never occur.&rsquo;
+Whenever you hear people speaking so, you had better bawl out so as to
+be heard by them, &lsquo;The wretched prince imprisoned me on the false
+charge of having killed his father, while it was a tiger that killed
+him. From that day these calamities have broken out in his dominions.
+If I were released I would save all by my powers of healing poisonous
+wounds and by incantations.&rsquo; Some one may report this to the
+king, and if he knows it, you will obtain your liberty.&rdquo; Thus
+comforting his protector in trouble, he advised him to pluck up
+courage, and took leave of him. From that day tigers and serpents,
+acting under the special <span class="pagenum">[<a id="pb27" href=
+"#pb27" name="pb27">27</a>]</span>orders of their kings, united in
+killing as many persons and cattle as possible. Every day people were
+carried away by tigers or bitten by serpents. This havoc continued.
+Ga&#7749;g&acirc;dhara went on roaring as loud he could that he would
+save those lives, had he only his liberty. Few heard him. The few that
+did took his words for the voice of a ghost. &ldquo;How could he manage
+to live without food and drink for so long a time?&rdquo; said the
+persons walking over his head to each other. Thus passed months and
+years. Ga&#7749;g&acirc;dhara sat in the dark cellar, without the
+sun&rsquo;s light falling upon him, and feasted upon the bread-crumbs
+and sweetmeats that the rats so kindly supplied him with. These
+circumstances had completely changed his body. He had become a red,
+stout, huge, unwieldy lump of flesh. Thus passed full ten years, as
+prophesied in the horoscope&mdash;<i>Da&#347;avarsh&acirc;&#7751;i
+Bandhanam</i>.</p>
+<p>Ten complete years rolled away in close imprisonment. On the last
+evening of the tenth year one of the serpents got into the bed-chamber
+of the princess and sucked her life. She breathed her last. She was the
+only daughter of the king. He had no other issue&mdash;son or daughter.
+His only hope was in her; and she was snatched away by a cruel and
+untimely death. The king at once sent for all the snake-bite curers. He
+promised half his kingdom and his daughter&rsquo;s hand to him who
+would <span class="pagenum">[<a id="pb28" href="#pb28" name=
+"pb28">28</a>]</span>restore her to life. Now it was that a servant of
+the king, who had several times overheard
+Ga&#7749;g&acirc;dhara&rsquo;s cries, reported the matter to him. The
+king at once ordered the cell to be examined. There was the man sitting
+in it. How has he managed to live so long in the cell? Some whispered
+that he must be a divine being. Some concluded that he must surely win
+the hand of the princess by restoring her to life. Thus they discussed,
+and the discussions brought Ga&#7749;g&acirc;dhara to the king.</p>
+<p>The king no sooner saw Ga&#7749;g&acirc;dhara than he fell on the
+ground. He was struck by the majesty and grandeur of his person. His
+ten years&rsquo; imprisonment in the deep cell underground had given a
+sort of lustre to his body, which was not to be met with in ordinary
+persons. His hair had first to be cut before his face could be seen.
+The king begged forgiveness for his former fault, and requested him to
+revive his daughter.</p>
+<p>&ldquo;Bring me in a <i>muh&ucirc;rta</i><a class="noteref" id=
+"xd20e825src" href="#xd20e825" name="xd20e825src">9</a> all the corpses
+of men and cattle, dying and dead, that remain unburnt or unburied
+within the range of your dominions; I shall revive them all,&rdquo;
+were the only words that Ga&#7749;g&acirc;dhara spoke. After it he
+closed his lips as if in deep meditation, which commanded more respect
+than ever. <span class="pagenum">[<a id="pb29" href="#pb29" name=
+"pb29">29</a>]</span></p>
+<p>Cart-loads of corpses of men and cattle began to come in every
+minute. Even graves, it is said, were broken open, and corpses buried a
+day or two before were taken out and sent for the revival. As soon as
+all were ready, Ga&#7749;g&acirc;dhara took a vessel full of water and
+sprinkled it over them all, thinking only of his N&acirc;gar&acirc;ja
+and Vy&acirc;ghrar&acirc;ja.<a class="noteref" id="xd20e831src" href=
+"#xd20e831" name="xd20e831src">10</a> All rose up as if from deep
+slumber, and went to their respective homes. The princess, too, was
+restored to life. The joy of the king knew no bounds. He cursed the day
+on which he imprisoned him, blamed himself for having believed the word
+of a goldsmith, and offered him the hand of his daughter and the whole
+kingdom, instead of half as he promised. Ga&#7749;g&acirc;dhara would
+not accept anything. The king requested him to put a stop for ever to
+these calamities. He agreed to do so, and asked the king to assemble
+all his subjects in a wood near the town. &ldquo;I shall there call in
+all the tigers and serpents and give them a general order.&rdquo; So
+said Ga&#7749;g&acirc;dhara, and the king accordingly gave the order.
+In a couple of <i><span class="corr" id="xd20e835" title=
+"Source: gha&#7789;ikas">gha&#7789;ik&acirc;s</span></i><a class=
+"noteref" id="xd20e837src" href="#xd20e837" name="xd20e837src">11</a>
+the wood near Ujjaini was full of people, who assembled to witness the
+authority of man over such enemies of human beings as tigers and
+serpents. &ldquo;He is no man; be sure of that. <span class=
+"pagenum">[<a id="pb30" href="#pb30" name="pb30">30</a>]</span>How
+could he have managed to live for ten years without food and drink? He
+is surely a god.&rdquo; Thus speculated the mob.</p>
+<p>When the whole town was assembled, just at the dusk of evening,
+Ga&#7749;g&acirc;dhara sat dumb for a moment, and thought upon the
+Vy&acirc;ghrar&acirc;ja and N&acirc;gar&acirc;ja, who came running with
+all their armies. People began to take to their heels at the sight of
+tigers. Ga&#7749;g&acirc;dhara assured them of safety, and stopped
+them.</p>
+<p>The grey light of the evening, the pumpkin colour of
+Ga&#7749;g&acirc;dhara, the holy ashes scattered lavishly over his
+body, the tigers and snakes humbling themselves at his feet, gave him
+the true majesty of the god Ga&#7749;g&acirc;dhara.<a class="noteref"
+id="xd20e851src" href="#xd20e851" name="xd20e851src">12</a> For who
+else by a single word could thus command vast armies of tigers and
+serpents, said some among the people. &ldquo;Care not for it; it may be
+by magic. That is not a great thing. That he revived cart-loads of
+corpses makes him surely Ga&#7749;g&acirc;dhara,&rdquo; said others.
+The scene produced a very great effect upon the minds of the mob.</p>
+<p>&ldquo;Why should you, my children, thus trouble these poor subjects
+of Ujjaini? Reply to me, and henceforth desist from your
+ravages.&rdquo; Thus said the Soothsayer&rsquo;s son, and the following
+reply came from the king of the tigers; &ldquo;Why should this base
+<span class="pagenum">[<a id="pb31" href="#pb31" name=
+"pb31">31</a>]</span>king imprison your honour, believing the mere word
+of a goldsmith that your honour killed his father? All the hunters told
+him that his father was carried away by a tiger. I was the messenger of
+death sent to deal the blow on his neck. I did it, and gave the crown
+to your honour. The prince makes no enquiry, and at once imprisons your
+honour. How can we expect justice from such a stupid king as that?
+Unless he adopts a better standard of justice we will go on with our
+destruction.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>The king heard, cursed the day on which he believed in the word of a
+goldsmith, beat his head, tore his hair, wept and wailed for his crime,
+asked a thousand pardons, and swore to rule in a just way from that
+day. The serpent-king and tiger-king also promised to observe their
+oath as long as justice prevailed, and took their leave. The goldsmith
+fled for his life. He was caught by the soldiers of the king, and was
+pardoned by the generous Ga&#7749;g&acirc;dhara, whose voice now
+reigned supreme. All returned to their homes.</p>
+<p>The king again pressed Ga&#7749;g&acirc;dhara to accept the hand of
+his daughter. He agreed to do so, not then, but some time afterwards.
+He wished to go and see his elder brother first, and then to return and
+marry the princess. The king agreed; and Ga&#7749;g&acirc;dhara left
+the city that very day on his way home. <span class="pagenum">[<a id=
+"pb32" href="#pb32" name="pb32">32</a>]</span></p>
+<p>It so happened that unwittingly he took a wrong road, and had to
+pass near a sea coast. His elder brother was also on his way up to
+B&acirc;n&acirc;ras by that very same route. They met and recognised
+each other, even at a distance. They flew into each other&rsquo;s
+arms<span class="corr" id="xd20e865" title="Source: ,">.</span> Both
+remained still for a time almost unconscious with joy. The emotion of
+pleasure (<i>&acirc;nanda</i>) was so great, especially in
+Ga&#7749;g&acirc;dhara, that it proved dangerous to his life. In a
+word, he died of joy.</p>
+<p>The sorrow of the elder brother could better be imagined than
+described. He saw again his lost brother, after having given up, as it
+were, all hopes of meeting him. He had not even asked him his
+adventures. That he should be snatched away by the cruel hand of death
+seemed unbearable to him. He wept and wailed, took the corpse on his
+lap, sat under a tree, and wetted it with tears. But there was no hope
+of his dead brother coming to life again.</p>
+<p>The elder brother was a devout worshipper of
+Ga&#7751;apati.<a class="noteref" id="xd20e875src" href="#xd20e875"
+name="xd20e875src">13</a> That was a Friday, a day very sacred to that
+god. The elder brother took the corpse to the nearest
+Ga&#7751;&ecirc;&#347;a<a class="noteref" id="xd20e878src" href=
+"#xd20e878" name="xd20e878src">14</a> temple and called upon him. The
+god came, and asked him what he wanted. &ldquo;My poor brother is dead
+and gone; and this is <span class="pagenum">[<a id="pb33" href="#pb33"
+name="pb33">33</a>]</span>his corpse. Kindly keep it in your charge
+till I finish worshipping you. If I leave it anywhere else the devils
+may snatch it away when I am absent worshipping you; after finishing
+your <i>p&ucirc;j&acirc;</i><a class="noteref" id="xd20e888src" href=
+"#xd20e888" name="xd20e888src">15</a> I shall burn him.&rdquo; Thus
+said the elder brother, and, giving the corpse to the god
+Ga&#7751;&ecirc;&#347;a, he went to prepare himself for that
+deity&rsquo;s ceremonials. Ga&#7751;&ecirc;&#347;a made over the corpse
+to his <i>Ga&#7751;as</i>,<a class="noteref" id="xd20e895src" href=
+"#xd20e895" name="xd20e895src">16</a> asking them to watch over it
+carefully.</p>
+<p>So a spoiled child receives a fruit from its father, who, when he
+gives it the fruit asks the child to keep it safe. The child thinks
+within itself, &ldquo;My father will forgive me if I eat a portion of
+it.&rdquo; So saying it eats a portion, and when it finds it so sweet,
+it eats the whole, saying, &ldquo;Come what will, what can father do,
+after all, if I eat it? Perhaps give me a stroke or two on the back.
+Perhaps he may forgive me.&rdquo; In the same way these
+<i>Ga&#7751;as</i> of Ga&#7751;apati first ate a portion of the corpse,
+and when they found it sweet, for we know it was crammed up with the
+sweetmeats of the kind rats, devoured the whole, and began consulting
+about the best excuse possible to offer to their master.</p>
+<p>The elder brother, after finishing the <i>p&ucirc;j&acirc;</i>,
+demanded his brother&rsquo;s corpse of the god. The <span class=
+"pagenum">[<a id="pb34" href="#pb34" name="pb34">34</a>]</span>god
+called his <i>Ga&#7751;as</i> who came to the front blinking, and
+fearing the anger of their master. The god was greatly enraged. The
+elder brother was very angry. When the corpse was not forthcoming he
+cuttingly remarked, &ldquo;Is this, after all, the return for my deep
+belief in you? You are unable even to return my brother&rsquo;s
+corpse.&rdquo; Ga&#7751;&ecirc;&#347;a was much ashamed at the remark,
+and at the uneasiness that he had caused to his worshipper. So he, by
+his divine power, gave him a living Ga&#7749;g&acirc;dhara instead of
+the dead corpse. Thus was the second son of the Soothsayer restored to
+life.</p>
+<p>The brothers had a long talk about each other&rsquo;s adventures.
+They both went to Ujjaini, where Ga&#7749;g&acirc;dhara married the
+princess, and succeeded to the throne of that kingdom. He reigned for a
+long time, conferring several benefits upon his brother. How is the
+horoscope to be interpreted? A special synod of Soothsayers was held. A
+thousand emendations were suggested. Ga&#7749;g&acirc;dhara would not
+accept them. At last one Soothsayer cut the knot by stopping at a
+different place in reading, &ldquo;<i>Samudra t&icirc;r&ecirc;
+mara&#7751;am ki&ntilde;chit</i>.&rdquo; &ldquo;On the sea-shore death
+for <i>some time</i>. Then &ldquo;<i>Bh&ocirc;gam
+bhavishyati</i>.&rdquo; &ldquo;There shall be happiness for the person
+concerned.&rdquo; Thus the passage was interpreted. &ldquo;Yes; my
+father&rsquo;s words never went wrong,&rdquo; said
+Ga&#7749;g&acirc;dhara. The three <span class="pagenum">[<a id="pb35"
+href="#pb35" name="pb35">35</a>]</span>brute kings continued their
+visits often to the Soothsayer&rsquo;s son, the then king of Ujjaini.
+Even the faithless goldsmith became a frequent visitor at the palace,
+and a receiver of several benefits from royal hands. <span class=
+"pagenum">[<a id="pb36" href="#pb36" name="pb36">36</a>]</span></p>
+</div>
+<div class="footnotes">
+<hr class="fnsep">
+<p class="footnote"><span class="label"><a class="noteref" id=
+"xd20e686" href="#xd20e686src" name="xd20e686">1</a></span> In English,
+Benares.</p>
+<p class="footnote"><span class="label"><a class="noteref" id=
+"xd20e689" href="#xd20e689src" name="xd20e689">2</a></span> The
+Deccan.</p>
+<p class="footnote"><span class="label"><a class="noteref" id=
+"xd20e697" href="#xd20e697src" name="xd20e697">3</a></span> A small
+vessel.</p>
+<p class="footnote"><span class="label"><a class="noteref" id=
+"xd20e708" href="#xd20e708src" name="xd20e708">4</a></span> Storey is
+here put for divisions in an Indian well. These divisions are little
+projecting ledges of stone made for natives to stand on so that they
+can get down close to the water if the well is not full. There are
+sometimes six or seven divisions, or ledges, of this sort.</p>
+<p class="footnote"><span class="label"><a class="noteref" id=
+"xd20e715" href="#xd20e715src" name="xd20e715">5</a></span> The first
+serpent&mdash;the king of serpents.</p>
+<p class="footnote"><span class="label"><a class="noteref" id=
+"xd20e725" href="#xd20e725src" name="xd20e725">6</a></span> Literally
+the stealer of gold&mdash;a practice very common in India among that
+class. There is a proverb to the effect that even from the gold given
+by their mothers to be turned into jewels, they will pilfer a
+little.</p>
+<p class="footnote"><span class="label"><a class="noteref" id=
+"xd20e737" href="#xd20e737src" name="xd20e737">7</a></span> The
+distance of a <i>k&acirc;s</i> being equal to 2000 Indian poles.</p>
+<p class="footnote"><span class="label"><a class="noteref" id=
+"xd20e763" href="#xd20e763src" name="xd20e763">8</a></span>
+Dungeon.</p>
+<p class="footnote"><span class="label"><a class="noteref" id=
+"xd20e825" href="#xd20e825src" name="xd20e825">9</a></span> A period of
+time equal to an hour and a half.</p>
+<p class="footnote"><span class="label"><a class="noteref" id=
+"xd20e831" href="#xd20e831src" name="xd20e831">10</a></span> King of
+tigers.</p>
+<p class="footnote"><span class="label"><a class="noteref" id=
+"xd20e837" href="#xd20e837src" name="xd20e837">11</a></span> A
+<i><span class="corr" id="xd20e840" title=
+"Source: gha&#7789;ika">gha&#7789;ik&acirc;</span></i> is equal to
+twenty-four minutes.</p>
+<p class="footnote"><span class="label"><a class="noteref" id=
+"xd20e851" href="#xd20e851src" name="xd20e851">12</a></span>
+&#346;iva.</p>
+<p class="footnote"><span class="label"><a class="noteref" id=
+"xd20e875" href="#xd20e875src" name="xd20e875">13</a></span> The eldest
+son of &#346;iva commonly known as the belly god.</p>
+<p class="footnote"><span class="label"><a class="noteref" id=
+"xd20e878" href="#xd20e878src" name="xd20e878">14</a></span> Another
+name of <span class="corr" id="xd20e880" title=
+"Source: Ganap&#7789;i">Ga&#7751;apati</span>.</p>
+<p class="footnote"><span class="label"><a class="noteref" id=
+"xd20e888" href="#xd20e888src" name="xd20e888">15</a></span>
+Worship.</p>
+<p class="footnote"><span class="label"><a class="noteref" id=
+"xd20e895" href="#xd20e895src" name="xd20e895">16</a></span> Attendants
+of <span class="corr" id="xd20e897" title=
+"Source: Gan&eacute;sa">Ga&#7751;&ecirc;&#347;a</span>.</p>
+</div>
+</div>
+<div id="ch4" class="div1"><span class="pagenum">[<a href=
+"#toc">Contents</a>]</span>
+<div class="divHead">
+<h2 class="label">IV.</h2>
+<h2 class="main">Ra&#7751;av&icirc;rasi&#7749;g.</h2>
+</div>
+<div class="divBody">
+<p class="first">Once upon a time in the town of
+Va&ntilde;jaim&acirc;nagar,<a class="noteref" id="xd20e937src" href=
+"#xd20e937" name="xd20e937src">1</a> there ruled a king, named
+&#346;iv&acirc;ch&acirc;r. He was a most just king, and ruled so well
+that no stone thrown up fell down, no crow pecked at the new drawn
+milk, the lion and the bull drank water from the same pond, and peace
+and prosperity reigned throughout the kingdom. Notwithstanding all
+these blessings, care always sat on his face. The fruit which makes
+life in this world sweet, the redeemer to him from the horrible
+<i>Naraka</i> of <i>Put</i>,<a class="noteref" id="xd20e946src" href=
+"#xd20e946" name="xd20e946src">2</a> a Putra,<a class="noteref" id=
+"xd20e957src" href="#xd20e957" name="xd20e957src">3</a> he had not. His
+days and nights he spent in praying that God might bless him with a
+son. Wherever he saw <i><span class="corr" id="xd20e970" title=
+"Source: pipal">p&icirc;pal</span></i> trees
+(<i>A&#347;vatthar&acirc;jas</i>),<a class="noteref" id="xd20e976src"
+href="#xd20e976" name="xd20e976src">4</a> he ordered <span class=
+"pagenum">[<a id="pb37" href="#pb37" name=
+"pb37">37</a>]</span>Br&acirc;hma&#7751;s to surround them. Whatever
+medicines the doctors recommended he was ever ready to swallow, however
+bitter they might be. &ldquo;Eat even dung to get a son,&rdquo; says
+the proverb, and accordingly he did every thing to secure that
+happiness, but all in vain.</p>
+<p>&#346;iv&acirc;ch&acirc;r had a minister, named Kharavadana, a most
+wicked tyrant as ever lived in the world. The thought that the king was
+without an heir, and had no hopes of one, awakened in his mind the
+ambition of securing for his family the throne of <span class="corr"
+id="xd20e984" title=
+"Source: Va&#7749;jaim&acirc;nagar">Va&ntilde;jaim&acirc;nagar</span>.
+&#346;iv&acirc;ch&acirc;r knew this well. But what could he do. His
+only care was to send up additional prayers to frustrate the thoughts
+of Kharavadana, and to secure for himself a good position after death,
+without undergoing the severe torments of the <i>Put</i>-hell.</p>
+<p>At last fortune favoured &#346;iv&acirc;ch&acirc;r; for what
+religious man fails to secure his desire? The king in his sixtieth year
+had a son. His joy can better be imagined than described. Lacs
+(L&acirc;khs) of Br&acirc;hma&#7751;s were fed in honour of the
+son-birth festival, <i>Putr&ocirc;tsavam</i>, as it is technically
+called. The state prisons were opened, and all the prisoners let loose.
+Thousands of kine and innumerable acres of land were offered to
+Br&acirc;hma&#7751;s, and every kind of charity was duly practised. The
+ten days of the <i>S&ucirc;tik&acirc;g&#7771;ihav&acirc;sa</i>
+(confinement) were over. On the <span class="pagenum">[<a id="pb38"
+href="#pb38" name="pb38">38</a>]</span>eleventh day the father saw his
+much longed-for son&rsquo;s face, and read on the lines of it great
+prosperity, learning, valour, goodness and every excellent quality.</p>
+<p>The cradle-swinging, naming, and other ceremonies were duly
+performed, and the prince grew up under the great care generally shown
+to a king&rsquo;s son. His name the elders fixed as Sundara.<a class=
+"noteref" id="xd20e1002src" href="#xd20e1002" name="xd20e1002src">5</a>
+The minister whose only wish was to get the throne for his family, was
+much disappointed at the birth of a son to his master. The whole
+kingdom rejoiced at the event, and the minister was the only man who
+was sorry. When one is disappointed in his high hopes and expectations,
+he devises plans to take away the barrier that lies in his way. Even
+so, Kharavadana said to himself, &ldquo;Let me see how affairs
+progress. The old king is near his grave. When he dies, leaving a son
+in his minority I myself must be his regent for a time. Shall I not
+then have opportunity enough of securing for ever for myself and my
+family the throne of Va&ntilde;jaim&acirc;nagar?&rdquo; So thought he
+within himself, and was quiet for a time.</p>
+<p>&#346;iv&acirc;ch&acirc;r, who was a very shrewd man, on several
+occasions, read the minister&rsquo;s mind, and knew very well how his
+intentions stood. &ldquo;This cruel devil <span class="pagenum">[<a id=
+"pb39" href="#pb39" name="pb39">39</a>]</span>may murder my only son. I
+care not if he usurps the throne. What I fear is, that he may murder
+him. <i>Na daivam &#346;a&#7749;kar&acirc;t param.</i> No other god but
+<span class="corr" id="xd20e1012" title=
+"Source: &#346;ankara">&#346;a&#7749;kara</span>. And he must have his
+own way. If it is so written on the prince&rsquo;s head I cannot avoid
+it.&rdquo; Thus sighed &#346;iv&acirc;ch&acirc;r, and this sorrow
+(<i>&#347;&ocirc;ka</i>), made him leaner day by day. Just ten years
+after the birth of Sundara, the king fell ill and lay on his
+deathbed.</p>
+<p>&#346;iv&acirc;ch&acirc;r had a servant, named
+Ra&#7751;av&icirc;rasi&#7749;g, whom he had all along observed to be
+very honest and faithful. That servant the king called to his side, and
+asking all others except Sundara, who was weeping by his father&rsquo;s
+pillow, to leave the room, addressed him thus:&mdash;&ldquo;My dear
+Ra&#7751;av&icirc;rasi&#7749;g! I have only a few <i><span class="corr"
+id="xd20e1021" title=
+"Source: gha&#7789;ikas">gha&#7789;ik&acirc;s</span></i> before me.
+Listen to my words, and act accordingly. There is one God above us all,
+who will punish or reward us according to our bad or good acts. If by
+avarice or greed of money you ever play false to the trust that I am
+going to repose in you that God will surely punish you. It is not
+unknown to you what great difficulties I had in getting this only son,
+Sundara; how many temples I built, how many Br&acirc;hma&#7751;s I fed,
+how many religious austerities I underwent, &amp;c., &amp;c.. God after
+all gave me a son.&rdquo; Here his sorrow prevented him from proceeding
+further, and he began to cry aloud, and shed tears. &ldquo;Do not
+<span class="pagenum">[<a id="pb40" href="#pb40" name=
+"pb40">40</a>]</span>weep on my account, father. We cannot wipe off
+what was written on our heads. We must undergo happiness or misery as
+is thereon written by Brahm&acirc;, cried the prince.
+Ra&#7751;av&icirc;rasi&#7749;g was melted at the sight. He took the boy
+on his lap, and with his own upper garment wiped his eyes. The old man
+continued, &ldquo;Thus you, my faithful Ra&#7751;av&icirc;rasi&#7749;g,
+know everything. I now wish that I had not performed all that I did to
+get this son. For when I die at this moment, who is there to take care
+of him for the next? Kharavadana may devise plan after plan to remove
+my boy from this world, and secure the kingdom for himself. My only
+hope is in you. I give him into your hands.&rdquo; Here the aged
+father, notwithstanding his illness, rose up a little from his bed,
+took hold of his son&rsquo;s hand, and after kissing it for the last
+time, placed it in <span class="corr" id="xd20e1026" title=
+"Source: Ra&#7751;av&icirc;rasi&#7751;g&rsquo;s">Ra&#7751;av&icirc;rasi&#7749;g&rsquo;s</span>.
+&ldquo;Care not if he does not get the kingdom. If you only preserve
+him from the wicked hands of the minister whom I have all along seen to
+be covetous of the throne, you will do a great work for your old
+master. I make you from this moment the lord of my palace. From this
+minute you are father, mother, brother, servant, and everything to my
+son. Take care that you do not betray your trust.&rdquo; Thus ended the
+king, and sent at once for the minister. When he came he spoke to him
+thus, &ldquo;Kharavadana! See what I am now. Yesterday <span class=
+"pagenum">[<a id="pb41" href="#pb41" name="pb41">41</a>]</span>I was on
+the throne. To-day, in a few minutes, I must breathe my last. Such is
+the uncertainty of life. Man&rsquo;s good acts alone follow him to the
+other world. Take my signet-ring. [Here the king took the ring from off
+his finger, and gave it to the minister.] Yours is the throne for the
+present, as long as the prince is in his minority. Govern well the
+kingdom. When the prince attains his sixteenth year kindly give him
+back the throne. Exercise a paternal care over him. Find a good and
+intelligent princess for his wife.&rdquo; Suddenly, before his speech
+was quite finished, the king felt the last pangs of death. The
+sage-looking minister promised him everything.</p>
+<p>&#346;iv&acirc;ch&acirc;r breathed his last. After the usual weeping
+and wailing of a Hind&ucirc; funeral, his corpse was burnt to ashes in
+a sandalwood pyre. All his queens&mdash;and there were several
+scores&mdash;committed <i>sat&icirc;</i><a class="noteref" id=
+"xd20e1035src" href="#xd20e1035" name="xd20e1035src">6</a> with the
+corpse. The ceremonies were all regularly conducted, the minister
+himself superintended everything.</p>
+<p>Kharavadana then succeeded to the throne of
+Va&ntilde;jaim&acirc;nagar. Ra&#7751;av&icirc;rasi&#7749;g became the
+lord of the palace, and true to his promise exercised all care over his
+trust. He was always at the side of <span class="pagenum">[<a id="pb42"
+href="#pb42" name="pb42">42</a>]</span>Sundara. That he might not lose
+the sweetness of boyhood in study and play,
+Ra&#7751;av&icirc;rasi&#7749;g brought to the palace twenty
+gentlemen&rsquo;s sons of good conduct and learning and made them the
+prince&rsquo;s fellow-students. A professor for every branch of
+learning was employed to teach the prince and his companions. Sundara
+thus received a sound and liberal education, only he was never allowed
+to go out of the palace. Ra&#7751;av&icirc;rasi&#7749;g guarded him
+very strictly, and he had every reason to do so. For Kharavadana, as
+soon as he became king, had issued a notice that the assassin of
+Sundara should have a reward of a <i>kar&ocirc;r</i><a class="noteref"
+id="xd20e1044src" href="#xd20e1044" name="xd20e1044src">7</a> mohurs;
+and already every avaricious hand was in search of his head. Before the
+issue of this notice, Kharavadana found out a good girl and married her
+to the prince. She lived with her husband in the palace, and
+Ra&#7751;av&icirc;rasi&#7749;g strictly watched her, as she had been
+chosen by the minister. He would not allow Sundara to speak to her.
+These strict prohibitions displeased the prince, even with his faithful
+servant. But the latter could not help it till he had full confidence
+in her. He used to advise Sundara not even to take a betel-leaf from
+her hands. But love is blind. So the prince within himself accused his
+old guardian; <span class="pagenum">[<a id="pb43" href="#pb43" name=
+"pb43">43</a>]</span>but he could not help following his orders. Thus
+passed on a few years.</p>
+<p>Sundara reached his sixteenth year. Nothing happened about the
+transference of the kingdom; the prince, almost in imprisonment in the
+palace, had forgotten everything about the kingdom.
+Ra&#7751;av&icirc;rasi&#7749;g wished to wait till, as he thought, the
+prince had acquired better governing faculties. Thus some time
+passed.</p>
+<p>Full eight years had elapsed from the death of
+&#346;iv&acirc;ch&acirc;r. Sundara was already eighteen, and still he
+had not received his kingdom. Nothing was neglected in his education.
+Though Ra&#7751;av&icirc;rasi&#7749;g exercised all paternal care over
+him, still it was not to his liking; for he found in him a great
+barrier to the pleasures of youth. The only pleasure for the prince,
+therefore, was the company of his friends.</p>
+<p>One fine evening on the fourteenth day of the dark half of the month
+of Vai&#347;&acirc;kha of the <i>Vasanta</i><a class="noteref" id=
+"xd20e1066src" href="#xd20e1066" name="xd20e1066src">8</a> season, the
+prince was sitting with his companions in the seventh story of his
+mansion viewing the town. The dusk of evening was just throwing her
+mantle over the city. People in their several vocations were at that
+time ceasing work, and returning home. In the eastern division of the
+town the prince saw a big mansion, and just to break the silence asked
+his <span class="pagenum">[<a id="pb44" href="#pb44" name=
+"pb44">44</a>]</span>friends what that was. &ldquo;That is the
+R&acirc;jasth&acirc;nik Kach&ecirc;ri,<a class="noteref" id=
+"xd20e1071src" href="#xd20e1071" name="xd20e1071src">9</a> a place you
+ought to have been sitting in for the last two years. The wretched
+minister, Kharavadana, has already usurped your seat; for, if he had
+intended to give you back the kingdom he would have done it two years
+ago when you reached your sixteenth year. Let us now console ourselves
+that God has spared your life till now, notwithstanding all the awards
+promised to the taker of your head. Even the proclamation is dying out
+of the memory of the people now.&rdquo; So said one of his friends and
+ceased.</p>
+<p>These words fell like arrows in the ear of Sundara and troubled him.
+Shame that he had been thus treated brought a change of colour over his
+face which all his friends perceived, and they felt sorry for having
+touched upon the subject. The prince, perceiving that he had played a
+woman&rsquo;s part among his friends, resumed or pretended to resume
+his former cheerful countenance, and changed the conversation to some
+pleasanter topics. They separated very late that night. Before doing
+so, Sundara asked them all to present themselves in the
+<i>durb&acirc;r</i> hall<a class="noteref" id="xd20e1079src" href=
+"#xd20e1079" name="xd20e1079src">10</a> early next morning. At the same
+time he also ordered Ra&#7751;av&icirc;rasi&#7749;g to keep horses
+ready for himself and his friends for a morning ride <span class=
+"pagenum">[<a id="pb45" href="#pb45" name="pb45">45</a>]</span>through
+the town the next day. &ldquo;I was only waiting to hear such an order
+from your own mouth, <i>Mai B&acirc;b Chakravarti</i>!<a class=
+"noteref" id="xd20e1087src" href="#xd20e1087" name=
+"xd20e1087src">11</a> I was thinking from your retired disposition that
+you were not an energetic man. I will have the horses ready.&rdquo;
+Ra&#7751;av&icirc;rasi&#7749;g at once issued orders to his servants to
+keep ready saddled and decked twenty-one horses for the prince and his
+companions. He also appointed a certain number of his men to ride in
+front of the party.</p>
+<p>The morning came. The friends assembled, as promised the previous
+evening. The prince and they, after a light breakfast, mounted their
+horses. The horsemen rode in front and behind. The prince with his
+friends marched in the middle. Ra&#7751;av&icirc;rasi&#7749;g with
+drawn sword rode by his side. The party went through the four main
+streets of the town. Every one rose up and paid due respect to their
+old king&rsquo;s son. When passing through the street where the
+minister&rsquo;s mansion was, Ra&#7751;av&icirc;rasi&#7749;g perceived
+that Kharavadana paid no respect to the royal march. This seemed a most
+unbearable insult to Ra&#7751;av&icirc;rasi&#7749;g. He bit his lips,
+gnashed his teeth, and wrung his hands. The prince observed all the
+mental pains of his faithful guardian, and laughed to himself at his
+simplicity. About mid-day the party returned to the palace. The
+<span class="pagenum">[<a id="pb46" href="#pb46" name=
+"pb46">46</a>]</span>friends dispersed, and Sundara after the
+ceremonies of the new-moon day had a slight dinner, and retired to
+rest.</p>
+<p>The morning ride was deep in the mind of the prince. Though he
+laughed to himself at the simplicity of Ra&#7751;av&icirc;rasi&#7749;g
+when the latter gnashed his teeth in the morning, the insult had left a
+stronger and deeper impression in his heart. The day was almost spent.
+Sundara took a very light supper, and shut himself up in his bed-room
+before the first watch was quite over. Ra&#7751;av&icirc;rasi&#7749;g,
+as usual, watched outside. The prince found his wife sound asleep in
+her bed, and without disturbing her he went up and down the room. A
+thread-like substance attracted his attention in a corner of the
+bed-chamber. On examination he found it to be a thread ladder. He had
+not even time to think how it came into the bed-chamber. Just then
+Ra&#7751;av&icirc;rasi&#7749;g had retired for a few minutes to take
+his supper. &ldquo;The old fool is off now to eat; and
+Param&ecirc;&#347;vara has thrown this ladder in my way. Let me now
+escape.&rdquo; Thus thinking, Sundara came out unobserved by his old
+guardian, and ascended to the top of the seventh mansion. From that
+place he cast his ladder towards a big tree in the East Main street. On
+pulling it he found that it was firmly fixed. &ldquo;Let me get down,
+and Param&ecirc;&#347;vara will assist me.&rdquo; So praying, before
+the first watch <span class="pagenum">[<a id="pb47" href="#pb47" name=
+"pb47">47</a>]</span>was over, the prince got down from his palace, and
+was in a few minutes in the East street. The severe watch kept over him
+by Ra&#7751;av&icirc;rasi&#7749;g made it very difficult for him to go
+out when he liked, and now by the grace of God, as he thought, he had
+escaped that dark new-moon night.</p>
+<p>&ldquo;Life is dear to every one. What can I do if any of the
+minister&rsquo;s men find me out now and murder me? <i>Na daivam
+<span class="corr" id="xd20e1102" title=
+"Source: Sa&#7749;kar&acirc;t">&#346;a&#7749;kar&acirc;t</span>
+param.</i> No god but <span class="corr" id="xd20e1106" title=
+"Source: Sa&#7749;kara">&#346;a&#7749;kara</span>, and he will now help
+me.&rdquo; Thus thinking he walked to the nearest pyal, and lingered
+there till the bustle of the town subsided. Nor was it in vain that he
+stopped there. He overheard while there the following conversation take
+place between the master and mistress of the house at which he
+lingered:&mdash;&ldquo;Console yourself, my wife. What shall we do?
+Fate has so willed it on our heads. May Brahm&acirc;<a class="noteref"
+id="xd20e1109src" href="#xd20e1109" name="xd20e1109src">12</a> become
+without a temple for the evil that he has sent us. When the old king
+was living he appreciated my merits, and at every
+<i>Sa&#7749;kr&acirc;nti</i><a class="noteref" id="xd20e1114src" href=
+"#xd20e1114" name="xd20e1114src">13</a> gave me due
+<i>dakshi&#7751;&acirc;</i><a class="noteref" id="xd20e1120src" href=
+"#xd20e1120" name="xd20e1120src">14</a> for my knowledge of the
+<i>V&ecirc;das</i>.<a class="noteref" id="xd20e1126src" href=
+"#xd20e1126" name="xd20e1126src">15</a> Now there reigns a tyrant over
+our kingdom. I have been lingering here with the hope that the son of
+&#346;iv&acirc;ch&acirc;r would one day come to the throne and
+<span class="pagenum">[<a id="pb48" href="#pb48" name=
+"pb48">48</a>]</span>relieve our sufferings. Now that such hope is
+altogether gone, I have made up my mind to leave this nasty city, and
+go to some good place where there reigns a king who can appreciate our
+<i>y&ocirc;gyat&acirc;</i> (merit).&rdquo; Of these words Sundara
+overheard every syllable, and these supplied the fuel to the fire of
+shame and anger that was already burning in his mind. &ldquo;Let me try
+to win back my kingdom. If I succeed, I shall save other lives. If I
+die, I alone die. May Param&ecirc;&#347;vara help me.&rdquo; So saying
+he walked out of the town, and passed the east gate. The night was as
+dark as could be, for it was a new moon night. Clouds were gathering in
+the sky, and there were some symptoms of rain.</p>
+<p>There was a Ga&#7751;&ecirc;&#347;a temple on the way. As it was
+already drizzling, the prince went inside till the rain should cease.
+No sooner had he entered it than he saw two men, who by their
+conversation appeared to be shepherds, coming towards that same temple.
+They seemed to have been watching their flocks near an adjacent field,
+and had come to shelter themselves from the rain in the temple. Sundara
+when he saw them, trembled for his life, and crept in. The shepherds
+sat down on the verandah, and taking out their bags began to chew
+betel-nuts. An idle lizard began to chirp in a corner. To break the
+silence, one said to the other, &ldquo;Well, R&acirc;mak&ocirc;n, I
+have heard that you are a great soothsayer and <span class=
+"pagenum">[<a id="pb49" href="#pb49" name=
+"pb49">49</a>]</span>interpreter of bird sounds and lizard speeches.
+Let me know what these chirps of the lizard that we heard just now
+mean. Tell me.&rdquo; R&acirc;mak&ocirc;n replied, &ldquo;This is news
+which I would never have revealed at any other time. But as no fourth
+person is likely to be here at this time on a rainy night, let me tell
+you that the prince of the town is now lingering here in this temple.
+So the lizard says. Hence I said, &lsquo;no fourth person.&rsquo; I am
+glad that no evil hand has yet been tempted, though such a high price
+has been set upon his head. The very fact that he has lived up to this
+time unhurt in a tiger&rsquo;s domain augurs well for his future
+prosperity.&rdquo; R&acirc;mak&ocirc;n had scarcely finished his speech
+when the idle lizard again made its chit, chit, and R&acirc;mak&ocirc;n
+now asked his friend, Lakshma&#7751;ak&ocirc;n, for that was the
+other&rsquo;s name, to interpret those sounds. &ldquo;This has rather a
+sad meaning for the prince. The Mantr&icirc;<a class="noteref" id=
+"xd20e1140src" href="#xd20e1140" name="xd20e1140src">16</a> and
+Pradh&acirc;n&icirc;<a class="noteref" id="xd20e1143src" href=
+"#xd20e1143" name="xd20e1143src">17</a> are coming here in a few
+minutes (<i>nimishas</i>), to consult on a secret topic. So says the
+lizard,&rdquo; said Lakshma&#7751;ak&ocirc;n to R&acirc;mak&ocirc;n,
+and at that very moment a light was seen at a distance. &ldquo;It is
+the minister&rsquo;s carriage. Let us be off. God only must save the
+prince.&rdquo; So saying, they both ran away. <span class=
+"pagenum">[<a id="pb50" href="#pb50" name="pb50">50</a>]</span></p>
+<p>The feelings of the prince inside were like that of a man who was
+being led to the gallows. The bitterest enemy of his life, the minister
+himself, was coming to that very place where he was hiding. &ldquo;I
+foolishly accused my old guardian, Ra&#7751;av&icirc;rasi&#7749;g, and
+now I see his good intentions. How I am to be spared from this calamity
+&#346;a&#7749;kara only knows.&rdquo; Thus thinking, he hurriedly fled
+to the inmost part of the temple behind the very image, and sat down
+there, still like a stump, without even breathing freely, lest his
+breath might reveal him. He had ample time there to admire the sound
+knowledge of the shepherds in interpreting the lizard chirps, their
+simplicity, their honesty and truthfulness; for, had they been
+otherwise, they might at once have caught hold of the prince and made
+him over to the tiger minister. True to the interpretation of the
+second shepherd, a carriage stopped in front of the
+Ga&#7751;&ecirc;&#347;a temple, and there came out of it the
+Mantr&icirc; and the Pradh&acirc;n&icirc;. Excepting themselves and, of
+course, the carriage driver and, as we know, the prince behind the
+Ga&#7751;&ecirc;&#347;a, there were no others there. Kharavadana and
+his subordinate chose that solitary place at the dead of night to hold
+secret consultations. The Mantr&icirc; spoke first, and one could
+easily perceive from his words that he was in a fit of anger.
+&ldquo;Why should the prince be thus allowed to ride free through my
+streets? Of the innumerable servants <span class="pagenum">[<a id=
+"pb51" href="#pb51" name="pb51">51</a>]</span>who eat our salt was
+there not one to cut down that impertinent head?&rdquo; roared the
+minister. The Pradh&acirc;n&icirc; replied, &ldquo;My king, my lord,
+excuse me first for the humble words that I am going to speak before
+your honour. We have taken up a kingdom to which we have no right. If
+the prince had demanded the throne two years ago, we ought rightfully
+to have returned it to him. He never asked, and we did not restore it.
+He never troubles us with demands, but lives like a poor subject of the
+crown in his own quarters. Such being the case, why should we kill him?
+Why should we murder the only son of our old and much-respected king
+&#346;iv&acirc;ch&acirc;r? What I beg to suggest to your honour is,
+that we should no more trouble ourselves about his poor head.&rdquo;
+The Pradh&acirc;n&icirc;, as he discovered that these words were not to
+the taste of Kharavadana, stopped at once without proceeding further,
+though he had much to say upon that subject. &ldquo;Vile wretch! Dare
+you preach morals to your superiors. You shall see the result of this,
+before the morning dawns,&rdquo; bawled out the Minister. The
+Pradh&acirc;n&icirc; saw that all his excellent advice was like blowing
+a horn in a deaf man&rsquo;s ears. He feared for his own life, and so
+at once begged a thousand pardons, and promised to bring the head of
+the prince within a week. And as Kharavadana wanted only that, he
+spared the Pradh&acirc;n&icirc;. They <span class="pagenum">[<a id=
+"pb52" href="#pb52" name="pb52">52</a>]</span>then talked on different
+subjects, and prepared to start.</p>
+<p>The prince inside, behind the
+Ga&#7751;&ecirc;&#347;avigraha,<a class="noteref" id="xd20e1158src"
+href="#xd20e1158" name="xd20e1158src">18</a> was now almost stifled to
+death. The short breaths that he inhaled and exhaled were themselves
+enough to kill him. Add to that the horrible words that fell on his
+ears. For all that he continued to hide himself. Kharavadana and the
+Pradh&acirc;n&icirc; finished their conversation and got into the
+carriage. Sundara called courage to his assistance,
+&ldquo;&#346;a&#7749;kara has saved me till now; he may so save me
+throughout.&rdquo; So thinking to himself, he boldly came out of the
+temple without making the least noise and sat behind the carriage, and,
+as it rolled on, thought again within himself: &ldquo;I will follow
+these, come what may, and find out what more plans they devise against
+my life.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>The carriage drove on to the opposite end of the town. It passed the
+west gate and entered a big park outside the town. The undaunted prince
+followed. In the middle of the park a fine tank was discovered. The
+banks looked like day, being lighted up profusely. In the midst of the
+tank a small island with a gaudy mansion was seen. Pillars of gold,
+sofas of silver and doors of diamonds made it the very
+<i>Indral&ocirc;ka</i><a class="noteref" id="xd20e1165src" href=
+"#xd20e1165" name="xd20e1165src">19</a> itself. A broad road with
+<span class="pagenum">[<a id="pb53" href="#pb53" name=
+"pb53">53</a>]</span>avenues of sweet smelling flowering trees
+connected the island with the bank. It was at that road that the
+carriage stopped. The prince, before that was reached, had got down and
+hid himself under the shade of a tree, to see unobserved all that
+passed in the mansion which he had every reason to believe was the
+destination of the minister. Kharavadana descended from the carriage
+and sent the Pradh&acirc;n&icirc; home. What most astonished the prince
+was the absence of male servants in that garden. At the entrance of the
+road twenty young females of the most exquisite beauty waited and
+conducted Kharavadana through the sweet bower to the mansion. When it
+was reached, the minister sat down on a most richly furnished gold
+couch, and ordered the females there to bring the queen. Ten females
+arranged themselves on each side of an ivory palanquin, and started,
+apparently, to bring the queen in it. &ldquo;These females themselves
+resemble Rambh&acirc;,<a class="noteref" id="n64asrc" href="#n64a"
+name="n64asrc">20</a> Urva&#347;&icirc;,<a class="pseudonoteref" href=
+"#n64a">20</a> &amp;c. A woman who has beauty superior to the heads of
+these females must, of course, be of the greatest beauty imaginable in
+this world. Let me see her.&rdquo; Thus thinking, the prince Sundara
+anxiously awaited the return of the palanquin. In a few minutes it
+came. A female of the most charming beauty jumped briskly out of
+<span class="pagenum">[<a id="pb54" href="#pb54" name=
+"pb54">54</a>]</span>it. The minister came running to give his helping
+hand to her. Horror of horrors, what sees the prince! It was his own
+wife, the very girl that the minister had married to him a few years
+before, that got down from the palanquin. &ldquo;Are my eyes deceived?
+Do they perform their functions aright? Let me look once more.&rdquo;
+So again and again wiping his eyes to clear them a little, the prince
+saw distinctly. It was his very wife herself. &ldquo;Oh, I most
+foolishly accused that grey-headed guardian for a wicked fool, because
+he would not allow me to be friends with my wife. I now see what he saw
+a long time ago. Perhaps if I had seen more of her I should have thus
+been brought in here by some secret way that these devils seem now to
+have to the inmost parts of the palace. If I had taken anything from
+her hands I should have died that very day. My poor old man, my
+Ra&#7751;av&icirc;rasi&#7749;g it is, who has saved me from all these
+calamities.&rdquo; These thoughts and a thousand more were passing
+through Sundara&rsquo;s mind when he saw his wife sitting down on the
+same couch with the minister. She accused him of the delay in murdering
+her husband, of his letting all opportunities escape during the morning
+ride. &ldquo;Horrible! Did you, Kharavadana, marry me to such a
+faithful wife! Thank God and Ra&#7751;av&icirc;rasi&#7749;g that I have
+not fallen into her snares,&rdquo; thought Sundara to himself. The
+<span class="pagenum">[<a id="pb55" href="#pb55" name=
+"pb55">55</a>]</span>minister offered a thousand excuses, related to
+her all that had taken place between himself and the
+Pradh&acirc;n&icirc;, and of what the latter had promised. Then they
+both retired to bed. At that moment the treacherous owl began to hoot,
+and one of the maid-servants, who happened to be a clever interpreter
+of owl-hootings revealed, to secure the favour of the minister, that
+the prince was lurking behind a tree in that very garden. Knowing the
+price set on Sundara&rsquo;s head even female hands flew to cut it off.
+All ran with torches to search the garden.</p>
+<p>These words, of course, fell upon the ears of the prince like
+thunder. Before the people there began their search he began his race,
+jumped over a high wall, and flew like a kite. Before the lady-racers
+and the minister had left their sweet road to the tank-bank, Sundara
+found himself in the north street of the town. The news that the prince
+was out that night spread like a flame from the pleasure-park outside
+throughout the whole town, and before long avaricious persons were
+searching in the streets for his valuable head. Sundara thought it
+dangerous to pass through the streets, and wished to hide himself in a
+safe place. Fortune conducted him to one. It was a ruined old choultry,
+where food, during the days of his father, was distributed in charity
+to the beggars of the town, and which was now only resorted to by them
+to sleep, and not to receive <span class="pagenum">[<a id="pb56" href=
+"#pb56" name="pb56">56</a>]</span>rice. The prince entered it, and laid
+himself down in the midst of them, fortunately unobserved. He could
+hear from where he was the noise of the persons searching outside. In
+the garden the minister searched in vain, and accusing the female for
+her wrong interpretation as he thought, retired to bed.</p>
+<p>Outside the north gate, at a distance of three <i><span class="corr"
+id="xd20e1192" title=
+"Source: gha&#7789;ikas&rsquo;">gha&#7789;ik&acirc;s&rsquo;</span></i>
+walk, lived a robber. He used to start out on a plundering expedition
+once in seven years. In the houses and mansions he used to rob he took
+only jewels of various kinds, <i>G&ocirc;m&ecirc;da</i>,<a class=
+"noteref" id="xd20e1198src" href="#xd20e1198" name=
+"xd20e1198src">21</a> <i>pushpar&ucirc;ga</i>, (topaz)
+<i>vajra</i>,<a class="noteref" id="xd20e1208src" href="#xd20e1208"
+name="xd20e1208src">22</a> <i>vai&#7693;&ucirc;rya</i>,<a class=
+"noteref" id="xd20e1214src" href="#xd20e1214" name=
+"xd20e1214src">23</a> &amp;c.; gold and silver he rejected as being too
+mean for his dignity. As he was a high-caste robber, he used to take a
+coolie with him on his way to carry his booty. Of course, that coolie
+never returned from the cave. He was put to death after his services
+were over, lest he should disclose the secret of the robber.</p>
+<p>Unfortunately, that new-moon night happened to be the night of that
+cruel robber&rsquo;s plundering expedition. He came out, and when he
+saw people in search of the prince, thinking that he was not in his
+palace, he wanted to plunder it. Wishing for a coolie, he entered the
+ruined choultry, to pick <span class="pagenum">[<a id="pb57" href=
+"#pb57" name="pb57">57</a>]</span>out one among the beggars there.
+Passing over the others he came to the prince. He found him stout and
+strong. &ldquo;This beggar will do me good service to-day. I shall
+break my custom, and amply reward this man for his services.&rdquo; So
+thinking to himself, the gentleman robber tapped Sundara with his cane
+on the back. The prince had just closed his eyes. In the short sleep
+that ensued he dreamt that the minister&rsquo;s servants were pursuing
+him, and that one had caught him. At that very moment the
+gentleman-robber&rsquo;s stroke fell upon his back, giving a sort of
+reality to his dream. He awoke with horror. &ldquo;Tell me who you
+are,&rdquo; asked the unknown person, &ldquo;A beggar,&rdquo; was the
+reply. &ldquo;How does the night appear to you?&rdquo; asked the
+robber. &ldquo;As dark as dark can be,&rdquo; replied the prince. The
+robber applied a sort of <i>kajjala</i><a class="noteref" id=
+"xd20e1223src" href="#xd20e1223" name="xd20e1223src">24</a> to the
+prince&rsquo;s eyes, and asked, &ldquo;How does the night appear
+now?&rdquo; &ldquo;As luminous as if a <i>kar&ocirc;&#7771;</i> of suns
+were in the sky,&rdquo; answered Sundara. The robber applied a
+<i>tilaka</i><a class="noteref" id="xd20e1234src" href="#xd20e1234"
+name="xd20e1234src">25</a> to the intended coolie&rsquo;s forehead and
+addressed him thus: &ldquo;I am a robber, now going to plunder the
+palace, from which the prince is absent. Follow me. I shall reward you
+richly. The <i>kajjala</i> has made the night a day to you. The
+<i>tilaka</i> takes you unobserved <span class="pagenum">[<a id="pb58"
+href="#pb58" name="pb58">58</a>]</span>wherever you wish to go.&rdquo;
+So saying, and dragging the coolie or supposed coolie by the hand, the
+robber went off to the palace. Wherever he found a door locked, he
+applied a leaf that he carried in his hand to the fastening, and
+behold, the lock flew back, and the door opened of its own accord. The
+prince was astonished. In a few minutes the robber opened one and all
+of the gates and boxes, and extracted all the precious stones. He tied
+them up in a bundle, and set it on the prince&rsquo;s head, and asked
+him to follow. Sundara followed. He assisted in the plunder of his own
+palace, and carried the booty behind the robber, who, praised be his
+stupidity, never for one moment suspected he was a prince, but admired
+his coolie for the beauty of his person, thought of saving his life,
+and also of making him his son-in-law. For the robber had a beautiful
+daughter, for whom he had long been searching for a suitable husband.
+So with this thought he reached the cave, stopped before it, and taking
+the bundle from the prince&rsquo;s head ordered him to go into a large
+cell, the mouth of which he covered with a big stone, which he lifted
+up by pronouncing an incantation over it. The robber went with the
+bundle to his wife, and described to her the beauty of the coolie, and
+what a fair match he would be for their daughter. The wife did not like
+it, and asked her husband to do with the coolie <span class=
+"pagenum">[<a id="pb59" href="#pb59" name="pb59">59</a>]</span>as they
+usually did, <i>i.e.</i>, murder him; and the robber, who never in
+anything acted against the will of his wife, went in to fetch his
+weapon.</p>
+<p>Meanwhile the robber&rsquo;s daughter, an excellent girl, of the
+most charming beauty, overhearing all that took place between her
+parents, came running to the cave where the coolie was confined. She
+pronounced a single word over the stone lid of the cave, and it opened,
+and the prince, who had lost all hopes of recovery, now beheld a
+beautiful girl coming towards him. &ldquo;Whoever you may be, my dear
+coolie, fly for your life for the present. You are my husband. My
+father has so named you, but as my mother does not like it, he has gone
+to fetch his weapon to murder you. Excepting we three, none, not even
+Brahm&acirc;, can open the once-shut gates. After hearing you once
+called my husband, I must ever regard you so. Now fly, and escape my
+father&rsquo;s sharp sword. If you are a man, marry me in kind
+remembrance of the assistance rendered. If you fail to do so you are a
+beast, and I shall die a virgin.&rdquo; So saying she conducted out in
+haste the supposed coolie, who had only time to take a hasty embrace,
+whispering in her ear that he was the prince, and that he would marry
+her without fail. He now ran for his life. Fearing the robber would
+come after him he left the way by which he reached the cave, and
+passing through unknown fields <span class="pagenum">[<a id="pb60"
+href="#pb60" name="pb60">60</a>]</span>reached the south gate of the
+town. By that time the search for him had almost abated, and the
+prince, praising God for his delivery, reached the south street. The
+night was almost spent. Before returning to the palace he wished to
+take rest for a few minutes, till he had recovered his breath, and so
+he sat down on the pyal of an old and almost ruined house.</p>
+<p>That happened to be the house of a poor Br&acirc;hma&#7751;, who had
+not even sufficient clothes to wear. As the prince sat down in a corner
+of the pyal the door of the house opened, and the old
+Br&acirc;hma&#7751; came out. The old woman, the
+Br&acirc;hma&#7751;&icirc;, was standing at the door with a vessel
+containing water for her husband.
+&#346;ubh&acirc;&#347;&acirc;str&icirc;, for that was the
+Br&acirc;hma&#7751;&rsquo;s name, looked up to the sky for a couple of
+minutes, after which he heaved a deep sigh, and said, &ldquo;Alas, the
+prince, the only son of our former protector, <span class="corr" id=
+"xd20e1257" title=
+"Source: Siv&acirc;ch&acirc;r">&#346;iv&acirc;ch&acirc;r</span>, is not
+to remain for more than two <i><span class="corr" id="xd20e1261" title=
+"Source: gha&#7789;ikas">gha&#7789;ik&acirc;s</span></i>. A
+<i>k&acirc;lasarpa</i> (black serpent) will sting him. What shall we
+do? We are poor. If we could begin <i>Sarpah&ocirc;ma</i><a class=
+"noteref" id="xd20e1269src" href="#xd20e1269" name=
+"xd20e1269src">26</a> now we could tie the mouth of the snake,
+sacrifice it in the fire, and thus save the prince.&rdquo; So saying
+the poor Br&acirc;hma&#7751; cried. Sundara, who overheard everything,
+jumped down in confusion, and fell at the feet of the
+Br&acirc;hma&#7751;, who asked him <span class="pagenum">[<a id="pb61"
+href="#pb61" name="pb61">61</a>]</span>who he was. &ldquo;I am a
+herdsman of the palace. Preserve my master&rsquo;s life,&rdquo; was the
+reply. &#346;ubh&acirc;&#347;&acirc;str&icirc; was extremely poor. He
+had no means to procure a small quantity of <i>gh&icirc;</i> even to
+begin the <i>h&ocirc;ma</i>.<a class="noteref" id="xd20e1281src" href=
+"#xd20e1281" name="xd20e1281src">27</a> He did not know what to do. He
+begged from his neighbours, who all laughed at his stupidity, and
+ridiculed his astrology. The prince in a hopeless state of anguish
+wrung his hands, and in wringing them he felt his ring. Drawing it off
+his finger he gave it to &#346;ubh&acirc;&#347;&acirc;str&icirc;, and
+requested him to pawn it. The latter resorted to the nearest
+b&acirc;z&acirc;r, and awakening the b&acirc;z&acirc;r-keeper procured
+from him a little <i>gh&icirc;</i>, by pawning the ring. Running home
+and bathing in cold water the Br&acirc;hma&#7751; sat down for the
+<i>h&ocirc;ma</i>. The prince, fearing the serpent, wished to sit
+inside the house, but at a distance from the place of the ceremony.
+Just at the appointed hour a large black serpent broke through the sky,
+fell on the head of the prince, whom he was not able to bite, and gave
+up its life in the fire. &ldquo;This is no shepherd, but the very
+prince himself,&rdquo; said the Br&acirc;hma&#7751;&icirc;.<a class=
+"noteref" id="xd20e1290src" href="#xd20e1290" name=
+"xd20e1290src">28</a> Sundara rose up, and running surrounded them
+thrice, spoke to them thus:&mdash;&ldquo;You alone are my parents and
+protectors. This night has been a most adventurous one with me. There
+was every possibility of my escaping every other <span class=
+"pagenum">[<a id="pb62" href="#pb62" name=
+"pb62">62</a>]</span>calamity, and so I did. But no other power except
+yours could have averted this snake-bite. So my rescue is due to you
+alone. I have no time to lose now. Before daylight I must fly
+unobserved to the palace, and you shall before long see my reward for
+this.&rdquo; So saying, Sundara ran to his palace and entered.</p>
+<p>Ra&#7751;av&icirc;rasi&#7749;g was almost dead. The rumour that the
+prince was out reached him. He was astonished at the way in which
+Sundara had got out. He searched the whole palace. To his astonishment
+all the rooms had previously been opened and plundered. &ldquo;Has the
+prince been stolen away by some vile tricks from the palace,&rdquo;
+thought Ra&#7751;av&icirc;rasi&#7749;g, and without knowing what to do
+he was buried in the ocean of sorrow, from which he gave up all hopes
+of recovering. What was his joy, then, when he saw the prince enter the
+palace just at dawn. &ldquo;<i>Mai B&acirc;b Chakravarti</i>,
+<span class="corr" id="xd20e1301" title="Source: were">where</span>
+have you been the whole night, throwing away the advice of your poor
+slave? How many enemies you have in this world, you have yet to
+know,&rdquo; said Ra&#7751;av&icirc;rasi&#7749;g. &ldquo;I know them
+all now, only listen to what I say, and do as I bid. I have won the
+crown without a blow. Thank the day that gave me you as my protector,
+for it was only yesterday that I had ample reason to verify your
+statements. My adventures would make your hair stand on end. Thank God
+<span class="pagenum">[<a id="pb63" href="#pb63" name=
+"pb63">63</a>]</span>I have escaped from all of them unhurt. If you
+have a few men ready now, we have won the kingdom.&rdquo; So saying,
+the prince explained to him every detail of his adventure. &ldquo;If we
+catch hold of the minister now, we have done all.&rdquo; &ldquo;I could
+never for one moment think that you in a single night could have seen
+and done so much. Now that heaven has shown you the way, I shall obey
+you,&rdquo; said Ra&#7751;av&icirc;rasi&#7749;g, and Sundara
+accordingly issued the orders. He described the house with the pyal at
+which he had lingered for a while the previous night, and asked a
+servant to bring the owner of that house to the R&acirc;jasth&acirc;nik
+office. Ra&#7751;av&icirc;rasi&#7749;g brought in the
+Pradh&acirc;n&icirc;, who was extremely delighted at the good
+<span class="corr" id="xd20e1306" title=
+"Source: intenton">intention</span> of the prince. He was offered the
+Mantr&icirc;&rsquo;s place. Two were sent to the shepherds. Twenty were
+sent to the pleasure-park to have the minister and his sweet paramour
+brought to the court in chains. The female servants were also ordered
+to be brought. The robber and his cruel wife were not forgotten. The
+prince minutely described the cave, and asked his servants to catch and
+imprison the robber by surprising him suddenly, without giving him time
+to have recourse to his vile tricks&mdash;lock-breaking <i>kajjala</i>,
+&amp;c. The palace palanquin was sent for the robber&rsquo;s daughter,
+whom the prince had firmly made up his mind to marry. The palace
+<span class="pagenum">[<a id="pb64" href="#pb64" name=
+"pb64">64</a>]</span>elephants were decked and sent to fetch with all
+pomp &#346;ubh&acirc;&#347;&acirc;str&icirc; and his wife to the court.
+Thus, without a single stroke, Sundara won the kingdom.
+Ra&#7751;av&icirc;rasi&#7749;g was thunder-struck by the excellent and
+bold way in which the prince in one night went through the series of
+calamities, and successfully overcame them all. The
+Pradh&acirc;n&icirc;&rsquo;s delight knew no bounds. He himself broke
+open the court and every one connected with the previous night&rsquo;s
+adventure was ushered in. The prince bathed, offered up his prayers,
+and attended the council. When &#346;ubh&acirc;&#347;&acirc;str&icirc;
+came in with his wife the prince put them on the
+<i>simh&acirc;sana</i>,<a class="noteref" id="xd20e1318src" href=
+"#xd20e1318" name="xd20e1318src">29</a> and himself standing before
+them, explained to all his previous night&rsquo;s adventures, rewarded
+the poor Br&acirc;hma&#7751; and the shepherds, punished by banishment
+the maid-servant who, knowing that the prince&rsquo;s head was coveted,
+revealed his concealment, and ordered his wife, the minister, the
+robber, and the robber&rsquo;s wife to be beheaded. He rewarded without
+limit his protector, &#346;ubh&acirc;&#347;&acirc;str&icirc;, and
+married the robber&rsquo;s daughter, being won over by her sincerity.
+The Pradh&acirc;n&icirc;, as we have said already, he made his
+minister, and with his old guardian, the faithful
+Ra&#7751;av&icirc;rasi&#7749;g, the prince reigned for several years in
+the kingdom of Va&ntilde;jaim&acirc;nagar. <span class=
+"pagenum">[<a id="pb65" href="#pb65" name="pb65">65</a>]</span></p>
+</div>
+<div class="footnotes">
+<hr class="fnsep">
+<p class="footnote"><span class="label"><a class="noteref" id=
+"xd20e937" href="#xd20e937src" name="xd20e937">1</a></span> Classical
+name of Kar&ucirc;r, a small, but very ancient, town in the
+K&ocirc;yambat&ucirc;r District of the Madras Presidency.</p>
+<p class="footnote"><span class="label"><a class="noteref" id=
+"xd20e946" href="#xd20e946src" name="xd20e946">2</a></span> <i>Naraka
+of Put</i>&mdash;<i>Naraka</i> is hell, and <i>Put</i> is a certain
+kind of hell to which, according to Hind&ucirc; mythology, son-less
+persons are hurled down.</p>
+<p class="footnote"><span class="label"><a class="noteref" id=
+"xd20e957" href="#xd20e957src" name="xd20e957">3</a></span>
+<i>Putra</i>-son, so-called as he protects <span class="corr" id=
+"xd20e961" title="Source: he">the</span> father from the hell of
+<i>Put</i>.</p>
+<p class="footnote"><span class="label"><a class="noteref" id=
+"xd20e976" href="#xd20e976src" name="xd20e976">4</a></span> <i>Ficus
+religiosa.</i></p>
+<p class="footnote"><span class="label"><a class="noteref" id=
+"xd20e1002" href="#xd20e1002src" name="xd20e1002">5</a></span> The
+fair.</p>
+<p class="footnote"><span class="label"><a class="noteref" id=
+"xd20e1035" href="#xd20e1035src" name="xd20e1035">6</a></span>
+Voluntary cremation of widows with the dead bodies of their husbands on
+the funeral pile.</p>
+<p class="footnote"><span class="label"><a class="noteref" id=
+"xd20e1044" href="#xd20e1044src" name="xd20e1044">7</a></span>
+<i>Kar&ocirc;r</i> is equal to ten lacs (<i>l&acirc;khs</i>);
+<i>mohur</i> is an old gold coin.</p>
+<p class="footnote"><span class="label"><a class="noteref" id=
+"xd20e1066" href="#xd20e1066src" name="xd20e1066">8</a></span>
+Spring.</p>
+<p class="footnote"><span class="label"><a class="noteref" id=
+"xd20e1071" href="#xd20e1071src" name="xd20e1071">9</a></span> The
+king&rsquo;s court.</p>
+<p class="footnote"><span class="label"><a class="noteref" id=
+"xd20e1079" href="#xd20e1079src" name="xd20e1079">10</a></span> Council
+chamber.</p>
+<p class="footnote"><span class="label"><a class="noteref" id=
+"xd20e1087" href="#xd20e1087src" name="xd20e1087">11</a></span> My
+darling prince.</p>
+<p class="footnote"><span class="label"><a class="noteref" id=
+"xd20e1109" href="#xd20e1109src" name="xd20e1109">12</a></span> The
+creator of the Hindu mythology.</p>
+<p class="footnote"><span class="label"><a class="noteref" id=
+"xd20e1114" href="#xd20e1114src" name="xd20e1114">13</a></span> A
+Hind&ucirc; feast.</p>
+<p class="footnote"><span class="label"><a class="noteref" id=
+"xd20e1120" href="#xd20e1120src" name="xd20e1120">14</a></span>
+Fee.</p>
+<p class="footnote"><span class="label"><a class="noteref" id=
+"xd20e1126" href="#xd20e1126src" name="xd20e1126">15</a></span>
+<i>V&ecirc;das</i>&mdash;The sacred books of the Hind&ucirc;s.</p>
+<p class="footnote"><span class="label"><a class="noteref" id=
+"xd20e1140" href="#xd20e1140src" name="xd20e1140">16</a></span>
+Minister.</p>
+<p class="footnote"><span class="label"><a class="noteref" id=
+"xd20e1143" href="#xd20e1143src" name="xd20e1143">17</a></span> The
+chief officer of the realm next to the minister.</p>
+<p class="footnote"><span class="label"><a class="noteref" id=
+"xd20e1158" href="#xd20e1158src" name="xd20e1158">18</a></span> The
+image of the belly-god.</p>
+<p class="footnote"><span class="label"><a class="noteref" id=
+"xd20e1165" href="#xd20e1165src" name="xd20e1165">19</a></span> The
+world of <span class="corr" id="xd20e1167" title=
+"Source: Inora">Indra</span>, the regent of the sky.</p>
+<p class="footnote"><span class="label"><a class="noteref" id="n64a"
+href="#n64asrc" name="n64a">20</a></span> Names of divine damsels.</p>
+<p class="footnote"><span class="label"><a class="noteref" id=
+"xd20e1198" href="#xd20e1198src" name="xd20e1198">21</a></span>
+Cinnamon-stone.</p>
+<p class="footnote"><span class="label"><a class="noteref" id=
+"xd20e1208" href="#xd20e1208src" name="xd20e1208">22</a></span>
+Diamond.</p>
+<p class="footnote"><span class="label"><a class="noteref" id=
+"xd20e1214" href="#xd20e1214src" name="xd20e1214">23</a></span> A
+precious stone (cat&rsquo;s eye).</p>
+<p class="footnote"><span class="label"><a class="noteref" id=
+"xd20e1223" href="#xd20e1223src" name="xd20e1223">24</a></span> A sort
+of paint for the eye (<i>Hindustani</i>&mdash;Surm&acirc;).</p>
+<p class="footnote"><span class="label"><a class="noteref" id=
+"xd20e1234" href="#xd20e1234src" name="xd20e1234">25</a></span> A mark
+on the forehead.</p>
+<p class="footnote"><span class="label"><a class="noteref" id=
+"xd20e1269" href="#xd20e1269src" name="xd20e1269">26</a></span> Serpent
+sacrifice.</p>
+<p class="footnote"><span class="label"><a class="noteref" id=
+"xd20e1281" href="#xd20e1281src" name="xd20e1281">27</a></span>
+Sacrifice.</p>
+<p class="footnote"><span class="label"><a class="noteref" id=
+"xd20e1290" href="#xd20e1290src" name="xd20e1290">28</a></span>
+Br&acirc;hma&#7751; woman.</p>
+<p class="footnote"><span class="label"><a class="noteref" id=
+"xd20e1318" href="#xd20e1318src" name="xd20e1318">29</a></span>
+Throne.</p>
+</div>
+</div>
+<div id="ch5" class="div1"><span class="pagenum">[<a href=
+"#toc">Contents</a>]</span>
+<div class="divHead">
+<h2 class="label">V.</h2>
+<h2 class="main">&ldquo;Charity Alone Conquers.&rdquo;</h2>
+</div>
+<div class="divBody">
+<p class="first"><i>Dharmam&ecirc; jayam.</i></p>
+<p>In the town of T&ecirc;vai<a class="noteref" id="xd20e1333src" href=
+"#xd20e1333" name="xd20e1333src">1</a> there lived a king called
+Sugu&#7751;a. He had an excellent minister named Dharma&#347;&icirc;la.
+They ruled for a long time in prosperity over the kingdom. Both of them
+had sons. The prince&rsquo;s name was Subuddhi. He was a noble prince,
+and quite in keeping with his name, was always bent upon doing good to
+the world. The minister&rsquo;s son was named Durbuddhi, a most wicked
+boy, whose only delight was teasing beasts and birds from his infancy,
+and which ripened into all sorts of wickedness as he grew to boyhood.
+Notwithstanding the difference between their temperaments the prince
+and the minister&rsquo;s son were the best of friends. The motto of the
+prince was <i>Dharmam&ecirc; jayam</i>&mdash;Charity alone conquers.
+That of the minister&rsquo;s son was <i>Adharmam&ecirc;
+jayam</i>&mdash;Absence of Charity alone conquers. When rising
+<span class="pagenum">[<a id="pb66" href="#pb66" name=
+"pb66">66</a>]</span>from their beds, when beginning their prayers,
+when sitting down for meals or study, and, in fact, before beginning to
+do anything, each repeated his motto. The people had great hopes in
+Subuddhi, whom they fully expected to see a good and benevolent king;
+but the minister&rsquo;s son all thoroughly hated. Even the minister
+himself, his father, hated his son for his vile turn of mind, which he
+found impossible to change. His only friend, as we have already said,
+was the prince, who, notwithstanding all his faults, loved him
+sincerely. Both of them had grown up together from their very cradle,
+had played in the same dust, had read their lessons side by side in the
+same school under the same teachers. Fortune so ordained that the
+prince&rsquo;s mind should take such a bent, while the mind of the
+minister&rsquo;s son turned in a crooked way.</p>
+<p>Nor was Durbuddhi insensible to the disgust and dislike which every
+one manifested towards him. He was well aware of all that was going on
+around. Still he would not change.</p>
+<p>&ldquo;I have no friend in this world excepting yourself, my dear
+Subuddhi,&rdquo; exclaimed Durbuddhi one day to his royal friend while
+they were riding together.</p>
+<p>&ldquo;Fear nothing. I shall ever stand by you as your true
+friend,&rdquo; replied Subuddhi.</p>
+<p>&ldquo;My very father hates me. Who else would like me then? On the
+other hand, every one likes <span class="pagenum">[<a id="pb67" href=
+"#pb67" name="pb67">67</a>]</span>you. You may soon get yourself
+married to some beautiful lady, while I must remain a bachelor; for no
+girl would marry me. You may soon rise to the place of a king; but I
+cannot become your minister, as the people do not like me. What can I
+do?&rdquo; So said the minister&rsquo;s son, and hung down his head, as
+if conscious for a time of the utter hatred with which the people
+regarded him.</p>
+<p>Subuddhi replied, &ldquo;Heed it not, I will make you my minister,
+give you everything you want, and see you well provided for.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;If so, will you give me your wife one day, at least, if you
+happen to get married before me, and if I remain a bachelor after
+you,&rdquo; were the words which the wretched Durbuddhi shamelessly
+uttered to the face of his only friend.</p>
+<p>These words were enough in themselves to enrage the prince&rsquo;s
+mind. But he was of so good a nature that instead of becoming angry, he
+smiled at the stupidity of his companion, and agreed that he would thus
+give him his wife one day in case he got married first. Thus took place
+an agreement between Subuddhi and Durbuddhi while they were still quite
+young.</p>
+<p>Several years passed after this agreement, when one day the prince
+went to hunt in a neighbouring forest. His inseparable companion, the
+minister&rsquo;s <span class="pagenum">[<a id="pb68" href="#pb68" name=
+"pb68">68</a>]</span>son, and several hunters followed him to the wood.
+The prince and the minister&rsquo;s son both gave chase to a deer. They
+rode so much in advance of the hunters that they lost themselves in a
+thick jungle, where the latter could neither see nor follow them. The
+hunters returned after dark, and informed the king and the minister
+about the disappearance of their sons. They thought that as their sons
+were grown-up men they need not fear for their safety.</p>
+<p>The two friends chased the deer and found themselves in the midst of
+a thick forest in the evening. Except a slight breakfast in the early
+morning they had tasted no other food. Hunger was pinching them
+severely. The hot chase had awakened a severe thirst, to quench which
+they were not able to find a drop of water. In utter hopelessness of
+life they resigned themselves to the course of their steeds. The beasts
+seemed very well to understand the wants of their royal riders. They
+went on trotting, and at last, about midnight, stopped on the banks of
+a large tank.</p>
+<p>The riders, who were almost dead with thirst, opened their closed
+eyes when the horses stopped. All of a sudden, and to their great joy,
+they found themselves on the banks of a large tank. Their joy knew no
+bounds.</p>
+<p>&ldquo;Surely God takes care of His children. Had it not been for
+His kind care how could we have <span class="pagenum">[<a id="pb69"
+href="#pb69" name="pb69">69</a>]</span>come to this tank, when we had
+given ourselves up to the guidance of our horses?&rdquo; thought
+Subuddhi to himself, and got down from his horse.</p>
+<p>The minister&rsquo;s son, who had become more exhausted by that time
+than his companion, also alighted. Subuddhi, true to the nobility of
+his mind, took both the steeds first to water, and, after satisfying
+their thirst and loosening them to graze by the side of a grassy
+meadow, he went into the water to quench his thirst. The
+minister&rsquo;s son also followed. After a short prayer Subuddhi took
+some handfuls of water, and returned to the bank. Durbuddhi also
+returned. They chose a clean spot, and sat down to rest during the
+remaining part of the night. The prince, when taking his seat,
+pronounced his usual motto, &ldquo;Charity alone conquers,&rdquo; and
+the minister&rsquo;s son also repeated his, &ldquo;Absence of Charity
+alone conquers.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>These words fell like venom into the ears of the prince at that
+time. He could not control his anger then, notwithstanding his mild
+disposition. The hardships of the day, their fortunate arrival on a
+tank in the dead of night to have their thirst quenched, were fresh in
+Subuddhi&rsquo;s mind, and the prayers that he was offering to God were
+not yet over. That the minister&rsquo;s son should never think of all
+this, and go on with his own stupid motto even at that time was
+intolerable to Subuddhi. <span class="pagenum">[<a id="pb70" href=
+"#pb70" name="pb70">70</a>]</span></p>
+<p>&ldquo;Vile wretch! detested atheist! have you no shame, to utter
+your wicked motto even after such calamities? It is not too late even
+now. Mend your character. Think of the God that saved you just now.
+Believe in Him. Change your motto from this day.&rdquo; Thus spoke the
+angry prince to the minister&rsquo;s son.</p>
+<p>Durbuddhi, who was naturally of a wicked and quarrelsome
+temperament, flew into a rage at once at the excellent advice of the
+prince.</p>
+<p>&ldquo;Stop your mouth. I know as well as you do; you cannot wag
+your tail here. I can oppose you single-handed in this
+forest.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>Thus saying, the minister&rsquo;s son sprang like an enraged lion at
+Subuddhi, who, as he never dreamt of any such thing, was completely
+overpowered by the wicked Durbuddhi. The prince was thrown down in the
+twinkling of an eye, and the minister&rsquo;s son was upon him. He
+severely thrashed his royal master, and, taking hold of a twig that was
+lying close by, tore out the prince&rsquo;s two eyes, filled up the
+sockets with sand, and ran away with his horse, thinking that he had
+completely killed him.</p>
+<p>Subuddhi was almost dead; his body was bruised all over; his eyes
+were no more; his physical pain was unbearable.</p>
+<p>&ldquo;Is there a God over us all?&rdquo; thought Subuddhi. The
+night was almost over. The cool and sweet <span class="pagenum">[<a id=
+"pb71" href="#pb71" name="pb71">71</a>]</span>breeze of the morning
+gave him some strength. He rose up, and, crawling on the ground, felt
+his way to the entrance of a temple. He crept in, shut <span class=
+"corr" id="xd20e1393" title="Not in source">the</span> gates, and
+fastened the bolt.</p>
+<p>It happened to be a temple of the fierce <i>K&acirc;l&icirc;</i>.
+She used to go out every morning to gather roots and fruits, and to
+return at evening. That day, when she returned, she found her gates
+shut against her. She threatened with destruction the usurper of her
+temple. A voice, and we know that it was Subuddhi&rsquo;s, replied from
+within:</p>
+<p>&ldquo;I am already dying of the loss of my eyes. So, if in anger
+you kill me, it is so much the better; for what use is there in my
+living blind? If, on the contrary, you pity me, and by your divine
+power give me my eyes, I shall open the gates.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>K&acirc;l&icirc; was in a very difficult position. She was very
+hungry, and saw no other way of going inside than by giving Subuddhi
+his eyes.</p>
+<p>&ldquo;Open the gates; your request is granted,&rdquo; said
+K&acirc;l&icirc;. No sooner were these words uttered than the prince
+recovered his eyes. His delight may be better imagined than described.
+He opened the gates and vowed before K&acirc;l&icirc; that he would
+from that day continue in that temple as her servant and
+worshipper.</p>
+<p>The wretched Durbuddhi, after his horrible act, rode on composedly,
+following the footsteps of his <span class="pagenum">[<a id="pb72"
+href="#pb72" name="pb72">72</a>]</span>horse, and reached the forest
+where he had been hunting the day before in company with the prince. He
+thence returned home all alone. When his father saw him coming back he
+suspected something wrong to the prince, and asked his son what had
+become of him.</p>
+<p>&ldquo;We chased a deer, and he rode so much in advance of me that
+he was out of sight, and finding all search vain, I returned
+alone,&rdquo; was Durbuddhi&rsquo;s reply.</p>
+<p>&ldquo;This I would have believed from anyone but yourself. Never
+plant your feet in these dominions till you bring back the prince
+again. Run for your life,&rdquo; was the order of the minister, and
+Durbuddhi accordingly ran off, fearing the anger of his father.</p>
+<p>Thus the Prince Subuddhi served in the K&acirc;l&icirc; temple; and
+Durbuddhi, fully confident that he had killed his friend, roamed about
+from place to place, as he saw no possibility of returning to his own
+country without the prince.</p>
+<p>Thus passed several months. The goddess K&acirc;l&icirc; was
+extremely delighted at the sincere devotion of Subuddhi, and, calling
+him one day to her side, said:</p>
+<p>&ldquo;My son! I am delighted with your great devotion to me. Enough
+of your menial services here. Better return now to your kingdom. Your
+parents are likely to be much vexed at your loss. <span class=
+"pagenum">[<a id="pb73" href="#pb73" name="pb73">73</a>]</span>Go and
+console their minds.&rdquo; Thus ended K&acirc;l&icirc;, and Subuddhi
+replied:</p>
+<p>&ldquo;Excuse me, my goddess, my mother, I no more regard them as my
+parents. This wood is not a large place if they wished to search for
+me. As they were so careless about me, I shall also from this day
+disregard them. You are my father and mother. Therefore permit me to
+end my days here in your service.&rdquo; So saying, Subuddhi begged
+K&acirc;l&icirc; to allow him to stay, and the goddess agreed
+accordingly, for some time at least.</p>
+<p>After a few more months, K&acirc;l&icirc; called the prince again to
+her, and addressed him thus:</p>
+<p>&ldquo;My boy! I have devised another plan. Better not, then, go to
+your parents, as you do not wish to go now. At a short distance from
+this place, in the K&acirc;v&ecirc;r&icirc; country, reigns a staunch
+devotee of mine. His daughter had small-pox, and as he forgot to do
+proper respect to me, I have blinded both her eyes. The king has issued
+a proclamation that he will give the whole kingdom and his daughter in
+marriage to him who would cure her of her defect. He has hung up a bell
+(<i>gha&#7751;&#7789;&acirc;</i>) at which every physician who wishes
+to try the case strikes. The king comes running as soon as he hears the
+sound, takes home the doctor and shows him the case. Several persons
+have tried in vain; for who could repair a defect inflicted by the
+displeasure of the gods? Now I <span class="pagenum">[<a id="pb74"
+href="#pb74" name="pb74">74</a>]</span>mean to send you there. That
+king is a staunch worshipper of my feet. Though I have punished him,
+still I pity the sad calamity that has come upon his daughter. You had
+better go there and strike the bell. He will take you and show you the
+case. For three consecutive days apply my holy ashes to her eyes.
+Though fools may deride these ashes, still by them a true devotee can
+work wonders. On the fourth day her eyes will be perfectly restored.
+Then you will secure her hand, and, what is more, the country of
+K&acirc;v&ecirc;r&icirc;. Reign there, for you are born to reign, being
+a prince, and not to spend your time here in this wood. If you do not
+do so you will commit a sin, and, what is more, incur my
+displeasure.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>Thus ended K&acirc;l&icirc;, and the prince could not refuse; for he
+feared the anger of the goddess. Agreeing to her words, and with her
+manifold blessings, he started and reached the kingdom of
+K&acirc;v&ecirc;r&icirc;.</p>
+<p>He struck the bell. The king came running to welcome the new doctor.
+All the previous physicians had tried by medicines external and
+internal. The new doctor&mdash;Prince Subuddhi&mdash;proposed to treat
+the case by <i>mantras</i>&mdash;incantations. The old king, who was
+very religious, fully believed that the new doctor might effect the
+cure, and, just as he expected, on the <span class="corr" id=
+"xd20e1442" title="Source: forrth">fourth</span> day his
+daughter&rsquo;s sight was completely restored. The <span class=
+"pagenum">[<a id="pb75" href="#pb75" name=
+"pb75">75</a>]</span>king&rsquo;s joy knew no bounds. He enquired into
+the parentage of the doctor: and when he came to know that he had
+princely blood in his veins, that he was as honourably descended as
+himself, his joy was greatly increased. He sent up a thousand prayers
+to the god for giving him a royal son-in-law. As promised in his
+notice, he would have to give his daughter to anyone, whatever he might
+be, who effected the cure. The lowest beggar, the lowest caste-man, if
+he had only succeeded in curing her, would have had as much claim to
+her hand as the prince-physician. So when the person that effected the
+cure proved to be a prince, the king was extremely delighted, and at
+once made all arrangements for the marriage of his daughter, and gave
+her to Subuddhi: and, himself being very old, he gave the kingdom also
+to the prince at the same time.</p>
+<p>Thus by the favour of K&acirc;l&icirc;, Subuddhi had a princess for
+his wife and a kingdom to govern. Subuddhi, as we know, was an
+excellent man. Though he became king now, he consulted his
+father-in-law in all matters, and, in fact, acted only as manager for
+the old man. Every evening he used to consult him for an hour or two
+before disposing of intricate cases. The duty of signing, too, he
+reserved for the old man. Thus even on those days when there were no
+cases he used to go to his <span class="pagenum">[<a id="pb76" href=
+"#pb76" name="pb76">76</a>]</span>father-in-law to get papers signed.
+Thus passed on a couple of years or so.</p>
+<p>One evening, while sitting in company with his wife in the loftiest
+room of his palace after the duties of the day, he cast his eyes to the
+east main street and contemplated the bustle of that part of the town.
+Carts creaking under the load of merchandise, the flourish with which
+the goods and wares were exposed for sale, fashionable gentlemen in
+their fanciful evening costumes walking to and fro, the troublesome
+hawkers that stand by the roadside questioning every one as to what
+they would buy, and several other things interested him, and for a time
+made him somewhat proud even, that he ruled over such a rich country.
+But sweetness is not always unaccompanied with bitterness. He saw in
+that same street a man whose face was very familiar to him, but whom he
+could not at once make out. A black man was sitting on a projecting
+pyal of a corner of a shop, and was mending some torn gunny bags.
+Subuddhi looked at him carefully.</p>
+<p>&ldquo;Is it the minister&rsquo;s son, Durbuddhi? No; he is not so
+black; rather was not when I saw him last,&rdquo; thought Subuddhi with
+himself, and examining his face, he at last exclaimed, &ldquo;It is he!
+It is he! It is my friend and companion.&rdquo; &ldquo;Who is
+it?&rdquo; exclaimed the princess, and rushed at once to his side. She
+had most carefully watched her husband&rsquo;s <span class=
+"pagenum">[<a id="pb77" href="#pb77" name="pb77">77</a>]</span>face for
+the past few minutes while he was in deep contemplation. &ldquo;It is
+my friend, the minister&rsquo;s son, by name Durbuddhi. We were
+companions from our birth; we played in the same dust, read in the same
+school, and were ever inseparable companions. I do not know what has
+brought him to the condition in which I see him now,&rdquo; said
+Subuddhi, and sent some one to fetch him. Of the wicked and base act of
+the vile Durbuddhi he did not care to inform his gentle wife, who now
+retired to her inner apartments, as decorum did not allow her to be in
+company with her husband when he was receiving others.</p>
+<p>The persons sent brought in Durbuddhi. Whatever might have been the
+cruelty that he had received from the hands of the minister&rsquo;s
+son, the prince began to shed tears when he saw his old companion
+ushered in, not in that blooming cheerful red complexion in which he
+had seen him last, but in a weather-beaten dark skin and dejected
+colour of a <span class="corr" id="xd20e1459" title=
+"Source: cooly">coolie</span> in which he saw him a few minutes
+ago.</p>
+<p>&ldquo;I excuse you all your faults, my dear Durbuddhi. Tell me
+quickly what has brought you to this wretched plight,&rdquo; asked
+Subuddhi, and while asking he began to cry aloud. The minister&rsquo;s
+son also shed tears copiously, and cried or pretended to cry; for be it
+known that he was a perfect scoundrel, born to no good in the world.
+<span class="pagenum">[<a id="pb78" href="#pb78" name=
+"pb78">78</a>]</span></p>
+<p>&ldquo;My own mischief has brought me to this plight. When I
+returned to our country, after putting out your eyes and thinking that
+I had killed you, my father banished me from our dominions, and ordered
+me never to plant my feet within their limits without bringing you
+back. As I thought I had put an end to your life I never came back to
+that tank in search of you. I engaged myself as a <span class="corr"
+id="xd20e1467" title="Source: cooly">coolie</span> in the streets of
+this town after trying several other places without success, and I now
+stand before you.&rdquo; Thus ended Durbuddhi, and the prince quite
+forgot his cruelty to him. He ordered his servants to get the
+minister&rsquo;s son bathed, and attired in as rich robes as he himself
+wore. Then he related to him his own story, without omitting a single
+point, and at once made him his minister.</p>
+<p>The whole story of Durbuddhi, excepting the single point of his
+having put out his eyes, the prince related to his wife, father, and
+mother-in-law.</p>
+<p>Thus was Durbuddhi again restored to his high position, through the
+liberal kindness of Subuddhi. Subuddhi did not stop even at this. He
+began to send him with papers and other things to the old king for
+signature. This went on for some months. All the while Durbuddhi was as
+obedient as might be, and by his vile tricks had completely won over
+the heart of the old king. <span class="pagenum">[<a id="pb79" href=
+"#pb79" name="pb79">79</a>]</span></p>
+<p>One evening, after the signatures were over, Durbuddhi stopped for a
+while as if desirous to speak. &ldquo;What do you want?&rdquo; said the
+old king. &ldquo;Nothing but your favour,&rdquo; was the only reply,
+after which he retired. Thus he went on for some days and weeks. Every
+day he stopped for a few minutes after the state business was over, and
+when the old king asked the reason for it went on giving evasive
+answers. At last one evening the old king was extremely provoked. The
+cunning Durbuddhi had purposely intended this.</p>
+<p>&ldquo;What a big fool are you to stop every day as if wishing to
+speak and never to utter a word,&rdquo; broke out the old king.</p>
+<p>&ldquo;I beg pardon of your honour; I was thinking all the while
+whether I should let out my secret or not. At last, I have come to the
+conclusion that I will keep it to myself,&rdquo; replied the diabolical
+Durbuddhi.</p>
+<p>&ldquo;No, you shall let it out,&rdquo; roared the old king, whose
+curiosity was more roused than abated by the words, purposely obscure,
+of the minister&rsquo;s son. Durbuddhi, after simulating much
+reluctance at disclosing the supposed secret, loudly began his
+harangue:</p>
+<p>&ldquo;My lord, ever since I came here I have been making enquiries
+about the nobility of your family, about the sacrifices that you and
+your ancestors have <span class="pagenum">[<a id="pb80" href="#pb80"
+name="pb80">80</a>]</span>performed, about the purifications that you
+and your elders have undergone, and about a thousand other particulars,
+each of which is enough to secure you and your descendants the place of
+Achyuta (<i>Achyutapada</i>) himself. These delighted me for a
+time&mdash;I say for a time&mdash;for listen, please, to what follows.
+When I compared with the pure fame of your famous family, that of your
+son-in-law, my heart began to pain me. Indeed the pain which began at
+that moment has not yet ceased. Know, then, that your son-in-law is not
+a prince. No doubt he has royal blood in his veins, which makes him
+look like a king. How came he to be so skilful in medicine. Just
+enquire the cause. To be no more in the dark, the king of my
+country&mdash;over which my father is the minister&mdash;set out one
+day on <i>sav&acirc;r</i>. While passing a barber&rsquo;s street he saw
+a beautiful damsel of that caste. Bewitched by her beauty the king
+wanted to include her in his harem, notwithstanding her low position in
+society. The child of that woman, is your son-in-law. He being the son
+of a barber-mother acquired thus easily the art of medicine. That a
+king was his father makes him look like a prince. If he had been of
+pure birth why should he leave his kingdom, and come here to effect the
+cure of your daughter? Except this prince, or supposed prince, all
+those that came here were mere doctors by caste.&rdquo; Thus ended the
+vile Durbuddhi, and <span class="pagenum">[<a id="pb81" href="#pb81"
+name="pb81">81</a>]</span>taking in his hand the papers, vanished out
+of the room quickly, like a serpent that had stung.</p>
+<p>The sweet words in which the minister&rsquo;s son clothed his
+arguments, the rising passion at the thought that he had been falsely
+imposed upon by a barber&rsquo;s son, the shame&mdash;or rather
+supposed shame&mdash;that he thought had come over his family, and a
+thousand other feelings clouded for a time the clear reason of the old
+king. He saw no other way of putting an end to the shame than by the
+murder of his dear daughter and son-in-law first, and of his own self
+and queen afterwards. At once he sent for the executioner, who came in.
+He gave him his signet-ring, and commanded him to break open the
+bed-room of his son-in-law that midnight, and murder him with his wife
+while asleep. The <i>hukums</i>, or orders given with signet-rings, can
+never be disobeyed. The executioner humbled himself to the ground, as a
+sign of his accepting the order, and retired to sharpen his knife for
+his terrible duty.</p>
+<p>Neither Subuddhi nor his affectionate wife had any reason to suspect
+this terrible mandate. The old queen and the treacherous Durbuddhi had
+equally no reason to know anything about it. The old man, after issuing
+the <i>hukum</i>, shut himself up in his closet, and began to weep and
+wail as if he had lost his daughter from that moment. Durbuddhi, after
+<span class="pagenum">[<a id="pb82" href="#pb82" name=
+"pb82">82</a>]</span>kindling the fire, as says the Tamil proverb, by
+means of his treachery, came back with the papers to the prince. A
+thought occurred in his mind that Subuddhi&rsquo;s fate was drawing
+near. He wanted to carry out the agreement between himself and the
+prince about the latter&rsquo;s wife. The excellent Subuddhi, who
+always observed oaths most strictly, was confused for a time. He did
+not know what to do. To stick to the oath and surrender his wife to
+another; or to break it and preserve the chastity of his own wife. At
+last, repeating in his own mind, &ldquo;Charity alone conquers,&rdquo;
+and also thinking that Heaven would somehow devise to preserve his
+wife, he went to her, explained to her how the matter stood, and
+ordered her to go to the minister&rsquo;s son. She hesitatingly
+consented; for, as a good wife, she could not disobey her
+husband&rsquo;s commands. Subuddhi then told Durbuddhi that he might
+have his wife as his own.</p>
+<p>The princess went to her mother, crying that her husband had turned
+out mad. &ldquo;Or else who would promise to give his wife to another.
+What does he mean by that?&rdquo;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;My daughter! fear nothing, perhaps, in his boyhood, he made
+this rash promise without thinking. The promise once made now pains
+him. Unable to break it, and leaving it to yourself to preserve your
+chastity, he has so ordered <span class="pagenum">[<a id="pb83" href=
+"#pb83" name="pb83">83</a>]</span>you. And he would, nay must, excuse
+you, if you by some means or other save yourself, and apparently make
+good your husband&rsquo;s promise also. A thought just comes to me how
+to do that. There is your foster-sister, exactly resembling you. I
+shall send her in your place.&rdquo; So consoling her daughter, the old
+queen at once made all the requisite arrangements. And, of course,
+Subuddhi had no reason then to know anything about them.</p>
+<p>In the middle of the night his door is forced open, and a ruffian
+with a drawn sword, blazing like lightning, rushes in, and murders the
+pair. Thus in that very night in which Durbuddhi had reached the
+topmost point of his vice, he was cut down by the supreme hand of God.
+For, it is said, that when crime increases, God himself cannot tolerate
+it.</p>
+<p>The morning dawned. Subuddhi rose from his couch, and after his
+morning prayers was sitting in the council hall. The princess and her
+mother rose from their beds, and were attending to their business. A
+servant just at that time came running to the old queen, and said:</p>
+<p>&ldquo;Our king is weeping in his room that his daughter is now no
+more. I think that there is something wrong with his majesty&rsquo;s
+brains to-day. Come and console him.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>The queen, who knew nothing of what had happened, ran to her
+husband&rsquo;s room, quite <span class="pagenum">[<a id="pb84" href=
+"#pb84" name="pb84">84</a>]</span>astonished at the change. The husband
+reported everything to her&mdash;the sage-looking minister&rsquo;s son,
+the barber&rsquo;s son-in-law, and everything, and then concluded that
+their daughter and son-in-law were no more.</p>
+<p>&ldquo;What! compose yourself. Our son-in-law is sitting in his
+durbar. Our daughter is just adorning herself in her dressing-room.
+Were you dreaming? Are you in your right senses?&rdquo; said the
+queen.</p>
+<p>The king ordered the executioner to bring the heads, which, on
+examination, proved to be those of the minister&rsquo;s son and of the
+foster-sister. The queen told everything of the one-day-wife-giving
+engagement, and her own arrangements about it. The old king could not
+understand what all this meant. He drew out his sword and ran to the
+durbar like a maddened lion, and stood armed before his son-in-law.</p>
+<p>&ldquo;Relate to me your true origin, and everything respecting
+yourself. Speak the truth. How came you to learn medicine? If you are a
+prince why should you leave your own dominions and come down here? What
+about this wicked agreement of giving your wife to another? Who is this
+minister&rsquo;s son?&rdquo;</p>
+<p>Subuddhi, without omitting a single point, related everything that
+had taken place, even to the putting out of his eyes. The old man threw
+down <span class="pagenum">[<a id="pb85" href="#pb85" name=
+"pb85">85</a>]</span>his sword, took his son-in-law in his arms almost,
+for so great was his joy at the excellent way which fate had prepared
+for his escape, and said:</p>
+<p>&ldquo;My son, my life, my eye. True it is, true it is.
+<i>Dharma</i> alone conquers, and you that hold that motto have
+conquered everything. The vile wretch whom, notwithstanding the series
+of rogueries that he practised upon you, you protected, has at last
+found out that his <i>Adharmam</i> never conquers. But he never found
+it out. It was his <i>Adharmam</i> that cut him off on the very night
+of his supposed complete conquest by it.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>Letters were sent at once to T&ecirc;vai, inviting <span class=
+"corr" id="xd20e1548" title="Source: Suguna">Sugu&#7751;a</span> and
+Dharma&#347;&icirc;la to the happy rejoicings at the prince and
+princess&rsquo;s delivery, and a re-marriage was celebrated with all
+pomp, in honour of their lucky escape. Dharma&#347;&icirc;la, as he
+disliked his son, never shed a single tear for his loss. Subuddhi lived
+for a long time, giving much consolation to his own and his
+wife&rsquo;s parents. Through the blessings of K&acirc;l&icirc; they
+had several intelligent sons. <span class="pagenum">[<a id="pb86" href=
+"#pb86" name="pb86">86</a>]</span></p>
+</div>
+<div class="footnotes">
+<hr class="fnsep">
+<p class="footnote"><span class="label"><a class="noteref" id=
+"xd20e1333" href="#xd20e1333src" name="xd20e1333">1</a></span>
+T&ecirc;vai is the classical name of the modern town of
+R&acirc;mn&acirc;d in the district of Madur&acirc;.</p>
+</div>
+</div>
+<div id="ch6" class="div1"><span class="pagenum">[<a href=
+"#toc">Contents</a>]</span>
+<div class="divHead">
+<h2 class="label">VI.</h2>
+<h2 class="main">Vid&acirc;mundan Kod&acirc;mundan.</h2>
+<h2 class="main">Mr. Won&rsquo;t-Give and Mr. Won&rsquo;t-Leave.</h2>
+</div>
+<div class="divBody">
+<p class="first">In a certain town there lived a clever old
+Br&acirc;hma&#7751;, named Won&rsquo;t-Give.<a class="noteref" id=
+"xd20e1561src" href="#xd20e1561" name="xd20e1561src">1</a> He used to
+go out daily and to beg in all the houses round, under the pretence
+that he had to feed several Br&acirc;hma&#7751;s in his own house. Good
+people, that believed in his words, used to give him much rice and
+curry stuffs, with which he would come home, and explain to his wife
+how he had deceived such and such a gentleman by the imposition of
+feeding in charity many persons at home. But if any hungry
+Br&acirc;hma&#7751;, who had heard of his empty boast of feeding
+Br&acirc;hma&#7751;s at home, came to him, he was sent away with some
+excuse or other. In this way Mr. Won&rsquo;t-Give brought home a
+basketful of rice and other necessaries every day, of which he only
+used a small portion for himself and his wife, and converted the
+remainder into money. <span class="pagenum">[<a id="pb87" href="#pb87"
+name="pb87">87</a>]</span>And thus, by imposition and tricks, he
+managed to live well for several years.</p>
+<p>In an adjoining village there lived another very clever
+Br&acirc;hma&#7751;, named Won&rsquo;t-Leave.<a class="noteref" id=
+"xd20e1569src" href="#xd20e1569" name="xd20e1569src">2</a> Whenever he
+found any man reluctant and unwilling to give him anything that he
+begged of him, he would persist in bothering him until he had wrung
+from him a dole. This Mr. Won&rsquo;t-Leave, hearing of the charity of
+Mr. Won&rsquo;t-Give, and his benevolent feeding of
+Br&acirc;hma&#7751;s, came to see him one day, and requested him to
+give him a meal. Mr. Won&rsquo;t-Give told him that for that day ten
+Br&acirc;hma&#7751;s had already been settled, and that if he came the
+next day he would have his meal without fail. Mr. Won&rsquo;t-Leave
+agreed to this, and left him for that day. Mr. Won&rsquo;t-Give had, of
+course, told him the very lie he was accustomed to tell all that
+occasionally begged meals of him.</p>
+<p>Now Mr. Won&rsquo;t-Leave was not so stupid as to be thus imposed
+upon. He stood before Mr. Won&rsquo;t-Give&rsquo;s door precisely at
+the appointed <i>gha&#7789;ik&acirc;</i> (hour) the next day, and
+reminded the master of the house of his promise. Mr. Won&rsquo;t-Give
+had never before been taken at his word, and determined to send away
+the impertinent guest by some stronger excuse than the first, and so he
+spoke to him thus:&mdash; <span class="pagenum">[<a id="pb88" href=
+"#pb88" name="pb88">88</a>]</span></p>
+<p>&ldquo;Sir, I am very sorry to say that my wife fell ill last night
+of a strong fever, from which she has not yet recovered. Owing to this
+unforeseen accident I have had to postpone my charitable feedings
+(<i>sam&acirc;r&acirc;dhana</i>) till her recovery, so do not trouble
+me, please, for some days more.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>Mr. Won&rsquo;t-Leave heard these words with an expression of
+sincere, or rather, seemingly sincere, sorrow in his face, and
+replied:&mdash;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;Respected sir, I am very sorry for the illness of the
+mistress of the house, but to give up charitable feeding of
+Br&acirc;hma&#7751;s on that account is a great sin. For the last ten
+years I have been studying the art of cooking, and can now cook for
+even several hundreds of Br&acirc;hma&#7751;s; so I can assist you now
+in preparing the necessaries for the
+<i>sam&acirc;r&acirc;dhana</i>.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>Mr. Won&rsquo;t-Give could not refuse such a request, but he
+deceitfully determined in his mind to get Mr. Won&rsquo;t-Leave to cook
+for him, and then to drive him away without giving him his rice. And so
+he said:&mdash;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;Yes, that is a very good idea. I am much obliged to you for
+your kind suggestion. Come in; let us cook together.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>So saying, the master of the house took Mr. Won&rsquo;t-Leave inside
+and they both went into the kitchen, <span class="pagenum">[<a id=
+"pb89" href="#pb89" name="pb89">89</a>]</span>while the mistress of the
+house, at the command of her husband, pretended to be ill.</p>
+<p>Now Mr. Won&rsquo;t-Give was a good liver, and prepared, with the
+assistance of Mr. Won&rsquo;t-Leave, several good dishes. And then the
+difficulty was to drive the fellow out, for the long-maintained rule of
+never feeding a single Br&acirc;hma&#7751; must not be broken that day.
+So, when the cooking was all over, the master of the house gave to Mr.
+Won&rsquo;t-Leave a <i>k&acirc;&#347;u</i> (copper coin), and asked him
+to bring some leaves from the <i>b&acirc;z&acirc;r</i> (for plates),
+and he accordingly went. Mr. Won&rsquo;t-Give, meanwhile, came to his
+wife, and instructed her thus:&mdash;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;My dearest wife, I have spared you the trouble of cooking
+to-day. Would that we could get such stupid fools as this every day to
+cook for us! I have now sent him out to fetch us some leaves, and it
+won&rsquo;t look well if we shut our doors against him or drive him
+away; so we must make him go away of his own accord. A thought has just
+come into my mind as to how we can do it. As soon as he comes you shall
+commence to quarrel with me. I shall then come to you and beat you, or,
+rather, the ground near you, with both my hands, and you must continue
+your abuse and cries. The guest will find this very disgusting, and
+will leave us of his own accord.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>Mr. Won&rsquo;t-Give had just finished when he <span class=
+"pagenum">[<a id="pb90" href="#pb90" name="pb90">90</a>]</span>saw Mr.
+Won&rsquo;t-Leave returning with the leaves. The wife, as pre-arranged,
+abused her husband right and left for his great imprudence and
+over-liberality in feeding the Br&acirc;hma&#7751;s. Said she:</p>
+<p>&ldquo;How are we to get on in the world if you thus empty the house
+of everything we have in feeding big-bellied Br&acirc;hma&#7751;s? Must
+you be so particular as to invite them, even when I am sick?&rdquo;
+These, and a thousand similar expressions, were now launched at the
+husband&rsquo;s head. He pretended not to hear it for a time, but at
+last, apparently overcome by anger, he went in and with his hands gave
+successive blows on the floor. At every blow on the floor the wife
+cried out that she was being murdered, and that those who had mercy in
+their hearts should come to her rescue.</p>
+<p>Mr. Won&rsquo;t-Leave, from the court-yard of the house, listened to
+what was taking place inside, but not wishing to interfere in a quarrel
+between husband and wife, left matters to take their own course, and
+got into the loft, where he hid himself, fearing that he would be
+summoned as a witness to the quarrel.</p>
+<p>After a time Mr. Won&rsquo;t-Give came out of the room where he had
+been beating the floor, and to his joy he could not find the guest. He
+cautiously looked round him and saw no signs of Mr. Won&rsquo;t-Leave.
+Of course, having had no reason to think <span class="pagenum">[<a id=
+"pb91" href="#pb91" name="pb91">91</a>]</span>that his guest would be
+sitting in the loft, he did not look up there; and even if he had done
+so, he would not have found him, for he had hidden himself out of
+sight.</p>
+<p>Mr. Won&rsquo;t-Give now carefully bolted the door, and his wife
+came out and changed her dirty cloth for a clean one. Said her husband
+to her:</p>
+<p>&ldquo;At last we have succeeded in driving him out; come, you too
+must be hungry; let us have our dinner together.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>Two leaves were spread on the ground, and all the dishes were
+equally divided into them. Meanwhile Mr. <span class="corr" id=
+"xd20e1628" title="Source: Won&rsquo;t-leave">Won&rsquo;t-Leave</span>
+was watching all that took place below him and, being himself very
+hungry, was slyly watching for an opportunity to jump down. Mr.
+Won&rsquo;t-Give, gloating over his trickery, said to his wife:</p>
+<p>&ldquo;Well, my love, did I not beat you without hurting you?&rdquo;
+to which she replied:</p>
+<p>&ldquo;Did I not continue to cry without shedding tears?&rdquo; when
+suddenly there fell on their ears:</p>
+<p>&ldquo;And did I not come to have my dinner without going
+away?&rdquo; and down jumped Mr. Won&rsquo;t-Leave, from the loft, and
+took his seat in front of the leaf spread by Mr. Won&rsquo;t-Give for
+his wife. And Mr. <span class="corr" id="xd20e1638" title=
+"Source: Wont-Give">Won&rsquo;t-Give</span>, though disappointed, was
+highly pleased at the cleverness of his guest. <span class=
+"pagenum">[<a id="pb92" href="#pb92" name="pb92">92</a>]</span></p>
+<p>This story is cited as the authority for three proverbs that have
+come into use in Tamil.</p>
+<ul lang="ta-latn">
+<li>&ldquo;<i>N&ocirc;v&acirc;mal a&#7693;itten.</i>&rdquo;</li>
+<li>&ldquo;<i>Oy&acirc;mal aluden.</i>&rdquo;</li>
+<li>&ldquo;<i>P&ocirc;k&acirc;mal vand&ecirc;n.</i>&rdquo;</li>
+</ul>
+<p>which represent the exchanges of politeness between the husband, the
+wife, and the guest, quoted in the foregoing paragraphs. <span class=
+"pagenum">[<a id="pb93" href="#pb93" name="pb93">93</a>]</span></p>
+</div>
+<div class="footnotes">
+<hr class="fnsep">
+<p class="footnote"><span class="label"><a class="noteref" id=
+"xd20e1561" href="#xd20e1561src" name="xd20e1561">1</a></span>
+<i>Kod&acirc;mundan.</i></p>
+<p class="footnote"><span class="label"><a class="noteref" id=
+"xd20e1569" href="#xd20e1569src" name="xd20e1569">2</a></span>
+<i>Vid&acirc;mundan.</i></p>
+</div>
+</div>
+<div id="ch7" class="div1"><span class="pagenum">[<a href=
+"#toc">Contents</a>]</span>
+<div class="divHead">
+<h2 class="label">VII.</h2>
+<h2 class="main">Vayalvallan Kaiyavalla.</h2>
+<h2 class="main">Mr. Mighty-of-his-Mouth and Mr.
+Mighty-of-his-Hands.</h2>
+</div>
+<div class="divBody">
+<p class="first">In two adjoining villages there lived two famous men.
+The one was called Mr. Mighty-of-his-mouth<a class="noteref" id=
+"xd20e1673src" href="#xd20e1673" name="xd20e1673src">1</a>&mdash;one
+that could accomplish wonders with words alone. The other was called
+Mr. Mighty-of-his-hands<a class="noteref" id="xd20e1678src" href=
+"#xd20e1678" name="xd20e1678src">2</a>&mdash;one who could make no use
+of that glib instrument the tongue, but was able to bear burdens, cut
+wood, and perform other physical labour.</p>
+<p>It so happened that they agreed to live together in the house of the
+Mr. Mighty-of-his-mouth, to try and see which of them was the superior.
+They accordingly kept company for several months, till the great feast
+of the nine nights (<i>navar&acirc;tr&icirc;</i>) came on. On the first
+day of the feast Mr. Mighty-of-his-hands wanted to sacrifice a goat to
+the goddess K&acirc;l&icirc;. So he said to Mr.
+Mighty-of-his-mouth,</p>
+<p>&ldquo;My dear friend, we both are mighty in our way, and so it
+would be shameful for us to buy the goat, <span class="pagenum">[<a id=
+"pb94" href="#pb94" name="pb94">94</a>]</span>that we want to
+sacrifice, with money. We should manage to get it without
+payment.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;Yes, we must do so, and I know how,&rdquo; replied Mr.
+Mighty-of-his-mouth, and he asked his friend to wait till that
+evening.</p>
+<p>Now there lived a shepherd at one <i>gha&#7789;ik&acirc;&rsquo;s</i>
+(hour&rsquo;s) distance from their house, and the two friends resolved
+to go to his fold that night and steal away one of his goats.
+Accordingly, when it was dark, they approached his fold. The shepherd
+had just finished his duties to the mute members of his flock, and
+wanted to go home and have his rice hot. But he had no second person to
+watch the flock, and he must not lose his supper. So he planted his
+crook before the fold, and throwing his blanket (<i>kambal&icirc;</i>)
+over it, thus addressed it:</p>
+<p>&ldquo;My son, I am very hungry, and so must go for my rice. Till I
+return do you watch the flock. This wood is rich in tigers and goblins
+(<i>bh&ucirc;tas</i>). Some mischievous thief or
+<i>bh&ucirc;ta</i>&mdash;or <i><span class="corr" id="xd20e1711" title=
+"Source: kuta">k&ucirc;ta</span></i><a class="noteref" id=
+"xd20e1713src" href="#xd20e1713" name="xd20e1713src">3</a> may come to
+steal away the sheep. Watch over them carefully.&rdquo; So saying the
+shepherd went away.</p>
+<p>The friends had heard what the shepherd said. Of course, Mr.
+Mighty-of-his-mouth laughed within himself at this device of the
+shepherd to impress <span class="pagenum">[<a id="pb95" href="#pb95"
+name="pb95">95</a>]</span>upon would-be robbers that he had left some
+one there to watch his sheep, while really he had only planted a pole
+and thrown a blanket over it. Mr. Mighty-of-his-hands, however, did not
+see the trick, and mistaking the stick to be an actual watchman sitting
+at his duty before the fold, spoke thus to his friend:</p>
+<p>&ldquo;Now what are we to do? There is a watchman sitting in front
+of the fold.&rdquo; Thereon, Mr. Mighty-of-his-mouth cleared away his
+doubts by saying that it was no watchman, but a mere stick, and entered
+the fold with his friend.</p>
+<p>It had also so happened that on that very night a <i>bh&ucirc;ta</i>
+(goblin) had come into the fold to steal away a sheep. It shuddered
+with fear on hearing the shepherd mention the <i>k&ucirc;ta</i>, for
+having never heard of the existence of <i>k&ucirc;tas</i>, it mistook
+this imaginary being to be something superior in strength to itself. So
+thinking that a <i>k&ucirc;ta</i> might come to the fold, and not
+wishing to expose itself till it knew well what <i>k&ucirc;tas</i>
+were, the <i>bh&ucirc;ta</i> transformed itself into a sheep and laid
+itself down among the flock. By this time the two Mighties had entered
+the fold and begun an examination of the sheep. They went on rejecting
+one animal after another for some defect or other, till at last they
+came to the sheep which was none other than the <i>bh&ucirc;ta</i>.
+They tested it, and when they found it very heavy&mdash;as, of course,
+it would be with <span class="pagenum">[<a id="pb96" href="#pb96" name=
+"pb96">96</a>]</span>the soul of the <i>bh&ucirc;ta</i> in
+it&mdash;they began to tie up its legs to carry it home. When hands
+began to shake it the <i>bh&ucirc;ta</i> mistook the Mighties for the
+<i>k&ucirc;tas</i>, and said to itself:&mdash;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;Alas! the <i>k&ucirc;tas</i> have come to take me away. What
+am I to do? What a fool I was to come into the fold!&rdquo; So thought
+the <i>bh&ucirc;ta</i> as Mr. Mighty-of-his-hands was carrying it away
+on his head, with his friend following him behind. But the
+<i>bh&ucirc;ta</i> soon began to work its devilish powers to extricate
+itself, and Mr. Mighty-of-his-hands began to feel pains all over his
+body and said to his friend:</p>
+<p>&ldquo;My dear Mighty, I feel pains all over me. I think what we
+have brought is no sheep!&rdquo; Mr. Mighty<span class="corr" id=
+"xd20e1777" title="Not in source">-</span>of-his-mouth was inwardly
+alarmed at the words of his friend, but did not like to show that he
+was afraid. So he said:</p>
+<p>&ldquo;Then put down the sheep, and let us tear open its belly, so
+that we shall each have only one-half of it to carry.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>This frightened the <i>bh&ucirc;ta</i>, and he melted away on the
+head of Mr. Mighty-of-his-hands, who, relieved of his devilish burden,
+was glad to return home safe with his friend.</p>
+<p>The <i>bh&ucirc;ta</i>, too, went to its abode and there told its
+fellow-goblins how it had involved itself in a great trouble and how
+narrowly it had escaped. They all <span class="pagenum">[<a id="pb97"
+href="#pb97" name="pb97">97</a>]</span>laughed at its stupidity and
+said, &ldquo;What a great fool you are! They were not
+<i>k&ucirc;tas</i>. In fact there are no <i>k&ucirc;tas</i> in the
+world. They were men, and it was most stupid of you to have got
+yourself into their hands. Are you not ashamed to make such a fuss
+about your escape?&rdquo; The injured <i>bh&ucirc;ta</i> retorted that
+they would not have made such remarks had they seen the
+<i>k&ucirc;tas</i>. &ldquo;Then show us these <i>k&ucirc;tas</i>, as
+you choose to call them,&rdquo; said they, &ldquo;and we will crush
+them in the twinkling of an eye.&rdquo; &ldquo;Agreed,&rdquo; said the
+injured <i>bh&ucirc;ta</i>, and the next night it took them to the
+house of the Mighties, and said from a distance: &ldquo;There is their
+house. I cannot approach it. Do whatever you like.&rdquo; The other
+<i>bh&ucirc;tas</i> were amazed at the fear of their timid brother, and
+resolved among themselves to put an end to the enemies of even one
+member of their caste. So they went in a great crowd to the house of
+the Mighties. Some stood outside the house, to see that none of the
+inmates escaped, and some watched in the back-yard, while a score of
+them jumped over the walls and entered the court-yard.</p>
+<p>Mr. Mighty-of-his-hands was sleeping in the verandah, adjoining the
+courtyard, and when he heard the noise of people jumping about, he
+opened his eyes, and to his terror saw some <i>bh&ucirc;tas</i> in the
+court. Without opening his mouth he quietly rolled himself <span class=
+"pagenum">[<a id="pb98" href="#pb98" name="pb98">98</a>]</span>along
+the ground, and went to the room where Mr. Mighty-of-his-mouth was
+sleeping with his wife and children. Tapping gently at the door he
+awoke his friend and said:</p>
+<p>&ldquo;What shall we do now? The <i>bh&ucirc;tas</i> have invaded
+our house, and will soon kill us.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>Mr. Mighty-of-his-mouth told him quietly not to be afraid, but to go
+and sleep in his original place, and that he himself would make the
+<i>bh&ucirc;tas</i> run away. Mr. Mighty-of-his-hands did not
+understand what his friend meant, but not wishing to argue rolled his
+way back to his original place and pretended to sleep, though his heart
+was beating terribly with fright. Mr. Mighty-of-his-mouth now awoke his
+wife, and instructed her thus:</p>
+<p>&ldquo;My dearest wife, the foolish <i>bh&ucirc;tas</i> have invaded
+our house, but if you act according to my advice we are safe, and the
+goblins will depart harmlessly. What I want you to do is, to go to the
+hall and light a lamp, spread leaves on the floor, and then pretend to
+awake me for my supper. I shall get up and enquire what you have ready
+to give me to eat. You will then reply that you have only pepper water
+and vegetables. With an angry face I shall say, &lsquo;What have you
+done with the three <i>bh&ucirc;tas</i> that our son caught hold of on
+his way back from school?&rsquo; Your reply must be, &lsquo;The
+<span class="pagenum">[<a id="pb99" href="#pb99" name=
+"pb99">99</a>]</span>rogue wanted some sweetmeats on coming home.
+Unfortunately I had none in the house, so he roasted the three
+<i>bh&ucirc;tas</i> and gobbled them up.&rsquo;&rdquo;</p>
+<p>Thus instructing his wife Mr. Mighty-of-his-mouth pretended to go to
+sleep. The wife accordingly spread the leaves and called her husband
+for his supper. During the conversation that followed, the fact that
+the son had roasted three goblins for sweetmeats was conveyed to the
+<i>bh&ucirc;tas</i>. They shuddered at the son&rsquo;s extraordinary
+ability, and thought,</p>
+<p>&ldquo;What must the father do for his meals when a son roasts three
+<i>bh&ucirc;tas</i> for sweetmeats?&rdquo;</p>
+<p>So they at once took to their heels. Then going to the brother they
+had jeered at, they said to him that indeed the <i>k&ucirc;tas</i> were
+their greatest enemies, and that none of their lives were safe while
+they remained where they were, as on that very evening the son of a
+<i>k&ucirc;ta</i> had roasted three of them for sweetmeats. They
+therefore all resolved to fly away to the adjoining forest, and
+disappeared accordingly. Thus Mr. Mighty-of-his-mouth saved himself and
+his friend on two occasions from the <i>bh&ucirc;tas</i>.</p>
+<p>The friends after this went out one day to an adjoining village and
+were returning home rather late in the evening. Darkness fell on them
+before half the way was traversed, and there lay before <span class=
+"pagenum">[<a id="pb100" href="#pb100" name="pb100">100</a>]</span>them
+a dense wood infested by beasts of prey: so they resolved to spend the
+night in a high tree and go home next morning, and accordingly got up
+into a big <i>p&icirc;pal</i>. Now this was the very wood into which
+the <i>bh&ucirc;tas</i> had migrated, and at midnight they all came
+down with torches to catch jackals and other animals to feast upon. The
+fear of Mr. Mighty-of-his-hands may be more imagined than described.
+The dreaded <i>bh&ucirc;tas</i> were at the foot of the very tree in
+which he had taken up his abode for the night! His hands trembled. His
+body shook. He lost his hold, and down he came with a horrible rustling
+of leaves. His friend, however, was, as usual, ready with a device, and
+bawled out:</p>
+<p>&ldquo;I wished to leave these poor beings to their own revelry. But
+you are hungry and must needs jump down to catch some of them. Do not
+fail to lay your hands on the stoutest <i>bh&ucirc;ta</i>.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>The goblins heard the voice which was already very familiar to their
+ears, for was it not the <i><span class="corr" id="xd20e1889" title=
+"Source: kuta">k&ucirc;ta</span></i> whose son had roasted up three
+<i>bh&ucirc;tas</i> for sweetmeats that spoke? So they ran away at
+once, crying out:</p>
+<p>&ldquo;Alas, what misery! Our bitter enemies have followed us even
+to this wood!&rdquo;</p>
+<p>Thus the wit of Mr. Mighty-of-his-mouth saved himself and his friend
+for the third time.</p>
+<p>The sun began to rise, and Mr. Mighty-of-his-hands <span class=
+"pagenum">[<a id="pb101" href="#pb101" name=
+"pb101">101</a>]</span>thrice walked round Mr. Mighty-of-his-mouth and
+said:</p>
+<p>&ldquo;My dear friend, truly you only of us two are mighty. Mere
+physical strength is of no use without skill in words. The latter is
+far superior to the former, and if a man possess both, he is, as it
+were, a golden lotus having a sweet scent. It is enough for me now to
+have arrived at this moral! With your kind permission I shall return to
+my village.&rdquo; Mr. Mighty-of-his-mouth asked his friend not to
+consider himself under any obligation, and, after honouring him as
+became his position he let him return to his village.</p>
+<p>The moral of this short story is that in man there is nothing great
+but mind. <span class="pagenum">[<a id="pb102" href="#pb102" name=
+"pb102">102</a>]</span></p>
+</div>
+<div class="footnotes">
+<hr class="fnsep">
+<p class="footnote"><span class="label"><a class="noteref" id=
+"xd20e1673" href="#xd20e1673src" name="xd20e1673">1</a></span>
+<i>V&acirc;y&acirc;lvallan</i>.</p>
+<p class="footnote"><span class="label"><a class="noteref" id=
+"xd20e1678" href="#xd20e1678src" name="xd20e1678">2</a></span>
+<i>Kaiy&acirc;lvallan</i>.</p>
+<p class="footnote"><span class="label"><a class="noteref" id=
+"xd20e1713" href="#xd20e1713src" name="xd20e1713">3</a></span> There is
+no such word as <i>k&ucirc;ta</i> in Tamil. The Tamil and other
+Dravidian languages allow rhyming repetitions of word, like
+this&mdash;<i>bh&ucirc;ta-k&ucirc;ta</i>.</p>
+</div>
+</div>
+<div id="ch8" class="div1"><span class="pagenum">[<a href=
+"#toc">Contents</a>]</span>
+<div class="divHead">
+<h2 class="label">VIII.</h2>
+<h2 class="main">The Mother-in-Law became an Ass.</h2>
+</div>
+<div class="divBody">
+<p class="first">Little by little the mother-in-law became an
+ass&mdash;<i lang="ta-latn">vara vara m&acirc;mi kaludai p&ocirc;l
+&acirc;n&acirc;l&#804;</i>, is a proverb among the Tamil&#804;s,
+applied to those who day by day go downwards in their progress in
+study, position, or life, and based on the following story:&mdash;</p>
+<p>In a certain village their lived a Br&acirc;hma&#7751; with his
+wife, mother, and mother-in-law. He was a very good man, and equally
+kind to all of them. His mother complained of nothing at his hands, but
+his wife was a very bad-tempered woman, and always troubled her
+mother-in-law by keeping her engaged in this work or that throughout
+the day, and giving her very little food in the evening. Owing to this
+the poor Br&acirc;hma&#7751;&rsquo;s mother was almost dying of misery.
+On the other hand, her own mother received very kind treatment, of
+course, at her daughter&rsquo;s hands, but the husband was so
+completely ruled by his wife, that he had no strength of mind to oppose
+her ill-treatment of his mother.</p>
+<p>One evening, just before sunset, the wife abused <span class=
+"pagenum">[<a id="pb103" href="#pb103" name="pb103">103</a>]</span>her
+mother-in-law with such fury, that the latter had to fly away to escape
+a thrashing. Full of misery she ran out of the village, but the sun had
+begun to set, and the darkness of night was fast overtaking her. So
+finding a ruined temple she entered it to pass the night there. It
+happened to be the abode of the village K&acirc;l&icirc; (goddess), who
+used to come out every night at midnight to inspect her village. That
+night she perceived a woman&mdash;the mother of the poor
+Br&acirc;hma&#7751;&mdash;lurking within her pr&acirc;k&acirc;ras
+(boundaries), and being a most benevolent K&acirc;l&icirc;, called out
+to her, and asked her what made her so miserable that she should leave
+her home on such a dark night. The Br&acirc;hma&#7751;&icirc; told her
+story in a few words, and while she was speaking the cunning goddess
+was using her supernatural powers to see whether all she said was true
+or not, and finding it to be the truth, she thus replied in very
+soothing tones:&mdash;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;I pity your misery, mother, because your daughter-in-law
+troubles and vexes you thus when you have become old, and have no
+strength in your body. Now take this mango,&rdquo; and taking a ripe
+one from out her waist-band, she gave it to the old
+Br&acirc;hma&#7751;&icirc; with a smiling face&mdash;&ldquo;eat it, and
+you will soon become a young woman like your own daughter-in-law, and
+then she shall no longer trouble you.&rdquo; Thus consoling the
+afflicted old <span class="pagenum">[<a id="pb104" href="#pb104" name=
+"pb104">104</a>]</span>woman, the kind-hearted K&acirc;l&icirc; went
+away. The Br&acirc;hma&#7751;&icirc; lingered for the remainder of the
+night in the temple, and being a fond mother she did not like to eat
+the whole of the mango without giving a portion of it to her son.</p>
+<p>Meanwhile, when her son returned home in the evening he found his
+mother absent, but his wife explained the matter to him, so as to throw
+the blame on the old woman, as she always did. As it was dark he had no
+chance of going out to search for her, so he waited for the daylight,
+and as soon as he saw the dawn, started to look for his mother. He had
+not walked far when to his joy he found her in the temple of
+K&acirc;l&icirc;.</p>
+<p>&ldquo;How did you pass the cold night, my dearest mother?&rdquo;
+said he. &ldquo;What did you have for dinner? Wretch that I am to have
+got myself married to a cur. Forget all her faults, and return
+home.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>His mother shed tears of joy and sorrow, and related her previous
+night&rsquo;s adventure, upon which he said:&mdash;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;Delay not even one <i>nimisha</i> (minute), but eat this
+fruit at once. I do <a id="xd20e1939" name="xd20e1939"></a>not want any
+of it. Only if you become young and strong enough to stand that nasty
+cur&rsquo;s troubles, well and good.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>So the mother ate up the divine fruit, and the son took her upon his
+shoulders and brought her home, on reaching which he placed her on the
+ground, <span class="pagenum">[<a id="pb105" href="#pb105" name=
+"pb105">105</a>]</span>when to his joy she was no longer an old woman,
+but a young girl of sixteen, and stronger than his own wife. The
+troublesome wife was now totally put down, and was powerless against so
+strong a mother-in-law.</p>
+<p>She did not at all like the change, and having to give up her habits
+of bullying, and so she argued to herself thus:&mdash;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;This jade of a mother-in-law became young through the fruit
+of the K&acirc;l&icirc;, why should not my mother also do the same, if
+I instruct her and send her to the same temple.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>So she instructed her mother as to the story she ought to give to
+the goddess and sent her there. Her old mother, agreeably to her
+daughter&rsquo;s injunctions, went to the temple, and on meeting with
+the goddess at midnight, gave a false story that she was being greatly
+ill-treated by her daughter-in-law, though, in truth, she had nothing
+of the kind to complain of. The goddess perceived the lie through her
+divine powers, but pretending to pity her, gave her also a fruit. Her
+daughter had instructed her not to eat it till next morning, and till
+she saw her son-in-law.</p>
+<p>As soon as morning approached, the poor hen-pecked
+Br&acirc;hma&#7751; was ordered by his wife to go to the temple and
+fetch his mother-in-law, as he had some time back fetched away his
+mother. He accordingly <span class="pagenum">[<a id="pb106" href=
+"#pb106" name="pb106">106</a>]</span>went, and invited her to come
+home. She wanted him to eat part of the fruit, as she had been
+instructed, but he refused, and so she swallowed it all, fully
+expecting to become young again on reaching home. Meanwhile her
+son-in-law took her on his shoulders and returned home, expecting, as
+his former experience had taught him, to see his mother-in-law also
+turn into a young woman. Anxiety to see how the change came on
+over-came him, and half<a id="xd20e1956" name="xd20e1956"></a> way he
+turned his head, and found such part of the burden on his shoulders as
+he could see, to be like parts of an ass, but he took this to be a mere
+preliminary stage towards youthful womanhood! Again he turned, and
+again he saw the same thing several times, and the more he looked the
+more his burden became like an ass, till at last when he reached home,
+his burden jumped down braying like an ass and ran away.</p>
+<p>Thus the K&acirc;l&icirc;, perceiving the evil intentions of the
+wife, disappointed her by turning her mother into an ass, but no one
+knew of it till she actually jumped down from the shoulders of her
+son-in-law.</p>
+<p>This story is always cited as the explanation of the proverb quoted
+above&mdash;<i lang="ta-latn">vara vara m&acirc;mi kaludai p&ocirc;l
+&acirc;n&acirc;l</i>&mdash;little by little the mother-in-law became an
+ass, to which is also commonly added <i lang="ta-latn">&ucirc;r
+varumb&ocirc;du &ucirc;laiyida talaippattal</i>&mdash;and as she
+approached the village, she began to bray. <span class=
+"pagenum">[<a id="pb107" href="#pb107" name="pb107">107</a>]</span></p>
+</div>
+</div>
+<div id="ch9" class="div1"><span class="pagenum">[<a href=
+"#toc">Contents</a>]</span>
+<div class="divHead">
+<h2 class="label">IX.</h2>
+<h2 class="main">The Story of Appayya.<a class="noteref" id=
+"xd20e1974src" href="#xd20e1974" name="xd20e1974src">1</a></h2>
+<div class="epigraph">
+<div class="lgouter">
+<p class="line"><span lang=
+"sa">&#2309;&#2346;&#2370;&#2346;&#2375;&#2344;
+&#2361;&#2340;&#2366;&#2307;
+&#2330;&#2379;&#2352;&#2366;&#2307;</span></p>
+<p class="line"><span lang="sa">&#2361;&#2340;&#2366;
+&#2326;&#2337;&#2381;&#2327;&#2379;&#2344;
+&#2325;&#2375;&#2360;&#2352;&#2368; &#2404;</span></p>
+<p class="line"><span lang=
+"sa">&#2340;&#2369;&#2352;&#2306;&#2327;&#2375;&#2339;
+&#2361;&#2340;&#2306;
+&#2360;&#2376;&#2344;&#2381;&#2351;&#2350;&#2381;&zwnj;</span></p>
+<p class="line"><span lang=
+"sa">&#2357;&#2367;&#2343;&#2367;&#2352;&#2381;&#2349;&#2366;&#2327;&#2381;&#2351;&#2366;&#2344;&#2369;
+&#2360;&#2366;&#2352;&#2367;&#2339;&#2368; &#2405;</span></p>
+</div>
+</div>
+</div>
+<div class="divBody">
+<p class="first">In a remote village there lived a poor
+Br&acirc;hma&#7751; and his wife. Though several years of their wedded
+life had passed, they unfortunately had no children, and so, being very
+eager for a child, and having no hope of one by his first wife, the
+poor Br&acirc;hma&#7751; made up his mind to marry a second. His wife
+would not permit it for some time, but finding her husband resolved,
+she gave way, thinking within herself that she would manage somehow to
+do away with the second wife. As soon as he had got her consent the
+Br&acirc;hma&#7751; arranged for his second marriage and wedded a
+beautiful Br&acirc;hma&#7751; girl. She went to live with him in the
+same house with the first wife, who, thinking that she would be
+<span class="pagenum">[<a id="pb108" href="#pb108" name=
+"pb108">108</a>]</span>making the world suspicious if she did anything
+suddenly, waited for some time.</p>
+<p>I&#347;vara himself seemed to favour the new marriage, and the
+second wife, a year after her wedding, becoming pregnant, went in the
+sixth month of her pregnancy to her mother&rsquo;s house for her
+confinement. Her husband bore his separation from her patiently for a
+fortnight, but after this the desire to see her again began to prey
+upon his mind, and he was always asking his first wife when he ought to
+go to her. She seemed to sympathise fully with his trouble, and
+said:&mdash;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;My dearest husband, your health is daily being injured, and I
+am glad that your love for her has not made it worse than it is.
+To-morrow you must start on a visit to her. It is said that we should
+not go empty-handed to children, a king, or a pregnant woman; so I
+shall give you one hundred <i>ap&ucirc;pa</i> cakes, packed up
+separately in a vessel, which you must give to her. You are very fond
+of <i>ap&ucirc;pas</i> and I fear that you will eat some of them on the
+way; but you had better not do so. And I will give you some cakes
+packed in a cloth separately for you to eat on your journey.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>So the first wife spent the whole night in preparing the
+<i>ap&ucirc;pa</i> cakes, and mixed poison in the sugar and rice-flour
+of those she made for her co-wife and rival; but as she entertained no
+enmity against her <span class="pagenum">[<a id="pb109" href="#pb109"
+name="pb109">109</a>]</span>husband the <i>ap&ucirc;pas</i> cakes for
+him were properly prepared. By the time the morning dawned she had
+packed up the hundred <i>ap&ucirc;pas</i> in a brass vessel which could
+be easily carried on a man&rsquo;s head.</p>
+<p>After a light breakfast&mdash;for a heavy one is always bad before a
+journey on foot&mdash;the Br&acirc;hma&#7751; placed the brass vessel
+on his head, and holding in his hand the kerchief containing the food
+for himself on the way, started for the village of his second wife,
+which happened to be at a distance of two days&rsquo; journey. He
+walked in hot haste till evening approached, and when the darkness of
+night overtook him the rapidity of his walk had exhausted him, and he
+felt very hungry. He espied a wayside shed and a tank near his path,
+and entered the water to perform his evening ablution to the god of the
+day, who was fast going down below the horizon. As soon as this was
+over he untied his kerchief, and did full justice to its contents by
+swallowing every cake whole. He then drank some water, and being quite
+overcome by fatigue, fell into a deep slumber in the shed, with his
+brass vessel and its sweet, or rather poisonous, contents under his
+head.</p>
+<p>Close by the spot where the Br&acirc;hma&#7751; slept there reigned
+a famous king who had a very beautiful daughter. Several persons
+demanded her hand in marriage, among whom was a robber chieftain who
+wanted her for his only son. Though the king liked <span class=
+"pagenum">[<a id="pb110" href="#pb110" name="pb110">110</a>]</span>the
+boy for his beauty, the thought that he was only a robber for all that
+prevented him from making up his mind to give his daughter in marriage
+to him. The robber chief, however, was determined to have his own way,
+and accordingly despatched one hundred of his band to fetch away the
+princess in the night without her knowledge while she was sleeping, to
+his palace in the woods. In obedience to their chieftain&rsquo;s order
+the robbers, on the night the Br&acirc;hma&#7751; happened to sleep in
+the shed, entered the king&rsquo;s palace and stole away the princess,
+together with the bed on which she was sleeping. On reaching the shed
+the hundred robbers found themselves very thirsty&mdash;for being awake
+at midnight always brings on thirst. So they placed the cot on the
+ground and were entering the water to quench their thirst; just then
+they smelt the <i>ap&ucirc;pa</i> cakes, which, for all that they
+contained poison, had a very sweet savour. The robbers searched about
+the shed, and found the Br&acirc;hma&#7751; sleeping on one side and
+the brass vessel lying at a distance from him, for he had pushed it
+from underneath his head when he had stretched himself in his sleep;
+they opened the vessel, and to their joy found in it exactly one
+hundred <i>ap&ucirc;pa</i> cakes.</p>
+<p>&ldquo;We have one here for each of us, and that is something better
+than mere water. Let us each eat before we go into it,&rdquo; said the
+leader of the gang, <span class="pagenum">[<a id="pb111" href="#pb111"
+name="pb111">111</a>]</span>and at once each man swallowed greedily
+what he had in his hand, and immediately all fell down dead. Lucky it
+was that no one knew of the old Br&acirc;hma&#7751;&icirc;&rsquo;s
+trick. Had the robbers had any reason to suspect it they would never
+have eaten the cakes; had the Br&acirc;hma&#7751; known it he would
+never have brought them with him for his dear second wife. Lucky was it
+for the poor old Br&acirc;hma&#7751; and his second wife, and lucky was
+it for the sleeping princess, that these cakes went, after all, into
+the stomachs of the villainous robbers!</p>
+<p>After sleeping his fill the Br&acirc;hma&#7751;, who had been
+dreaming of his second wife all night, awoke in haste to pursue the
+remainder of his journey to her house. He could not find his brass
+vessel, but near the place where he had left it he found several men of
+the woods, whom he knew very well by their appearance to be robbers, as
+he thought, sleeping. Angered at the loss of his vessel he took up a
+sword from one of the dead robbers and cut off all their heads,
+thinking all the while that he was killing one hundred living robbers,
+who were sleeping after having eaten all his cakes. Presently the
+princess&rsquo;s cot fell under his gaze, and he approached it and
+found on it a most beautiful lady fast asleep. Being an intelligent man
+he perceived that the persons whose heads he had cut off must have been
+some thieves, or other wicked men, who had carried her <span class=
+"pagenum">[<a id="pb112" href="#pb112" name="pb112">112</a>]</span>off.
+He was not long in doubt, for not far off he saw an army marching up
+rapidly with a king at its head, who was saying, &ldquo;Down with the
+robber who has stolen away my daughter.&rdquo; The Br&acirc;hma&#7751;
+at once inferred that this must be the father of the sleeping princess,
+and suddenly waking her up from her sleep spoke thus to her:&mdash;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;Behold before you the hundred robbers that brought you here a
+few hours ago from your palace. I fought one and all of them
+single-handed, and have killed them all.<span class="corr" id=
+"xd20e2047" title="Not in source">&rdquo;</span></p>
+<p>The princess was highly pleased at what she heard, for she knew of
+all the tricks the robbers had previously played to carry her off. So
+she fell reverently at the Br&acirc;hma&#7751;&rsquo;s feet and
+said:&mdash;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;Friend, never till now have I heard of a warrior who,
+single-handed, fought one hundred robbers<span class="corr" id=
+"xd20e2054" title="Source: ,">.</span> Your valour is unparalleled. I
+<i>will</i> be your wife, if only in remembrance of your having saved
+me from falling into the hands of these ruffians.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>Her father and his army was now near the shed, for he had all along
+watched the conduct of the robber chieftain, and as soon as the
+maid-servants of the palace informed him of the disappearance of the
+princess and her bed, he marched straight with his soldiers for the
+woods. His joy, when he saw his daughter safe, knew no bounds, and he
+flew into his daughter&rsquo;s arms, while she pointed to the
+Br&acirc;hma&#7751; <span class="pagenum">[<a id="pb113" href="#pb113"
+name="pb113">113</a>]</span>as her preserver. The king now put a
+thousand questions to our hero, who, being well versed in matters of
+fighting, gave sound replies, and so came successfully out of his first
+adventure. The king, astonished at his valour, took him to his palace,
+and rewarded him with the hand of the princess. And the robber
+chieftain, fearing the new son-in-law, who, single-handed, had killed a
+hundred of his robbers, never troubled himself about the princess. Thus
+the Br&acirc;hma&#7751;&rsquo;s first adventure ended in making him
+son-in-law to a king!</p>
+<p>Now there lived a lioness in a wood near the princess&rsquo;s
+country, who had a great taste for human flesh, and so, once a week,
+the king used to send a man into the wood to serve as her prey. All the
+people now collected together before the king, and said:&mdash;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;Most honoured king, while you have a son-in-law who killed
+one hundred robbers with his sword, why should you continue to send a
+man into the wood every week. We request you to send your son-in-law
+next week to the wood and have the lioness killed.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>This seemed most reasonable to the king, who called for his
+son-in-law, and sent him, armed to the teeth, into the wood.</p>
+<p>Now our Br&acirc;hma&#7751; could not refuse to go, for fear of
+losing the fame of his former exploit, and, hoping that fortune would
+favour him, he asked his father-in-law <span class="pagenum">[<a id=
+"pb114" href="#pb114" name="pb114">114</a>]</span>to have him hoisted
+up into a big banyan tree with all kinds of weapons, and this was done.
+The appointed time for the lioness to eat her prey approached, and as
+she saw no one coming for her, and as sometimes those that had to come
+used to linger for a short time in the tree in which the
+Br&acirc;hma&#7751; had taken refuge, she went up to it to see that no
+such trick has been played upon her this time. This made the
+Br&acirc;hma&#7751; tremble so violently that he dropped the sword he
+held in his hand. At that very moment the lioness happened to yawn, and
+the sword dropped right into her jaws and killed her. As soon as the
+Br&acirc;hma&#7751; saw the course which events had taken, he came down
+from the tree, and invented a thousand stories of how he had given
+battle to the terrible lioness and overcome her. This exploit fully
+established his valour, and feasts and rejoicings in honour of it
+followed, and the whole country round blessed the son-in-law of their
+king.</p>
+<p>Near this kingdom there also reigned a powerful emperor, who levied
+tribute from all the surrounding countries. To this emperor the
+father-in-law of our most valorous Br&acirc;hma&#7751;, who, at one
+stroke, had killed one hundred robbers, and, at another, a fierce
+lioness, had also to pay a certain amount of tribute; but, trusting to
+the power of his son-in-law, he stopped the tribute to the emperor,
+who, by the way, was named Appayya R&acirc;ja, and who, as soon as the
+<span class="pagenum">[<a id="pb115" href="#pb115" name=
+"pb115">115</a>]</span>tribute was stopped, invaded his dominions, and
+his father-in-law besought the Br&acirc;hma&#7751; for assistance.</p>
+<p>Again the poor Br&acirc;hma&#7751; could not refuse, for, if he did,
+all his former fame would have been lost; so he determined to undertake
+this adventure also, and to trust to fortune rather than give up the
+attempt. He asked for the best horse and the sharpest sword, and set
+out to fight the enemy, who had already encamped on the other side of
+the river, which flowed at a short distance to the east of the
+town.</p>
+<p>Now the king had a very unruly horse, which had never been broken
+in, and this he gave his son-in-law; and, supplying him with a sharp
+sword, asked him to start. The Br&acirc;hma&#7751; then asked the
+king&rsquo;s servants to tie him up with cotton strings tight on to the
+saddle, and set out on the expedition.</p>
+<p>The horse, having never till then felt a man on its back, began to
+gallop most furiously, and flew onwards so fast that all who saw it
+thought the rider must lose his life, and he too was almost dead with
+fear. He tried his best to curb his steed, but the more he pulled the
+faster it galloped, till giving up all hopes of life he let it take its
+course. It jumped into the water and swam across to the other side of
+the river, wetting the cotton cords by which the Br&acirc;hma&#7751;
+was tied down to the saddle, making them swell and giving him the most
+excruciating pain. He bore it, however, with all the patience
+<span class="pagenum">[<a id="pb116" href="#pb116" name=
+"pb116">116</a>]</span>imaginable. Presently the horse reached the
+other side of the river, where there was a big palmyra tree, which a
+recent flood had left almost uprooted and ready to fall at the
+slightest touch. The Br&acirc;hma&#7751;, unable to stop the course of
+the horse, held fast on to the tree, hoping thus to check its wild
+career. But unfortunately for him the tree gave way, and the steed
+galloped on so furiously that he did not know which was the
+safer&mdash;to leave the tree or to hold on to it. Meanwhile the wet
+cotton cords hurt him so that he, in the hopelessness of despair,
+bawled out <i>appa</i>! <i>ayya</i>!<a class="noteref" id=
+"xd20e2093src" href="#xd20e2093" name="xd20e2093src">2</a> On went his
+steed, and still he held on to the palmyra tree. Though now fighting
+for his own life, the people that were watching him from a great
+distance thought him to be flying to the battlefield, armed with a
+palmyra tree! The cry of lamentation, <i>appa ayya</i>, which he
+uttered, his enemy mistook for a challenge, because, as we know, his
+name happened to be Appayya. Horror-struck at the sight of a warrior
+armed with a huge tree, his enemy turned and fled. <i>Yath&acirc;
+r&acirc;j&acirc; tath&acirc; praj&acirc;h</i>&mdash;&ldquo;As is the
+king so are the subjects,&rdquo;&mdash;and accordingly his followers
+also fled. The Br&acirc;hma&#7751; warrior (!) seeing the fortunate
+course events had again taken pursued <span class="pagenum">[<a id=
+"pb117" href="#pb117" name="pb117">117</a>]</span>the enemy, or rather
+let his courser have its own furious way. Thus the enemy and his vast
+army melted away in the twinkling of an eye, and the horse, too, when
+it became exhausted, returned towards the palace.</p>
+<p>The old king had been watching from the loftiest rooms of his palace
+all that had passed on the other side of the river, and believing his
+son-in-law had, by his own prowess, driven out the enemy, approached
+him with all pomp. Eager hands quickly cut the knots by which the
+victorious (!) Br&acirc;hma&#7751; had been held tight in his saddle,
+and his old father-in-law with tears of joy embraced him on his
+victory, saying that the whole kingdom was indebted to him. A splendid
+triumphal march was conducted, in which the eyes of the whole town were
+directed towards our victorious hero.</p>
+<p>Thus, on three different occasions, and in three different
+adventures, fortune favoured the poor Br&acirc;hma&#7751; and brought
+him fame. He then sent for his two former wives and took them into his
+palace. His second wife, who was pregnant when he first started with
+the <i>ap&ucirc;pa</i> cakes to see her, had given birth to a male
+child, who was, when she came back to him, more than a year old. The
+first wife confessed to her husband her sin of having given him
+poisoned cakes, and craved his pardon; and it was only now that he came
+to know that the <span class="pagenum">[<a id="pb118" href="#pb118"
+name="pb118">118</a>]</span>hundred robbers he killed in his first
+adventure were all really dead men, and that they must have died from
+the effects of the poison in the cakes, and, since her treachery had
+given him a new start in life, he forgave her. She, too, gave up her
+enmity to the partners of her husband&rsquo;s bed, and all the four
+lived in peace and plenty for many a long day afterwards. <span class=
+"pagenum">[<a id="pb119" href="#pb119" name="pb119">119</a>]</span></p>
+</div>
+<div class="footnotes">
+<hr class="fnsep">
+<p class="footnote"><span class="label"><a class="noteref" id=
+"xd20e1974" href="#xd20e1974src" name="xd20e1974">1</a></span> [Compare
+the tale of Fatt&ucirc;, the Valiant Weaver, <i>Indian Antiquary</i>,
+Vol. XI., p. 282 ff.&mdash;R. C. T.]</p>
+<p class="footnote"><span class="label"><a class="noteref" id=
+"xd20e2093" href="#xd20e2093src" name="xd20e2093">2</a></span> Which in
+Tamil are exclamations of lamentation, meaning, Ah! Alas!</p>
+</div>
+</div>
+<div id="ch10" class="div1"><span class="pagenum">[<a href=
+"#toc">Contents</a>]</span>
+<div class="divHead">
+<h2 class="label">X.</h2>
+<h2 class="main">The Br&acirc;hmi&#7751; Girl that Married a
+Tiger.</h2>
+</div>
+<div class="divBody">
+<p class="first">In a certain village there lived an old
+Br&acirc;hmi&#7751; who had three sons and a daughter. The girl being
+the youngest was brought up most tenderly and became spoilt, and so
+whenever she saw a beautiful boy she would say to her parents that she
+must be wedded to him. Her parents were, therefore, much put about to
+devise excuses for taking her away from her youthful lovers. Thus
+passed on some years, till the girl was very nearly grown up, and then
+the parents, fearing that they would be driven out of their caste if
+they failed to dispose of her hand in marriage before she came to the
+years of maturity, began to be eager about finding a bridegroom for
+her.</p>
+<p>Now near their village there lived a fierce tiger, that had attained
+to great proficiency in the art of magic, and had the power of assuming
+different forms. Having a great taste for Br&acirc;hmi&#7751;&rsquo;s
+food, <span class="pagenum">[<a id="pb120" href="#pb120" name=
+"pb120">120</a>]</span>the tiger used now and then to frequent temples
+and other places of public refreshment in the shape of an old famished
+Br&acirc;hmi&#7751; in order to share the food prepared for the
+Br&acirc;hmi&#7751;s. The tiger also wanted, if possible, a
+Br&acirc;hmi&#7751; wife to take to the woods, and there to make her
+cook his meals after her fashion. One day, when he was partaking of his
+meals in Br&acirc;hmi&#7751; shape at a <i>satra</i><a class="noteref"
+id="xd20e2128src" href="#xd20e2128" name="xd20e2128src">1</a>, he heard
+the talk about the Br&acirc;hmi&#7751; girl who was always falling in
+love with every beautiful Br&acirc;hmi&#7751; boy.</p>
+<p>Said he to himself, &ldquo;Praised be the face that I saw first this
+morning. I shall assume the shape of a Br&acirc;hmi&#7751; boy, and
+appear as beautiful can be, and win the heart of the girl.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>Next morning he accordingly became in the form of a great
+&#346;&acirc;strin (proficient in the
+<i>R&acirc;m&acirc;ya&#7751;a</i>) and took his seat near the
+<i>gh&acirc;&#7789;</i> of the sacred river of the village. Scattering
+holy ashes profusely over his body he opened the
+<i>R&acirc;m&acirc;ya&#7751;a</i> and began to read.</p>
+<p>&ldquo;The voice of the new &#346;&acirc;strin is most enchanting.
+Let us go and hear him,&rdquo; said some women among themselves, and
+sat down before him to hear him expound the great book. The girl for
+whom the tiger had assumed this shape came in due time to bathe at the
+river, and as soon as she saw the new &#346;&acirc;strin fell in love
+with him, and bothered her old <span class="pagenum">[<a id="pb121"
+href="#pb121" name="pb121">121</a>]</span>mother to speak to her father
+about him, so as not to lose her new lover. The old woman too was
+delighted at the bridegroom whom fortune had thrown in her way, and ran
+home to her husband, who, when he came and saw the &#346;&acirc;strin,
+raised up his hands in praise of the great god Mah&ecirc;&#347;vara.
+The &#346;&acirc;strin was now invited to take his meals with them, and
+as he had come with the express intention of marrying the daughter, he,
+of course, agreed.</p>
+<p>A grand dinner followed in honour of the &#346;&acirc;strin, and his
+host began to question him as to his parentage, &amp;c., to which the
+cunning tiger replied that he was born in a village beyond the adjacent
+wood. The Br&acirc;hmi&#7751; had no time to wait for further
+enquiries, and as the boy was very fair he married his daughter to him
+the very next day. Feasts followed for a month, during which time the
+bridegroom gave every satisfaction to his new relatives, who supposed
+him to be human all the while. He also did full justice to the
+Br&acirc;hmi&#7751; dishes, and swallowed everything that was placed
+before him.</p>
+<p>After the first month was over the tiger-bridegroom bethought him of
+his accustomed prey, and hankered after his abode in the woods. A
+change of diet for a day or two is all very well, but to renounce his
+own proper food for more than a month was hard. So one day he said to
+his father-in-law, &ldquo;I must go back soon to my old parents, for
+they will be pining <span class="pagenum">[<a id="pb122" href="#pb122"
+name="pb122">122</a>]</span>at my absence. But why should we have to
+bear the double expense of my coming all the way here again to take my
+wife to my village? So if you will kindly let me take the girl with me
+I shall take her to her future home, and hand her over to her
+mother-in-law, and see that she is well taken care of.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>The old Br&acirc;hmi&#7751; agreed to this, and replied, &ldquo;My
+dear son-in-law, you are her husband, and she is yours, and we now send
+her with you, though it is like sending her into the wilderness with
+her eyes tied up. But as we take you to be everything to her, we trust
+you to treat her kindly.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>The mother of the bride shed tears at the idea of having to send her
+away, but nevertheless the very next day was fixed for the journey. The
+old woman spent the whole day in preparing cakes and sweetmeats for her
+daughter, and when the time for the journey arrived, she took care to
+place in her bundles and on her head one or two margosa<a class=
+"noteref" id="xd20e2158src" href="#xd20e2158" name="xd20e2158src">2</a>
+leaves to keep off demons. The relatives of the bride requested her
+husband to allow her to rest wherever she found shade, and to eat
+wherever she found water, and to this he agreed, and so they began
+their journey.</p>
+<p>The boy tiger and his human wife pursued their <span class=
+"pagenum">[<a id="pb123" href="#pb123" name=
+"pb123">123</a>]</span>journey for two or three
+<i>gha&#7789;ik&acirc;s</i><a class="noteref" id="xd20e2168src" href=
+"#xd20e2168" name="xd20e2168src">3</a> in free and pleasant
+conversation, when the girl happened to see a fine pond, round which
+the birds were warbling their sweet notes. She requested her husband to
+follow her to the water&rsquo;s edge and to partake of some of the
+cakes and sweetmeats with her.</p>
+<p>But he replied, &ldquo;Be quiet, or I shall show you my original
+shape.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>This made her afraid, so she pursued her journey in silence until
+she saw another pond, when she asked the same question of her husband,
+who replied in the same tone.</p>
+<p>Now she was very hungry, and not liking her husband&rsquo;s tone,
+which she found had greatly changed ever since they had entered the
+woods, said to him,</p>
+<p>&ldquo;Show me your original shape.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>No sooner were these words uttered than her husband&rsquo;s form
+changed from that of a man. Four legs, striped skin, a long tail, and a
+tiger&rsquo;s face came over him suddenly and, horror of horrors! a
+tiger and not a man stood before her! Nor were her fears stilled when
+the tiger in human voice began as follows:&mdash;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;Know henceforth that I, your husband, am a tiger&mdash;this
+very tiger that now speaks to you. If you have any regard for your life
+you must obey all my orders implicitly, for I can speak to you in human
+<span class="pagenum">[<a id="pb124" href="#pb124" name=
+"pb124">124</a>]</span>voice, and understand what you say. In a couple
+of <i>gha&#7789;ik&acirc;s</i> we shall reach my home, of which you
+will become the mistress. In the front of my house you will see
+half-a-dozen tubs, each of which you must fill up daily with some dish
+or other, cooked in your own way. I shall take care to supply you with
+all the provisions you want.&rdquo; So saying the tiger slowly
+conducted her to his house.</p>
+<p>The misery of the girl may more be imagined than described, for if
+she were to object she would be put to death. So, weeping all the way,
+she reached her husband&rsquo;s house. Leaving her there he went out
+and <span class="corr" id="xd20e2194" title=
+"Source: retured">returned</span> with several pumpkins and some flesh,
+of which she soon prepared a curry and gave it to her husband. He went
+out again after this and returned in the evening with several
+vegetables and some more flesh, and gave her an order:&mdash;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;Every morning I shall go out in search of provisions and
+prey, and bring something with me on my return; you must keep cooked
+for me whatever I leave in the house.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>So next morning as soon as the tiger had gone away she cooked
+everything left in the house and filled all the tubs with food. At the
+tenth <i>gha&#7789;ik&acirc;</i> the tiger returned and growled
+out,</p>
+<p>&ldquo;I smell a man! I smell a woman in my wood.&rdquo; And his
+wife for very fear shut herself up in the house.</p>
+<p>As soon as the tiger had satisfied his appetite he <span class=
+"pagenum">[<a id="pb125" href="#pb125" name="pb125">125</a>]</span>told
+her to open the door, which she did, and they talked together for a
+time, after which the tiger rested awhile, and then went out hunting
+again. Thus passed many a day, till the tiger&rsquo;s
+Br&acirc;hmi&#7751; wife had a son, which also turned out to be only a
+tiger.</p>
+<p>One day, after the tiger had gone out to the woods, his wife was
+crying all alone in the house, when a crow happened to peck at some
+rice that was scattered near her, and seeing the girl crying, began to
+shed tears.</p>
+<p>&ldquo;Can you assist me?&rdquo; asked the girl.</p>
+<p>&ldquo;Yes,&rdquo; said the crow.</p>
+<p>So she brought out a palmyra leaf and wrote on it with an iron nail
+all her sufferings in the wood, and requested her brothers to come and
+relieve her. This palmyra leaf she tied to the neck of the crow, which,
+seeming to understand her thoughts, flew to her village and sat down
+before one of her brothers. He untied the leaf and read the contents of
+the letter and told them to his other brothers. All the three then
+started for the wood, asking their mother to give them something to eat
+on the way. She had not enough rice for the three, so she made a big
+ball of clay and stuck it over with what rice she had, so as to make it
+look like a ball of rice. This she gave to the brothers to eat on their
+way, and started them off to the woods. <span class="pagenum">[<a id=
+"pb126" href="#pb126" name="pb126">126</a>]</span></p>
+<p>They had not proceeded long before they espied an ass. The youngest,
+who was of a playful disposition, wished to take the ass with him. The
+two elder brothers objected to this for a time, but in the end they
+allowed him to have his own way. Further on they saw an ant, which the
+middle brother took with him. Near the ant there was a big palmyra tree
+lying on the ground, which the eldest took with him to keep off the
+tiger.</p>
+<p>The sun was now high in the horizon and the three brothers became
+very hungry. So they sat down near a tank and opened the bundle
+containing the ball of rice. To their utter disappointment they found
+it to be all clay, but being extremely hungry they drank all the water
+in the pond and continued their journey. On leaving the tank they found
+a big iron tub belonging to the washerman of the adjacent village. This
+they took also with them in addition to the ass, the ant, and the
+palmyra tree. Following the road described by their sister in her
+letter sent by the crow, they walked on and on till they reached the
+tiger&rsquo;s house.</p>
+<p>The sister, overjoyed to see her brothers again, ran out at once to
+welcome them.</p>
+<p>&ldquo;My dearest brothers, I am so glad to see that you have come
+here to relieve me after all, but the time for the tiger&rsquo;s coming
+home is approaching, so hide yourselves in the loft, and wait till he
+is gone.&rdquo; <span class="pagenum">[<a id="pb127" href="#pb127"
+name="pb127">127</a>]</span></p>
+<p>So saying, she helped her brothers to ascend into the loft. By this
+time the tiger returned, and perceived the presence of human beings by
+the peculiar smell. He asked his wife whether any one had come to their
+house. She said, &ldquo;No.&rdquo; But when the brothers, who with
+their trophies of the way&mdash;the ass, the ant, and so on&mdash;were
+sitting upon the loft, saw the tiger dallying with their sister, they
+were greatly frightened; so much so that the youngest, through fear,
+began to quake, and they all fell on the floor.</p>
+<p>&ldquo;What is all this?&rdquo; said the terrified tiger to his
+wife.</p>
+<p>&ldquo;Nothing,&rdquo; said she, &ldquo;but your brothers-in-law.
+They came here a watch<a class="noteref" id="xd20e2236src" href=
+"#xd20e2236" name="xd20e2236src">4</a> ago, and as soon as you have
+finished your meals they want to see you.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;How can my brothers-in-law be such cowards,&rdquo; thought
+the tiger to himself.</p>
+<p>He then asked them to speak to him, whereon the youngest brother put
+the ant which he had in his hand into the ear of the ass, and as soon
+as the latter was bitten, it began to bawl out most horribly.</p>
+<p>&ldquo;How is it that your brothers have such a hoarse voice?&rdquo;
+said the tiger to his wife.</p>
+<p>He next asked them to show him their legs. Taking courage at the
+stupidity of the tiger on <span class="pagenum">[<a id="pb128" href=
+"#pb128" name="pb128">128</a>]</span>the two former occasions, the
+eldest brother now stretched out the palmyra tree.</p>
+<p>&ldquo;By my father, I have never seen such a leg,&rdquo; said the
+tiger, and asked his brothers-in-law to show their bellies. The second
+brother now showed the tub, at which the tiger shuddered, and saying,
+&ldquo;such a harsh voice, so stout a leg, and such a belly, truly I
+have never heard of such persons as these!&rdquo; He ran away.</p>
+<p>It was already dark, and the brothers, wishing to take advantage of
+the tiger&rsquo;s terror, prepared to return home with their sister at
+once. They ate up what little food she had, and ordered her to start.
+Fortunately for her her tiger-child was asleep. So she tore it into two
+pieces and suspended them over the hearth, and, thus getting rid of the
+child, she ran off with her brothers towards home.</p>
+<p>Before leaving she bolted the front door from inside, and went out
+at the back of the house. As soon as the pieces of the cub, which were
+hung up over the hearth, began to roast, they dripped, which made the
+fire hiss and sputter; and when the tiger returned at about midnight,
+he found the door shut and heard the hissing of the fire, which he
+mistook for the noise of cooking muffins.<a class="noteref" id=
+"xd20e2258src" href="#xd20e2258" name="xd20e2258src">5</a></p>
+<p>&ldquo;I see,&rdquo; said he to himself, &ldquo;how very cunning
+<span class="pagenum">[<a id="pb129" href="#pb129" name=
+"pb129">129</a>]</span>you are; you have bolted the door and are
+cooking muffins for your brothers. Let us see if we can&rsquo;t get
+your muffins.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>So saying he went round to the back door and entered his house, and
+was greatly perplexed to find his cub torn in two and being roasted,
+his house deserted by his Br&acirc;hmi&#7751; wife, and his property
+plundered; for his wife, before leaving, had taken with her as much of
+the tiger&rsquo;s property as she could conveniently carry.</p>
+<p>The tiger now discovered all the treachery of his wife, and his
+heart grieved for the loss of his son, that was now no more. He
+determined to be revenged on his wife, and to bring her back into the
+wood, and there tear her into many pieces in place of only two. But how
+to bring her back? He assumed his original shape of a young bridegroom,
+making, of course, due allowance for the number of years that had
+passed since his marriage, and next morning went to his
+father-in-law&rsquo;s house. His brothers-in-law and his wife saw from
+a distance the deceitful form he had assumed, and devised means to kill
+him. Meanwhile the tiger Br&acirc;hmi&#7751; approached his
+father-in-law&rsquo;s house, and the old people welcomed him. The
+younger ones too ran here and there to bring provisions to feed him
+sumptuously, and the tiger was highly pleased at the hospitable way in
+which he was received. <span class="pagenum">[<a id="pb130" href=
+"#pb130" name="pb130">130</a>]</span></p>
+<p>There was a ruined well at the back of the house, and the eldest of
+the brothers placed some thin sticks across its mouth, over which he
+spread a fine mat. Now it is usual to ask guests to have an oil bath
+before dinner, and so his three brothers-in-law requested the tiger to
+take his seat on the fine mat for his bath. As soon as he sat on it,
+the thin sticks being unable to bear his weight, gave way, and down
+fell the cunning tiger with a heavy crash! The well was at once filled
+in with stones and other rubbish, and thus the tiger was effectually
+prevented from doing any more mischief.</p>
+<p>But the Br&acirc;hmi&#7751; girl, in memory of her having married a
+tiger, raised a pillar over the well and planted a
+<i>tula&#347;i</i><a class="noteref" id="xd20e2280src" href=
+"#xd20e2280" name="xd20e2280src">6</a> shrub on the top of it. Morning
+and evening, for the rest of her life, she used to smear the pillar
+with sacred cowdung, and water the <i>tula&#347;i</i> shrub.</p>
+<p>This story is told to explain the Tamil proverb, &ldquo;<i lang=
+"ta-latn">&#346;umm&acirc; irukkiraya, &#347;uruvattai
+k&acirc;&#7789;&#7789;a&#7789;&#7789;uma</i>,&rdquo; which
+means&mdash;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;Be quiet, or I shall show you my original shape.&rdquo;
+<span class="pagenum">[<a id="pb131" href="#pb131" name=
+"pb131">131</a>]</span></p>
+</div>
+<div class="footnotes">
+<hr class="fnsep">
+<p class="footnote"><span class="label"><a class="noteref" id=
+"xd20e2128" href="#xd20e2128src" name="xd20e2128">1</a></span> A place
+of public feeding.</p>
+<p class="footnote"><span class="label"><a class="noteref" id=
+"xd20e2158" href="#xd20e2158src" name="xd20e2158">2</a></span> Among
+high caste Hind&ucirc;s, when girls leave one village and go to
+another, the old woman of the house&mdash;the mother or
+grandmother&mdash;always places in her bundles and on her head a few
+margosa leaves as a talisman against demons.</p>
+<p class="footnote"><span class="label"><a class="noteref" id=
+"xd20e2168" href="#xd20e2168src" name="xd20e2168">3</a></span> A
+<i><span class="corr" id="xd20e2171" title=
+"Source: ghatik&acirc;">gha&#7789;ik&acirc;</span></i> is twenty-four
+minutes. The story being Hindu, the Hind&ucirc; method of reckoning
+distance is used.</p>
+<p class="footnote"><span class="label"><a class="noteref" id=
+"xd20e2236" href="#xd20e2236src" name="xd20e2236">4</a></span> A
+&ldquo;watch&rdquo; is a <i>y&acirc;ma</i>, or three hours.</p>
+<p class="footnote"><span class="label"><a class="noteref" id=
+"xd20e2258" href="#xd20e2258src" name="xd20e2258">5</a></span>
+Tamil&#804;, <i>t&ocirc;&rsquo;sai</i>.</p>
+<p class="footnote"><span class="label"><a class="noteref" id=
+"xd20e2280" href="#xd20e2280src" name="xd20e2280">6</a></span> A
+fragrant herb, held in great veneration by the Hind&ucirc;s; <i>Ocymum
+sanctum</i>. This herb is sacred alike to &#346;iva and Vishnu. Those
+species specially sacred to &#346;iva are&mdash;<i>Vendulas&icirc;</i>,
+<i>&#346;iru-tulas&icirc;</i>, and <i>&#346;iva-tulas&icirc;</i>; those
+to Vishnu are <i>&#346;endulas&icirc;</i>, <i>Karundulas&icirc;</i> and
+<i>Vishnu-tulas&icirc;</i><span class="corr" id="xd20e2303" title=
+"Not in source">.</span></p>
+</div>
+</div>
+<div id="ch11" class="div1"><span class="pagenum">[<a href=
+"#toc">Contents</a>]</span>
+<div class="divHead">
+<h2 class="label">XI.</h2>
+<h2 class="main">The Good Husband and the Bad Wife.</h2>
+</div>
+<div class="divBody">
+<p class="first">In a remote village there lived a Br&acirc;hmi&#7751;
+whose good nature and charitable disposition were proverbial. Equally
+proverbial also were the ill-nature and uncharitable disposition of the
+Br&acirc;hma&#7751;&icirc;&mdash;his wife. But as
+Param&ecirc;&#347;vara (God) had joined them in matrimony, they had to
+live together as husband and wife, though their temperaments were so
+incompatible. Every day the Br&acirc;hmi&#7751; had a taste of his
+wife&rsquo;s ill-temper, and if any other Br&acirc;hmi&#7751; was
+invited to dinner by him, his wife, somehow or other, would manage to
+drive him away.</p>
+<p>One fine summer morning a rather stupid Br&acirc;hmi&#7751; friend
+of his came to visit our hero and was at once invited to dinner. He
+told his wife to have dinner ready earlier than usual, and went off to
+the river to bathe. His friend not feeling very well that day wanted a
+hot bath at the house, and so did not <span class="pagenum">[<a id=
+"pb132" href="#pb132" name="pb132">132</a>]</span>follow him to the
+river, but remained sitting in the outer verandah. If any other guest
+had come, the wife would have accused him of greediness to his face and
+sent him away, but this visitor seemed to be a special friend of her
+lord, so she did not like to say anything; but she devised a plan to
+make him go away of his own accord.</p>
+<p>She proceeded to smear the ground before her husband&rsquo;s friend
+with cowdung, and placed in the midst of it a long pestle, supporting
+one end of it against the wall. She next approached the pestle most
+solemnly and performed worship (<i>p&ucirc;j&acirc;</i>) to it. The
+guest did not in the least understand what she was doing, and
+respectfully asked her what it all meant.</p>
+<p>&ldquo;This is what is called pestle worship,&rdquo; she replied.
+&ldquo;I do it as a daily duty, and this pestle is intended to break
+the head of some human being in honour of a goddess, whose feet are
+most devoutly worshipped by my husband. Every day as soon as he returns
+from his bath in the river, he takes this pestle, which I am ordered to
+keep ready for him before his return, and with it breaks the head of
+any human being whom he has managed to get hold of by inviting him to a
+meal. This is his tribute (<i>dakshi&#7751;&acirc;</i>) to the goddess;
+to-day you are the victim.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>The guest was much alarmed.</p>
+<p>&ldquo;What! break the head of a guest! I at any <span class=
+"pagenum">[<a id="pb133" href="#pb133" name="pb133">133</a>]</span>rate
+shall not be deceived to-day,&rdquo; thought he, and prepared to run
+away.</p>
+<p>The Br&acirc;hmi&#7751;&rsquo;s wife appeared to sympathise with his
+sad plight, and said:&mdash;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;Really, I do pity you. But there is one thing you can do now
+to save yourself. If you go out by the front door and walk down the
+street my husband may follow you, so you had better go out by the back
+door.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>To this plan the guest most thankfully agreed, and hastily ran off
+by the back door.</p>
+<p>Almost immediately our hero returned from his bath, but before he
+could arrive his wife had cleaned up the place she had prepared for the
+pestle worship, and when the Br&acirc;hmi&#7751;, not finding his
+friend in the house inquired of her as to what had become of him, she
+said in seeming anger:&mdash;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;The greedy brute! he wanted me to give him this
+pestle&mdash;this very pestle which I brought forty years ago as a
+dowry from my mother&rsquo;s house, and when I refused he ran away by
+the back-yard in haste.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>But her kind-hearted lord observed that he would rather lose the
+pestle than his guest, even though it was a part of his wife&rsquo;s
+dowry, and more than forty years old. So he ran off with the pestle in
+his hand after his friend, crying out,</p>
+<p>&ldquo;Oh Br&acirc;hmi&#7751;! Oh Br&acirc;hmi&#7751;! Stop please,
+and take the pestle.&rdquo; <span class="pagenum">[<a id="pb134" href=
+"#pb134" name="pb134">134</a>]</span></p>
+<p>But the story told by the old woman now seemed all the more true to
+the guest when he saw her husband running after him, and so he
+said,</p>
+<p>&ldquo;You and your pestle may go where you please. Never more will
+you catch me in your house,&rdquo; and ran away. <span class=
+"pagenum">[<a id="pb135" href="#pb135" name="pb135">135</a>]</span></p>
+</div>
+</div>
+<div id="ch12" class="div1"><span class="pagenum">[<a href=
+"#toc">Contents</a>]</span>
+<div class="divHead">
+<h2 class="label">XII.</h2>
+<h2 class="main">The Good Wife and the Bad Husband.<a class="noteref"
+id="xd20e2371src" href="#xd20e2371" name="xd20e2371src">1</a></h2>
+</div>
+<div class="divBody">
+<p class="first">In a remote village there lived a man and his wife,
+who was a stupid little woman and believed everything that was told
+her. Whenever people wanted anything from her they used to come and
+flatter her; but this had to be done in the absence of her husband,
+because he was a very miserly man, and would never part with any of his
+money, for all he was exceedingly rich. Nevertheless, without his
+knowledge cunning beggars would now and then come to his wife and beg
+of her, and they used generally to succeed, as she was so amenable to
+flattery. But whenever her husband found her out he would come down
+heavily upon her, sometimes with words and sometimes with blows. Thus
+quarrels arose, till at last, for the sake of peace, the wife had to
+give up her charitable propensities.</p>
+<p>Now there lived in the village a rogue of the first <span class=
+"pagenum">[<a id="pb136" href="#pb136" name=
+"pb136">136</a>]</span>water, who had many a time witnessed what took
+place in the rich miser&rsquo;s family. Wishing to revive his old habit
+of getting what he wanted from the miser&rsquo;s wife he watched his
+opportunity and one day, when the miser had gone out on horseback to
+inspect his land, he came to his wife in the middle of the day and fell
+down at the threshold as if overcome by exhaustion. She ran up to him
+at once and asked him who he was.</p>
+<p>&ldquo;I am a native of Kail&acirc;sa<span class="corr" id=
+"xd20e2386" title="Source: &rdquo;,">,&rdquo;</span> said he,
+&ldquo;sent down by an old couple living there, for news of their son
+and his wife.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;Who are those fortunate dwellers on <span class="corr" id=
+"xd20e2391" title="Source: Siva&rsquo;s">&#346;iva&rsquo;s</span>
+mountain?&rdquo; said she.</p>
+<p>On this the rogue gave the names of her husband&rsquo;s deceased
+parents, which he had taken good care, of course, to learn from the
+neighbours.</p>
+<p>&ldquo;Do you really come from them?&rdquo; said she. &ldquo;Are
+they doing well there? Dear old people. How glad my husband would be to
+see you, were he here! Sit down please, and take rest awhile till he
+returns. How do they live there? Have they enough to eat and to dress
+themselves?&rdquo;</p>
+<p>These and a thousand other questions she put to the rogue, who, for
+his part, wanted to get away as quick as possible, as he knew full well
+how he would be treated if the miser should return while he was there,
+so he said:&mdash; <span class="pagenum">[<a id="pb137" href="#pb137"
+name="pb137">137</a>]</span></p>
+<p>&ldquo;Mother, language has no words to describe the miseries they
+are undergoing in the other world. They have not a rag to cover
+themselves, and for the last six days they have eaten nothing, and have
+lived on water only. It would break your heart to see them.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>The rogue&rsquo;s pathetic words fully deceived the good woman, who
+firmly believed that he had come down from Kail&acirc;sa, sent by the
+old couple to her.</p>
+<p>&ldquo;Why should they suffer so?&rdquo; said she, &ldquo;when their
+son has plenty to eat and to dress himself, and when their
+daughter-in-law wears all sorts of costly ornaments?&rdquo;</p>
+<p>With that she went into the house and came out with two boxes
+containing all the clothes of herself and her husband, and gave the
+whole lot to the rogue, with instructions to take them to her poor old
+people in Kail&acirc;sa. She also gave him her jewel box for her
+mother-in-law.</p>
+<p>&ldquo;But dress and jewels will not fill their hungry
+stomachs,&rdquo; said he.</p>
+<p>Requesting him to wait a little, the silly woman brought out her
+husband&rsquo;s cash chest and emptied the contents into the
+rogue&rsquo;s coat,<a class="noteref" id="xd20e2414src" href=
+"#xd20e2414" name="xd20e2414src">2</a> who now went off in haste,
+promising to give everything to the good people in Kail&acirc;sa. Our
+good lady in accordance with <span class="pagenum">[<a id="pb138" href=
+"#pb138" name="pb138">138</a>]</span>etiquette, conducted him a few
+hundred yards along the road and sent news of herself through him to
+her relatives, and then returned home. The rogue now tied up all his
+booty in his coat and ran in haste towards the river and crossed over
+it.</p>
+<p>No sooner had our heroine reached home than her husband returned
+after his inspection of his lands. Her pleasure at what she had done
+was so great, that she met him at the door and told him all about the
+arrival of the messenger from Kail&acirc;sa, and how she had sent
+clothes, and jewels, and money through him to her husband&rsquo;s
+parents. The anger of her husband knew no bounds. But he checked
+himself for a while, and asked her which road the messenger from
+Kail&acirc;sa had taken, as he said he wanted to follow him and send
+some more news to his parents. To this she willingly agreed and pointed
+out the direction the rogue had gone. With rage in his heart at the
+trick played upon his stupid wife, our hero rode on in hot haste, and
+after a ride of two <i>gha&#7789;ik&acirc;s</i> he caught sight of the
+departing rogue, who, finding escape hopeless, climbed up into a big
+<i>p&icirc;pal</i> tree. Our hero soon reached the bottom of the tree
+and shouted to the rogue to come down.</p>
+<p>&ldquo;No, I cannot, this is the way to Kail&acirc;sa,&rdquo; said
+the rogue, and climbed up on the top of the tree.</p>
+<p>Seeing no chance of the rogue&rsquo;s coming down, and as there was
+no third person present to whom he <span class="pagenum">[<a id="pb139"
+href="#pb139" name="pb139">139</a>]</span>could call for help, our hero
+tied his horse to an adjacent tree and began climbing up the
+<i>p&icirc;pal</i> tree himself. The rogue thanked all his gods when he
+saw this, and waited till his enemy had climbed nearly up to him, and
+then, throwing down his bundle of booty, leapt quickly from branch to
+branch till he reached the bottom. He then got upon his enemy&rsquo;s
+horse, and with his bundle rode into a dense forest in which no one was
+likely to find him.</p>
+<p>Our hero being much older in years was no match for the rogue. So he
+slowly came down, and cursing his stupidity in having risked his horse
+to recover his property, returned home at his leisure. His wife, who
+was waiting his arrival, welcomed him with a cheerful countenance and
+said:&mdash;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;I thought as much, you have sent away your horse to
+Kail&acirc;sa to be used by your father.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>Vexed as he was at his wife&rsquo;s words, our hero replied in the
+affirmative to conceal his own stupidity.</p>
+<p>Thus, some there are in this world, who, though they may not
+willingly give away anything, pretend to have done so when, by
+accident, or stupidity, they happen to lose it. <span class=
+"pagenum">[<a id="pb140" href="#pb140" name="pb140">140</a>]</span></p>
+</div>
+<div class="footnotes">
+<hr class="fnsep">
+<p class="footnote"><span class="label"><a class="noteref" id=
+"xd20e2371" href="#xd20e2371src" name="xd20e2371">1</a></span> Compare
+the Singalese folktale given on p. 62, Vol I. of the
+<i>Orientalist</i>.&mdash;<span class="sc">Ed.</span></p>
+<p class="footnote"><span class="label"><a class="noteref" id=
+"xd20e2414" href="#xd20e2414src" name="xd20e2414">2</a></span>
+<i>Uparani</i> or <i>upavastra</i>, an upper garment.</p>
+</div>
+</div>
+<div id="ch13" class="div1"><span class="pagenum">[<a href=
+"#toc">Contents</a>]</span>
+<div class="divHead">
+<h2 class="label">XIII.</h2>
+<h2 class="main">The Lost Camel and Other Tales.</h2>
+<div class="div2"><span class="pagenum">[<a href=
+"#toc">Contents</a>]</span>
+<div class="divHead">
+<h3 class="main">First Part.</h3>
+</div>
+<div class="divBody">
+<p class="first">There was a city called Alakapuri, famous for all the
+riches that sea and land can yield, and inhabited by people speaking
+different languages. In that city reigned a king named Alakesa, who was
+a storehouse of all excellent qualities. He was so just a king that
+during his reign the cow and the tiger amicably quenched their thirst
+side by side in the same pond, the cats and the rats sported in one and
+the same spot, and the kite and the parrot laid their eggs in the same
+nest, as though they were &ldquo;birds of a feather.&rdquo;<a class=
+"noteref" id="xd20e2462src" href="#xd20e2462" name="xd20e2462src">1</a>
+The women never deviated from the path of virtue, and regarded their
+husbands as gods. <span class="pagenum">[<a id="pb141" href="#pb141"
+name="pb141">141</a>]</span>Timely rain refreshed the soil, and all
+Alakesa&rsquo;s subjects lived in plenty and happiness. In short,
+Alakesa was the body, and his subjects the soul of that body, for he
+was upright in all things.</p>
+<p>Now there was in Alakapuri a rich merchant who lost a camel one day.
+He searched for it without success in all directions, and at last
+reached a road which he was informed led to another city, called
+Mathurapuri, the king of which was named Mathuresa. He had under him
+four excellent ministers, whose names were Bodhaditya, Bodhachandra,
+Bodhavyapaka, and Bodhavibhishana. These four ministers, being, for
+some reason, displeased with the king, quitted his dominions, and set
+out for another country. As they journeyed along they observed the
+track of a camel, and each made a remark on the peculiar condition of
+the animal, judging from the footsteps and other indications on the
+road.<a class="noteref" id="xd20e2471src" href="#xd20e2471" name=
+"xd20e2471src">2</a> <span class="pagenum">[<a id="pb142" href="#pb142"
+name="pb142">142</a>]</span></p>
+<p>Presently they met the merchant who was searching for his camel,
+and, entering into conversation with him, one of the travellers
+inquired if the animal was not lame in one of its legs; another asked
+if it was not blind of the right eye; the third asked if its tail was
+not unusually short; and the fourth inquired if it was not suffering
+from colic. They were all answered in the affirmative by the merchant,
+who was convinced that they must have seen the animal, and eagerly
+demanded where they had seen it. They replied that they had seen traces
+of the camel, but not the camel itself, which being inconsistent with
+the minute description they had given of it, the merchant accused them
+of having stolen the beast, and immediately applied to king Alakesa for
+redress.</p>
+<p>On hearing the merchant&rsquo;s story, the king was equally
+impressed with the belief that the travellers must know what had become
+of the camel, and sending for them threatened them with his displeasure
+if they did not confess the truth. How could they know, he demanded,
+that the camel was lame or blind, or whether the tail was long or
+short, or that it was suffering from any malady, unless they had it in
+their possession? In reply, they each explained the reasons which had
+induced them to express their belief in these particulars. The first
+traveller said:&mdash; <span class="pagenum">[<a id="pb143" href=
+"#pb143" name="pb143">143</a>]</span></p>
+<p>&ldquo;I noticed in the footmarks of the animal that one was
+deficient, and I concluded accordingly that it was lame of one of its
+legs.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>The second said:&mdash;&ldquo;I noticed that the leaves of the trees
+on the left side of the road had been snapped or torn off, whilst those
+on the right side were untouched, whence I concluded that the animal
+was blind of his right eye.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>The third said:&mdash;&ldquo;I saw some drops of blood on the road,
+which I conjectured had flowed from the bites of gnats or flies, and I
+thence concluded that the camel&rsquo;s tail was shorter than usual, in
+consequence of which he could not brush the insects away.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>The fourth said:&mdash;&ldquo;I observed that while the forefeet of
+the animal were planted firmly on the ground the hind ones appeared to
+have scarcely touched it, whence I guessed that they were contracted by
+pain in the belly of the animal.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>When the king heard their explanation he was much struck by the
+sagacity of the travellers, and giving 500 pagodas to the merchant who
+had lost the camel; he made the four young men his principal ministers,
+and bestowed on each of them several villages as free gifts.
+<span class="pagenum">[<a id="pb144" href="#pb144" name=
+"pb144">144</a>]</span></p>
+</div>
+</div>
+<div class="div2" id="ch13a"><span class="pagenum">[<a href=
+"#toc">Contents</a>]</span>
+<div class="divHead">
+<h3 class="label"><span class="corr" id="xd20e2498" title=
+"Source: XIV">XIII</span>.</h3>
+<h3 class="main">The Three Calamities.</h3>
+</div>
+<div class="divBody">
+<p class="first">From that time these four <span class="corr" id=
+"xd20e2505" title="Source: youug">young</span> men became the
+confidential advisers of king Alakesa in all important affairs of
+state, and, as night is the house of sins, they in turn kept a regular
+watch in the city of Alakapuri, each patrolling the streets during
+three hours of the night. Thus they continued to faithfully serve king
+Alakesa, till one night, the First Minister, when his watch was over,
+proceeded as usual, to see whether the royal bedchamber was properly
+guarded; after which he went to the temple of the goddess <span class=
+"corr" id="xd20e2508" title="Source: Kali">K&acirc;l&icirc;</span>,
+where he heard what seemed to him the voice of a woman, lamenting and
+sobbing in great distress. Concealing himself behind the
+<i>vad</i>-tree of the temple, he called out:&mdash;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;Who are you, poor woman? and why do you thus weep?&rdquo;</p>
+<p>At once the cries ceased, and a voice from the temple
+inquired:&mdash;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;Who art thou that thus questionest me?&rdquo;</p>
+<p>Then the minister knew that it was <span class="corr" id="xd20e2522"
+title="Source: Kali">K&acirc;l&icirc;</span> herself <span class=
+"pagenum">[<a id="pb145" href="#pb145" name="pb145">145</a>]</span>who
+wept; so he threw himself on the ground, and, rising up,
+exclaimed:&mdash;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;O, my mother!&mdash;<span class="corr" id="xd20e2529" title=
+"Source: Kali">K&acirc;l&icirc;</span>!&mdash;Sambhavi!&mdash;Mahamayi!<a class="noteref"
+id="xd20e2532src" href="#xd20e2532" name="xd20e2532src">3</a> Why
+should you thus weep?&rdquo; quoth <span class="corr" id="xd20e2543"
+title="Source: Kali">K&acirc;l&icirc;</span>.</p>
+<p>&ldquo;What is the use of my revealing it to thee? Canst thou render
+any assistance?&rdquo;</p>
+<p>The minister said that, if he had but her favour, there was nothing
+he could not do. Then the goddess told him that a calamity was about to
+come upon the king, and fearing that such a good monarch was soon to
+disappear from the world, she wept.</p>
+<p>The thought of such a misfortune caused the minister to tremble; he
+fell down before the goddess, and with tears streaming from his eyes
+besought her to save him. <span class="corr" id="xd20e2552" title=
+"Source: Kali">K&acirc;l&icirc;</span> was much gratified to observe
+his devotion to his master, and thus addressed him:&mdash;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;Know, then, that your king will be in danger of three
+calamities to-morrow, any one of which will be sufficient to cause his
+death. First of all, early in the morning, there will come to the
+palace several carts containing newly-reaped paddy grains. The king
+will be delighted at this, and immediately order <span class=
+"pagenum">[<a id="pb146" href="#pb146" name="pb146">146</a>]</span>a
+measure of the paddy to be shelled and cooked for his morning meal.
+Now, the field in which that paddy grew is the abode of serpents, two
+of which were fighting together one day, when they emitted poison,
+which has permeated those grains. Therefore, the morning meal of your
+king will contain poison, but only in the first handful will it take
+effect and he will die. Should he escape, another calamity is in store
+for him at noon. The king of Vijayanagara will send to-morrow some
+baskets of sweetmeats; in the first basket he has concealed arrows.
+King Alakesa, suspecting no treachery, will order the first basket to
+be opened in his presence, and will meet his death by that device. And
+even should he escape this second calamity, a third will put an end to
+his life to-morrow night. A deadly serpent will descend into his bed
+room, by means of the chain of his hanging bed, and bite him. But,
+should he be saved from this last misfortune, Alakesa will live long
+and prosperously, till he attains the age of a hundred and twenty
+years.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>Thus spake <span class="corr" id="xd20e2562" title=
+"Source: Kali">K&acirc;l&icirc;</span>, in tones of sorrow, for she
+feared that the king would lose his life by one of these three
+calamities. The Minister prostrated himself on the ground, and said
+that if the goddess would grant him her favour he was confident he
+could contrive to avert all the threatened evils from the king.
+<span class="corr" id="xd20e2565" title=
+"Source: Kali">K&acirc;l&icirc;</span> smiled and disappeared; and the
+<span class="pagenum">[<a id="pb147" href="#pb147" name=
+"pb147">147</a>]</span>Minister, taking her kind smile as a token of
+her favour, returned home and slept soundly.</p>
+<p>As soon as morning dawned, the First Minister arose, and having made
+the customary ablutions, proceeded to the palace. He took care to
+reveal to no one the important secret communicated to him by the
+goddess&mdash;not even to his three colleagues. The sun was not yet two
+<i><span class="corr" id="xd20e2573" title=
+"Source: gh&acirc;&#7789;ikas">gha&#7789;ik&acirc;s</span></i><a class=
+"noteref" id="xd20e2575src" href="#xd20e2575" name="xd20e2575src">4</a>
+above the horizon when several carts containing the finest paddy
+grains, specially selected for the king&rsquo;s use, came into the
+courtyard of the palace. Alakesa was present, and ordered a measure of
+it to be at once shelled and cooked. The coming in of the carts and the
+king&rsquo;s order so exactly coincided with <span class="corr" id=
+"xd20e2584" title=
+"Source: Kali&rsquo;s">K&acirc;l&icirc;&rsquo;s</span> words that the
+Minister began to fear that he was quite unequal to the task of
+averting the fatality; yet the recollection of the smile of the goddess
+inspired him with fresh resolution, and he at once went to the
+palace-kitchen and requested the servants to inform him when the king
+was about to go to dinner. After issuing orders for the storing of the
+grain, king Alakesa retired to perform his morning ablutions and other
+religious duties.</p>
+<p>Meanwhile a carriage containing the jars of sweetmeats sent by the
+king of Vijayanagara drove up to the palace, and the emissary who
+accompanied <span class="pagenum">[<a id="pb148" href="#pb148" name=
+"pb148">148</a>]</span>the present, told the royal servants that his
+master had commanded him to deliver it to king Alakesa in person. The
+First Minister well understood the meaning of this, and, promising to
+bring the king, went into the palace, caused one of the servants to be
+dressed like Alakesa, and conducted him to the carriage. The officer of
+the Vijayanagara king placed the first jar before the supposed Alakesa,
+who at once opened it, when lo! there darted forth several arrows, one
+of which pierced his heart, and he fell dead on the spot.<a class=
+"noteref" id="xd20e2591src" href="#xd20e2591" name="xd20e2591src">5</a>
+In an instant the emissary was seized and bound, and the officers began
+to lament the death of their good king. But the fatal occurrence spread
+rapidly through the palace, and soon the real Alakesa made his
+appearance on the scene. The officers now beheld one Alakesa dead and
+fallen to the ground, pierced by the arrow, and another standing there
+alive and well. The First Minister then related how, suspecting
+treachery, he brought out a servant of the palace dressed like the
+king, and how he had been slain in place of his royal master. Alakesa
+thanked the Minister for having so ingeniously saved his life, and
+<span class="pagenum">[<a id="pb149" href="#pb149" name=
+"pb149">149</a>]</span>went into the palace. Thus was one of the three
+calamities to the king averted by the faithful Bodhaditya.</p>
+<p>When it was the hour for dinner, the king and his courtiers all sat
+down, with the exception of the First Minister, who remained standing,
+without having taken a leaf for his own use. The king, observing this,
+with a smile pointed out a leaf to him,<a class="noteref" id=
+"xd20e2598src" href="#xd20e2598" name="xd20e2598src">6</a> but
+Bodhaditya would not sit; he wished to be near the king and to abstain
+from eating on that occasion. So the king allowed him to have his own
+way. The food having been served on the leaves, the hands of all,
+including the king, were mingling the rice, <i><span class="corr" id=
+"xd20e2607" title="Source: ghi">gh&icirc;</span></i>, and
+<i><span class="corr" id="xd20e2611" title=
+"Source: dhal">dh&acirc;l</span></i> for the first course. Near the
+king stood his faithful Minister Bodhaditya, and, when the king raised
+the first handful to his mouth, &ldquo;Stop, my master,&rdquo; cried
+he, &ldquo;I have long hoped for this handful as a present to me from
+your royal hands. I pray you give it to me, and feast upon the rest of
+the rice on your leaf.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>This was uttered more in a tone of command than of request, and the
+king was highly incensed at what he naturally considered as insolence
+on the part of the Minister. For such a request, especially when made
+to a king, is deemed nothing less than <span class="pagenum">[<a id=
+"pb150" href="#pb150" name="pb150">150</a>]</span>an insult, while to
+refuse it is equally offensive. So, whatever thoughts may have passed
+through Alakesa&rsquo;s mind, recollecting how the Minister had that
+morning saved his life, he gave him the handful of rice, which
+Bodhaditya received with delight, feeling grateful for the favour of
+the goddess in being the means of averting this second calamity.</p>
+<p>Far different, however, were the sentiments of the king and the
+assembled company. One and all declared Bodhaditya to be an insolent,
+proud fellow; but the king, while secretly blaming himself for having
+allowed him to use so much familiarity, suppressed his anger, in
+consideration of the important service the Minister had rendered
+him.</p>
+<p>On the approach of night the heart of the First Minister throbbed
+violently, for the third calamity predicted by the goddess was yet to
+be encountered. His watch being ended, before retiring to rest, he went
+to examine the royal bedroom, where he saw the light burning brightly,
+and the king and queen asleep side by side in the ornamented swing cot,
+which was suspended from the roof by four chains. Presently, he
+perceived, with horror, a fierce black snake, the smell of which is
+enough to kill a man, slowly gliding down the chain near the head of
+the queen. The Minister noiselessly went forward, and with a single
+stroke of his sharp sword, cut the <span class="pagenum">[<a id="pb151"
+href="#pb151" name="pb151">151</a>]</span>venomous brute in two.
+Bodhaditya, to avoid disturbing any person at such an hour of the
+night, threw the pieces over the canopy of the bed, rejoicing at having
+thus averted the third and last calamity. But a fresh horror then met
+his eyes; a drop of the snake&rsquo;s poison had fallen on the bosom of
+the queen, which was exposed in the carelessness of slumber.</p>
+<p>&ldquo;Alas, sacred goddess,&rdquo; he muttered, &ldquo;why do you
+thus raise up new obstacles in my efforts to avert the evil which you
+predicted? I have done what I could to save the king, and in this last
+attempt I have killed his beloved queen. What shall I do?&rdquo;</p>
+<p>Having thus briefly reflected, he wiped off the poison from the
+queen&rsquo;s bosom with the tip of his little finger, and, lest the
+contact of the venom with his finger should endanger his own life, he
+cut the tip of it off and threw it on the canopy. Just then the queen
+awoke, and perceiving a man hastily leaving the room, she cried:
+&ldquo;Who are you?&rdquo;</p>
+<p>The Minister respectfully answered: &ldquo;Most venerable mother! I
+am your son, Bodhaditya,&rdquo; and at once retired.</p>
+<p>Upon this the queen thought within herself: &ldquo;Alas! is there
+such a thing as a good man in the world? Hitherto I have regarded this
+Bodhaditya as my son; but now he has basely taken the opportunity of
+thus disgracing me when my lord and I were sound asleep. I shall inform
+the king of this, <span class="pagenum">[<a id="pb152" href="#pb152"
+name="pb152">152</a>]</span>and have that wretch&rsquo;s head struck
+off before the morning.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>Accordingly she gently awakened the king, and with tears trickling
+down her beauteous face, she told him what had occurred, and concluded
+with these words:&mdash;&ldquo;Till now, my lord, I considered that I
+was wife to you alone; but this night your First Minister has made me
+doubt it, since to my question, &lsquo;Who are you?&rsquo; he answered,
+without any shame, &lsquo;I am Bodhaditya,&rsquo; and went
+away.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>On hearing of this violation of the sanctity of his bedchamber,
+Alakesa was greatly enraged, and determined to put to death such an
+unprincipled servant, but first to communicate the affair to his three
+other Ministers. <span class="pagenum">[<a id="pb153" href="#pb153"
+name="pb153">153</a>]</span></p>
+</div>
+</div>
+<div class="div2"><span class="pagenum">[<a href=
+"#toc">Contents</a>]</span>
+<div class="divHead">
+<h3 class="label">XIII.</h3>
+<h3 class="main">Second Part.</h3>
+</div>
+<div class="divBody">
+<p class="first">When the Second Minister&rsquo;s watch was over, he
+went to inspect the guard at the royal bedchamber, and Alakesa hearing
+his footsteps inquired who was there.</p>
+<p>&ldquo;Your servant, Bodhachandra, most royal lord,&rdquo; was the
+reply.</p>
+<p>&ldquo;Enter, Bodhachandra,&rdquo; said the king; &ldquo;I have
+somewhat to communicate to you.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>Then Alakesa, almost choking with rage, told him of the gross
+offence of which his colleague the First Minister had been guilty, and
+demanded to know whether any punishment could be too severe.
+Bodhachandra humbled himself before the king, and thus
+replied&mdash;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;My lord, such a crime merits a heavy requital. Can one tie up
+fire in one&rsquo;s cloth and think that as it is but a small spark it
+will do us no harm? How, then, can we excuse even slight deviations
+from the rules of propriety? Therefore, if Bodhaditya be really guilty,
+he must be signally punished. But <span class="pagenum">[<a id="pb154"
+href="#pb154" name="pb154">154</a>]</span>permit me to represent to
+your Majesty the advisability of carefully inquiring into this matter
+before proceeding to judgment. We ought to ascertain what reasons he
+had for such a breach of the harem rules; for should we, carried away
+by anger, act rashly in this affair, we may repent when repentance is
+of no avail. As an example, I shall, with your Majesty&rsquo;s
+permission relate a story.&rdquo; The king having at once given his
+consent, the Second Minister began to relate the <span class=
+"pagenum">[<a id="pb155" href="#pb155" name="pb155">155</a>]</span></p>
+</div>
+</div>
+<div class="div2" id="ch13b"><span class="pagenum">[<a href=
+"#toc">Contents</a>]</span>
+<div class="divHead">
+<h3 class="main">Story of the Honest but Rash Hunter and His Faithful
+Dog.</h3>
+</div>
+<div class="divBody">
+<p class="first">There dwelt in a certain forest a hunter named
+Ugravira, who was lord of the woods, and as such, had to pay a fixed
+sum of money to the king of the country. It happened once that the king
+unexpectedly demanded of him one thousand five hundred
+<i>pons</i>.<a class="noteref" id="xd20e2666src" href="#xd20e2666"
+name="xd20e2666src">7</a> The hunter sold all his property and realised
+only a thousand <i>pons</i>, and was perplexed how to procure the rest
+of the required amount. At length he bethought him of his dog, which
+was of the best kind, and was beloved by him more than anything else in
+the whole world. He took his dog to an adjacent city, where he pledged
+him to a merchant named Kubera for five hundred <i>pons</i>, at the
+same time giving the merchant his bond for the loan. Before going away,
+the hunter with <span class="pagenum">[<a id="pb156" href="#pb156"
+name="pb156">156</a>]</span>tears in his eyes, thus addressed the
+intelligent animal:&mdash;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;Mrigasimha, [<i>i.e.</i>, lion among beasts] O my faithful
+friend, do not leave thy new master until I have paid him back the
+money I have borrowed of him. Obey and serve him, even as thou hast
+ever obeyed and served me.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>Some time after this, the merchant Kubera had to leave home and
+proceed with his merchandise to foreign countries: so he called the
+hunter&rsquo;s dog to his side, and bade him watch at his doors and
+prevent the intrusion of robbers and other evil-disposed persons. The
+dog indicated, both by his eyes and his tail, that he perfectly
+understood his instructions. Then the merchant, having enjoined his
+wife to feed the dog three times every day with rice and milk, set out
+on his travels. The dog kept his watch outside the house, and for a few
+days the merchant&rsquo;s wife fed him regularly three times a day. But
+this kind treatment was not to continue. She had for her paramour a
+wicked youth of the Setti caste, who, soon after the departure of
+Kubera, became a constant visitor at the merchant&rsquo;s house. The
+faithful dog instinctively surmised that his new master would not
+approve of such conduct; so one night, when the youth was leaving the
+house, Mrigasimha sprang upon him like an enraged lion, and seizing him
+by the throat, sent the evildoer to <span class="pagenum">[<a id=
+"pb157" href="#pb157" name="pb157">157</a>]</span>the other world. The
+merchant&rsquo;s wife hearing the scuffle, ran to the spot to save her
+lover, but found him dead.</p>
+<p>Though extremely grieved at the loss of her paramour, she had the
+presence of mind to immediately carry the body to the garden at the
+back of the house, where she concealed it in a great pit, and covered
+it with earth and leaves, vainly thinking that she had thus concealed
+her own shame. All this was not done, however, without being observed
+by the watchful dog; and, henceforward, the merchant&rsquo;s wife hated
+him with a deadly hatred. She no longer gave him food, and the poor
+creature was fain to eat such grains of rice as he found adhering to
+the leaves thrown out of the house after meals, still keeping guard at
+the door.</p>
+<p>After an absence of two months the merchant returned, and the dog,
+the moment he saw him, ran up to him and rolled himself on the ground
+at his feet; then seizing the merchant&rsquo;s cloth he dragged him to
+the very spot in the garden where the youth&rsquo;s body was hidden,
+and began to scratch the ground, at the same time looking into the
+merchant&rsquo;s face and howling dismally, from which Kubera concluded
+that the dog wished him to examine the place. Accordingly he dug up the
+spot and discovered the body of the youth, whom, indeed, he had
+suspected of being his wife&rsquo;s paramour. In a great fury he
+<span class="pagenum">[<a id="pb158" href="#pb158" name=
+"pb158">158</a>]</span>rushed into the house and commanded his wife, on
+pain of instant death, to relate the particulars of this affair without
+concealing anything. The wretched woman, seeing that her sin was
+discovered, confessed all, upon which her husband exclaimed!&mdash;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;Disgrace of womankind! you have not a fraction of the virtue
+possessed by this faithful brute, which you have, out of revenge,
+allowed to starve. But why should I waste words on thee? Happy am I in
+having no children by thee! Depart, and let me see thy face no
+more.&rdquo; So saying, he thrust her out of the house. Then the
+merchant fed the dog with milk, rice and sugar, after which he said to
+that lion of beasts (Mrigasimha, as he was called)&mdash;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;Thou trusty friend, language fails to express my gratitude to
+thee<span class="corr" id="xd20e2699" title="Source: ,">.</span> The
+five hundred <i>pons</i> which I lent thy old master the hunter are as
+nothing compared with thy services to me, by which I consider the debt
+as more than paid. What must be the feelings of the hunter without thy
+companionship? I now give thee leave to return to him.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>The merchant took the hunter&rsquo;s bond, and tearing it slightly
+at the top as a token that it was cancelled, he placed it in the
+dog&rsquo;s mouth and sent him back to his former master, and he at
+once set off towards the forest.</p>
+<p>Now by this time the hunter had contrived to save up the five
+hundred <i>pons</i>, and with the money and <span class=
+"pagenum">[<a id="pb159" href="#pb159" name="pb159">159</a>]</span>the
+interest due thereon, he was going to the merchant to redeem his bond
+and reclaim his dog. To his great surprise he met Mrigasimha on the
+way, and as soon as the dog perceived him he ran up to him to receive
+his caresses. But the hunter immediately concluded that the poor brute,
+in his eagerness to rejoin him, had run away from the merchant, and
+determined to put him to death. Accordingly he plucked a creeper, and
+fastening it round the dog&rsquo;s neck tied him to a branch of a tree,
+and the faithful creature, who was expecting nothing but kindness from
+his old master, was by him most cruelly strangled. The hunter then
+continued his journey, and, on reaching the merchant&rsquo;s house, he
+laid down the money before him.</p>
+<p>&ldquo;My dear friend,&rdquo; said Kubera, &ldquo;the important
+service your dog rendered me in killing my wife&rsquo;s paramour, has
+amply repaid your debt, so I gave him permission to return to you, with
+your bond in his mouth. Did you not meet him on your way? But why do
+you look so horrified? What have you done to the dog?&rdquo;</p>
+<p>The hunter, to whom everything was now only too clear, threw himself
+on the ground, like a huge tree cut at the root, and, after telling
+Kubera how he had inconsiderately slain the faithful dog, stabbed
+himself with his dagger. The merchant grieved at the death both of the
+dog and the hunter, which <span class="pagenum">[<a id="pb160" href=
+"#pb160" name="pb160">160</a>]</span>would not have occurred had he
+waited until Ugravira came to redeem his bond, snatched the weapon out
+of the hunter&rsquo;s breast and also stabbed himself. The news of this
+tragedy soon reached the forest, and the wife of the hunter, not
+wishing to survive her lord, threw herself into a well and was drowned.
+Lastly, even the wife of the merchant, finding that so many fatalities
+were due to her own misconduct, and that she was despised by the very
+children in the streets, put an end to her wretched life.</p>
+<p>&ldquo;Thus,&rdquo; added the Second Minister, &ldquo;five lives
+were lost in consequence of the hunter&rsquo;s rashness. Wherefore I
+would respectfully beseech your Majesty to investigate the case of
+Bodhaditya, and to refrain from acting merely under the influence of
+anger.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>Having thus spoken, Bodhachandra obtained leave to retire to his own
+house. <span class="pagenum">[<a id="pb161" href="#pb161" name=
+"pb161">161</a>]</span></p>
+</div>
+</div>
+<div class="div2"><span class="pagenum">[<a href=
+"#toc">Contents</a>]</span>
+<div class="divHead">
+<h3 class="label">XIII.</h3>
+<h3 class="main">Third Part.</h3>
+</div>
+<div class="divBody">
+<p class="first">At the end of the third watch of the night,
+Bodhavyapaka, the Third Minister of king Alakesa, went to see whether
+the royal bedchamber was properly guarded, and the king, summoning him
+to his presence, told him of the First Minister&rsquo;s crime, upon
+which Bodhavyapaka, after making due obeisance, thus spake:&mdash;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;Most noble king, such a grave crime should be severely
+punished, but it behoves us not to act before having ascertained that
+he is guilty beyond doubt, for evil are the consequences of
+precipitation, in proof of which I know a story which I will relate,
+with your Majesty&rsquo;s leave.&rdquo; <span class="pagenum">[<a id=
+"pb162" href="#pb162" name="pb162">162</a>]</span></p>
+</div>
+</div>
+<div class="div2" id="ch13c"><span class="pagenum">[<a href=
+"#toc">Contents</a>]</span>
+<div class="divHead">
+<h3 class="main">Story of the Br&acirc;hma&#7751;&rsquo;s Wife and the
+Mungoose.</h3>
+</div>
+<div class="divBody">
+<p class="first">On the banks of the Ganges, which also flows by the
+most holy city of Banaras, there is a town named Mithila, where dwelt a
+very poor Br&acirc;hma&#7751; called Vidyadhara. He had no children,
+and to compensate for this want, he and his wife tenderly nourished in
+their house a mungoose&mdash;a species of weasel. It was their all in
+all&mdash;their younger son, their elder daughter&mdash;their elder
+son, their younger daughter, so fondly did they regard that little
+creature. The god Visvesvara and his spouse Visalakshi observed this,
+and had pity for the unhappy pair; so by their divine power they
+blessed them with a son. This most welcome addition to their family did
+not alienate the affections of the Br&acirc;hma&#7751; and his wife
+from the mungoose; on the contrary, their attachment increased, for
+they believed that it was because of their having adopted the pet that
+a son had been born to them. So the <span class="pagenum">[<a id=
+"pb163" href="#pb163" name="pb163">163</a>]</span>child and the
+mungoose were brought up together, as twin brothers, in the same
+cradle.</p>
+<p>It happened one day when the Br&acirc;hma&#7751; had gone out to beg
+alms of the pious and charitable, that his wife went into the garden to
+cull some pot-herbs, leaving the child asleep in his cradle, and by his
+side the mungoose kept guard. An old serpent, which was living in the
+well in the garden, crept into the house and under the cradle, and was
+beginning to climb into it to bite the child when the mungoose fiercely
+attacked it and tore it into several pieces, thus saving the life of
+the Br&acirc;hma&#7751;&rsquo;s little son, and the venomous snake,
+that came to slay, itself lay dead beneath the cradle.</p>
+<p>Pleased at having performed such an exploit, the mungoose ran into
+the garden to show the Br&acirc;hma&#7751;&rsquo;s wife its
+blood-smeared mouth, but she rashly mistook the deliverer of her child
+for his destroyer, and with one stroke of the knife in her hand with
+which she was cutting herbs she killed the faithful creature, and then
+hastened into the house to see her dead son. But there she found the
+child in his cradle alive and well, only crying at the absence of his
+little companion, the mungoose, and under the cradle lay the great
+serpent cut to pieces. The real state of affairs was now evident, and
+the Br&acirc;hma&#7751; presently returning home, his wife told him of
+her rash act and then put an end to her life. The <span class=
+"pagenum">[<a id="pb164" href="#pb164" name=
+"pb164">164</a>]</span>Br&acirc;hma&#7751;, in his turn, disconsolate
+at the death of the mungoose and his wife, first slew his child and
+then killed himself.</p>
+<hr class="tb">
+<p>&ldquo;And thus,&rdquo; added the Third Minister, &ldquo;by one rash
+act four creatures perished, so true is it that precipitation results
+in a series of calamities. Do not, then, condemn Bodhaditya before his
+guilt is clearly proved.&rdquo; Alakesa, having given Bodhachandra the
+signal to retire, he quitted the presence and went home.</p>
+<p>When the watch of the Fourth Minister, Bodhavibhishana, was
+terminated, he visited the private apartments of the king (who had been
+meanwhile pondering over the stories he had heard), and was called into
+the sleeping chamber by Alakesa, and informed of his colleague&rsquo;s
+unpardonable offence. The Minister, after due prostration, thus
+addressed his royal master:&mdash;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;Great king, I can scarcely bring myself to believe that
+Bodhaditya could ever be guilty of such a crime, and I would
+respectfully remind your Majesty that it would not be consistent with
+your world-wide reputation for wisdom and justice were you to pronounce
+judgment in this case without having inquired into all the
+circumstances. Evil and injustice result from hasty decisions and
+actions, of which a striking illustration is furnished in the
+<span class="pagenum">[<a id="pb165" href="#pb165" name=
+"pb165">165</a>]</span></p>
+</div>
+</div>
+<div class="div2" id="ch13d"><span class="pagenum">[<a href=
+"#toc">Contents</a>]</span>
+<div class="divHead">
+<h3 class="main">Story of the Faithless Wife and the Ungrateful Blind
+Man.</h3>
+</div>
+<div class="divBody">
+<p class="first">In the town of Mithila there lived a young
+Br&acirc;hma&#7751; who, having had a quarrel with his father-in-law,
+set out on a pilgrimage to Banaras. Going through a forest he met a
+blind man, whose wife was leading him by means of a stick, one end of
+which she held in her hand, and her husband holding the other end was
+following her. She was young and fair of face, and the pilgrim made
+signs to her that she should go with him and leave her blind husband
+behind. The proposal thus signified pleased this wanton woman, so she
+bade her husband sit under a tree for a few minutes while she went and
+plucked him a ripe mango. The blind man sat down accordingly, and his
+wife went away with the Br&acirc;hma&#7751;. After waiting a long time
+in expectation of his wife&rsquo;s return, and no person coming near
+him, (for it was an unfrequented place), her infidelity became
+painfully apparent to him, and he bitterly cursed both her and the
+villain who had enticed her <span class="pagenum">[<a id="pb166" href=
+"#pb166" name="pb166">166</a>]</span>away from him. For six days he
+remained at the foot of the tree, in woeful condition, without a morsel
+of rice or a drop of water, and he was well nigh dead, when at length
+he heard the sound of footsteps near him, and cried faintly for help. A
+man of the Setti caste and his wife came up to him, and inquired how he
+happened to be in such a plight. The blind man told them how his wife
+had deserted him, and gone away with a young <span class="corr" id=
+"xd20e2765" title="Source: Brahman">Br&acirc;hma&#7751;</span> whom
+they had met, leaving him there alone and helpless. His story excited
+the compassion of the Setti and his wife. They gave him to eat of the
+small quantity of rice they had with them, and, having supplied him
+with water to quench his thirst, the Setti bade his wife lead him with
+his stick. The woman, though somewhat reluctant to walk thus in company
+with a man who was not her husband, yet, reflecting that charitable
+actions ought never to be left undone, complied with her lord&rsquo;s
+request, and began to lead the blind man. After travelling in this
+manner for a day, the three reached a town, and took up their abode for
+the night in the house of a friend of the Setti, where the latter and
+his wife gave the blind man a share of their rice before tasting a
+morsel themselves. At daybreak the next morning they advised him to try
+to provide for himself in some way in that town, and prepared to resume
+their journey. But the blind man, forgetting all the <span class=
+"pagenum">[<a id="pb167" href="#pb167" name=
+"pb167">167</a>]</span>kindness they had shown him, began to raise an
+alarm, crying out:&mdash;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;Is there no king in this city to protect me and give me my
+rights? Here is a Setti rascal taking away my wife with him! As I am
+blind, she denies that I am her husband, and follows that rogue! But
+will not the king give me justice?&rdquo;</p>
+<p>The people in the street at once reported these words to the king,
+who caused inquiry to be made into the matter. The fact of the
+Setti&rsquo;s wife having led the blind man, seemed to indicate that
+the latter, and not the Setti, was the woman&rsquo;s husband, and
+foolishly concluded that both the Setti and his wife were the real
+criminals. Accordingly he sentenced the Setti to the gallows, because
+he attempted to entice away a married woman, and his wife to be burnt
+in the kiln, as she wished to forsake her husband, and he a blind man.
+When these sentences were pronounced the blind man was thunder-struck.
+The thought that by a deliberate lie he had caused the death of two
+innocent persons now stung him to the heart. By this lie he expected
+that the Setti only should be punished, and that his wife would be made
+over to him as his own wife, but now he found she also was condemned to
+death.</p>
+<p>&ldquo;Vile wretch that I am!&rdquo; said he; &ldquo;I do not know
+what sins I committed in my former life to be thus blind now. My real
+wife, too, deserted me; <span class="pagenum">[<a id="pb168" href=
+"#pb168" name="pb168">168</a>]</span>and I, heaping sins upon sins,
+have now by a false report sent to death an innocent man and his wife,
+who rescued me from a horrible fate and tended to all my wants last
+night. O, <span class="corr" id="xd20e2778" title=
+"Source: Mahesvara">Mah&ecirc;&#347;vara</span>! what punishment you
+have in reserve for me I know not.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>This soliloquy, being overheard by some by-standers, was
+communicated to the king, who bitterly reproaching himself for having
+acted so rashly, at once released the good Setti and his wife, and
+caused the ungrateful blind man to be burnt in the kiln.</p>
+<p>&ldquo;Thus, you see, my lord,&rdquo; added the fourth Minister,
+&ldquo;how nearly that king had plunged himself into a gulf of crime by
+his rashness. Therefore, my most noble king, I would respectfully and
+humbly request you to consider well the case of Bodhaditya, and punish
+him severely if he be found really guilty.&rdquo;</p>
+<hr class="tb">
+<p>Having thus spoken, the Fourth Minister obtained leave to depart.
+<span class="pagenum">[<a id="pb169" href="#pb169" name=
+"pb169">169</a>]</span></p>
+</div>
+</div>
+<div class="div2"><span class="pagenum">[<a href=
+"#toc">Contents</a>]</span>
+<div class="divHead">
+<h3 class="label">XIII.</h3>
+<h3 class="main">Fourth Part.</h3>
+</div>
+<div class="divBody">
+<p class="first">The night was now over: darkness, the harbourer of
+vice, fled away; the day dawned. King Alakesa left his bedchamber,
+bathed and made his religious ablutions, and, after breakfasting,
+summoned a council of all his father&rsquo;s old ministers and
+advisers. Alakesa took his seat in the midst of the assembly; anger was
+clearly visible in his countenance; his eyes had lost their natural
+expression and had turned very red; his breath was as hot as that of a
+furnace. He thus addressed them:&mdash;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;Know ye all, the ministers of my father and of myself, that
+last night, during the first watch, my First Minister, Bodhaditya,
+while I and my queen were asleep in our chamber, came and touched with
+his finger the bosom of my queen. Consider well the gravity of this
+crime, and express your opinions as to what punishment he
+merits.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>Thus spake king Alakesa, but all the ministers, not knowing what
+answer to return, hung down <span class="pagenum">[<a id="pb170" href=
+"#pb170" name="pb170">170</a>]</span>their heads in silence. Among
+those present was an aged minister named Manuniti, who called
+Bodhaditya to his side and privately learned the whole story. He then
+humbly bowed before the king, and thus spake:&mdash;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;Most noble king, men are not always all-wise, and, before
+replying to your Majesty&rsquo;s question, I beg permission to relate
+in your presence the story of a king in whose reign a certain
+benevolent action was repaid with disgrace and ignominy:&mdash;
+<span class="pagenum">[<a id="pb171" href="#pb171" name=
+"pb171">171</a>]</span></p>
+</div>
+</div>
+<div class="div2" id="ch13e"><span class="pagenum">[<a href=
+"#toc">Contents</a>]</span>
+<div class="divHead">
+<h3 class="main">Story of the Wonderful Mango Fruit.</h3>
+</div>
+<div class="divBody">
+<p class="first">On the banks of the <span class="corr" id="xd20e2811"
+title="Source: K&aacute;v&eacute;ri">K&acirc;v&ecirc;r&icirc;</span>
+there was a city called Tiruvidaimarudur, where ruled a king named
+Chakraditya. In that city there lived a poor Br&acirc;hma&#7751; and
+his wife, who, having no children, brought up in their house a young
+parrot as tenderly as if it had been their own offspring. One day the
+parrot was sitting on the roof of the house, basking itself in the
+morning sun, when a large flock of parrots flew past, talking to each
+other about certain mango fruits. The Br&acirc;hma&#7751;&rsquo;s
+parrot asked them what were the peculiar properties of those fruits,
+and was informed that beyond the seven oceans there was a great mango
+tree, the fruit of which gave perpetual youth to the person who ate of
+it, however old and infirm he might be. On hearing of this wonder the
+Br&acirc;hma&#7751;&rsquo;s parrot requested permission to accompany
+them, which being granted, they all continued their flight. When at
+length <span class="pagenum">[<a id="pb172" href="#pb172" name=
+"pb172">172</a>]</span>they arrived at the mango tree, all ate of its
+fruit; but the Br&acirc;hma&#7751;&rsquo;s parrot reflected:&mdash;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;It would not be right for me to eat this fruit; I am young,
+while my adopted parents, the poor Br&acirc;hma&#7751; and his wife are
+very old. So I shall give them this fruit, and they will become young
+and blooming by eating it.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>And that same evening the good parrot brought the fruit to the
+Br&acirc;hma&#7751;, and explained to him its extraordinary properties.
+But the Br&acirc;hma&#7751; thought within himself:&mdash;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;I am a beggar. What matters it if I become young and live for
+ever, or else die this very moment? Our king is very good and
+charitable. If such a great man should eat of this fruit and renew his
+youth, he would confer the greatest benefit on mankind. Therefore I
+will give this mango to our good king.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>In pursuance of this self-denying resolution, the poor
+Br&acirc;hma&#7751; proceeded to the palace and presented the fruit to
+the king, at the same time relating how he had obtained it and its
+qualities. The king richly rewarded the Br&acirc;hma&#7751; for his
+gift, and sent him away. Then he began to reflect thus:&mdash;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;Here is a fruit which can bestow perpetual youth on the
+person who eats it. I should gain this great boon for myself alone, and
+what happiness could I expect under such circumstances unless
+<span class="pagenum">[<a id="pb173" href="#pb173" name=
+"pb173">173</a>]</span>shared by my friends and subjects? I shall
+therefore not eat this mango-fruit, but plant it carefully in my
+garden, and it will in time become a tree, which will bear much fruit
+having the same wonderful virtue, and my subjects shall, every one, eat
+of the fruit, and, with myself, be endowed with everlasting
+youth.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>So, calling his gardener, the king gave him the fruit, and he
+planted it in the royal presence. In due course of time the fruit grew
+into a fine tree, and during the spring season it began to bud and
+blossom and bear fruit. The king, having fixed upon an auspicious day
+for cutting one of the mango-fruits, gave it to his domestic chaplain,
+who was ninety years old, in order that his youth should be renewed.
+But no sooner had the priest tasted it than he fell down dead. At this
+unexpected calamity the king was both astonished and deeply grieved.
+When the old priest&rsquo;s wife heard of her husband&rsquo;s sudden
+death she came and prayed the king to allow her to perform <i>sati</i>
+with him on the same funeral pyre, which increased the king&rsquo;s
+sorrow; but he gave her the desired permission, and himself
+superintended all the ceremonies of the cremation. King Chakraditya
+then sent for the poor Br&acirc;hma&#7751;, and demanded of him how he
+had dared to present a poisonous fruit to his king. The
+Br&acirc;hma&#7751; replied:&mdash;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;My lord, I brought up a young parrot in my <span class=
+"pagenum">[<a id="pb174" href="#pb174" name=
+"pb174">174</a>]</span>house, in order to console me for having no son.
+That parrot brought me the fruit one day, and told me of its wonderful
+properties. Believing that the parrot spoke the truth, I presented it
+to your Majesty, never for a moment suspecting it to be
+poisonous.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>The king listened to the poor Br&acirc;hma&#7751;&rsquo;s words, but
+thought that the poor priest&rsquo;s death should be avenged. So he
+consulted his ministers who recommended, as a slight punishment, that
+the Br&acirc;hma&#7751; should be deprived of his left eye. This was
+done accordingly, and, on his return home, when his wife saw his
+condition, she asked the reason of such mutilation.</p>
+<p>&ldquo;My dear,&rdquo; said she, &ldquo;the parrot we have fostered
+so tenderly is the cause of this.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>And they resolved to break the neck of the treacherous bird. But the
+parrot, having overheard their conversation, thus addressed
+them:&mdash;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;My kind foster parents, everyone must be rewarded for the
+good actions or punished for the evil deeds of his previous life. I
+brought you the fruit with a good intention, but my sins in my former
+life have given it a different effect. Therefore I pray you to kill me
+and bury me with a little milk in a pit. And, after my funeral ceremony
+is over, I request you to undertake a pilgrimage to Banaras to expiate
+your own sins.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>So the old Br&acirc;hma&#7751; and his wife killed their pet
+<span class="pagenum">[<a id="pb175" href="#pb175" name=
+"pb175">175</a>]</span>parrot and buried it as directed, after which,
+overcome with grief, they set out on a pilgrimage to the Holy City.</p>
+<p>Meanwhile the king commanded his gardener to set guards over the
+poison-tree, and to allow no one to eat of its fruit; and all the
+inhabitants soon came to know that the king had a mango tree in his
+garden, the fruit of which was deadly poison. Now, there was in the
+city an old washerwoman, who had frequent quarrels with her
+daughter-in-law, and one day, being weary of life, she left the house,
+threatening to eat of the poison tree and die.</p>
+<p>The young parrot who was killed for having brought the poisonous
+mango-fruit was re-born as a green parrot, and was waiting for an
+opportunity to demonstrate the harmless nature of the tree; and when he
+saw the old woman approach with a determination to put an end to her
+life by eating of its fruit, he plucked one with his beak and dropped
+it down before her. The old woman rejoiced that fate sanctioned her
+death, and greedily ate the fruit, when lo! instead of dying she became
+young and blooming again. Those who had seen her leave the house a
+woman over sixty years of age were astonished on seeing her return as a
+handsome girl of sixteen and learning that the wonderful transformation
+was caused by the supposed poisonous mango-tree. <span class=
+"pagenum">[<a id="pb176" href="#pb176" name="pb176">176</a>]</span></p>
+<p>The strange news soon reached the king, who, in order to test the
+tree still further, ordered another fruit of it to be brought and gave
+it to a goldsmith of more than ninety years of age, who had embezzled
+some gold which had been entrusted to him to make into ornaments for
+the ladies of the palace, and was on that account undergoing
+imprisonment. When he had eaten the fruit, he, in his turn, became a
+young man of sixteen. The king was now convinced that the fruit of the
+mango-tree, so far from being poisonous, had the power of converting
+decrepit age into lusty and perennial youth. But how had the old priest
+died by eating of it?</p>
+<p>It was by a mere accident. One day a huge serpent was sleeping on a
+branch of the mango-tree, and its head hung over one of the fruit;
+poison dropped from its mouth and fell on the rind of that fruit; the
+gardener, who had no knowledge of this, when asked to bring a fruit for
+the priest, happened to bring the one on which the poison had fallen,
+and the priest having eaten it, died.</p>
+<p>And now the king caused proclamation to be made throughout his
+kingdom that all who pleased might come and partake of the mango-fruit,
+and everyone ate of it and became young. But king Chakaraditya&rsquo;s
+heart burnt within him at the remembrance of his ill-treatment of the
+poor Br&acirc;hma&#7751;, who had returned with his wife from Banaras.
+So <span class="pagenum">[<a id="pb177" href="#pb177" name=
+"pb177">177</a>]</span>he sent for him, explained his mistake, and gave
+him a fruit to eat, which, having tasted, the aged Br&acirc;hma&#7751;
+became young and his eye was also restored to him. But the greatest
+loss of all, that of the parrot who brought the fruit from beyond the
+seven oceans, remained irreparable.</p>
+<hr class="tb">
+<p>&ldquo;Thus, my lord,&rdquo; continued the old minister, Manuniti,
+&ldquo;it behoves us not to act precipitately in this affair of
+Bodhaditya, which we must carefully sift before expressing our opinion
+as to the punishment he may deserve at your majesty&rsquo;s
+hands.&rdquo; <span class="pagenum">[<a id="pb178" href="#pb178" name=
+"pb178">178</a>]</span></p>
+</div>
+</div>
+<div class="div2"><span class="pagenum">[<a href=
+"#toc">Contents</a>]</span>
+<div class="divHead">
+<h3 class="label">XIII.</h3>
+<h3 class="main">Fifth Part.</h3>
+</div>
+<div class="divBody">
+<p class="first">When Manuniti had concluded his story of the wonderful
+mango-fruit, king Alakesa ordered his four ministers to approach the
+throne, and then, with an angry countenance he thus addressed
+Bodhaditya:&mdash;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;What excuse have you for entering my bedchamber without
+permission, thus violating the rules of the harem?&rdquo;</p>
+<p>Bodhaditya humbly begged leave to relate to his majesty a story of
+how a Br&acirc;hma&#7751; fed a hungry traveller and had afterwards to
+endure the infamy of having caused that traveller&rsquo;s death, and on
+king Alakesa signifying his consent, he thus began:&mdash; <span class=
+"pagenum">[<a id="pb179" href="#pb179" name="pb179">179</a>]</span></p>
+</div>
+</div>
+<div class="div2" id="ch13f"><span class="pagenum">[<a href=
+"#toc">Contents</a>]</span>
+<div class="divHead">
+<h3 class="main">Story of the Poisoned Food.</h3>
+</div>
+<div class="divBody">
+<p class="first">There was a city called Vijayanagara, to the north of
+which flowed a small river with mango topes<a class="noteref" id=
+"xd20e2886src" href="#xd20e2886" name="xd20e2886src">8</a> on both
+banks. One day a young Br&acirc;hmi&#7751; pilgrim came and sat down to
+rest by the side of the stream, and, finding the place very cool and
+shady, he resolved to bathe, perform his religious ablutions, and make
+his dinner off the rice which he carried tied up in a bundle.</p>
+<p>Three days before there had come to the same spot an old
+Br&acirc;hmi&#7751; whose years numbered more than three score and ten;
+he had quarrelled with his family, and had fled from his house to die.
+Since he had reached that place he had tasted no food, and the young
+pilgrim found him lying in a pitiable state, and placed near him a
+portion of his rice. The old man arose, and proceeded to the rivulet in
+order to wash his feet and hands, and pronounce a holy incantation or
+two before tasting the food.</p>
+<p>While thus engaged a kite, carrying in its beak a huge serpent,
+alighted upon the tree at the foot of which was the rice given by the
+pilgrim to the <span class="pagenum">[<a id="pb180" href="#pb180" name=
+"pb180">180</a>]</span>old man, and while the bird was feasting on the
+serpent some of its poison dropped on the rice, and the old
+Br&acirc;hmi&#7751;, in his hunger, did not observe it on his return;
+he greedily devoured some of the rice, and instantly fell down
+dead.</p>
+<p>The young pilgrim, seeing him prostrate on the ground, ran to help
+him, but found that life was gone; and concluding that the old
+man&rsquo;s hasty eating after his three days&rsquo; fast must have
+caused his death, and being unwilling to leave his corpse to be
+devoured by kites and jackals, he determined to cremate it before
+resuming his journey. With this object he ran to the neighbouring
+village, and, reporting to the people what had occurred on the tope,
+requested their assistance in cremating the old man&rsquo;s body.</p>
+<p>The villagers, however, suspected that the young pilgrim had killed
+and robbed the old Br&acirc;hmi&#7751;; so they laid hold of him, and,
+after giving him a severe flogging, imprisoned him in the village
+temple of <span class="corr" id="xd20e2899" title=
+"Source: Kali">K&acirc;l&icirc;</span>. Alas! what a reward was this
+for his kind hospitality! and how was he repaid for his
+beneficence!</p>
+<p>The unhappy pilgrim gave vent to his sorrows in the form of verses
+in praise of the goddess in whose temple he was a prisoner; for he was
+a great <span class="corr" id="xd20e2904" title=
+"Source: Pandit">Pa&#7751;&#7693;it</span>, versed in the four
+<i><span class="corr" id="xd20e2908" title=
+"Source: Vedas">V&ecirc;das</span></i>, and the six <i><span class=
+"corr" id="xd20e2912" title=
+"Source: Sastras">&#346;&acirc;stras</span></i>, and the sixty-four
+varieties of knowledge. On hearing the pilgrim&rsquo;s verses, the rage
+of the goddess descended upon the villagers, who had so <span class=
+"pagenum">[<a id="pb181" href="#pb181" name=
+"pb181">181</a>]</span>rashly accused and punished him for a crime of
+which he was innocent. Suddenly the whole village was destroyed by
+fire, and the people lost all their property, and were houseless. In
+their extremity they went to the temple of <span class="corr" id=
+"xd20e2917" title="Source: Kali">K&acirc;l&icirc;</span>, and humbly
+requested the goddess to inform them of the cause of the calamity which
+had thus unexpectedly come upon them. The goddess infused herself into
+the person of one of the villagers, and thus responded:&mdash;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;Know ye, unkind villagers, that ye have most unjustly
+scourged and imprisoned in our presence an innocent, charitable, and
+pious Br&acirc;hmi&#7751;. The old man died from the effects of the
+poison, which dropped from a serpent&rsquo;s mouth on some rice at the
+foot of a tree when it was being devoured by a kite. Ye did not know of
+this; nevertheless ye have maltreated a good man without first making
+due inquiry as to his guilt or innocence. For this reason we visited
+your village with this calamity. Beware, and henceforward avoid such
+sins.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>So saying, <span class="corr" id="xd20e2924" title=
+"Source: Kali">K&acirc;l&icirc;</span> departed from the person through
+whom she had manifested herself.<a class="noteref" id="xd20e2927src"
+href="#xd20e2927" name="xd20e2927src">9</a> Then the villagers
+<span class="pagenum">[<a id="pb182" href="#pb182" name=
+"pb182">182</a>]</span>perceived the <span class="corr" id="xd20e2934"
+title="Source: grevious">grievous</span> error into which they had
+fallen. They released the good pilgrim and implored his forgiveness,
+which he readily granted. And thus was an innocent man charged with
+murder in return for his benevolent actions.</p>
+<p>&ldquo;Even so,&rdquo; continued Bodhaditya, &ldquo;my most noble
+sovereign, I have this day had to endure the infamy of having violated
+the harem for saving your valuable life.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>He then sent for a thief who was undergoing imprisonment, and gave
+him the handful of rice which he had the preceding day snatched from
+the king at dinner, and the thief having eaten it, instantly died. He
+next caused a servant to go to the royal bed-chamber, and fetch from
+the canopy of the couch the pieces of the serpent and his little
+finger-tip, which he laid before the wonder-struck king and the
+counsellors, and then addressed his majesty as follows:&mdash;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;My most noble king, and ye wise counsellors, it is known to
+you all that we four ministers keep watch over the town during the four
+quarters of the night, and mine is the first watch. Well, while I was
+on duty the day before yesterday, I heard a weeping voice in the
+direction of the temple. I proceeded to the spot, and discovered the
+goddess sobbing bitterly. She related to me how three calamities
+awaited the king on the morrow. The <span class="pagenum">[<a id=
+"pb183" href="#pb183" name="pb183">183</a>]</span>first of them was the
+arrows despatched by the king of Vijayanagara as sweetmeats to our
+Sovereign; the second was the poisoned rice, and the third the serpent.
+In trying to avert these calamities, I have committed the offence of
+entering the harem.&rdquo;</p>
+<hr class="tb">
+<p>And he thereupon explained the whole affair from first to last.</p>
+<p>King Alakesa and the whole assembly were highly delighted at the
+fidelity and devotion of Bodhaditya; for it was now very evident that
+he had done nothing amiss, but had saved the life of the king on three
+occasions, and indeed also the life of the queen by wiping off the
+serpent&rsquo;s poison which had fallen on her bosom. Then Alakesa
+related the following story in explanation of the proverb:&mdash;
+<span class="pagenum">[<a id="pb184" href="#pb184" name=
+"pb184">184</a>]</span></p>
+</div>
+</div>
+<div class="div2" id="ch13g"><span class="pagenum">[<a href=
+"#toc">Contents</a>]</span>
+<div class="divHead">
+<h3 class="main">&ldquo;Eating up the Protector.&rdquo;<a class=
+"noteref" id="xd20e2956src" href="#xd20e2956" name=
+"xd20e2956src">10</a></h3>
+</div>
+<div class="divBody">
+<p class="first">In the country of Uttara there lived a
+Br&acirc;hmi&#7751; named Kusalanatha, who had a wife and six sons. All
+lived in a state of prosperity for some time, but the entrance of
+Saturn into the Br&acirc;hmi&#7751;&rsquo;s horoscope turned everything
+upside down. The once prosperous Br&acirc;hmi&#7751; became poor, and
+was reduced to go to the neighbouring woods to gather bamboo rice with
+which to feed his hungry family.<a class="noteref" id="xd20e2960src"
+href="#xd20e2960" name="xd20e2960src">11</a></p>
+<p>One day while plucking the bamboo ears, he saw a bush close by in
+flames, in the midst of which was a serpent struggling for its life.
+The Br&acirc;hmi&#7751; at once ran to its rescue, and stretching
+towards it a long green stick the reptile crept on to it and escaped
+from the flames, and then spread its hood and with a hissing sound
+approached to sting its rescuer. The Br&acirc;hmi&#7751; began to weep
+and bewail his folly in <span class="pagenum">[<a id="pb185" href=
+"#pb185" name="pb185">185</a>]</span>having saved the ungrateful
+creature, at which the serpent asked him:&mdash;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;O Br&acirc;hmi&#7751;, why do you weep?&rdquo;</p>
+<p>Said the old man: &ldquo;You now purpose to kill me; is this the
+reward for my having saved your life?&rdquo;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;True, you have rescued me from a terrible death, but how am I
+to appease my hunger?&rdquo; replied the serpent.</p>
+<p>And quoth the Br&acirc;hmi&#7751;, &ldquo;You speak of your hunger,
+but who is to feed my old wife and six hungry children at my
+house?&rdquo;</p>
+<p>The serpent, seeing the anxiety of the Br&acirc;hmi&#7751;, emitted
+a precious gem from its hood, and bade him take it home and give it to
+his wife for household expenses, after which to return to the wood to
+be devoured. The old man agreed, and, solemnly promising to return
+without fail, went home. Having given the gem to his family, and told
+them of his pact with the serpent, the Br&acirc;hmi&#7751; went back to
+the wood. The serpent had meanwhile reflected upon its own base
+ingratitude.</p>
+<p>&ldquo;Is it right,&rdquo; said it to itself, &ldquo;to kill him who
+saved me from the flames? No! I shall rather perish of hunger, if I
+cannot find a prey to-day, than slay my protector.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>So when the old Br&acirc;hmi&#7751; appeared, true to his word, the
+serpent presented him with another valuable gem, and after expressing a
+wish that he <span class="pagenum">[<a id="pb186" href="#pb186" name=
+"pb186">186</a>]</span>should live long and happily with his wife and
+children, went its own way, while the Br&acirc;hmi&#7751; returned
+joyously to his home.</p>
+<p>&ldquo;Even as the serpent purposed acting towards its
+benefactor,&rdquo; continued the king, &ldquo;so did I, in my rage,
+intend putting to death my faithful minister and the protector of my
+life, Bodhaditya; and to free myself from this grievous sin there is no
+penance I should not undergo.&rdquo;</p>
+<hr class="tb">
+<p>Then king Alakesa ordered a thousand Br&acirc;hmi&#7751;s to be fed
+every day during his life, and many rich gifts to be distributed in
+temples as atonement for his great error. And from that day Bodhaditya
+and his three colleagues enjoyed still more of the royal favour. With
+those four faithful ministers king Alakesa lived a most happy life and
+had a most prosperous reign.</p>
+<p>May there be prosperity to all! <span class="pagenum">[<a id="pb187"
+href="#pb187" name="pb187">187</a>]</span></p>
+</div>
+</div>
+</div>
+<div class="footnotes">
+<hr class="fnsep">
+<p class="footnote"><span class="label"><a class="noteref" id=
+"xd20e2462" href="#xd20e2462src" name="xd20e2462">1</a></span> This
+kind of statement often occurs in stories in proof of the just reign of
+a monarch. The Hindu idea is that so long as justice and equity
+characterise a king&rsquo;s rule, even beasts naturally inimical are
+disposed to live in friendship. When timely rain fails or famine stalks
+through the land, turning his eyes from the natural causes, the
+orthodox Hindu will say that such a king is now reigning over them
+unjustly, and hence the calamity.&mdash;<i>Translator.</i></p>
+<p class="footnote"><span class="label"><a class="noteref" id=
+"xd20e2471" href="#xd20e2471src" name="xd20e2471">2</a></span>
+&ldquo;Distinguishing the peculiarities of an animal by its footsteps,
+&amp;c., is often met with in Indian stories. Precisely the reverse of
+this is the tale of the four <i>blind</i> men who disputed about the
+form of an elephant. One of them had felt only the elephant&rsquo;s
+ears, and said it was like a winnow; another examined the breast and a
+foreleg, and said it was like a thick stump of wood; the third felt the
+trunk, and said it was like a heavy crook; while the fourth, having
+touched only the tail, declared it was like a sweeping
+rake.&rdquo;&mdash;<i>W. A. Clouston.</i></p>
+<p class="footnote"><span class="label"><a class="noteref" id=
+"xd20e2532" href="#xd20e2532src" name="xd20e2532">3</a></span> The
+night-watch hearing the tutelary goddess of the village mourning, is a
+very ancient idea. It also occurs, for example, in the story of
+Viravara, in the Sanskrit book of fables entitled
+&ldquo;Hitopadesa.&rdquo; Sambhavi and Mahamayi are different
+<span class="corr" id="xd20e2534" title="Source: name">names</span> of
+<span class="corr" id="xd20e2537" title=
+"Source: Kali">K&acirc;l&icirc;</span>&mdash;a fierce goddess, much
+worshipped as the presiding deity of cholera and
+smallpox.&mdash;<i>T.</i></p>
+<p class="footnote"><span class="label"><a class="noteref" id=
+"xd20e2575" href="#xd20e2575src" name="xd20e2575">4</a></span> A
+<i><span class="corr" id="xd20e2578" title=
+"Source: ghatika">gha&#7789;ik&acirc;</span></i> = 24
+minutes.&mdash;<i>T.</i></p>
+<p class="footnote"><span class="label"><a class="noteref" id=
+"xd20e2591" href="#xd20e2591src" name="xd20e2591">5</a></span>
+Apparently the arrows were attached to some kind of mechanism which
+discharged them on the opening of the jar. There is &ldquo;nothing new
+under the sun.&rdquo; Dynamite is perhaps a discovery of our own times,
+but &ldquo;infernal machines,&rdquo; which served the purpose of
+king-killers, are of ancient date.</p>
+<p class="footnote"><span class="label"><a class="noteref" id=
+"xd20e2598" href="#xd20e2598src" name="xd20e2598">6</a></span> The
+<span class="corr" id="xd20e2600" title=
+"Source: Hindus">Hind&ucirc;s</span>, at their meals, squat on the
+ground, with leaves in place of earthenware dishes, on which their food
+is served.&mdash;<i>T.</i></p>
+<p class="footnote"><span class="label"><a class="noteref" id=
+"xd20e2666" href="#xd20e2666src" name="xd20e2666">7</a></span> A sum of
+money varying in different localities of the South of India. In the
+Chola grants &ldquo;<i>pon</i>&rdquo; also occurs.</p>
+<p class="footnote"><span class="label"><a class="noteref" id=
+"xd20e2886" href="#xd20e2886src" name="xd20e2886">8</a></span> An
+Indian word meaning clumps of trees.</p>
+<p class="footnote"><span class="label"><a class="noteref" id=
+"xd20e2927" href="#xd20e2927src" name="xd20e2927">9</a></span> It is a
+very common practice to dupe the ordinary people in this manner in
+Hindu temples. Some impostor will proclaim to the crowd that the spirit
+of a god, or goddess, is upon him, and utters whatever comes uppermost
+in his mind. He occasionally contrives to accomplish his private ends
+by such &ldquo;revelations.&rdquo; The ignorant are greatly misled by
+these impostors, and learned Hindus condemn the practice as gross
+superstition.&mdash;<i>T.</i></p>
+<p class="footnote"><span class="label"><a class="noteref" id=
+"xd20e2956" href="#xd20e2956src" name="xd20e2956">10</a></span>
+Corresponding to the English proverb: &ldquo;Quarrelling with
+one&rsquo;s bread and butter.&rdquo;</p>
+<p class="footnote"><span class="label"><a class="noteref" id=
+"xd20e2960" href="#xd20e2960src" name="xd20e2960">11</a></span> Full
+grown and ripe bamboo bears a kind of corn which when collected and
+shelled resembles wheat. Hunters cook a most excellent food of bamboo
+grain and honey.&mdash;<i>T.</i></p>
+</div>
+</div>
+<div id="ch14" class="div1"><span class="pagenum">[<a href=
+"#toc">Contents</a>]</span>
+<div class="divHead">
+<h2 class="label">XIV.</h2>
+<h2 class="main">The Monkey with the Tom-Tom.<a class="noteref" id=
+"xd20e3000src" href="#xd20e3000" name="xd20e3000src">1</a></h2>
+</div>
+<div class="divBody">
+<p class="first">In a remote wood there lived a monkey, and one day
+while he was eating wood-apples, a sharp thorn from the tree ran into
+the tip of his tail, he tried his best to get it out but could not. So
+he proceeded to the nearest village, and calling the barber asked him
+to oblige him by removing the thorn.</p>
+<p>&ldquo;Friend barber,&rdquo; said the monkey, &ldquo;a thorn has run
+into my tail. Kindly remove it and I will reward you.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>The barber took up his razor and began to examine the tail; but as
+he was cutting out the thorn he cut off the tip of the tail. The monkey
+was greatly enraged and said:&mdash;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;Friend barber, give me back my tail. If you cannot do that,
+give me your razor.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>The barber was now in a difficulty, and as he could not replace the
+tip of the tail he had to give up his razor to the monkey. <span class=
+"pagenum">[<a id="pb188" href="#pb188" name="pb188">188</a>]</span></p>
+<p>The monkey, went back to the wood with his razor thus trickishly
+acquired. On the way he met an old woman, who was cutting fuel from a
+dried-up tree.</p>
+<p>&ldquo;Grandmother, grandmother,&rdquo; said the monkey, &ldquo;the
+tree is very hard. You had better use this sharp razor, and you will
+cut your fuel easily.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>The poor woman was very pleased, and took the razor from the monkey.
+In cutting the wood she, of course, blunted the razor, and the monkey
+seeing his razor thus spoiled, said:&mdash;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;Grandmother, you have spoiled my razor. So you must either
+give me your fuel or get me a better razor.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>The woman was not able to procure another razor. So she gave the
+monkey her fuel and returned to her house bearing no load that day.</p>
+<p>The roguish monkey now put the bundle of dry fuel on his head and
+proceeded to a village to sell it. There he met an old woman seated by
+the roadside and making puddings. Said the monkey to her:&mdash;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;Grandmother, grandmother, you are making puddings and your
+fuel is already exhausted. Use mine also and make more
+cakes.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>The old lady thanked him for his kindness and used his fuel for her
+puddings. The cunning monkey waited till the last stick of his fuel was
+burnt up, and then he said to the old woman<span class="corr" id=
+"xd20e3033" title="Source: ;">:</span>&mdash; <span class=
+"pagenum">[<a id="pb189" href="#pb189" name="pb189">189</a>]</span></p>
+<p>&ldquo;Grandmother, grandmother, return me my fuel or give me all
+your puddings.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>She was unable to return him the fuel, and so had to give him all
+her puddings.</p>
+<p>The monkey with the basket of puddings on his head walked and walked
+till he met a <i>Paraiya</i><a class="noteref" id="xd20e3045src" href=
+"#xd20e3045" name="xd20e3045src">2</a> coming with a tom-tom towards
+him.</p>
+<p>&ldquo;Brother Paraiya,&rdquo; said the monkey, &ldquo;I have a
+basketful of puddings to give you. Will you, in return, present me with
+your tom-tom?&rdquo;</p>
+<p>The <i>Paraiya</i> gladly agreed, as he was then very hungry, and
+had nothing with him to eat.</p>
+<p>The monkey now ascended with the tom-tom to the topmost branch of a
+big tree and there beat his drum most triumphantly, saying in honour of
+his several tricks:&mdash;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;I lost my tail and got a razor; <i>&#7693;um
+&#7693;um</i>.&rdquo;<a class="noteref" id="xd20e3062src" href=
+"#xd20e3062" name="xd20e3062src">3</a></p>
+<p>&ldquo;I lost my razor and got a bundle of fuel; <i>&#7693;um
+&#7693;um.</i>&rdquo;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;I lost my fuel and got a basket of puddings; <i>&#7693;um
+&#7693;um</i>&rdquo;.</p>
+<p>&ldquo;I lost my puddings and got a tom-tom; <i>&#7693;um
+&#7693;um</i>.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>Thus there are rogues in this innocent world, who live to glory over
+their wicked tricks. <span class="pagenum">[<a id="pb190" href="#pb190"
+name="pb190">190</a>]</span></p>
+</div>
+<div class="footnotes">
+<hr class="fnsep">
+<p class="footnote"><span class="label"><a class="noteref" id=
+"xd20e3000" href="#xd20e3000src" name="xd20e3000">1</a></span> Compare
+the story of &ldquo;The Rat&rsquo;s Wedding&rdquo; from the
+Pa&ntilde;j&acirc;b, <i>The Indian Antiquary</i>, Vol. XI., pp, 226ff:
+where, however, a better moral from the tale is drawn.</p>
+<p class="footnote"><span class="label"><a class="noteref" id=
+"xd20e3045" href="#xd20e3045src" name="xd20e3045">2</a></span> A low
+caste man; Pariah.</p>
+<p class="footnote"><span class="label"><a class="noteref" id=
+"xd20e3062" href="#xd20e3062src" name="xd20e3062">3</a></span> In
+response to the sound of the tom-tom.</p>
+</div>
+</div>
+<div id="ch15" class="div1"><span class="pagenum">[<a href=
+"#toc">Contents</a>]</span>
+<div class="divHead">
+<h2 class="label">XV.</h2>
+<h2 class="main">Pride Goeth Before a Fall.</h2>
+</div>
+<div class="divBody">
+<p class="first">Corresponding to this English proverb, there is one in
+Tamil&mdash;<i>Ahambh&acirc; vam &acirc;lai
+al&#804;ikkum</i>&mdash;&ldquo;Self-pride brings destruction;&rdquo;
+and the following story is related by the common folk to illustrate
+it.</p>
+<p>In a certain village there lived ten cloth merchants, who always
+went about together. Once upon a time they had travelled far afield,
+and were returning home with a great deal of money which they had
+obtained by selling their wares. Now there happened to be a dense
+forest near their village, and this they reached early one morning. In
+it there lived three notorious robbers, of whose existence the traders
+had never heard, and while they were still in the middle of it, the
+robbers stood before them, with swords and cudgels in their hands, and
+ordered them to lay down all they had. The traders had no weapons with
+them, and so, though they were many more in number, they had to submit
+themselves to the robbers, who took away everything from them, even the
+very clothes they wore, and gave to each <span class="pagenum">[<a id=
+"pb191" href="#pb191" name="pb191">191</a>]</span>only a small
+loin-cloth (<i>la&#7749;g&ocirc;&#7789;&icirc;</i>), a span in breadth
+and a cubit in length.</p>
+<p>The idea that they had <span class="corr" id="xd20e3103" title=
+"Source: conquerred">conquered</span> ten men, and plundered all their
+property, now took possession of the robbers&rsquo; minds. They seated
+themselves like three monarchs before the men they had plundered, and
+ordered them to dance to them before returning home. The merchants now
+mourned their fate. They had lost all they had, except their chief
+essential, the <i>la&#7749;g&ocirc;&#7789;&icirc;</i>, and still the
+robbers were not satisfied, but ordered them to dance.</p>
+<p>There was, among the ten merchants, one who was very intelligent. He
+pondered over the calamity that had come upon him and his friends, the
+dance they would have to perform, and the magnificent manner in which
+the three robbers had seated themselves on the grass. At the same time
+he observed that these last had placed their weapons on the ground, in
+the assurance of having thoroughly cowed the traders, who were now
+commencing to dance. So he took the lead in the dance, and, as a song
+is always sung by the leader on such occasions, to which the rest keep
+time with hands and feet, he thus began to sing:&mdash;</p>
+<div lang="ta-latn" class="lgouter xd20e3111">
+<p class="line">N&acirc;m&acirc;num puli per,</p>
+<p class="line">T&acirc;lanum tiru p&ecirc;r:</p>
+<p class="line">S&acirc;vana t&acirc;l&#803;anai</p>
+<p class="line">Tiruva&#7751;an &#347;uttin&acirc;n,</p>
+<p class="line">S&acirc;vana t&acirc;lan m&icirc;di</p>
+<p class="line">T&acirc; tai t&ocirc;m tadinga&#7751;a.</p>
+</div>
+<p><span class="pagenum">[<a id="pb192" href="#pb192" name=
+"pb192">192</a>]</span></p>
+<div class="lgouter">
+<p class="line">&ldquo;We are <i>puli</i> men,</p>
+<p class="line">They are <i>tiru</i> men:</p>
+<p class="line">If one <i>&#347;&acirc;</i> man,</p>
+<p class="line">Surrounds <i>tiru</i> men.</p>
+<p class="line"><i>&#346;a</i> man remains.</p>
+<p class="line"><i>T&acirc;, tai, t&ocirc;m, <span class="corr" id=
+"xd20e3153" title=
+"Source: tadingana">tadinga&#7751;a</span>.</i>&rdquo;</p>
+</div>
+<p class="first">The robbers were all uneducated, and thought that the
+leader was merely singing a song as usual. So it was in one sense; for
+the leader commenced from a distance, and had sung the song over twice,
+before he and his companions commenced to approach the robbers. They
+had understood his meaning, which, however, even to the best educated,
+unless trained to the technical expressions of trade, would have
+remained a riddle.</p>
+<p>When two traders discuss the price of an article in the presence of
+a purchaser, they use an enigmatic form of language.</p>
+<p>&ldquo;What is the price of this cloth?&rdquo; one trader will ask
+another.</p>
+<p>&ldquo;<i>Puli</i> rupees,&rdquo; another will reply, meaning
+&ldquo;ten rupees.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>Thus, there is no possibility of the purchaser knowing what is meant
+unless he be acquainted with trade technicalities.<a class="noteref"
+id="xd20e3171src" href="#xd20e3171" name="xd20e3171src">1</a> By the
+rules of this secret language <i>tiru</i> means &ldquo;three,&rdquo;
+<i>puli</i> means &ldquo;ten,&rdquo; and <i>&#347;&acirc;vana</i> (or
+shortly <i>&#347;a</i>) means &ldquo;one.&rdquo; So <span class=
+"pagenum">[<a id="pb193" href="#pb193" name="pb193">193</a>]</span>the
+leader by his song meant to hint to his fellow-traders that they were
+ten men, the robbers only three, that if three pounced upon each of the
+robbers, nine of them could hold them down, while the remaining one
+bound the robbers&rsquo; hands and feet.</p>
+<p>The three thieves, glorying in their victory, and little
+understanding the meaning of the song and the intentions of the
+dancers, were proudly seated chewing betel and <i>tamb&acirc;k</i>
+(tobacco). Meanwhile the song was sung a third time. <i>T&acirc; tai
+t&ocirc;m</i> had left the lips of the singer; and, before
+<i>tadinga&#7751;a</i> was out of them, the traders separated into
+parties of three, and each party pounced upon a thief. The remaining
+one&mdash;the leader himself, for to him the other nine left the
+conclusion&mdash;tore up into long narrow strips a large piece of
+cloth, six cubits long, and tied the hands and feet of the robbers.
+These were entirely humbled now, and rolled on the ground like three
+bags of rice!</p>
+<p>The ten traders now took back all their property, and armed
+themselves with the swords and cudgels of their enemies; and when they
+reached their village, they often amused their friends and relatives by
+relating their adventure.<a class="noteref" id="xd20e3202src" href=
+"#xd20e3202" name="xd20e3202src">2</a> <span class="pagenum">[<a id=
+"pb194" href="#pb194" name="pb194">194</a>]</span></p>
+</div>
+<div class="footnotes">
+<hr class="fnsep">
+<p class="footnote"><span class="label"><a class="noteref" id=
+"xd20e3171" href="#xd20e3171src" name="xd20e3171">1</a></span> Traders
+have also certain secret symbols for marking their prices on their
+cloths.</p>
+<p class="footnote"><span class="label"><a class="noteref" id=
+"xd20e3202" href="#xd20e3202src" name="xd20e3202">2</a></span> This
+story, apart from its folklore value, is specially interesting as
+showing that the customs mentioned in the <i>Indian Antiquary</i>, Vol.
+XIV., pp. 155ff., as being prevalent at Delhi, regarding secret trade
+language are universal in India.</p>
+</div>
+</div>
+<div id="ch16" class="div1"><span class="pagenum">[<a href=
+"#toc">Contents</a>]</span>
+<div class="divHead">
+<h2 class="label">XVI.</h2>
+<h2 class="main">Good Will Grow Out of Good.</h2>
+</div>
+<div class="divBody">
+<p class="first">In a certain town there reigned a king named
+Patn&icirc;priya,<a class="noteref" id="xd20e3216src" href="#xd20e3216"
+name="xd20e3216src">1</a> to whose court, a poor old
+Br&acirc;hmi&#7751;, named P&acirc;pabh&icirc;ru,<a class="noteref" id=
+"xd20e3221src" href="#xd20e3221" name="xd20e3221src">2</a> came every
+morning, with a yellow lime in his hand, and presenting it to the king,
+pronounced a benediction in Tamil:&mdash;</p>
+<div lang="ta-latn" class="lgouter xd20e3111">
+<p class="line">Nanmai vidaitt&acirc;l, nanmai vil&#804;aiyum:</p>
+<p class="line">T&icirc;mai vidaitt&acirc;l, t&icirc;mai vijaiyum:</p>
+<p class="line">Nanmaiyum t&icirc;maiyum pinvara
+k&acirc;&#7751;al&acirc;m.</p>
+</div>
+<div class="lgouter">
+<p class="line">&ldquo;If good is sown, then good will grow:</p>
+<p class="line">If bad is sown, then bad will grow:</p>
+<p class="line">Thus good or bad the end will show.&rdquo;</p>
+</div>
+<p class="first">The king respected as much the noble benediction of
+the Br&acirc;hma&#7751; as he did his grey hairs.</p>
+<p>In this way the presentation of the fruit continued daily, though
+the Br&acirc;hmi&#7751; had nothing to request from the king, but
+simply wished to pay his respects. On observing that he had no ulterior
+motives, but was merely actuated by <i>r&acirc;jas&ecirc;vana</i>, or
+<span class="pagenum">[<a id="pb195" href="#pb195" name=
+"pb195">195</a>]</span>duty to his king, the king&rsquo;s admiration
+for his old morning visitor increased the more.</p>
+<p>After presenting the fruit the Br&acirc;hmi&#7751; waited upon his
+sovereign till his <i><span class="corr" id="xd20e3252" title=
+"Source: p&ucirc;ja">p&ucirc;j&acirc;</span></i><a class="noteref" id=
+"xd20e3254src" href="#xd20e3254" name="xd20e3254src">3</a> was over,
+and then went home where his wife kept ready for him all the requisites
+for his own <i>p&ucirc;j&acirc;</i>. P&acirc;pabh&icirc;ru then partook
+of what dinner his wife had prepared for him. Sometimes, however, a
+Br&acirc;hmi&#7751; neighbour sent him an invitation to dinner, which
+he at once accepted. For his father, before he breathed his last, had
+called him to his bedside, and, pronouncing his last benediction, had
+thus advised him in Tamil:&mdash;</p>
+<div class="lgouter xd20e3111">
+<p class="line">K&acirc;lai s&ocirc;ttai tal&#803;l&#803;&acirc;de,</p>
+<p class="line">Ka&#7751;&#7751;il Ka&#7751;&#7693;adai
+&#347;oll&acirc;de,</p>
+<p class="line">R&acirc;janukku payandu na&#7693;a.&rdquo;</p>
+</div>
+<div class="lgouter">
+<p class="line">&ldquo;Morning meal do thou never spurn,</p>
+<p class="line">Nor say thou what thine eyes discern,</p>
+<p class="line">But serve thy king for fame to earn.&rdquo;</p>
+</div>
+<p class="first">Thus it was that P&acirc;pabh&icirc;ru began his
+visits to the king, nor did he ever reject an invitation to dinner,
+though it might come at a very inconvenient time.</p>
+<p>Now on a certain <i>&ecirc;k&acirc;da&#347;i</i><a class="noteref"
+id="xd20e3281src" href="#xd20e3281" name="xd20e3281src">4</a> morning,
+P&acirc;pabh&icirc;ru went to the king to pay his respects as usual,
+with the lime and the benediction, but found that he had gone to his
+<i>p&ucirc;j&acirc;</i> and so followed him there. On <span class=
+"pagenum">[<a id="pb196" href="#pb196" name=
+"pb196">196</a>]</span>seeing the Br&acirc;hmi&#7751;, the king&rsquo;s
+face glowed with pleasure, and he said:&mdash;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;My most revered god on earth,<a class="noteref" id=
+"xd20e3291src" href="#xd20e3291" name="xd20e3291src">5</a> I thought
+that some ill must have befallen you, when I missed you in the
+council-hall this morning; but praised be Param&ecirc;&#347;vara for
+having sent you to me, though it is a little late. I never do my
+<i>p&ucirc;j&acirc;</i> without placing my scimitar by the side of the
+god, but last night I left it in my queen&rsquo;s room. It is under the
+pillow of the couch on which I usually sleep. Until you came I could
+find no suitable person to fetch it for me, and so I have waited for
+you. Would you kindly take the trouble to fetch it for me?&rdquo;</p>
+<p>The poor Br&acirc;hmi&#7751; was only too glad of the opportunity
+thus presented to him of serving his king, and so he ran to the
+<i>harem</i> and into the room where the king usually slept. The queen
+was a very wicked woman and always having secret meetings with
+courtiers of her husband, so when P&acirc;pabh&icirc;ru returned he
+surprised the queen and one of her lovers walking in the garden, he
+went through, however, to the king&rsquo;s room, and lifting up the
+king&rsquo;s pillow felt for the scimitar, and went away. True however,
+to his father&rsquo;s words, &ldquo;Nor say thou what thine eyes
+discern,&rdquo; he never opened his lips and went his way with a heavy
+heart. <span class="pagenum">[<a id="pb197" href="#pb197" name=
+"pb197">197</a>]</span></p>
+<p>The queen and her wicked suitor were greatly alarmed.</p>
+<p>&ldquo;That rogue of an old Br&acirc;hmi&#7751; has seen us and may
+report to the king at the first opportunity,&rdquo; faltered the
+minister.</p>
+<p>But the queen, as bold in words as in sin, said; &ldquo;I will have
+him murdered before the sun rises. Wait you here. I shall inform the
+king of what is to be done and report the result to you, and then you
+may go home.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>So saying, she went and stood before her royal husband who was at
+his worship. Patn&icirc;priya rose up and asked her the reason of her
+sudden appearance.</p>
+<p>Said she, &ldquo;Your Majesty seems to think the whole world as
+innocent as yourself. That wretched old Br&acirc;hmi&#7751;, though his
+hair is as white as milk, has not forgotten his younger days, he asked
+me to run away with him. If you do not order his death before to-morrow
+morning, I shall kill myself.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>The king was much vexed with what he heard, and all the regard he
+had for the Br&acirc;hmi&#7751; disappeared at once. He called two of
+his executioners and spoke to them thus before his wife:&mdash;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;Take to the east gate of the town a large iron caldron, and
+keep it boiling to the brim with gingely oil.<a class="noteref" id=
+"xd20e3322src" href="#xd20e3322" name="xd20e3322src">6</a> A certain
+person shall come to you in the <span class="pagenum">[<a id="pb198"
+href="#pb198" name="pb198">198</a>]</span>morning and ask you,
+&lsquo;Is it all done?&rsquo; Without observing who he is, tie his
+hands and feet and throw him into the boiling oil. When he has been
+boiled to death, put out the fire and empty out the oil.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>The executioners received the order and went away to perform their
+terrible duty. The queen, too, glad at heart at having thus
+successfully arranged for the murder of the Br&acirc;hmi&#7751;,
+reported the fact to the minister, but said nothing about the special
+question to be put by the victim. The minister, much pleased, went to
+his palace and waited for news of the Br&acirc;hmi&#7751;&rsquo;s
+death.</p>
+<p>When his <i>p&ucirc;j&acirc;</i> was over the king sent for
+P&acirc;pabh&icirc;ru, and the poor Br&acirc;hmi&#7751;, never having
+before been sent for at such a time, made his appearance with a beating
+heart. When he arrived the king, in order to arouse no suspicion in his
+mind, said gently to him:&mdash;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;My dear Br&acirc;hmi&#7751;, to-morrow morning, when you go
+to make your ablutions, pass by the east gate. There you will see two
+persons seated by the side of a large caldron. Ask them, &lsquo;Is it
+all done?&rsquo; And whatever reply they give you, come and communicate
+to me.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>Thus spoke the king, firmly believing that P&acirc;pabh&icirc;ru
+would never return to him; while the Br&acirc;hmi&#7751;, glad to be
+able to serve the king a second time next morning, went home and slept
+soundly. <span class="pagenum">[<a id="pb199" href="#pb199" name=
+"pb199">199</a>]</span>Early in the morning, even a
+<i>gha&#7789;ik&acirc;</i> before his usual time, he got up, and,
+placing on his head a bag containing dry clothes, proceeded to the
+river for his morning bath. He took the road to the eastern gate as he
+had been ordered, but had not walked far when a friend invited him to a
+<i>dv&acirc;da&#347;i</i><a class="noteref" id="xd20e3349src" href=
+"#xd20e3349" name="xd20e3349src">7</a> breakfast.</p>
+<p>&ldquo;My poor old mother did not taste even a drop of water the
+whole of the <i>&ecirc;k&acirc;da&#347;i,</i> (yesterday). Rice and hot
+water for a bath are ready. Pour a little of the water over your
+head,<a class="noteref" id="xd20e3363src" href="#xd20e3363" name=
+"xd20e3363src">8</a> pronounce one <i>g&acirc;yatr&icirc;</i><a class=
+"noteref" id="xd20e3371src" href="#xd20e3371" name="xd20e3371src">9</a>
+and taste a handful of rice. Whatever may be the urgency of your
+business, oblige me for my poor mother&rsquo;s sake.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>Thus spoke his friend, and P&acirc;pabh&icirc;ru, out of regard to
+his father&rsquo;s order never to spurn a morning meal, ran in haste
+into his friend&rsquo;s house to oblige him; the king&rsquo;s order all
+the while sitting heavily on his mind.</p>
+<p>Meanwhile the minister was most anxious to hear the news of the
+<span class="corr" id="xd20e3378" title=
+"Source: Br&acirc;hmin&rsquo;s">Br&acirc;hmi&#7751;&rsquo;s</span>
+death, but was afraid to send any one to inquire about it, lest he
+should <span class="pagenum">[<a id="pb200" href="#pb200" name=
+"pb200">200</a>]</span>arouse suspicion. So he went himself to the east
+gate, as soon as the sun had risen, and asked the executioners, sitting
+by the side of the caldron, by way of a simple question: &ldquo;Is the
+business all done?&rdquo; And as they were instructed not to observe
+who the person was that came to question them, but to tie him up and
+boil him in the oil, they, notwithstanding his howls, bound him and
+threw him in. As soon as he was dead, they extinguished the fire,
+poured out the oil, turned over the caldron, corpse and all.</p>
+<p>The Br&acirc;hmi&#7751; finished his <i>dv&acirc;da&#347;i</i>
+breakfast, in great haste, and, with the betel leaf still in his hand,
+ran to the gate to inquire of the persons seated by the caldron whether
+it was all done. When he put them the question, they smilingly
+replied:&mdash;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;Yes, Sir, it is all done. The minister is boiled to death. We
+gave full execution to the king&rsquo;s orders. You may go and report
+the affair to him.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>The Br&acirc;hmi&#7751;, not knowing the reason for the course
+events had taken, ran back and reported the reply of the executioners
+to the king. The minister&rsquo;s interference in the affair at once
+kindled suspicion in the king&rsquo;s mind. He unsheathed his scimitar,
+and holding it in his right hand, twisted the lock of hair on the
+Br&acirc;hmi&#7751;&rsquo;s head into his left. He then asked him
+whether he had not tried to get his wife <span class="pagenum">[<a id=
+"pb201" href="#pb201" name="pb201">201</a>]</span>away from him the
+previous morning, and told him that, if he concealed the truth, he
+would make an end of him. The poor Br&acirc;hmi&#7751; now confessed
+what he had seen, on which the king threw down the scimitar and fell
+down on his knees before him.</p>
+<p>&ldquo;The words of thy benediction, O respected
+Br&acirc;hmi&#7751;, have only now been explained to me. Thou hast sown
+nothing but good; and good in having thy life preserved, hast thou
+reaped. The wicked minister&mdash;whose conscious guilt made him so
+very anxious to hear about thy death&mdash;because he sowed a bad
+intention in his heart has reaped evil, even a death that he never
+expected. Another victim of evil sowing, remains in my queen, in whom I
+placed an undeserved love.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>So said he, and ordered her to the gallows. The old
+Br&acirc;hmi&#7751; he appointed his minister and reigned for a long
+time. <span class="pagenum">[<a id="pb202" href="#pb202" name=
+"pb202">202</a>]</span></p>
+</div>
+<div class="footnotes">
+<hr class="fnsep">
+<p class="footnote"><span class="label"><a class="noteref" id=
+"xd20e3216" href="#xd20e3216src" name="xd20e3216">1</a></span>
+<i>i.e.</i>, lover of his wife.</p>
+<p class="footnote"><span class="label"><a class="noteref" id=
+"xd20e3221" href="#xd20e3221src" name="xd20e3221">2</a></span>
+<i>i.e.</i>, a shudder at sin.</p>
+<p class="footnote"><span class="label"><a class="noteref" id=
+"xd20e3254" href="#xd20e3254src" name="xd20e3254">3</a></span> Worship
+of the household gods or devotion.</p>
+<p class="footnote"><span class="label"><a class="noteref" id=
+"xd20e3281" href="#xd20e3281src" name="xd20e3281">4</a></span> The
+eleventh lunar day of every fortnight, on which a fast is observed by
+orthodox Hind&ucirc;s.</p>
+<p class="footnote"><span class="label"><a class="noteref" id=
+"xd20e3291" href="#xd20e3291src" name="xd20e3291">5</a></span>
+<i>Bh&ucirc;sura</i>, <i>bh&ucirc;d&ecirc;va</i>; a generic name for a
+Br&acirc;hmi&#7751;.</p>
+<p class="footnote"><span class="label"><a class="noteref" id=
+"xd20e3322" href="#xd20e3322src" name="xd20e3322">6</a></span> Oil of
+sesamun; <i>til</i> and gingely oil are the ordinary names for this
+common product of India.</p>
+<p class="footnote"><span class="label"><a class="noteref" id=
+"xd20e3349" href="#xd20e3349src" name="xd20e3349">7</a></span>
+<i>Dv&acirc;da&#347;i</i> is the twelfth lunar day, on which early in
+the morning, before even the fifth <i><span class="corr" id="xd20e3354"
+title="Source: ghatik&acirc;">gha&#7789;ik&acirc;</span></i> is over,
+every orthodox Hind&ucirc; is obliged by his religious codes to break
+the previous day&rsquo;s fast.</p>
+<p class="footnote"><span class="label"><a class="noteref" id=
+"xd20e3363" href="#xd20e3363src" name="xd20e3363">8</a></span> Lit. a
+&ldquo;chombu-full;&rdquo; the <i>chombu</i> is a small vessel.</p>
+<p class="footnote"><span class="label"><a class="noteref" id=
+"xd20e3371" href="#xd20e3371src" name="xd20e3371">9</a></span> A sacred
+hymn.</p>
+</div>
+</div>
+<div id="ch17" class="div1"><span class="pagenum">[<a href=
+"#toc">Contents</a>]</span>
+<div class="divHead">
+<h2 class="label">XVII.</h2>
+<h2 class="main">Light Makes Prosperity.</h2>
+</div>
+<div class="divBody">
+<p class="first">There is a Tamil proverb <i lang="ta-latn">d&icirc;pam
+lakshm&icirc;karam</i>, meaning, &ldquo;light makes prosperity,&rdquo;
+and the following story is related to explain it:&mdash;</p>
+<p>In the town of G&ocirc;vindap&acirc;th&icirc; there lived a merchant
+named Pa&#347;upati &#346;e&#7789;&#7789;i, who had a son and a
+daughter. The son&rsquo;s name was Vin&icirc;ta and the
+daughter&rsquo;s Garv&icirc;, and while still playmates they made a
+mutual vow, that in case they ever had children that could be married
+to each other, they would certainly see that this was done. Garv&icirc;
+grew up to marry a very rich merchant, and gave birth in due course to
+three daughters, the last of whom was named Sungu&#7751;&icirc;.
+Vin&icirc;ta, too, had three sons. Before, however, this brother and
+sister could fulfil their vow an event happened which threw a gloom
+over all their expectations.</p>
+<p>Pa&#347;upati &#346;e&#7789;&#7789;i died, and his
+creditors&mdash;for he had many&mdash;grew troublesome. All his
+property had to be sold to clear his debts, and in a month or two after
+his father&rsquo;s death Vin&icirc;ta was reduced to the <span class=
+"pagenum">[<a id="pb203" href="#pb203" name=
+"pb203">203</a>]</span>condition of a penniless pauper. But being a
+sensible person he patiently bore up against his calamity, and tried
+his best to live an honest life on what little was left to him.</p>
+<p>His sister Garv&icirc; was, as has been already said, married into a
+rich family, and when she saw the penniless condition of her brother
+the engagements she had entered into with him began to trouble her. To
+give or not to give her daughters in marriage to the sons of her
+brother! This was the question that occupied her thoughts for several
+months, till at last she determined within herself never to give poor
+husbands to her children. Fortunately for her, two young merchants of
+respectable family offered themselves to her two eldest daughters, she
+gladly accepted them and had the weddings celebrated. The last
+daughter, Sugu&#7751;&icirc;, alone remained unmarried.</p>
+<p>Vin&icirc;ta was sorely troubled in his heart at this
+disappointment, as he never thought that his sister would thus look
+down upon his poverty; but, being very sensible, he never interfered
+and never said a word. The vow of his childhood was, however, known to
+every one, and some came to sympathise with him; while others spoke in
+a criticising tone to Garv&icirc; for having broken her promise,
+because her brother had become poor through unforeseen circumstances.
+Their remarks fell on the ears of Sugu&#7751;&icirc;, <span class=
+"pagenum">[<a id="pb204" href="#pb204" name="pb204">204</a>]</span>who
+was as yet unmarried, and also was a very learned and sensible girl.
+She found her uncle Vin&icirc;ta extremely courteous and respectful,
+and his sons all persons of virtue and good nature. The thought that
+her mother should have forgotten all these excellent and rare qualities
+in the presence of fleeting mammon (<i>asthirai&#347;varya</i>) vexed
+her heart very greatly. So, though it is considered most contrary to
+etiquette for a girl in Hind&ucirc; society to fix upon a boy as her
+husband, she approached her mother and thus addressed her:&mdash;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;Mother, I have heard all the story about your vow to your
+brother to marry us&mdash;myself and my sisters&mdash;to his sons, our
+cousins; but I am ashamed to see you have unwarrantably broken it in
+the case of my sisters. I cannot bear such shame. I cannot marry anyone
+in the world except one of my three cousins. You must make up your mind
+to give me your consent.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>Garv&icirc; was astonished to hear her youngest daughter talk thus
+to her.</p>
+<p>&ldquo;You wish to marry a beggar?&rdquo; said she. &ldquo;We will
+never agree to it, and if you persist we will give you away to your
+penniless pauper, but we will never see your face again.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>But Sugu&#7751;&icirc; persisted. So her marriage with the youngest
+son of Vin&icirc;ta was arranged. He had never spoken a word about it
+to his sister, but he <span class="pagenum">[<a id="pb205" href=
+"#pb205" name="pb205">205</a>]</span>had waited to make matches for his
+children till all his sister&rsquo;s daughters had been given away, and
+when he heard that Sugu&#7751;&icirc; was determined to marry his
+youngest son, he was very pleased. He soon fixed upon two girls from a
+poor family for his other sons, and celebrated the three weddings as
+became his position.</p>
+<p>Sugu&#7751;&icirc; was as noble in her conduct as in her love for
+her poor cousin. She was never proud or insolent on account of having
+come from a rich family. Nor did she ever disregard her husband, or his
+brothers, or father.</p>
+<p>Now Vin&icirc;ta and his sons used to go out in the mornings to
+gather dried leaves which his three daughters-in-law stitched into
+plates (<i>patr&acirc;val&icirc;</i>), which the male members of the
+family sold in the <i>b&acirc;z&acirc;r</i> for about four
+<i>pa&#7751;ams</i> each.<a class="noteref" id="xd20e3448src" href=
+"#xd20e3448" name="xd20e3448src">1</a> Sometimes these leaf-plates
+would go for more, sometimes for less; but whatever money the
+father-in-law brought home his daughters-in-law used for the
+day&rsquo;s expense. The youngest of them was Sugu&#7751;&icirc;, who
+spent the money most judiciously, and fed her father-in-law and his
+sons sumptuously. Whatever remained she partook of with her two poor
+sisters-in-law, and lived most contentedly. And the family respected
+Sugu&#7751;&icirc; as a paragon of virtue, and had a <span class=
+"pagenum">[<a id="pb206" href="#pb206" name="pb206">206</a>]</span>very
+great regard for her. Her parents, as they had threatened, never
+returned to see how their last, and of course once beloved, child was
+doing in her husband&rsquo;s home. Thus passed a couple of years.</p>
+<p>One day the king of the town was taking an oil bath, and pulling a
+ring off his finger, left it in a niche in the open courtyard. A
+<i>garu&#7693;a</i> (<span class="corr" id="xd20e3465" title=
+"Source: Br&acirc;hma&#7751;i">Br&acirc;hma&#7751;&icirc;</span> kite)
+was at that moment describing circles in the air, and, mistaking the
+glittering rubies in the ring for flesh, pounced upon it and flew away.
+Finding it not to be flesh he dropped it in the house of
+Sugu&#7751;&icirc;&rsquo;s husband. She happened to be alone working in
+the courtyard, while her sisters-in-law and the others were in
+different parts of the house. So she took up the sparkling ring and hid
+it in her lap.</p>
+<p>Soon afterwards she heard a proclamation made in the street that the
+king had lost a valuable ring, and that any person who could trace it
+and give it back to him should obtain a great reward.
+Sugu&#7751;&icirc; called her husband and his brothers and thus
+addressed them:&mdash;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;My lord and brothers, I have the king&rsquo;s ring. Exactly
+at midday a <i>garu&#7693;a</i> dropped it in our courtyard and here it
+is. We must all go to the king, and there, before you three, I shall
+deliver up the ring, explaining how I got it. When his majesty desires
+me to name my reward I <span class="pagenum">[<a id="pb207" href=
+"#pb207" name="pb207">207</a>]</span>shall do so, and beg of you never
+to contradict or gainsay my desires, if they appear very humble in your
+opinion.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>The brothers agreed, and they all started for the palace. They had a
+very great respect for Sugu&#7751;&icirc; and expected a good result
+from this visit to the king.</p>
+<p>The palace was reached, and the ring was given back to the king with
+the explanation. His majesty was charmed at the modesty and
+truthfulness of Sugu&#7751;&icirc;, and asked her to name her
+reward.</p>
+<p>&ldquo;My most gracious sovereign! King of kings! Supreme lord! Only
+a slight favour thy dog of a servant requests of your majesty. It is
+this, that on a Friday night all the lights in the town be
+extinguished, and not a lamp be lit even in the palace. Only the house
+of thy dog of a servant must be lighted up with such lights as it can
+afford.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;Agreed, most modest lady. We grant your request, and we
+permit you to have the privilege you desire this very next
+Friday.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>Joyfully she bowed before his majesty, and returned with her husband
+and the others to her house. She then pledged the last jewel she had by
+her and procured some money.</p>
+<p>Friday came. She fasted the whole day, and as soon as twilight
+approached she called both the brothers of her husband, and thus
+addressed them:&mdash; <span class="pagenum">[<a id="pb208" href=
+"#pb208" name="pb208">208</a>]</span></p>
+<p>&ldquo;My brothers, I have made arrangements for lighting up our
+house with one thousand lamps to-night. One of you, without ever
+closing your eyes for a moment, must watch the front of our house and
+the other the back. If a woman of a graceful appearance and of feminine
+majesty wishes you to permit her to enter it, boldly tell her to swear
+first never to go out again. If she solemnly agrees to this, then
+permit her to come in. If in the same way any woman wishes to go out,
+make a similar condition that she must swear never to return at any
+time in her life.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>What Sugu&#7751;&icirc; said seemed ridiculous to the brothers; but
+they allowed her to have her way, and waited to see patiently what
+would take place.</p>
+<p>The whole town was gloomy that night, except
+Sugu&#7751;&icirc;&rsquo;s house; for, by order of his majesty, no
+light was lit in any other house. The
+<i>Ash&#7789;alakshm&icirc;s</i>&mdash;the Eight
+Prosperities&mdash;entered the town that night and went house by house
+into every street. All of them were dark, and the only house lit up was
+Sugu&#7751;&icirc;&rsquo;s. They tried to enter it, but the brother at
+the door stopped them and ordered them to take the oath. This they did,
+and when he came to understand that these ladies were the Eight
+Prosperities, he admired the sagacity of his brother&rsquo;s wife.</p>
+<p>A <i>nimisha</i> after the eight ladies had gone in, there
+<span class="pagenum">[<a id="pb209" href="#pb209" name=
+"pb209">209</a>]</span>came out of the house a hideous female and
+requested permission to go, but the brother at the back would not
+permit this unless she swore never to come back again. She solemnly
+swore, and the next moment he came to know that she was
+<i>M&ucirc;d&ecirc;v&icirc;</i>, or Adversity, the elder sister of
+Prosperity.</p>
+<p>For she said:&mdash;&ldquo;My sisters have come. I cannot stay here
+for a minute longer. God bless you and your people. I swear by
+everything sacred never to come back.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>And so, unable to breathe there any longer, Adversity ran away.</p>
+<p>When the morning dawned, the Prosperities had already taken up a
+permanent abode with the family. The rice bag became filled. The money
+chest overflowed with money. The pot contained milk. And thus plenty
+began to reign in Sugu&#7751;&icirc;&rsquo;s house from that day. The
+three brothers and her father-in-law were overjoyed at the way
+Sugu&#7751;&icirc; had driven away their poverty for ever, and even
+Sugu&#7751;&icirc;&rsquo;s parents did not feel it a disgrace to come
+and beg their daughter&rsquo;s pardon. She nobly granted it and lived
+with all the members of her family in prosperity for a long life.</p>
+<p>It is a notion, therefore, among orthodox Hind&ucirc;s, that light
+in the house brings prosperity, and darkness adversity.<a class=
+"noteref" id="xd20e3518src" href="#xd20e3518" name="xd20e3518src">2</a>
+<span class="pagenum">[<a id="pb210" href="#pb210" name=
+"pb210">210</a>]</span></p>
+</div>
+<div class="footnotes">
+<hr class="fnsep">
+<p class="footnote"><span class="label"><a class="noteref" id=
+"xd20e3448" href="#xd20e3448src" name="xd20e3448">1</a></span> A
+<i><span class="corr" id="xd20e3451" title=
+"Source: panam">pa&#7751;am</span></i> is generally worth two
+<i>&acirc;n&acirc;s</i>.</p>
+<p class="footnote"><span class="label"><a class="noteref" id=
+"xd20e3518" href="#xd20e3518src" name="xd20e3518">2</a></span> See also
+the <a href="#ch2">second tale in this series</a>.</p>
+</div>
+</div>
+<div id="ch18" class="div1"><span class="pagenum">[<a href=
+"#toc">Contents</a>]</span>
+<div class="divHead">
+<h2 class="label">XVIII.</h2>
+<h2 class="main">Chandral&ecirc;kh&acirc; and the Eight Robbers.</h2>
+</div>
+<div class="divBody">
+<p class="first">There was an ancient city named Kaivalyam, in the
+P&acirc;n&#7693;iya country, and in that city there lived a dancing
+girl named Muttum&ocirc;han&acirc;. She was an excellent gem of
+womankind, for though born of the dancing-girls&rsquo; caste, she was a
+very learned and pious woman, and never would she taste her food
+without first going and worshipping in the temple of <span class="corr"
+id="xd20e3532" title="Source: Siva">&#346;iva</span>. She moved in the
+society of kings, ministers, and <span class="corr" id="xd20e3535"
+title="Source: Br&acirc;hmins">Br&acirc;hmi&#7751;s</span>, and never
+mingled with low people, however rich they might be. She had a daughter
+named Chandral&ecirc;kh&acirc;, whom she put to school with the sons of
+kings, ministers and <span class="corr" id="xd20e3538" title=
+"Source: Br&acirc;hmins">Br&acirc;hmi&#7751;s</span>.
+Chandral&ecirc;kh&acirc; showed signs of very great intelligence, even
+when she was beginning her alphabet, so that the master took the
+greatest care with her tuition, and in less than four years she began
+her lessons and became a great
+<i>pa&#7751;&#7693;it&acirc;</i>.<a class="noteref" id="xd20e3544src"
+href="#xd20e3544" name="xd20e3544src">1</a> However, as <span class=
+"pagenum">[<a id="pb211" href="#pb211" name="pb211">211</a>]</span>she
+was only a dancing-girl by birth, there was no objection to her
+attending to her studies in open school till she attained to maturity,
+and, accordingly, up to that age she attended the school and mastered
+the four <i>V&ecirc;das</i> and <i>&#346;&acirc;stras</i> and the
+sixty-four varieties of knowledge.</p>
+<p>She then ceased to attend the school, and Muttum&ocirc;han&acirc;
+said to her:&mdash;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;My darling daughter, for the last seven or eight years you
+have been taking lessons under the <span class="corr" id="xd20e3560"
+title="Source: Br&acirc;hmin">Br&acirc;hmi&#7751;</span>, your master,
+in the various departments of knowledge, and you must now pay a large
+fee to remunerate your master&rsquo;s labours in having taught you so
+much. You are at liberty to take as much money as you please from my
+hoard.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>So saying she handed over the key to her daughter, and
+Chandral&ecirc;kh&acirc;, delighted at her mother&rsquo;s sound advice,
+filled up five baskets with five thousand <i>mohars</i> in each, and
+setting them on the heads of five maid-servants, went to her
+master&rsquo;s house with betel leaves, areca nut, flowers and
+cocoanuts in a platter in her hand, to be presented along with the
+money. The servants placed the baskets before the master and stood
+outside the house, while Chandral&ecirc;kh&acirc; took the dish of
+betel leaves, nuts, &amp;c., and humbly prostrated herself on the
+ground before him. Then, rising up, she said:&mdash;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;My most holy <i>gur&ucirc;</i> (master), great are the pains
+<span class="pagenum">[<a id="pb212" href="#pb212" name=
+"pb212">212</a>]</span>your holiness undertook in instructing me, and
+thus destroying the darkness of my ignorance. For the last eight years
+I have been a regular student under your holiness, and all the branches
+of knowledge hath your holiness taught me. Though what I offer might be
+insufficient for the pains your holiness took in my case, still I
+humbly request your holiness to accept what I have brought.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>Thus said she, and respectfully pushed the baskets of <i>mohars</i>
+and the betel-nut platter towards the <span class="corr" id="xd20e3580"
+title="Source: Br&acirc;hmin">Br&acirc;hmi&#7751;</span>. She expected
+to hear benedictions from her tutor, but in that we shall see she was
+soon disappointed.</p>
+<p>Replied the wretched <span class="corr" id="xd20e3585" title=
+"Source: Br&acirc;hmin">Br&acirc;hmi&#7751;</span>:&mdash;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;My dear Chandral&ecirc;kh&acirc;, do you not know that I am
+the tutor of the prince, the minister&rsquo;s son and several others of
+great wealth in Kaivalyam? Of money I have more than enough. I do not
+want a single <i>mohar</i> from you, but what I want is that you should
+marry me.&rdquo;<a class="noteref" id="xd20e3593src" href="#xd20e3593"
+name="xd20e3593src">2</a></p>
+<p>Thus spoke the shameless teacher, and
+Chandral&ecirc;kh&acirc;&rsquo;s face changed colour. She was horrified
+to hear such a suggestion from one whom she had thought till then to be
+an incarnation of perfection. But, still hoping to convince him of the
+unjustness of the request, she said:&mdash; <span class=
+"pagenum">[<a id="pb213" href="#pb213" name="pb213">213</a>]</span></p>
+<p>&ldquo;My most holy master! The deep respect I entertain towards
+your holy feet is such that, though your holiness&rsquo;s words are
+plain, I am led to think that they are merely uttered to test my
+character. Does not your holiness know the rules by which a preceptor
+is to be regarded as a father, and that I thus stand in the
+relationship of a daughter to your holiness? So kindly forget all that
+your holiness has said, and accepting what I have brought in my humble
+state, permit me to go home.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>But the wretched teacher never meant anything of the sort. He had
+spoken in earnest, and his silence now and lascivious look at once
+convinced the dancing-girl&rsquo;s daughter of what was passing in his
+mind. So she quickly went out and told her servants to take back the
+money.</p>
+<p>At home Muttum&ocirc;han&acirc; was anxiously awaiting the return of
+her daughter, and as soon as Chandral&ecirc;kh&acirc; came in without
+the usual cheerfulness in her face, and without having given the
+presents, her mother suspected that something had gone wrong, and
+inquired of her daughter the cause of her gloom. She then related to
+her mother the whole story of her interview with her old master.
+Muttum&ocirc;han&acirc; was glad to find such a firm heart in her
+daughter, and blessed her, saying that she would be wedded to a young
+husband, and lead a chaste life, though <span class="pagenum">[<a id=
+"pb214" href="#pb214" name="pb214">214</a>]</span>born of the
+dancing-girls&rsquo; caste. The money she safely locked up in her
+room.</p>
+<p>Now, the <span class="corr" id="xd20e3613" title=
+"Source: Br&acirc;hmin">Br&acirc;hmi&#7751;</span>, in consequence of
+his disappointment, was very angry with Chandral&ecirc;kh&acirc;, and,
+that no young and wealthy gentleman might visit her house, he spread
+reports that Chandral&ecirc;kh&acirc; was possessed of a demon
+(<i>ku&#7789;&#7789;&icirc;chch&acirc;tti</i>). So no one approached
+<span class="corr" id="xd20e3619" title=
+"Source: Chandral&ecirc;kk&acirc;&rsquo;s">Chandral&ecirc;kh&acirc;&rsquo;s</span>
+house to win her love, and her mother was much vexed. Her great wish
+was that some respectable young man should secure her daughter&rsquo;s
+affections, but the master&rsquo;s rumours stood in the way. And thus a
+year passed, and the belief that a
+<i>ku&#7789;&#7789;&icirc;chch&acirc;tti</i> had possessed
+Chandral&ecirc;kh&acirc; gained firm ground.</p>
+<p>After what seemed to these two to be a long period, a sage happened
+to visit Muttum&ocirc;han&acirc;&rsquo;s house, and she related to him
+all her daughter&rsquo;s story. He listened and said:&mdash;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;Since the belief that a demon has taken possession of your
+daughter has taken firm hold of the citizens, it is but necessary now
+that she should perform (<i>p&ucirc;j&acirc;</i>) worship to the
+demon-king on the night of the new moon of this month in the
+cremation-ground. Let her do this and she will be all right, for then
+some worthy young man can secure her affections.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>So saying the sage went away, and his advice seemed to be reasonable
+to the mother. She very <span class="pagenum">[<a id="pb215" href=
+"#pb215" name="pb215">215</a>]</span>well knew that no such demon had
+possessed her daughter, but that it was all the master&rsquo;s idle
+report. But still, to wipe away any evil notion in the minds of the
+people she publicly proclaimed that her daughter would perform
+<i>p&ucirc;j&acirc;</i> in the cremation-ground at midnight at the next
+new moon.<a class="noteref" id="xd20e3639src" href="#xd20e3639" name=
+"xd20e3639src">3</a> Now, it is always the rule in such rites that the
+person who is possessed should go alone to the cremation-ground, and,
+accordingly, on the night of the next new moon,
+Chandral&ecirc;kh&acirc; went to the burning-ground with a basket
+containing all the necessary things for worship, and a light.</p>
+<p>Near Kaivalyam, at a distance of five <i>k&ocirc;s</i> from it, was
+a great forest called <i>Kh&acirc;&#7751;&#7693;avam</i>. In it there
+dwelt eight robbers, who used to commit the greatest havoc in the
+country round. At the time that Chandral&ecirc;kh&acirc; proceeded to
+the cremation-ground, these eight robbers also happened to go there to
+conceal what they had stolen in the earlier <span class=
+"pagenum">[<a id="pb216" href="#pb216" name="pb216">216</a>]</span>part
+of that night. Then, being relieved of their burden, they determined to
+go to some other place to plunder during the latter half of the night
+also. When Chandral&ecirc;kh&acirc; heard the sound of footsteps at a
+distance she feared something wrong, and, covering up her glittering
+light by means of her empty basket, concealed herself in a hollow
+place. The thieves came and looked round about them. They found nobody,
+but, fearing that some one might be near, one of them took out an
+instrument called <i>kannakk&ocirc;l</i>, and, whirling it round his
+head, threw it towards the east. This <i>kannakk&ocirc;l</i> is the
+instrument by which these robbers bore holes in walls and enter
+buildings, and some robbers say they get it from a thunderbolt. During
+a stormy day they make a large heap of cow-dung, into which a
+thunderbolt falls and leaves a rod in the middle, which is so powerful
+that it can bore even through stone walls without making any noise. It
+has also the attribute of obeying its master&rsquo;s orders. So when
+the chief of the eight robbers threw his <i>kannakk&ocirc;l</i> towards
+the east, true to its nature, it fell into the hole in which
+Chandral&ecirc;kh&acirc; was hiding, and began to pierce her in the
+back. As soon as she felt it, she dragged it out by both her hands
+without making the slightest noise, and, throwing it under her feet,
+stood firmly over it. The robbers, having concealed the eight boxes of
+<span class="pagenum">[<a id="pb217" href="#pb217" name=
+"pb217">217</a>]</span>wealth they had brought with them in the sands
+near the cremation-ground, went away to spend the remaining part of the
+night usefully in their own fashion.</p>
+<p>As soon as the robbers had left the place Chandral&ecirc;kh&acirc;
+came out, and, taking possession of the robbers&rsquo; rod, took out
+the eight boxes that the robbers had buried. With these she quickly
+hastened home, where her mother was awaiting her return. She soon made
+her appearance, and related all that had occurred during the night to
+her mother. They soon removed the contents of the boxes and locked them
+up safely. Then, taking the empty boxes, she filled them up with
+stones, old iron and other useless materials, and, arranging them two
+and two by the side of each leg of her cot, went to sleep on it.</p>
+<p>As the night was drawing to a close, the robbers, with still more
+booty, came to the ground, and were thunderstruck when they missed
+their boxes. But as the day was dawning they went away into the jungle,
+leaving the investigation of the matter to the next night. They were
+astonished at the trick that had been played upon them and were very
+anxious to find out the thief who had outwitted thieves. Now they were
+sure that their boring-rod, which they had aimed against the unknown
+person who might be lurking in the <i>sma&#347;&acirc;nam</i>
+(cremation-ground), must have wounded him. So one of them assumed
+<span class="pagenum">[<a id="pb218" href="#pb218" name=
+"pb218">218</a>]</span>the guise of an ointment-seller,<a class=
+"noteref" id="xd20e3673src" href="#xd20e3673" name="xd20e3673src">4</a>
+and, with some ointment in a cocoanut-bottle, began to walk the streets
+of Kaivalyam city, crying out:&mdash;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;Ointment to sell. The best of ointments to cure new wounds
+and old sores. Please buy my ointment.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>And the other seven thieves assumed seven different disguises and
+also went wandering round the streets of the city. A maid-servant of
+Chandral&ecirc;kh&acirc; had seen that her mistress was suffering from
+the effects of a wound in her back, and never suspecting a thief in the
+medicine seller, called out to the ointment-man and took him inside the
+house. She then informed Chandral&ecirc;kh&acirc; that she had brought
+in an ointment-man, and that she would do well to buy a little of his
+medicine for her wound. The clever Chandral&ecirc;kh&acirc; at once
+recognised the thief in the medicine vendor, and he too, as he was a
+very cunning brute, recognised in the young lady the thief of his
+boxes, and found her wound to be that made by his boring-rod. They soon
+parted company. The lady bought a little ointment, and the thief in
+disguise, gladly giving a little of his precious stuff from his
+cocoanut-bottle, went away. The eight thieves had appointed a place
+outside Kaivalyam for their rendezvous, and <span class=
+"pagenum">[<a id="pb219" href="#pb219" name=
+"pb219">219</a>]</span>there they learnt who had robbed them of their
+treasure. Not wishing to remain idle, they chose that very night both
+to break into Chandral&ecirc;kh&acirc;&rsquo;s house and bring away
+herself and their boxes.</p>
+<p>Chandral&ecirc;kh&acirc;, too, was very careful. She locked up all
+the treasures and kept the eight boxes filled with rubbish, so as to
+correspond with their original weights, under the cot on which she
+slept, or rather pretended to sleep, that night. The thieves in due
+course made a hole into her bedroom and entered. They found her to all
+appearance sound asleep, and to their still greater joy, they found
+beneath her cot their eight boxes.</p>
+<p>&ldquo;The vixen is asleep. Let us come to-morrow night and take her
+away; but first let us remove our boxes.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>So saying to each other, they took their boxes, each placing one on
+his head, and returned in haste to their cave, which they reached early
+in the morning. But when they opened the boxes to sort out their booty,
+astonishment of astonishments, their eyes met only broken pieces of
+stone, lumps of iron, and other such rubbish. Every one of them placed
+his forefinger at right angles to the tip of his nose, and
+exclaimed:&mdash;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;Ah! A very clever girl. She has managed to deceive us all.
+But let this day pass. We shall see whether she will not fall into our
+hands to-night.&rdquo; <span class="pagenum">[<a id="pb220" href=
+"#pb220" name="pb220">220</a>]</span></p>
+<p>Thus, in wonder and amazement, they spent the whole day. Nor was
+Chandral&ecirc;kh&acirc; idle at her own house. She was sure she would
+again see the robbers in her room that night, and, in order to be
+prepared for the occasion, she made a small sharp knife out of the
+robber&rsquo;s rod, and kept it beneath her pillow, in the place where
+she was accustomed to keep her purse containing a few betel leaves,
+nuts, <i>chu&#7751;am</i>, &amp;c., to chew. The night came on. Early
+Chandral&ecirc;kh&acirc; had her supper and retired to bed. Sleep she
+could not, but she cunningly kept eyelids closed and pretended to
+sleep. Even before it was midnight the eight thieves broke into her
+room, saying to themselves:&mdash;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;This clever lady-thief sleeps soundly. We will do her no
+mischief here. Let us range ourselves two and two at each leg of her
+cot, and carry her away unconscious to the woods. There we can kill
+her.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>Thus thinking, the eight thieves ranged themselves at the side of
+the four legs of the cot, and, without the slightest shaking, removed
+the cot with the sleeper on it outside the town. Their joy in thus
+having brought away their enemy was very great, and, not fearing for
+the safe custody of their prisoner, they marched to their cave.
+Meanwhile Chandral&ecirc;kh&acirc; was not idle on the cot. The way to
+the jungle was through a long and fine avenue of mango trees. It
+<span class="pagenum">[<a id="pb221" href="#pb221" name=
+"pb221">221</a>]</span>was the mango season, and all the branches were
+hanging with bunches of ripe and unripe fruit. To make up for her
+weight on the cot she kept plucking mango bunches and heaping them on
+it, and as soon as a quantity which she thought would make up her
+weight was upon her cot, she without the slightest noise took hold of a
+branch and swung herself off it. The thieves walked on as before, the
+weight on their heads not apparently diminishing, leaving our heroine
+safely seated on a mango branch to pass the few remaining
+<i>gha&#7789;ik&acirc;s</i> of that anxious night there. The thieves
+reached their cave just at daybreak, and when they placed their burden
+down their eyes met only bunches of ripe mangoes, and not the lady they
+looked for.</p>
+<p>&ldquo;Is she a woman of flesh and blood, or is she a devil?&rdquo;
+asked the chief of the next in rank.</p>
+<p>&ldquo;My lord! she is a woman fast enough, and if we search in the
+wood we shall find her,&rdquo; replied he, and at once all the eight
+robbers after a light breakfast began to search for her.</p>
+<p>Meanwhile the morning dawned upon Chandral&ecirc;kh&acirc; and let
+her see that she was in the midst of a thick jungle. She feared to
+escape in the daytime as the way was long, and she was sure that the
+robbers would soon be after her. So she resolved to conceal herself in
+some deep ambush and wait for the night. Before she left the cot for
+<span class="pagenum">[<a id="pb222" href="#pb222" name=
+"pb222">222</a>]</span>the mango branch she had secured in her hip the
+small knife she had made for herself out of the robbers&rsquo; rod and
+the purse containing the materials for chewing betel; and near the tree
+into which she had climbed she saw a deep hollow surrounded by
+impenetrable reeds on all sides. So she slowly let herself down from
+the tree into this hollow, and anxiously waited there for the
+night.</p>
+<p>All this time the eight thieves were searching for her in different
+places, and one of them came to the spot where Chandral&ecirc;kh&acirc;
+had sat in the tree, and the dense bushes near made him suspect that
+she was hidden there; so he proceeded to examine the place by climbing
+up the tree. When Chandral&ecirc;kh&acirc; saw the thief on the tree
+she gave up all hopes of life. But suddenly a bright thought came into
+her mind, just as the man up above saw her. Putting on a most cheerful
+countenance she slowly spoke to him.</p>
+<p>&ldquo;My dear husband, for I must term you so from this moment,
+since God has elevated you now to that position, do not raise an alarm.
+Come down here gently, that we may be happy in each other&rsquo;s
+company. You are my husband and I am your wife from this
+moment.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>So spoke the clever Chandral&ecirc;kh&acirc;, and the head of the
+thief began to turn with joy when he heard so sweet a speech, and
+forgetting all her previous <span class="pagenum">[<a id="pb223" href=
+"#pb223" name="pb223">223</a>]</span>conduct to himself and his
+brethren, he leapt into the hollow. She welcomed him with a smiling
+face, in which the eager heart of the robber read sincere affection,
+and gave him some betel-nut to chew and chewed some herself merrily.
+Now redness of the tongue after chewing betel is always an indication
+of the mutual affection of a husband and wife among the illiterate of
+Hindu society. So while the betel-leaf was being chewed she put out her
+tongue to show the thief how red it was, letting him see thereby how
+deeply she loved him: and he, to show in return how deeply he loved
+her, put out his tongue too. And she, as if examining it closely,
+clutched it in her left hand, while with her right hand in the
+twinkling of an eye cut off the tongue and nose of the robber, and
+taking advantage of the confusion that came over him she cut his throat
+and left him dead.</p>
+<p>By this time evening was fast approaching, and the other seven
+robbers, after fruitless search, returned to their cave, feeling sure
+that the eighth man must have discovered Chandral&ecirc;kh&acirc;. They
+waited and waited the whole night, but no one returned, for how could a
+man who had been killed come back?</p>
+<p>Our heroine, meanwhile, as soon as evening set in started homewards,
+being emboldened by the occasion and the circumstances in which she was
+placed. <span class="pagenum">[<a id="pb224" href="#pb224" name=
+"pb224">224</a>]</span>She reached home safely at midnight and related
+all her adventures to her mother. Overcome by exhaustion she slept the
+rest of the night, and as soon as morning dawned began to strengthen
+the walls of her bedroom by iron plates. To her most useful
+pocket-knife she now added a bagful of powdered chillies, and went to
+bed, not to sleep, but to watch for the robbers. Just as she expected,
+a small hole was bored in the east wall of her bedroom, and one of the
+seven robbers thrust in his head. As soon as she saw the hole our
+heroine stood by the side of it with the powder and knife, and with the
+latter she cut off the nose of the man who peeped in and thrust the
+powder into the wound. Unable to bear the burning pain he dragged
+himself back, uttering &ldquo;<i>&#7749;a, &#7749;a, &#7749;a,
+&#7749;a,</i>&rdquo; having now no nose to pronounce properly with. A
+second thief, abusing the former for having lost his nose so
+carelessly, went in, and the bold lady inside dealt in the same way
+with his nose, and he too, dragged himself back in the same way,
+calling out &ldquo;<i>&#7749;a, &#7749;a, &#7749;a,
+&#7749;a.</i>&rdquo; A third thief abused the second in his turn, and
+going in lost his nose also. Thus all the seven thieves lost their
+noses, and, fearing to be discovered if they remained, ran off to the
+forest, where they had to take a few days&rsquo; rest from their
+plundering habits to cure their mutilated noses.</p>
+<p>Chandral&ecirc;kh&acirc; had thus three or four times disappointed
+<span class="pagenum">[<a id="pb225" href="#pb225" name=
+"pb225">225</a>]</span>the thieves. The more she disappointed them the
+more she feared for her own safety, especially as she had now inflicted
+a life-long shame on them.</p>
+<p>&ldquo;The thieves will surely come as soon as their noses are cured
+and kill me in some way or other. I am, after all, only a girl,&rdquo;
+she thought to herself. So she went at once to the palace and reported
+all her adventures with the eight robbers to the prince, who had been
+her former class-mate. The prince was astonished at the bravery of
+Chandral&ecirc;kh&acirc;, and promised the next time the robbers came
+to lend her his assistance. So every night a spy from the palace slept
+in Chandral&ecirc;kh&acirc;&rsquo;s house to carry the news of the
+arrival of the robbers to the prince, should they ever go there. But
+the robbers were terribly afraid of approaching
+Chandral&ecirc;kh&acirc;&rsquo;s house, after they came to know that
+she had a knife made out of the boring-rod. But they devised among
+themselves a plan of inviting Chandral&ecirc;kh&acirc; to the forest
+under the pretence of holding a <i>nautch</i>, and sent to her house a
+servant for that purpose. The servant came, and, entering
+Chandral&ecirc;kh&acirc;&rsquo;s house, spoke thus to her:&mdash;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;My dear young lady, whoever you may be, you have now a chance
+of enriching yourself. I see plainly from the situation of your house
+that you are one of the dancing-girls&rsquo; caste. My masters in the
+<span class="pagenum">[<a id="pb226" href="#pb226" name=
+"pb226">226</a>]</span>forest have made a plan to give a <i>nautch</i>
+to their relatives on the occasion of a wedding which is to take place
+there the day after to-morrow. If you come there they will reward you
+with a <i>kar&ocirc;&#7771;</i> of <i>mohars</i> for every
+<i>nimisha</i> (minute) of your performance.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>Thus spoke the servant, and Chandral&ecirc;kh&acirc;, knowing that
+the mission was from the thieves, agreed to perform the <i>nautch</i>,
+and, asking the man to come and take her and her party the next morning
+to the forest, sent him away.</p>
+<p>In order to lose no time she went at once to the prince and told him
+all about the <i>nautch</i>. Said she:&mdash;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;I know very well that this is a scheme of the thieves to kill
+me, but before they can do that we must try to kill them. A way
+suggests itself to me in this wise. To make up a <i>nautch</i> party
+more than seven persons are required. One must play the drum; a second
+must sound the cymbals; a third must blow upon the
+<i>n&acirc;gasvara</i> pipe, etc., etc. So I request you to give me
+seven of your strongest men to accompany me disguised as men of my
+party, and some of your troops must secretly lie in ambush in readiness
+to take the robbers prisoners when a signal is given to
+them.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>Thus Chandral&ecirc;kh&acirc; spoke, and all her advice the prince
+received with great admiration. He himself offered to follow her as her
+drummer for the <i>nautch</i>, <span class="pagenum">[<a id="pb227"
+href="#pb227" name="pb227">227</a>]</span>and he chose six of the
+ablest commanders from his army, and asked them to disguise themselves
+as fiddlers, pipers, etc., and he directed an army of a thousand men to
+follow their footsteps at a distance of two
+<i>gha&#7789;ik&acirc;s&rsquo;</i> march, and to lie in ambush near the
+place where they were going to perform the <i>nautch</i>, ready for a
+call. Thus everything was arranged and all were ready by the morning to
+start from Chandral&ecirc;kh&acirc;&rsquo;s house.</p>
+<p>Before the third <i>gha&#7789;ik&acirc;</i> of the morning was over,
+the robbers&rsquo; servant came to conduct Chandral&ecirc;kh&acirc;
+with her party to the forest, where the prince and six of his strongest
+men disguised as her followers, were waiting for him.
+Chandral&ecirc;kh&acirc; with all her followers accompanied him, but as
+soon as she left her house a spy ran off to the army, which, as ordered
+by the prince, began to follow her party at a distance of two
+<i>gha&#7789;ik&acirc;s</i>.</p>
+<p>After travelling a long way Chandral&ecirc;kh&acirc; and her party
+reached the <i>nautch</i> pavilion at about five
+<i>gha&#7789;ik&acirc;s</i> before sunset. All their hosts were without
+their noses, and some still had their noses bandaged up. When they saw
+that <span class="corr" id="xd20e3811" title=
+"Source: Chandral&ecirc;k&acirc;&rsquo;s">Chandral&ecirc;kh&acirc;&rsquo;s</span>
+followers had a fine and prepossessing appearance, even the hard hearts
+of the robbers softened a little.</p>
+<p>&ldquo;Let us have a look at her performance. She is now entirely in
+our possession. Instead of murdering her now, we will witness her
+performance <span class="pagenum">[<a id="pb228" href="#pb228" name=
+"pb228">228</a>]</span>for a <i>gha&#7789;ik&acirc;</i>,&rdquo; said
+the robbers to each other; and all with one voice said
+&ldquo;agreed,&rdquo; and at once the order for the performance was
+given.</p>
+<p>Chandral&ecirc;kh&acirc;, who was clever in every department of
+knowledge, began her performance, and, by the most exquisite movement
+of her limbs, held the audience spell-bound, when suddenly <i>t&acirc;
+tai, t&ocirc;m</i> clashed the cymbals. This was the signal for the
+destruction of the robbers, as well as the sign of the close of a part
+of the <i>nautch</i>. In the twinkling of an eye the seven disguised
+followers of the dancing-girl had thrown down the thieves and were upon
+them. Before the servants of the robbers could come to the help of
+their masters the footsteps of an army near were heard, and in no time
+the prince&rsquo;s one thousand men were on the spot and took all the
+robbers and their followers prisoners.</p>
+<p>So great had been the ravages of these robbers in and round
+Kaivalyam that, without any mercy being shown to them, they and their
+followers were all ordered to be beheaded, and the prince was so much
+won over by the excellent qualities of Chandral&ecirc;kh&acirc; that,
+notwithstanding her birth as a dancing-girl, he regarded her as a gem
+of womankind and married her.</p>
+<p>&ldquo;Buy a girl in a <i>b&acirc;z&acirc;r</i>&rdquo; (<i>kanniyai
+ka&#7693;aiyir kol&#803;</i>) is a proverb. What matter where a girl is
+born provided she is virtuous! And Chandral&ecirc;kh&acirc;, by her
+<span class="pagenum">[<a id="pb229" href="#pb229" name=
+"pb229">229</a>]</span>excellent virtue, won a prince for her lord. And
+when that lord came to know of the real nature of his teacher, who was
+also the teacher of Chandral&ecirc;kh&acirc;, he banished him from his
+kingdom, as a merciful punishment, in consideration of his previous
+services. <span class="pagenum">[<a id="pb230" href="#pb230" name=
+"pb230">230</a>]</span></p>
+</div>
+<div class="footnotes">
+<hr class="fnsep">
+<p class="footnote"><span class="label"><a class="noteref" id=
+"xd20e3544" href="#xd20e3544src" name="xd20e3544">1</a></span> Learned
+woman.</p>
+<p class="footnote"><span class="label"><a class="noteref" id=
+"xd20e3593" href="#xd20e3593src" name="xd20e3593">2</a></span> There
+would of course be no <i>real</i> marriage between a dancing girl and a
+Br&acirc;hmi&#7751;. Hence the insult.</p>
+<p class="footnote"><span class="label"><a class="noteref" id=
+"xd20e3639" href="#xd20e3639src" name="xd20e3639">3</a></span> In
+stories of a master falling in love with the girl he has been teaching,
+he is usually himself made a soothsayer. In that capacity he asks the
+guardian (father or mother) to put the girl in a light box and to float
+her down a river. The girl in the box is taken by a young man,
+sometimes a prince, and becomes his wife. A tiger or a lion is then put
+into the box, and when the teacher, a great way down the river, takes
+the box and wishes to run away with the girl inside, he is torn to
+pieces, as a fit reward for his evil intentions, by the beast. But here
+the story takes a different turn.</p>
+<p class="footnote"><span class="label"><a class="noteref" id=
+"xd20e3673" href="#xd20e3673src" name="xd20e3673">4</a></span> From
+this point up to the end we shall find the story to be similar to
+&ldquo;Al&icirc; B&acirc;b&acirc; and the Forty Thieves&rdquo; in the
+<i>Arabian Nights</i>, though the plot is different.</p>
+</div>
+</div>
+<div id="ch19" class="div1"><span class="pagenum">[<a href=
+"#toc">Contents</a>]</span>
+<div class="divHead">
+<h2 class="label">XIX.</h2>
+<h2 class="main">The Conquest of Fate.</h2>
+</div>
+<div class="divBody">
+<p class="first">In the Dakshinad&ecirc;&#347;a there lived a
+Br&acirc;hmi&#7751; boy who from his childhood was given a very liberal
+education in Sansk&#7771;it. He had read so much in philosophy that
+before he reached the sixteenth year of his life he began to despise
+the pleasures of the world. Everything which he saw was an illusion
+(<i>mithy&acirc;</i>) to him. So he resolved to renounce the world and
+to go to a forest, there to meet with some great sage, and pass his
+days with him in peace and happiness.</p>
+<p>Having thus made up his mind, he left his home one day without the
+knowledge of his parents and travelled towards the <span class="corr"
+id="xd20e3854" title=
+"Source: Dan&#7693;ak&acirc;ranya">Dandak&acirc;ranya</span>. After
+wandering for a long time in that impenetrable forest, and undergoing
+all the miseries of a wood inhabited only by wild beasts, he reached
+the banks of the Tu&#7749;gabhadr&acirc;. His sufferings in his
+wanderings in a forest untrodden by human feet, his loneliness in the
+midst of wild beasts, his fears whether after all he had not failed in
+his search for consolation in <span class="pagenum">[<a id="pb231"
+href="#pb231" name="pb231">231</a>]</span>a preceptor to teach him the
+higher branches of philosophy, came up one after another before his
+mind. Dejected and weary, he cast his glance forward as far as it could
+reach. Was it a reality or only imagination? He saw before him a lonely
+cottage of leaves (<i>par&#7751;a&#347;&acirc;l&acirc;</i>). To a
+lonely traveller even the appearance of shelter is welcome, so he
+followed up his vision till it became a reality, and an aged hoary
+Br&acirc;hmi&#7751;, full fourscore and more in years, welcomed our
+young philosopher.</p>
+<p>&ldquo;What has brought you here, my child, to this lonely forest
+thus alone?&rdquo; spoke in a sweet voice the hoary lord of the cottage
+of leaves.</p>
+<p>&ldquo;A thirst for knowledge, so that I may acquire the mastery
+over the higher branches of philosophy,&rdquo; was the reply of our
+young adventurer, whose name was Subrahmanya.</p>
+<p>&ldquo;Sit down my child,&rdquo; said the old sage, much pleased
+that in this Kaliyuga, which is one long epoch of sin, there was at
+least one young lad who had forsaken his home for philosophy.</p>
+<p>Having thus seen our hero safely relieved from falling a prey to the
+tigers and lions of the Dandak&acirc;ranya, let us enquire into the
+story of the old sage. In the good old days even of this Kaliyuga
+learned people, after fully enjoying the world, retired to the forests,
+with or without their wives, to pass the decline of life in solemn
+solitude and contemplation. <span class="pagenum">[<a id="pb232" href=
+"#pb232" name="pb232">232</a>]</span>When they went with their wives
+they were said to undergo the <i>v&acirc;naprastha</i> stage of family
+life.</p>
+<p>The hoary sage of our story was undergoing <i>v&acirc;naprastha</i>,
+for he was in the woods with his wife. His name while living was
+J&ntilde;&acirc;nanidhi. He had built a neat
+<i>par&#7751;a&#347;&acirc;l&acirc;</i><span class="corr" id=
+"xd20e3882" title="Not in source">,</span> or cottage of leaves, on the
+banks of the commingled waters of the Tu&#7749;g&acirc; and
+Bhadr&acirc;, and here his days and nights were spent in meditation.
+Though old in years he retained the full vigour of manhood, the result
+of a well-spent youth. The life of his later years was most simple and
+sinless.</p>
+<div class="lgouter">
+<p class="line">&ldquo;Remote from man, with God he passed his
+days;</p>
+<p class="line">Prayer all his business, all his pleasures
+praise.&rdquo;</p>
+</div>
+<p class="first">The wood yielded him herbs, fruits, and roots, and the
+river, proverbial<a class="noteref" id="xd20e3892src" href="#xd20e3892"
+name="xd20e3892src">1</a> for its sweet waters, supplied him with
+drink. He lived, in fact, as simply as the bard who sang:&mdash;</p>
+<div class="lgouter">
+<p class="line">&ldquo;But from the mountain&rsquo;s grassy side</p>
+<p class="line xd20e3912">A guiltless feast I bring;</p>
+<p class="line">A bag with herbs and fruits supplied,</p>
+<p class="line xd20e3912">And water from the spring.&rdquo;</p>
+</div>
+<p class="first">His faithful wife brought him these, while
+J&ntilde;&acirc;nanidhi himself devoted his whole time to the
+contemplation of God.</p>
+<p>Such was J&ntilde;&acirc;nanidhi&mdash;the abode of all wise
+<span class="pagenum">[<a id="pb233" href="#pb233" name=
+"pb233">233</a>]</span>people&mdash;to whom the boy-philosopher,
+Subrahmanya, resorted. After questioning each other both were mightily
+pleased at the fortune which had brought them together.
+J&ntilde;&acirc;nanidhi was glad to impart his hard-earned knowledge
+during his leisure moments to the young student, and Subrahmanya, with
+that longing which made him renounce the city and take to the woods
+eagerly swallowed and assimilated whatever was administered to him. He
+relieved his mother&mdash;for as such he regarded his master&rsquo;s
+wife&mdash;of all her troubles, and used, himself, to go out to bring
+the fruits, herbs, and roots necessary for the repasts of the little
+family. Thus passed five years, by which time our young friend had
+become learned in the many branches of Aryan philosophy.</p>
+<p><span class="corr" id="xd20e3925" title=
+"Source: J&ntilde;&acirc;nadidhi">J&ntilde;&acirc;nanidhi</span> had a
+desire to visit the source of the Tu&#7749;gabhadr&acirc;, but his wife
+was eight months advanced in her pregnancy. So he could not take her;
+and to take care of her he had to leave behind his disciple,
+Subrahmanya. Thus after commending the lady to Subrahmanya&rsquo;s
+care, and leaving for female assistance another sage&rsquo;s wife, whom
+he had brought from a distant forest, J&ntilde;&acirc;nanidhi went his
+way.</p>
+<p>Now, there is a strong belief among Hindus that Brahm&acirc;, the
+great creator, writes on everyone&rsquo;s head at the time of his birth
+his future fortunes in life. He is supposed to do this just at the
+moment <span class="pagenum">[<a id="pb234" href="#pb234" name=
+"pb234">234</a>]</span>of birth. Of course, the great god when he
+enters the room to discharge his onerous duty, is invisible to all
+human eyes. But the eyes of Subrahmanya were not exactly human. The
+supreme knowledge which J&ntilde;&acirc;nanidhi had imparted to him
+made it easy for him to discern at once a person entering most
+impolitely the room in which his master&rsquo;s wife had been
+confined.</p>
+<p>&ldquo;Let your reverence stop here,&rdquo; said the disciple
+angrily though respectfully.</p>
+<p>The great god shuddered, for he had been in the habit of entering
+hourly innumerable buildings on his eternal rounds of duty, but never
+till then had a human being perceived him and asked him to stop. His
+wonder knew no measure, and as he stood bewildered the following
+reprimand fell on his ears:</p>
+<p>&ldquo;Hoary Br&acirc;hmi&#7751; sage (for so Brahm&acirc;
+appeared), it is unbecoming your age thus to enter the hut of my
+master, unallowed by me, who am watching here. My teacher&rsquo;s wife
+is ill. Stop!<span class="corr" id="xd20e3938" title=
+"Not in source">&rdquo;</span></p>
+<p>Brahm&acirc; hastily&mdash;for the time of inscribing the future
+fortune on the forehead of the baby to be born was fast
+approaching&mdash;explained to Subrahmanya who he was and what had
+brought him there. As soon as our young hero came to know the person
+who stood before him he rose up, and, tying his upper cloth round his
+hips as a mark of respect, went round the creator thrice, fell down
+before <span class="pagenum">[<a id="pb235" href="#pb235" name=
+"pb235">235</a>]</span>Brahm&acirc;&rsquo;s most holy feet and begged
+his pardon. Brahm&acirc; had not much time. He wanted to go in at once,
+but our young friend would not leave the god until he explained what he
+meant to write on the head of the child.</p>
+<p>&ldquo;My son!&rdquo; said Brahm&acirc;, &ldquo;I myself do not know
+what my iron nail will write on the head of the child. When the child
+is born I place the nail on its head, and the instrument writes the
+fate of the baby in proportion to its good or bad acts in its former
+life. To delay me is merely wrong. Let me go in.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;Then,&rdquo; said Subrahmanya, &ldquo;your holiness must
+inform me when your holiness goes out what has been written on the
+child&rsquo;s head.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;Agreed,&rdquo; said Brahm&acirc; and went in. After a moment
+he returned, and our young hero at the door asked the god what his nail
+had written.</p>
+<p>&ldquo;My child!&rdquo; said Brahm&acirc;, &ldquo;I will inform you
+what it wrote; but if you disclose it to anyone your head will split
+into a thousand pieces. The child is a male child. It has before it a
+very hard life. A buffalo and a sack of grain will be its livelihood.
+What is to be done. Perhaps it had not done any good acts in its former
+life, and as the result of its sin it must undergo miseries
+now.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;What! Your supreme holiness, the father of this child is a
+great sage! And is this the fate <span class="pagenum">[<a id="pb236"
+href="#pb236" name="pb236">236</a>]</span>reserved to the son of a
+sage?&rdquo; wept the true disciple of the sage.</p>
+<p>&ldquo;What have I to do with the matter? The fruits of acts in a
+former life must be undergone in the present life. But, remember, if
+you should reveal this news to any one your head will split into a
+thousand pieces.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>Having said this Brahm&acirc; went away, leaving Subrahmanya
+extremely pained to hear that the son of a great sage was to have a
+hard life. He could not even open his lips on the subject, for if he
+did his head would be split. In sorrow he passed some days, when
+J&ntilde;&acirc;nanidhi returned from his pilgrimage and was delighted
+to see his wife and the child doing well, and in the learned company of
+the old sage our young disciple forgot all his sorrow.</p>
+<p>Three more years passed away in deep study, and again the old sage
+wanted to go on a pilgrimage to the sacred source of the
+Tu&#7749;gabhadr&acirc;. Again was his wife expecting her confinement,
+and he had to leave her and his disciple behind with the usual
+temporary female assistance. Again, too, did Brahm&acirc; come at the
+moment of birth, but found easy admittance as Subrahmanya had now
+become acquainted with him owing to the previous event. Again did
+Brahm&acirc; take an oath from him not to communicate the fortunes of
+the second child, with the curse that if he broke his oath, his head
+would <span class="pagenum">[<a id="pb237" href="#pb237" name=
+"pb237">237</a>]</span>split into a thousand pieces. This child was a
+female, and the nail had written that her fate was to be that of a
+frivolous woman. Extremely vexed was our young philosopher. The thought
+vexed him to such a degree, that language has no words to express it.
+After worrying a great deal he consoled himself with the soothing
+philosophies of the fatalists, that fate alone governs the world.</p>
+<p>The old sage in due course returned, and our young disciple spent
+two more happy years with him. After a little more than ten years had
+been thus spent the boy reached to five years and the girl to two. The
+more they advanced in years the more did the recollection of their
+future pain Subrahmanya. So one morning he humbly requested the old
+sage to permit him to go on a long journey to the Him&acirc;layas and
+other mountains, and J&ntilde;&acirc;nanidhi, knowing that all that he
+knew had been grasped by the young disciple, permitted him with a glad
+heart to satisfy his curiosity.</p>
+<p>Our hero started, and after several years, during which he visited
+several towns and learned men, reached the Him&acirc;layas. There he
+saw many sages, and lived with them for some time. He did not remain in
+one place, for his object was more to examine the world. So he went
+from place to place, and after a long and interesting journey of twenty
+years he again returned to the banks of the Tu&#7749;gabhadr&acirc;,
+<span class="pagenum">[<a id="pb238" href="#pb238" name=
+"pb238">238</a>]</span>at the very place where he lived for ten years
+and imbibed philosophical knowledge from <span class="corr" id=
+"xd20e3972" title=
+"Source: J&#7749;&acirc;nanidhi">J&ntilde;&acirc;nanidhi</span>. But he
+saw there neither J&ntilde;&acirc;nanidhi nor his old wife. They had
+long since fallen a prey to the lord of death. Much afflicted at heart
+at seeing his master and mistress no more, he went to the nearest town,
+and there after a deal of search he found a coolie with a single
+buffalo. The fate which Brahm&acirc;&rsquo;s nail had written on his
+master&rsquo;s son rushed into the mind of Subrahmanya. He approached
+the coolie, and, on closely examining him from a distance, our hero
+found distinct indications of his master&rsquo;s face in the labourer.
+His grief knew no bounds at seeing the son of a great sage thus earning
+his livelihood by minding a buffalo. He followed him to his home, and
+found that he had a wife and two children. One sack of corn he had in
+his house and no more, from which he took out a portion every day and
+gave it to his wife to be shelled. The rice was cooked, and with the
+petty earnings of a coolie, he and his family kept body and soul
+together. Each time the corn in the sack became exhausted he used to be
+able to save enough to replenish it again with corn. Thus did he
+(according to the writing of Brahm&acirc;&rsquo;s nail) pass his days.
+Kap&acirc;l&icirc; was the name of this coolie, the sage&rsquo;s
+son.</p>
+<p>&ldquo;Do you know me, Kap&acirc;l&icirc;?&rdquo; said our hero, as
+he remembered his name. <span class="pagenum">[<a id="pb239" href=
+"#pb239" name="pb239">239</a>]</span></p>
+<p>The coolie was astonished to hear his name so readily pronounced by
+one who was apparently a stranger to him, but he said:&mdash;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;I am sorry that I do not know you, Sir.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>Subrahmanya then explained to him who he was, and requested him to
+follow his advice.</p>
+<p>&ldquo;My dear son,&rdquo; said he, &ldquo;do as I bid you. Early
+morning <span class="corr" id="xd20e3987" title=
+"Source: to morrow">to-morrow</span> leave your bed and take to the
+market your buffalo and the corn sack. Dispose of them for whatever
+amount they will fetch. Do not think twice about the matter. Buy all
+that is necessary for a sumptuous meal from the sale proceeds and eat
+it all up at once without reserving a morsel for the morrow. You will
+get a great deal more than you can eat in a day; but do not reserve
+any, even the smallest portion of it. Feed several other <span class=
+"corr" id="xd20e3990" title=
+"Source: Br&acirc;hmins">Br&acirc;hmi&#7751;s</span> with it. Do not
+think that I advise you for your ruin. You will see in the end that
+what your father&rsquo;s disciple tells you is for your own
+prosperity.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>However, whatever the sage might say, Kap&acirc;l&icirc; could not
+bring himself to believe him.</p>
+<p>&ldquo;What shall I do to feed my wife and children to-morrow if I
+sell everything belonging to me to-day?&rdquo;</p>
+<p>Thus thought Kap&acirc;l&icirc;, and consulted his wife.</p>
+<p>Now she was a very virtuous and intelligent woman. Said she:&mdash;
+<span class="pagenum">[<a id="pb240" href="#pb240" name=
+"pb240">240</a>]</span></p>
+<p>&ldquo;My dear lord, we have heard that your father was a great
+<i>mah&acirc;tm&acirc;</i>. This disciple must equally be a
+<i>mah&acirc;tm&acirc;</i>. His holiness would not advise us to our
+ruin. Let us follow the sage&rsquo;s <span class="corr" id="xd20e4010"
+title="Source: advise">advice</span>.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>When <span class="corr" id="xd20e4015" title=
+"Source: Kap&acirc;li&rsquo;s">Kap&acirc;l&icirc;&rsquo;s</span> wife
+thus supported the sage, he resolved to dispose of his beast and sack
+the next morning, and he did so accordingly<span class="corr" id=
+"xd20e4018" title="Source: ,">.</span> The provisions he bought were
+enough to feed fifty <span class="corr" id="xd20e4021" title=
+"Source: Br&acirc;hmins">Br&acirc;hmi&#7751;s</span> morning and
+evening, as well as his own family. So that day he fed <span class=
+"corr" id="xd20e4024" title=
+"Source: Br&acirc;hmins">Br&acirc;hmi&#7751;s</span> for the first time
+in his life. Night came on, and after an adventurous day
+Kap&acirc;l&icirc; retired to sleep, but sleep he could not. Meanwhile
+Subrahmanya was sleeping on the bare verandah outside the house, and he
+came to the sage and said:&mdash;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;Holy sage, nearly half the night is spent, and there are only
+fifteen <i>gha&#7789;ik&acirc;s</i> more for the dawn. What shall I do
+for the morrow for my hungry children? All that I had I have spent. I
+have not even a morsel of cold rice for the morning.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>Subrahmanya showed him some money that he had in his hand, enough to
+buy a buffalo and a sack of corn in case the great god did not help
+him, and asked him to spend that night, at <span class="corr" id=
+"xd20e4034" title="Source: lesat">least</span> the remainder of it, in
+calm sleep. So Kap&acirc;l&icirc;, with his heart <span class="corr"
+id="xd20e4037" title="Source: as">at</span> ease, retired to rest.</p>
+<p>He had not slept more than ten <i>gha&#7789;ik&acirc;s</i> when he
+dreamt that all his family&mdash;his wife and
+children&mdash;<span class="pagenum">[<a id="pb241" href="#pb241" name=
+"pb241">241</a>]</span>were screaming for a mouthful of rice. Suddenly
+he awoke and cursed his poverty which always made such thoughts dwell
+uppermost in his mind. There were only five <i>gha&#7789;ik&acirc;s</i>
+for the lord of the day to make his appearance in the eastern horizon,
+and before this could happen he wanted to finish his morning bath and
+ablutions, and so he went to his garden to bathe at the well. The shed
+for the buffalo was erected in the garden, and it had been his habit
+daily before bathing to give fresh straw to his beast. That morning he
+thought he would be spared that duty. But, wonder of wonders! He saw
+another buffalo standing there. He cursed his poverty again which made
+him imagine impossibilities. How could it be possible that his beast
+should be standing there when he had sold it the previous morning? So
+he went into the shed and found a real buffalo standing there. He could
+not believe his eyes, and hastily brought a lamp from his house. It
+was, however, a real buffalo, and beside it was a sack of corn! His
+heart leapt with joy, and he ran out to tell his patron, Subrahmanya.
+But when the latter heard it he said with a disgusted air:&mdash;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;My dear Kap&acirc;l&icirc;, why do you care so much? Why do
+you feel so overjoyed? Take the beast at once with the corn-sack and
+sell them as you did yesterday.&rdquo; <span class="pagenum">[<a id=
+"pb242" href="#pb242" name="pb242">242</a>]</span></p>
+<p>Kap&acirc;l&icirc; at once obeyed the orders and changed the money
+into provisions. Again fifty <span class="corr" id="xd20e4056" title=
+"Source: Br&acirc;hmins">Br&acirc;hmi&#7751;s</span> were fed the next
+day too, and nothing was reserved for the third day&rsquo;s use. Thus
+it went on in Kap&acirc;l&icirc;&rsquo;s house. Every morning he found
+a buffalo and a sack of corn, which he sold and fed <span class="corr"
+id="xd20e4059" title=
+"Source: Br&acirc;hmins">Br&acirc;hmi&#7751;s</span> with the proceeds.
+In this way a month passed. Said Subrahmanya one day:&mdash;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;My dear Kap&acirc;l&icirc;, I am your holy father&rsquo;s
+disciple, and I would never advise you to do a thing prejudicial to
+your welfare. When I came to know that you were the son of the great
+sage, J&ntilde;&acirc;nanidhi, and were leading so wretched a life, I
+came to see you in order to alleviate your miseries. I have now done
+so, having pointed out the way to you to live comfortably. Daily must
+you continue thus. Do as you have been doing for the past month, and
+never store away anything, for if you reserve a portion all this
+happiness may fail, and you will have to revert to your former wretched
+life. I have done my duty towards you. If you become ambitious of
+hoarding up money this good fortune may desert you.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>Kap&acirc;l&icirc; agreed to follow the advice of the sage to the
+uttermost detail and requested him to remain in his house. Again said
+Subrahmanya:&mdash;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;My son! I have better work before me than living in your
+house. So please excuse me. But <span class="pagenum">[<a id="pb243"
+href="#pb243" name="pb243">243</a>]</span>before leaving you, I request
+you to inform me as to where your sister is. She was a child of two
+years of age when I saw her twenty years ago. She must be about
+twenty-two or twenty-three now. Where is she?<span class="corr" id=
+"xd20e4070" title="Not in source">&rdquo;</span></p>
+<p>Tears trickled down the eyes of Kap&acirc;l&icirc; when his sister
+was mentioned. Said he:&mdash;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;Do not, my patron, think of her. She is lost to the world. I
+am ashamed to think of her. Why should we think of such a wretch at
+this happy time?&rdquo;</p>
+<p>At once the inscription made by Brahm&acirc;&rsquo;s nail rushed
+into Subrahmanya&rsquo;s mind and he understood what was meant. Said
+he:&mdash;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;Never mind; be open and tell me where she is.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>Then her brother, Kap&acirc;l&icirc;, with his eyes still wet with
+tears, said that his sister, the daughter of the sage <span class=
+"corr" id="xd20e4083" title=
+"Source: J&#7749;&acirc;nanidhi">J&ntilde;&acirc;nanidhi</span>, was
+leading the worst of lives in an adjoining village, and that her name
+was <span class="corr" id="xd20e4086" title=
+"Source: Kaly&acirc;ni">Kaly&acirc;n&icirc;</span>.</p>
+<p>Subrahmanya took leave of Kap&acirc;l&icirc; and his wife, after
+blessing his little children and again warning his friend. He had
+conferred what happiness he could upon his master&rsquo;s son, and now
+the thought of reforming his master&rsquo;s daughter reigned supreme in
+his heart. He went at once to the village indicated and reached it at
+about nightfall. After an easy search he found her house and knocked at
+<span class="pagenum">[<a id="pb244" href="#pb244" name=
+"pb244">244</a>]</span>the door. The door was at once opened. But on
+that day she was astonished to see a face such as she could never
+expect to approach her house.</p>
+<p>&ldquo;Do you know me, Kaly&acirc;n&icirc;?&rdquo; said Subrahmanya,
+and she in reply said that she did not. He then explained who he was,
+and when she came to know that it was a disciple of her father that was
+standing before her she wept most bitterly. The thought that after
+having been born of such a holy sage, she had adopted so wretched a
+life, the most shameful in the world, made her miserable at heart. She
+fell down at his feet and asked to be forgiven. She then explained to
+him her extreme misery, and the hard necessity which had compelled her
+to take to her present way of living. He then consoled her and spoke
+thus:&mdash;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;My dear daughter! My heart burns within me when I see that
+necessity has driven you to this wretched life. But I can redeem you if
+you will only follow my advice. From this night you had better shut
+your door, and never open it to any other person except to him who
+brings to you a large measure full of pearls of the first water. You
+follow this advice for a day and I shall then advise you
+further.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>Being the daughter of a great sage, and having been compelled by
+necessity to take to a wretched life, she readily consented to follow
+her father&rsquo;s <span class="pagenum">[<a id="pb245" href="#pb245"
+name="pb245">245</a>]</span>disciple when he promised to redeem her.
+She bolted the door, and refused admission to anyone unless they
+brought a large measure full of pearls. Her visitors, fancying that she
+must have gone mad, went away. The night was almost drawing to a close
+and all her friends had gone away disappointed. Who was there in the
+village to give to her one measure full of pearls? But as the nail of
+Brahm&acirc; had appointed for her such a life as stated, some one was
+bound to comply with her terms. And as there was no human being who
+could do so, the god Brahm&acirc; himself assumed the shape of a young
+man, and, with a measure full of pearls, visited her in the last watch
+of the night and remained with her.</p>
+<p>When morning dawned he disappeared, and when Kaly&acirc;n&icirc;
+explained to the disciple of her father the next morning that after all
+one person had visited her with a measure full of pearls on the
+previous night, he was glad to hear of it. He knew that his plan was
+working well. Said he:&mdash;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;My dear daughter, you are restored to your former good self
+hereafter from this day. There are very few people in this world who
+could afford to give you a measure full of pearls every night. So he
+that brought you the pearls last night must continue to do so every
+night, and he shall be hereafter your only husband. No other person
+must ever hereafter see your face, and you must obey my <span class=
+"pagenum">[<a id="pb246" href="#pb246" name=
+"pb246">246</a>]</span>orders. You must sell all the pearls he brings
+you every day and convert them into money. This money you should spend
+in feeding the poor and other charities. None of it must you reserve
+for the next day, neither must you entertain a desire to hoard up
+money. The day you fail to follow my advice you will lose your husband,
+and then you will have to fall back on your former wretched
+life.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>Thus said Subrahmanya, and Kaly&acirc;n&icirc; agreed to strictly
+follow his injunctions. He then went to live under a tree opposite to
+her house for a month to see whether his plan was working well, and
+found it worked admirably.</p>
+<p>Thus, after having conferred happiness, to the best of his
+abilities, on the son and daughter of his former master, Subrahmanya
+took leave of Kaly&acirc;n&icirc;, and with her permission, most
+reluctantly given, he pursued his pilgrimage.</p>
+<p>One moonlight night, after a long sleep, Subrahmanya rose up almost
+at midnight, and hearing the crows crowing he mistook it for the dawn
+and commenced his journey. He had not proceeded far, when on his way he
+met a beautiful person coming towards him, with a sack of corn on his
+head and a bundle of pearls tied up in the end of his upper cloth on
+his shoulder, leading a buffalo before him.</p>
+<p>&ldquo;Who are you, sir, walking thus in this forest?&rdquo; said
+Subrahmanya. <span class="pagenum">[<a id="pb247" href="#pb247" name=
+"pb247">247</a>]</span></p>
+<p>When thus addressed, the person before him threw down the sack and
+wept most bitterly.</p>
+<p>&ldquo;See, sir, my head is almost become bald by having to bear to
+Kap&acirc;l&icirc;&rsquo;s house a sack of corn every night. This
+buffalo I lead to Kap&acirc;l&icirc;&rsquo;s shed and this bundle of
+pearls I take to Kaly&acirc;n&icirc;&rsquo;s house. My nail wrote their
+fate on their respective heads and by your device I have to supply them
+with what my nail wrote. When will you relieve me of these
+troubles?&rdquo;</p>
+<p>Thus wept Brahm&acirc;, for it was no other personage. He was the
+creator and protector of all beings, and when Subrahmanya had pointed
+out the way for his master&rsquo;s children, and they had conquered
+fate, Brahm&acirc; <span class="corr" id="xd20e4124" title=
+"Source: toow as">too was</span> conquered. So the great god soon gave
+them eternal felicity and relieved himself of his troubles.
+<span class="pagenum">[<a id="pb248" href="#pb248" name=
+"pb248">248</a>]</span></p>
+</div>
+<div class="footnotes">
+<hr class="fnsep">
+<p class="footnote"><span class="label"><a class="noteref" id=
+"xd20e3892" href="#xd20e3892src" name="xd20e3892">1</a></span>
+<i><span class="corr" id="xd20e3894" title=
+"Source: Gang&acirc;">Ga&#7749;g&acirc;</span> sn&acirc;na <span class=
+"corr" id="xd20e3897" title="Source: Tung&acirc;">Tu&#7749;ga</span>
+p&acirc;na.</i> The Ganges for bath and <span class="corr" id=
+"xd20e3901" title="Source: Tung&acirc;">Tu&#7749;ga</span>
+(<span class="corr" id="xd20e3904" title=
+"Source: Tungabhadr&acirc;">Tu&#7749;gabhadr&acirc;</span>) for
+drink.</p>
+</div>
+</div>
+<div id="ch20" class="div1"><span class="pagenum">[<a href=
+"#toc">Contents</a>]</span>
+<div class="divHead">
+<h2 class="label">XX.</h2>
+<h2 class="main">The Br&acirc;hma&#7751; Priest who became an
+Amild&acirc;r.<a class="noteref" id="xd20e4133src" href="#xd20e4133"
+name="xd20e4133src">1</a></h2>
+</div>
+<div class="divBody">
+<p class="first">In the Karn&acirc;ta d&ecirc;&#347;a there reigned a
+famous king named Ch&acirc;mun&#7693;a, who was served by an household
+priest, named <span class="corr" id="xd20e4137" title=
+"Source: Gundappa">Gun&#7693;appa</span>, well versed in all the
+rituals at which he officiated.</p>
+<p>Ch&acirc;mun&#7693;a, one day, while chewing betel-leaves, thus
+addressed <span class="corr" id="xd20e4142" title=
+"Source: Gundappa">Gun&#7693;appa</span>, who was sitting opposite
+him:&mdash;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;My most holy priest, I am greatly pleased at your
+faithfulness in the discharge of your sacred duties; and you may ask of
+me now what you wish and I shall grant your request.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>The priest elated replied: &ldquo;I have always had a desire to
+become the <i>Amild&acirc;r</i><a class="noteref" id="xd20e4151src"
+href="#xd20e4151" name="xd20e4151src">2</a> of a district and to
+exercise power over a number of people; and if your Majesty should
+grant me this I shall have attained my ambition.&rdquo; <span class=
+"pagenum">[<a id="pb249" href="#pb249" name="pb249">249</a>]</span></p>
+<p>&ldquo;Agreed,&rdquo; said the king, and at that time the
+<i>Amild&acirc;rship</i> of Na&ntilde;ja&#7749;g&ocirc;&#7693;
+happening to be vacant, his Majesty at once appointed his priest to the
+post, thinking that his priest, who was intelligent in his duties,
+would do well in the new post. Before he sent him off, however, he gave
+Gun&#7693;appa three bits of advice:&mdash;</p>
+<p>(1). <i lang="ta-latn">Mukha kappage irab&ecirc;ku.</i></p>
+<p>(2). <i lang="ta-latn">Ell&acirc;ru kevianna kachchi m&acirc;tan
+&acirc;&#7693;u.</i></p>
+<p>(3). <i lang="ta-latn">ell&acirc;r ju&#7789;&#7789;u kayyalii
+irab&ecirc;ku.</i></p>
+<p>The meaning of which is:</p>
+<p>(1). You should always keep a black (<i>i.e.</i> frowning)
+countenance.</p>
+<p>(2). When you speak about State affairs you should do it biting the
+ear (<i>i.e.</i> secretly&mdash;close to the ear).</p>
+<p>(3.) The locks of every one should be in your hand (<i>i.e.</i> you
+must use your influence and make every one subservient to you).</p>
+<p>Gun&#7693;appa heard these words so kindly given by the king, and
+the way in which he listened to them made his Majesty understand that
+he had taken them to heart. So with a smiling face the king gave the
+letter containing the appointment to <span class="corr" id="xd20e4195"
+title="Source: Gundappa">Gun&#7693;appa</span>, who returned home with
+an elated heart.</p>
+<p>He told his wife about the change that had come over his prospects,
+and wished to start at once to take charge of the new post. The king
+and his <span class="pagenum">[<a id="pb250" href="#pb250" name=
+"pb250">250</a>]</span>officers at once sent messengers to <span class=
+"corr" id="xd20e4202" title=
+"Source: Na&ntilde;jang&ocirc;&#7693;">Na&ntilde;ja&#7749;g&ocirc;&#7693;</span>
+informing the officers of the <i>Am&icirc;ld&acirc;r&icirc;</i> that a
+newly appointed <i>Am&icirc;ld&acirc;r</i> would be coming soon. So
+they all waited near the gate of the town to pay their respects to the
+new <i>Am&icirc;ld&acirc;r</i> and escort him into it.</p>
+<p>Gun&#7693;appa started the very next morning to
+Na&ntilde;ja&#7749;g&ocirc;&#7693; with a bundle containing clean
+clothes, six by twelve cubits long, on his head. Poor priest! Wherever
+he saw the <i>ku&#347;a</i> grass on the road, he was drawn to it by
+its freshness, and kept on storing it up all the way. The sacred grass
+had become so dear to him, that, though he would have no occasion to
+use it as <i>Am&icirc;ld&acirc;r</i> of
+Na&ntilde;ja&#7749;g&ocirc;&#7693;, he could not pass by it without
+gathering some of it. So with his bundle of clothes on his head and his
+beloved <i>ku&#347;a</i> grass in his hands, Gun&#7693;appa approached
+the city of <span class="corr" id="xd20e4225" title=
+"Source: Na&ntilde;ja&#7749;g&ocirc;d">Na&ntilde;ja&#7749;g&ocirc;&#7693;</span>
+about the twentieth <i><span class="corr" id="xd20e4229" title=
+"Source: gha&#7789;ika">gha&#7789;ik&acirc;</span></i> of the day.</p>
+<p>Now, though it was very late in the day, none of the officers, who
+had come out to receive the <i>Amild&acirc;r</i> had returned home to
+their meals. Everyone was waiting in the gate and when Gun&#7693;appa
+turned up, no one took him to be anything more than a priest. The
+bundle on his head and the green ritual grass in his hands proclaimed
+his vocation. But everyone thought that, as a priest was coming by the
+very road the <i>Amild&acirc;r</i> would take, he might bring news of
+him&mdash;whether he had halted on the road and <span class=
+"pagenum">[<a id="pb251" href="#pb251" name=
+"pb251">251</a>]</span>would or might be expected before the evening.
+So the next officer in rank to the <i>Amild&acirc;r</i> came to the
+most reverend priest and asked him whether he had any news of the
+coming <i>Amild&acirc;r</i>; on which our hero put down his bundle and
+taking out the cover containing the order of his appointment with a
+handful of <i>ku&#347;a</i> grass, lest his clothes be polluted if he
+touched them with his bare hands informed his subordinate that he was
+himself the <i>Amild&acirc;r</i>!</p>
+<p>All those assembled were astonished to find such a wretched priest
+appointed to so responsible a post, but when it was made known that
+Gun&#7693;appa was the new <i>Amild&acirc;r</i> the customary music was
+played and he was escorted in a manner due to his position, into the
+town. He had been fasting from the morning, and a grand feast was
+prepared for him in the house of the next senior official, which
+Gun&#7693;appa entered for a dinner and rest. He there informed the
+officials that he would be at the office at the twenty-fifth
+<i><span class="corr" id="xd20e4261" title=
+"Source: gh&acirc;&#7789;ika">gha&#7789;ik&acirc;</span></i> of the
+evening. From the way in which he issued the order all thought that he
+was really an able man, and that he had come in the guise of a simple
+priest in order to find out the real state of his district. So every
+officer went home, bathed, had his meal in haste and attended at the
+office.</p>
+<p>The chief assistant took the <i>Amild&acirc;r</i> to his house, and
+entertained his guest as became his position. <span class=
+"pagenum">[<a id="pb252" href="#pb252" name=
+"pb252">252</a>]</span>Gun&#7693;appa, being a priest, was a very good
+eater, for never for a day in his life had he spent money out of his
+own pocket on meals, so what reason had he to enquire about the price
+of provisions? It was at the expense of others he had grown so fat! And
+doing more than full justice to all the good things, much to the secret
+amusement of his host and assistant, Gun&#7693;appa rose up from his
+food, and washed his hands. He then wanted betel-leaves though to ask
+for these before the host offers them is very impolite. But his
+subordinate interpreted it as an order from a master and brought the
+platter containing the necessary nutmeg, mace, nut, leaves, and
+<i><span class="corr" id="xd20e4272" title=
+"Source: chunam">chu&#7751;am</span></i> (lime).</p>
+<p>&ldquo;Where is the dakshi&#7751;a?&rdquo;<a class="noteref" id=
+"xd20e4277src" href="#xd20e4277" name="xd20e4277src">3</a> next asked
+the <i>Amild&acirc;r</i>. His host did not quite understand whether
+this was meant in earnest or in joke, but before he could solve the
+question in his mind:&mdash;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;Where is the <i>dakshi&#7751;&acirc;</i>?&rdquo; reiterated
+the <i>Amild&acirc;r</i>, and his assistant, thinking that his new
+superior was prone to taking bribes, at once brought a bag containing
+500 <i>mohars</i> and placed it in the platter. Now a
+<i>dakshi&#7751;a</i> to a <span class="corr" id="xd20e4302" title=
+"Source: Br&acirc;hmin">Br&acirc;hmi&#7751;</span> is not usually more
+than a couple of rupees, but should an <i>Amild&acirc;r</i> ask for
+one, his assistant would naturally mistake him, and think he was
+hinting at a bribe! <span class="pagenum">[<a id="pb253" href="#pb253"
+name="pb253">253</a>]</span></p>
+<p><span class="corr" id="xd20e4312" title=
+"Source: Gundappa">Gun&#7693;appa</span> greatly pleased at a princely
+<i>dakshi&#7751;a</i> such as he had never seen before in all his life,
+at once opened the bag and counted out every gold piece in it,
+carefully tying them up in his bundle. He then began to chew his betel,
+and at one gulp swallowed up all the nutmeg and mace in the platter!
+All this made his assistant strongly suspect the real nature of the new
+<i>Amild&acirc;r</i>; but then there was the order of the king, and it
+must be obeyed! Gun&#7693;appa next asked his assistant to go on in
+advance of him to the office, saying that he would be there himself in
+a <i><span class="corr" id="xd20e4322" title=
+"Source: gha&#7789;ika">gha&#7789;ik&acirc;</span></i>. The assistant
+accordingly left a messenger to attend on the <i>Amild&acirc;r</i>, and
+being very anxious to see things in good order, left his house for the
+office.</p>
+<p>Gun&#7693;appa now remembered the three bits of advice given by the
+king, the first of which was that he should always put on, when in
+office, a black countenance. Now he understood the word
+&ldquo;black&rdquo; in its literal sense, and not in its allegorical
+one of &ldquo;frowning,&rdquo; and, so going into the kitchen, he asked
+for a lump of charcoal paste. When this was ready he blackened the
+whole of his face with it, and covering his face with his
+cloth&mdash;as he was ashamed to show it&mdash;entered the office. With
+his face thus blackened and partly covered with a cloth, the new
+<i>Amild&acirc;r</i> came and took his seat. Now and then he would
+remove the cloth from his eyes to see <span class="pagenum">[<a id=
+"pb254" href="#pb254" name="pb254">254</a>]</span>how his officers were
+working, and meanwhile all the clerks and others present were laughing
+in their sleeves at the queer conduct of their chief.</p>
+<p>The evening was drawing to a close, and there were certain orders to
+be signed: so taking them all in his hand the assistant approached the
+<i>Amild&acirc;r</i>, and stood at a respectful distance. <span class=
+"corr" id="xd20e4340" title="Source: Gundappa">Gun&#7693;appa</span>,
+however, asked him to come nearer, and nearer the assistant came.</p>
+<p>&ldquo;Still nearer,&rdquo; said <span class="corr" id="xd20e4345"
+title="Source: Gundappa">Gun&#7693;appa</span>, and nearer still came
+the assistant.</p>
+<p>The second bit of advice from the king now rushed into the
+<i>Amild&acirc;r&rsquo;s</i> mind that he should bite the ears of his
+officials when he enquired into State affairs, and as <span class=
+"corr" id="xd20e4353" title=
+"Source: Gundappa&rsquo;s">Gun&#7693;appa&rsquo;s</span> want of sense
+always made him take what was said literally, he opened his mouth and
+bit the ear of his assistant, while in a muffled voice he asked him
+whether all his people enjoyed full prosperity! The assistant, now in
+very fear of his life, roared out that all the people were enjoying the
+greatest prosperity. But <span class="corr" id="xd20e4356" title=
+"Source: Gundappa">Gun&#7693;appa</span> would not let go his ear till
+the poor assistant had roared out the answer more than twenty times.
+The poor wretch&rsquo;s ear soon began to swell enormously, and leaving
+the office in disgust, he started to report to the king the insane acts
+of the new <i>Amild&acirc;r</i>.</p>
+<p>Two out of the three bits of advice from the king had now been duly
+obeyed, but the third, that the <span class="pagenum">[<a id="pb255"
+href="#pb255" name="pb255">255</a>]</span>locks of all the people must
+be in his hands, remained unfulfilled, and Gun&#7693;appa wished to
+carry out that also quickly. Night had now set in, and as the
+<i>Amild&acirc;r</i> still remained in his seat, all his officers were
+compelled to do the same. In this way the tenth <i><span class="corr"
+id="xd20e4370" title=
+"Source: gha&#7789;ika">gha&#7789;ik&acirc;</span></i> of the night
+approached, and still the <i>Amild&acirc;r</i> would not get up, but
+sat with his black face secured in his cloth, now and then peeping out
+to see whether they were all asleep or awake. The fact was, he was
+waiting for an opportunity to have all the locks of his officers in his
+hand! As soon as all his officers fell asleep he intended to cut off
+all their locks, as usual understanding the words in their literal
+sense! At about midnight, never dreaming of the stupid act that the
+<i>Amild&acirc;r</i> was contemplating in his mind, every one fell
+asleep, and Gun&#7693;appa rose up, and with a pair of scissors cut off
+all the locks of his officers. He then tied them all up in a bundle and
+returned to his assistant&rsquo;s home late at night, where the
+servants gave him something to eat; after which he started with his bag
+of <i>mohars</i> and bundle of locks to his king to inform him of how
+well he had obeyed his orders!</p>
+<p>In the early morning he reached the presence of his Majesty only a
+nimisha after his assistant had arrived. Seeing the
+<i>Amild&acirc;r</i> he was too afraid to to lodge any complaint, but
+his swollen ear drew the attention of every eye in the assembly.
+<span class="pagenum">[<a id="pb256" href="#pb256" name=
+"pb256">256</a>]</span></p>
+<p>Gun&#7693;appa now stood before the king with the charcoal on his
+face and said:&mdash;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;Most noble king, you ordered me to blacken my face for my new
+duty. See, I have not even yet removed the dye! You ordered me next
+only to speak while biting an ear. Look, please, at my
+assistant&rsquo;s ear, who stands before you and tell me whether I have
+not obeyed you!! And as for having the locks of my officers in my
+hands; why here they are in this bundle!!!&rdquo;</p>
+<p>Never had the king seen a similar instance of such stupidity, and
+the thought that Gun&#7693;appa had shorn so many respectable heads of
+their locks, and had really bitten the ear of a worthy gentleman,
+brought much shame to his heart. He begged pardon of the injured man
+and from that day forward was very careful in the choice of his
+officers! Poor Gun&#7693;appa was dismissed even from the priestship,
+and his belly grew lean from having no longer the privilege of eating
+rich food at others&rsquo; cost! <span class="pagenum">[<a id="pb257"
+href="#pb257" name="pb257">257</a>]</span></p>
+</div>
+<div class="footnotes">
+<hr class="fnsep">
+<p class="footnote"><span class="label"><a class="noteref" id=
+"xd20e4133" href="#xd20e4133src" name="xd20e4133">1</a></span> A
+Kanarese tale related by a ris&acirc;ld&acirc;r.</p>
+<p class="footnote"><span class="label"><a class="noteref" id=
+"xd20e4151" href="#xd20e4151src" name="xd20e4151">2</a></span> Headman
+of the village.</p>
+<p class="footnote"><span class="label"><a class="noteref" id=
+"xd20e4277" href="#xd20e4277src" name="xd20e4277">3</a></span>
+<i>Dakshi&#7751;&acirc;s</i> (fees given in donation to <span class=
+"corr" id="xd20e4281" title=
+"Source: Br&acirc;hmins">Br&acirc;hmi&#7751;s</span>) are ordinarily
+given to priests.</p>
+</div>
+</div>
+<div id="ch21" class="div1"><span class="pagenum">[<a href=
+"#toc">Contents</a>]</span>
+<div class="divHead">
+<h2 class="label">XXI.</h2>
+<h2 class="main">The Gardener&rsquo;s Cunning Wife.</h2>
+</div>
+<div class="divBody">
+<p class="first">In a certain village there lived with his wife a poor
+gardener who cultivated greens in a small patch in the backyard of his
+house. They were in thirty little beds, half of which he would water
+every day. This occupied him from the fifth to the fifteenth
+<i><span class="corr" id="xd20e4404" title=
+"Source: gha&#7789;ika">gha&#7789;ik&acirc;</span></i>.</p>
+<p>His wife used to cut a basketful of greens every evening, and he
+took them in the mornings to sell in the village. The sale brought him
+a measure or two of rice, and on this the family lived! If he could
+manage any extra work of an evening he got a few coppers which served
+to meet their other expenses.</p>
+<p>Now in that village there was a temple to K&acirc;l&icirc;, before
+which was a fine tank with a mango tree on its bank. The fish in the
+tank and the mangoes from the tree were dedicated to the goddess, and
+were strictly forbidden to the villagers. If any one was discovered
+cutting a mango or catching a fish, <span class="pagenum">[<a id=
+"pb258" href="#pb258" name="pb258">258</a>]</span>he was at once
+excommunicated from the village. So strict was the prohibition.</p>
+<p>The gardener was returning home one morning after selling his greens
+and passed the temple. The mangoes, so carefully guarded by religious
+protection, were hanging on the tree in great numbers, and the
+gardener&rsquo;s eyes fell on them! His mouth watered. He looked round
+about him, and fortunately there was no one by, at least, as far as his
+eyes could reach. So he hastily plucked one of the mangoes and with
+nimble feet descended into the tank to wash it. Just then a most
+charming shoal of fish met his eyes. These protected dwellers in the
+tank had no notion of danger, and so were frolicking about at their
+ease. The gardener looked about him first and finding no one by caught
+half a dozen stout fish at one plunge of his hand. He hid them and the
+mango underneath the rice in his basket and returned home, happy in the
+thought that he had not been caught. Now he had a special delight in
+fish, and when he reached his house he showed what he brought to his
+wife and asked her to prepare a dish with the newly caught fish and the
+never-till-then tasted mango.</p>
+<p>Meanwhile he had to water his garden, and went to the backyard for
+the purpose. The watering was done by a <i>pik&ocirc;&#7789;a</i>. He
+used to run up and down the pole while a friend of his, the
+<span class="pagenum">[<a id="pb259" href="#pb259" name=
+"pb259">259</a>]</span>son of his neighbour, lifted the water and
+irrigated the garden.</p>
+<p>Meanwhile his wife cooked the dish of mango and fish in a pan, and
+found the flavour so sweet that even while the fish was only half
+cooked she began to taste one bit of it after another till more than
+half had already gone down her throat! The dish was at last cooked, and
+the few remaining slices in the pan were taken off the fire, so she
+went into the verandah and from thence saw her husband running up and
+down the <i>pik&ocirc;&#7789;a</i>. She beckoned to him that the dish
+was ready and that he should come in and taste it. However, he never
+noticed her, but kept on running up and down the
+<i>pik&ocirc;&#7789;a</i>, and while running up and down he was obliged
+to wave his hands about, and this his wife mistook as an indication
+that she might eat up her portion of the dish. At any rate her
+imagination made her think so; and she went in and ate a slice, and
+then went out into the verandah again to call her husband who was still
+running up and down the <i>pik&ocirc;&#7789;a</i>. Again, her husband,
+so she thought, waved his hands in permission to go on with her dinner.
+Again she went in and had another slice. Thus it went on for a full
+<i>gha&#7789;ik&acirc;</i> till the last slice was consumed.</p>
+<p>&ldquo;Alas!&rdquo; thought she, &ldquo;With what great eagerness my
+husband fetched the fish and the mango, and how sadly, out of
+greediness, have I disappointed <span class="pagenum">[<a id="pb260"
+href="#pb260" name="pb260">260</a>]</span>him. Surely his anger will
+know no bounds when he comes in. I must soon devise some means to save
+myself.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>So she brought the pan in which she cooked the fish and mango out of
+the house and covered it with another pan of similar size and sat down
+before it. Then she undid her hair and twisted it about her head until
+it was dishevelled. She then began to make a great noise. This action
+by a woman in an illiterate family of low caste is always supposed to
+indicate a visitation from a goddess and a demon; so when her husband
+from the <i>pik&ocirc;&#7789;a</i> tree saw the state of his wife, his
+guilty conscience smote him. The change in his wife alarmed him, and he
+came down suddenly and stood before her. As soon as she saw him she
+roared out at him:&mdash;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;Why have you injured me to-day by plundering my mango and
+fish? How dare you do such an irreligious act? You shall soon see the
+results of your impertinence!&rdquo;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;The goddess has come upon my wife most terribly,&rdquo;
+thought the poor man. &ldquo;Her divine power may soon kill her! What
+shall I do?&rdquo;</p>
+<p>So he fell at the feet of the divine visitation as he thought it to
+be, and said:&mdash;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;My most holy goddess, your dog of a servant has this day
+deviated from the straight path. <span class="pagenum">[<a id="pb261"
+href="#pb261" name="pb261">261</a>]</span>Excuse him this time, and he
+will never do so a second time.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;Run then with the pan which contains the fruits of your
+robbery and dip it deep into my tank. Then shall the fish become alive
+and the mango shall take its place in the tree.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>The gardener received the order most submissively, and taking the
+pan in his hand flew to the tank. There he dipped it in the water and
+came back to his house fully believing that his sin that day had been
+forgiven, and that the cooked fish had become alive again and the mango
+a living one. Thus did the cunning wife save herself from her
+husband&rsquo;s wrath! <span class="pagenum">[<a id="pb262" href=
+"#pb262" name="pb262">262</a>]</span></p>
+</div>
+</div>
+<div id="ch22" class="div1"><span class="pagenum">[<a href=
+"#toc">Contents</a>]</span>
+<div class="divHead">
+<h2 class="label">XXII.</h2>
+<h2 class="main">Keep it for the Beggar.</h2>
+</div>
+<div class="divBody">
+<p class="first">When anything sweet is prepared in the house on a
+particular night, and when the children, after feeding to their fill,
+say to the mother:&mdash;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;Amm&acirc;, this pudding is sweet; keep it for the
+morning,&rdquo; the mother says at once:&mdash;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;Ask me to keep it for the beggar, and I shall do
+it.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;Why should I not say keep it for the morning,
+Amm&acirc;,&rdquo; ask the curious children, and the South Indian
+mother gives to her listening children the following story:&mdash;</p>
+<p>In a certain village there lived an affectionate husband and wife.
+The husband would go to look after the fields and garden and return
+home with abundance of vegetables. The wife would cook and serve her
+lord to his fill. Before going out in the morning the husband used to
+take whatever of last night&rsquo;s dishes were left cold to remain for
+his breakfast.</p>
+<p>The husband was a great eater of <i>dh&acirc;l</i><a class="noteref"
+id="xd20e4480src" href="#xd20e4480" name="xd20e4480src">1</a> soup.
+<span class="pagenum">[<a id="pb263" href="#pb263" name=
+"pb263">263</a>]</span>Every night the wife used to prepare a large
+quantity of it and leave a good portion of it to stand for the
+morning&rsquo;s breakfast of her lord. And he, too, owing to his taste
+for the cold rice, used to warn his wife&mdash;though she was very
+careful&mdash;and say:&mdash;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;Keep me some of this soup for the next morning.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>The wife used to say: &ldquo;Yes, my dear husband, I shall do
+so.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>This went on for several years. Every day the <i>dh&acirc;l</i> soup
+was invariably prepared for the night meal and a good portion of it was
+reserved for the cold rice. Every night, the husband, without
+forgetting for even a single day, used to ask his wife to reserve a
+portion. Thus passed on several years, as we have already said.</p>
+<p>One night this husband had his supper. The wife had sat at her
+husband&rsquo;s leaf to take her supper after her lord had had his.
+That night, too, our hero, as usual, repeated:&mdash;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;Keep, my dear, some of this soup for the morning.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>At once a gurgling laughter was heard near the doorsill of their
+house. The pair were astonished, and searched their whole house. No one
+was discovered. Again the husband said:&mdash;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;Keep, my dear, some of this soup for the morning.&rdquo;
+<span class="pagenum">[<a id="pb264" href="#pb264" name=
+"pb264">264</a>]</span></p>
+<p>Again the laughter was heard. Finding that the laughter immediately
+followed his order, the husband repeated it a third time. A third time
+also the laughter broke out. They were astonished. Three times had
+laughter been heard in their house, and still they could see no one.
+Thinking that some one must have mocked him from the neighbouring
+houses, he made careful inquiries and satisfied himself that none of
+his neighbours had mocked him. He was afraid at the laughter which
+thrice proceeded from a part of his house, as he had heard it
+distinctly.</p>
+<p>That very night our hero had a sudden and unforeseen calamity, and
+just as he was dragging the latch of his backyard door a serpent stung
+him in his finger. Neighbours hearing of the venomous reptile in their
+next house, ran there with a stout cudgel. Already the master of the
+house, who was passionately fond of the <i>dh&acirc;l</i> soup, had
+swooned away. His wife was mourning by his side, saying:&mdash;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;My dear husband. How did you forget your soup so soon and
+leave us all for the other world? Just now you gave me the order, and
+before tasting it even you have died.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>The neighbours began to search for the snake; but they did not
+succeed. And again a voice exclaimed from vacuum:&mdash;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;This husband&rsquo;s fate ended at the twelfth <span class=
+"pagenum">[<a id="pb265" href="#pb265" name=
+"pb265">265</a>]</span><i><span class="corr" id="xd20e4519" title=
+"Source: gha&#7789;ika">gha&#7789;ik&acirc;</span></i> of this night.
+Yama ordered me to go and fetch him to his world. I came down and
+reached this house at the eighth <i><span class="corr" id="xd20e4523"
+title="Source: gha&#7789;ika">gha&#7789;ik&acirc;</span></i> when the
+husband was giving the order to reserve for the morning meal his dear
+<i>dh&acirc;l</i> soup. I could not contain my laughter, and so broke
+out with a gurgling noise. As I am divine no one could perceive me. And
+so none ever found me in this house after they heard the laughter. Then
+I transformed myself into a serpent and waited for the hour to do my
+death-dealing duty. The poor man is now no more. Four <i><span class=
+"corr" id="xd20e4530" title=
+"Source: gha&#7789;ikas">gha&#7789;ik&acirc;s</span></i> ago he was of
+opinion that he would live and eat his cold rice to-morrow morning. How
+very sanguine people are in this world of uncertainty. The cause for my
+laughter was the husband&rsquo;s certainty when he issued that order to
+reserve the <i>dh&acirc;l</i> soup for the breakfast.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>Thus ended the messenger, and vanished of course to inform his
+master how he had executed his orders.</p>
+<p>And from that day, my children, it was fixed that our life in this
+world is always uncertain, and that one who lives at this moment cannot
+be sure of doing so at the next moment. While such is the case, how can
+you say, &ldquo;Keep the pudding for to-morrow morning.&rdquo; Since
+you saw in the story just related to you, that we can never be certain
+of our life, you must say, instead of &ldquo;for to-morrow morning, for
+the beggar.&rdquo; If we keep it for the beggar, <span class=
+"pagenum">[<a id="pb266" href="#pb266" name="pb266">266</a>]</span>and
+if we fortunately live till to-morrow morning, we shall use a portion
+of it and give the remainder to the beggar. Hence you must always,
+hereafter, say when any supper from overnight is to be left for the
+morning, &ldquo;Keep it for the beggar, Amm&acirc;.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;Yes, mother. We shall do so hereafter,&rdquo; replied the
+children.</p>
+<p>In India, among <span class="corr" id="xd20e4547" title=
+"Source: Br&acirc;hmins">Br&acirc;hmi&#7751;s</span>, the wife must
+never take her food before her lord, unless she is pregnant or sick. In
+these two cases even on the days when it is possible to avoid the meal
+before her lord, the wife <span class="corr" id="xd20e4550" title=
+"Source: invaribly">invariably</span> does it; on other days she cannot
+probably help it when she is physically unable. And in taking her meal,
+the wife sits in front of the leaf (dish) from which her husband has
+eaten. Most husbands generally leave their leaves clean, some out of
+pure affection to their wives and out of a good intention of not
+injuring the feelings of their wives. But there are others, who, as
+they are unclean in their other habits, are also unclean in their
+eating. The appearance of their leaves after they have left off eating,
+is like those thrown out in the streets and mutilated by crows and
+dogs. But their wives, cursing their lot to have married such husbands,
+must, as long as they are orthodox, eat out of those leaves.
+<span class="pagenum">[<a id="pb267" href="#pb267" name=
+"pb267">267</a>]</span></p>
+</div>
+<div class="footnotes">
+<hr class="fnsep">
+<p class="footnote"><span class="label"><a class="noteref" id=
+"xd20e4480" href="#xd20e4480src" name="xd20e4480">1</a></span> A yellow
+grain, peculiar to India.</p>
+</div>
+</div>
+<div id="ch23" class="div1"><span class="pagenum">[<a href=
+"#toc">Contents</a>]</span>
+<div class="divHead">
+<h2 class="label">XXIII.</h2>
+<h2 class="main">Good Luck to the Lucky One; Or, Shall I Fall
+Down?</h2>
+</div>
+<div class="divBody">
+<p class="first">In a certain town there lived a wealthy <span class=
+"corr" id="xd20e4562" title=
+"Source: Br&acirc;hmin">Br&acirc;hmi&#7751;</span>. He wished to build
+a house&mdash;pretty large and spacious&mdash;as became his riches. For
+that purpose he called in a great number of soothsayers, and fixed,
+guided by their scientific opinion, a place for building the mansion. A
+certain portion of every day is supposed to be bad for doing work. This
+portion is sometimes called the
+<i>R&acirc;hu-k&acirc;l&#803;a</i>&mdash;the evil time of the demon
+<i>r&acirc;hu</i> and sometimes <i>ty&acirc;jya</i>&mdash;the time to
+be avoided. And abandoning carefully all these evil hours the wealthy
+<span class="corr" id="xd20e4574" title=
+"Source: Br&acirc;hmin">Br&acirc;hmi&#7751;</span> built his mansion in
+ten years. The first entrance into a new house to dwell is performed
+always with a great deal of pomp and ceremony, even by the poor
+according to their means. And our wealthy <span class="corr" id=
+"xd20e4578" title="Source: Br&acirc;hmin">Br&acirc;hmi&#7751;</span> to
+please the gods of the other world and the gods of this
+world&mdash;<i>bh&ucirc;suras</i> <span class="corr" id="xd20e4584"
+title="Source: Br&acirc;hmins">Br&acirc;hmi&#7751;s</span>&mdash;spent
+a great deal of his wealth, and <span class="pagenum">[<a id="pb268"
+href="#pb268" name="pb268">268</a>]</span>with <i>veoras</i> and music
+sounding all around him he entered into his house.</p>
+<p>The whole of the day almost was spent in ceremonies and festivities.
+All the guests left the place at evening, and much exhausted by the
+exertions of the day the <span class="corr" id="xd20e4594" title=
+"Source: Br&acirc;hmin">Br&acirc;hmi&#7751;</span> house-owner retired
+to rest. Before sleep could close his eyelids he heard a fearful voice
+over his head exclaiming:&mdash;&ldquo;Shall I fall down? Shall I fall
+down?&rdquo;</p>
+<p>Great was the concern of the landlord at hearing this voice. He
+thought that some demon had taken possession of his house, and that he
+was going to pull down the roof of his house over his own head. That
+very night with as much haste as he entered the new house, he vacated
+it and went back to his old house.</p>
+<p><i>Sirukakha&#7789;ti perukav&acirc;l&#803;ka</i> is the Tamil
+proverb. The meaning of it is &ldquo;build small and live great,&rdquo;
+<i>i.e.</i>, build small houses without laying out much capital
+uselessly in houses and live prosperously; and in villages many a rich
+landlord would prefer small houses to big ones. The idea that he had
+spent a great deal of money to build a big house troubled our hero. The
+spaciousness of the house was one reason for the devil to come in so
+easily, as he thought. When he vacated his house on the very night of
+the day he entered it people began to talk all sorts of scandals about
+it. The ladies in the <span class="pagenum">[<a id="pb269" href=
+"#pb269" name="pb269">269</a>]</span>bathing places
+(<i>gha&#7789;s</i>) in rivers began to give all sorts of colour to the
+devils in that house. One said that when she was coming to the river
+she saw a company of devils dancing round and round the middle pillar
+of the upper storey of that unfortunate house. Another said that she
+observed unearthly lights in that mansion the previous night. Thus
+people talked and talked, furnishing new colours and new adventures out
+of their pure imagination for a phenomena which they never saw. And our
+unfortunate rich man had to lock up his house which he built after so
+many days, and at the expense of so much money. Thus passed six
+months.</p>
+<p>In that town there lived a poor beggar <span class="corr" id=
+"xd20e4613" title="Source: Br&acirc;hmin">Br&acirc;hmi&#7751;</span>.
+He was in extreme poverty, and spent a great portion of the day in
+begging from house to house his meal and clothes. He had, poor man,
+seven children. With this large family he was constantly in the
+greatest misery. He had not a proper house to live in. A miserable hut
+was all his wealth in that village. Winter was approaching, and the
+roof of their only hut began to fall down. The increasing miseries made
+the poor <span class="corr" id="xd20e4616" title=
+"Source: Br&acirc;hmin">Br&acirc;hmi&#7751;</span> resolve upon
+suicide. He could not bring himself to do that by his own hand. He had
+heard of the haunted house, and resolved to go there with all his
+family and perish by the hands of the devils. This was his secret
+intention, but he never spoke of it <span class="pagenum">[<a id=
+"pb270" href="#pb270" name="pb270">270</a>]</span>to any one. One day
+he came to the rich <span class="corr" id="xd20e4621" title=
+"Source: Br&acirc;hmin">Br&acirc;hmi&#7751;</span> who was the owner of
+the haunted mansion, and spoke to him thus:&mdash;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;My noble lord! The winter is approaching and the roof of my
+hut has fallen away. If you would kindly allow it I shall pass the
+rainy days in your big house.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>When the rich man heard this he was very glad to see that one person
+at least there was in his little world who wanted the use of his house.
+So, without hesitating any longer, he replied:&mdash;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;My most holy sir, you can have the free use of that whole
+house for whatever time you may want it. It is enough if you light a
+lamp there and live happily. I built it, and I am not destined to live
+there. You can go and try your fortune there.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>So said the rich landlord, and gave the key of that haunted house to
+the poor <span class="corr" id="xd20e4632" title=
+"Source: Br&acirc;hmin">Br&acirc;hmi&#7751;</span>. The latter took it,
+and with his family went and lived there from that day. That very night
+he also heard the same voice: &ldquo;Shall I fall down?&rdquo;
+&ldquo;Shall I fall down?&rdquo; twice. Nothing daunted, and quite
+resolved to perish with his wife and children, who were sound asleep
+near him, he exclaimed, &ldquo;Fall down,&rdquo; and lo! a golden river
+of <i>mohurs</i> and <i>pagodas</i> began to fall down in the middle of
+the room from the top of the roof. It began falling and falling without
+any stopping till the poor <span class="corr" id="xd20e4641" title=
+"Source: Br&acirc;hmin">Br&acirc;hmi&#7751;</span>, who sat agape
+<span class="pagenum">[<a id="pb271" href="#pb271" name=
+"pb271">271</a>]</span>with wonder, began to fear that they would all
+be buried in <i>mohurs</i>. The moment he saw the sea of wealth before
+him, his idea of suicide abandoned him. &ldquo;Stop please,&rdquo; said
+he at once, and the <i>mohur</i>-fall came to a sudden stop. He was
+delighted at the good nature of the devil, or whatever good spirit
+might have taken possession of the house, for its having given him so
+much wealth. He heaped up all the <i>mohurs</i> in one room, and locked
+it up, and had the key of it in his own possession. His wife and
+children got up during the <i>mohur</i>-fall. They also were informed
+of everything. The poor <span class="corr" id="xd20e4659" title=
+"Source: Br&acirc;hmin">Br&acirc;hmi&#7751;</span> advised his wife and
+children to keep the matter secret, and they, to their great credit,
+did so. They all&mdash;the poor parents and children&mdash;rejoiced at
+the good fortune that had made its visit to them.</p>
+<p>As soon as morning dawned the poor <span class="corr" id="xd20e4665"
+title="Source: Br&acirc;hmin">Br&acirc;hmi&#7751;</span> converted
+little by little his <i>mohurs</i> into money and bought grains and
+clothes for his family. This he did day by day till rumour began to
+spread that the poor <span class="corr" id="xd20e4671" title=
+"Source: Br&acirc;hmin">Br&acirc;hmi&#7751;</span> had found a
+treasure-trove in the rich landlord&rsquo;s house. Of course this
+rumour reached the ears of the wealthy man also. He came to the poor
+<span class="corr" id="xd20e4674" title=
+"Source: Br&acirc;hmin">Br&acirc;hmi&#7751;</span> and asked him all
+about the treasure-trove. The latter to his great honour related to the
+landlord every bit of the <i>mohur</i>-fall. He also wished to witness
+it and sleep in the room with the poor <span class="corr" id=
+"xd20e4681" title="Source: Br&acirc;hmin">Br&acirc;hmi&#7751;</span>,
+for the first time in his life, <span class="pagenum">[<a id="pb272"
+href="#pb272" name="pb272">272</a>]</span>his thirst for <i>mohurs</i>
+inducing him to do so. At about midnight &ldquo;Shall I fall
+down?&rdquo; was again heard.</p>
+<p>&ldquo;Fall down&rdquo; said the poor <span class="corr" id=
+"xd20e4691" title="Source: Br&acirc;hmin">Br&acirc;hmi&#7751;</span>,
+and lo! the <i>mohurs</i> began to descend like a water-fall. But,
+horror of horrors, they all appeared as so many scorpions to the
+house-owner. The poor man was heaping up the gold coins, but all of
+them seemed to crawl as so many scorpions to the eyes of the
+landlord.</p>
+<p>&ldquo;Stop please,&rdquo; said the poor man, and the
+<i>mohur</i>-fall stopped.</p>
+<p>Then turning to the house-owner, the poor man said: &ldquo;My lord,
+you may take home this heap for your use.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>The house-owner began to weep and said: &ldquo;Most fortunate of
+mankind, I have heard my old father often repeat a proverb, &lsquo;To
+the fortunate fortune comes,&rsquo; and its meaning I have discovered
+to-day only. I built the house and ran away when I heard the
+&lsquo;shall I fall.&rsquo; No doubt I did very well, for had I
+remained a scorpion torrent would have sent me to the other world. Know
+then my most fortunate friend, that I see all your <i>mohurs</i> as so
+many scorpions. I have not the fortune to see them as <i>mohurs</i>.
+But you have that gift. So from this moment this house is yours.
+Whatever you can convert into money of your <i>mohurs</i> I shall
+receive and bless you.&rdquo; <span class="pagenum">[<a id="pb273"
+href="#pb273" name="pb273">273</a>]</span></p>
+<p>So saying the house-owner came out of the room fearing the
+scorpions. And our poor man thus had all the fortune to himself, and
+was no longer a poor man. He soon became one of the wealthiest of men
+of his time, but remembering that he owed all his riches to the
+<span class="corr" id="xd20e4718" title=
+"Source: wealthyl andlord">wealthy landlord</span> who gave him the
+house, he used to share with the latter half of his wealth every
+year.</p>
+<p>This story explains the Tamil proverb <i>Madrish&#7789;am
+ul&#803;l&#803;avanukku ki&#7693;aikkum</i>; to the fortunate good
+fortune.</p>
+<p>N.B.&mdash;This story was also related to me by my step-mother whose
+birth-place is a village in the Trichinopoly district.</p>
+<p class="signed">N. S. <span class="pagenum">[<a id="pb274" href=
+"#pb274" name="pb274">274</a>]</span></p>
+</div>
+</div>
+<div id="ch24" class="div1"><span class="pagenum">[<a href=
+"#toc">Contents</a>]</span>
+<div class="divHead">
+<h2 class="label">XXIV.</h2>
+<h2 class="main">Retaliation&mdash;Palikkuppali.</h2>
+</div>
+<div class="divBody">
+<p class="first">There is a proverb in <span class="corr" id=
+"xd20e4738" title="Source: T&acirc;mil">Tamil&#804;</span> called
+<i lang="ta-latn">Palikkuppali v&acirc;&#7749;gukiradu</i> which would
+best be translated by the expression &ldquo;tit for tat,&rdquo; and the
+following story I heard when a boy from my step-mother, illustrating
+that proverb, and I have of late found the same story also in the
+Trichinopoly districts.</p>
+<p>In a certain village there lived a poor &#346;&ucirc;dra. He had
+made a vow to the goddess of his village, that if he came out
+successfully in a certain undertaking he would offer her a couple of
+goats. And he succeeded in his undertaking, and thought that his
+goddess alone had granted his request. Great was his joy and greater
+became his faith in her extraordinary powers. And as he promised he
+brought two fat goats and sacrificed them to her.</p>
+<p>These goats thus sacrificed and the &#346;&ucirc;dra sacrificer who
+meanwhile had died by a sudden fever, after a short time were all
+re-born in the world to undergo the results of their goodness or sin.
+The two goats, because they were sacrificed to the <span class=
+"pagenum">[<a id="pb275" href="#pb275" name=
+"pb275">275</a>]</span>goddess, were re-born as the king and the
+minister of a large country. The &#346;&ucirc;dra, as he had as much
+faith in his former life as in his goddess, was reborn in the
+priest&rsquo;s (<i>gurukkula</i>) caste, of course neither the king and
+his minister nor the priest had any reason to know their former life,
+until the death of the latter approached, as we shall presently see. A
+large kingdom fell to the share of the king, and he with his minister
+reigned over it most peacefully. In an unfrequented wilderness was a
+famous temple of a powerful goddess of of that country, and in that
+pagoda the priest regularly conducted her worship.</p>
+<p>Thus passed several years, the king and minister happy in their own
+kingdom, and the priest executing his religious duties in the
+wilderness. The priest was leading a most calm and holy life, eating
+what grew in the wilderness. His life was as pure as pure can be.</p>
+<p>But for all that fate would not forgive him for his acts in his
+former life.</p>
+<p>The king and the minister had vowed to the goddess of the wilderness
+that if they returned successfully from the conquest of an enemy of
+theirs they would offer her some human sacrifice. And so they returned,
+and to make entire their vow to the goddess they left their kingdom
+like ordinary men and came to the wood. All along the way they searched
+<span class="pagenum">[<a id="pb276" href="#pb276" name=
+"pb276">276</a>]</span>for a person to sacrifice, but no
+one&mdash;fortunately for him&mdash;was to be found. They still thought
+that the vow must not be left unaccomplished, and resolved upon
+catching the priest of the temple and offering him up as their intended
+sacrifice. When such strong people like the king and his minister
+resolved to do so, what could the poor priest do? He was quite unable
+to escape when those two informed him of what they were going to do
+with him on his entering to worship the goddess. Said the
+priest:&mdash;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;Sirs! You have come here resolved upon offering me up as a
+sacrifice to the goddess. I cannot hereafter escape your hold. But if
+you would allow me to perform my <i>p&ucirc;j&acirc;</i> to the goddess
+this morning also, I shall gladly die after having done my
+duty.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>So said the priest, and the king and the minister watched at the
+entrance and let him in.</p>
+<p>The priest went into the <i>Garbhag&#7771;iha</i>&mdash;the holy of
+the holies in the temple, and performed his worship to the goddess.
+After that was over he gave the image a severe blow on its back and
+thus addressed it:&mdash;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;Most merciless goddess. What have you done for all my faith
+in you. In this lonely wilderness, without knowing any other duty than
+your worship, I had been your true servant for the past many years. And
+in reward for all that, I must fall now a <span class="pagenum">[<a id=
+"pb277" href="#pb277" name="pb277">277</a>]</span>prey to the sacrifice
+of the king and the minister who are sharpening their knives outside to
+cut off my head at this moment. Is this the result of all my
+<i>p&ucirc;j&acirc;</i> (worship) to you.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>So spake the priest, and the goddess, laughing, thus replied from
+the vacuum:&mdash;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;My true priest. Your acts in your former life must trouble
+you in this. And the charitable acts of this life, even, cannot protect
+you in your next birth. In your former birth you had murdered two
+goats. They were born as king and minister, and have dragged you here
+to murder you. But this&mdash;the murder you are to undergo soon, by
+these hands will relieve you only of one of the two murders of your
+former life. And for the other murder you and they would be re-born
+again, and again they would kill you. So in your next third life from
+this one you would enjoy the fruits of all this devotion. Since now you
+know the story of your former life, you will forgive me, I
+think.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>Thus spoke the goddess, and the priest, as the knowledge of his
+former life dawned upon him, by the grace of the goddess, seemed
+resolved to die, in order to pay for his former sin. But the idea that
+in the next life he was to undergo the same punishment, vexed him much,
+and falling down at the goddess&rsquo;s feet, he respectfully requested
+her to try her best to let him off the next life; and the <span class=
+"pagenum">[<a id="pb278" href="#pb278" name=
+"pb278">278</a>]</span>goddess&rsquo;s heart was also moved at the
+severity of fate which would make her devotee pass through one more
+life in misery before he enjoyed the fruits of his devotion. So she
+devised the following plan to exculpate him from his two crimes at the
+same time, and thus replied:&mdash;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;Priest! &lsquo;Intelligence can conquer even Fate,&rsquo; is
+the proverb. When <i>K&acirc;li</i> gave 500 years&rsquo; life to
+Vikram&acirc;ditya in his town, Bhatti, his minister, by making the
+king live six months in his capital and six months in the jungle, made
+his master&rsquo;s life to last for 1000 years. So by intelligence we
+conquer our fate too, sometimes. So hear my advice. Ask the king who
+has come to murder you to hold one end of the knife, and request his
+minister to hold the other end. Ask both of them to aim the blow at
+your neck; that will accomplish everything complete during this life.
+They will have no revenge to take from you in your next
+life.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>So saying, the voice of the goddess stopped. The priest came back
+with a cheerful heart to the king and the minister, and asked them to
+oblige him by each of them holding one end of the knife and murdering
+him. They agreed, and performed thus their vow<span class="corr" id=
+"xd20e4796" title="Not in source">.</span> The poor priest, too,
+without having another miserable life, was born a king in his next
+life, and lived in prosperity. <span class="pagenum">[<a id="pb279"
+href="#pb279" name="pb279">279</a>]</span></p>
+<p>Here the story ends, and the story-teller in the Hind&ucirc;
+household, and in my case my stepmother, would at once moralise, that
+if we did anything to any one in this life, that one would pay us out
+for it in our next life.</p>
+<p>N.B.&mdash;I am led to think that this story does not contain a
+purely Hind&ucirc; moral. <span class="pagenum">[<a id="pb280" href=
+"#pb280" name="pb280">280</a>]</span></p>
+</div>
+</div>
+<div id="ch25" class="div1"><span class="pagenum">[<a href=
+"#toc">Contents</a>]</span>
+<div class="divHead">
+<h2 class="label">XXV.</h2>
+<h2 class="main">The Beggar and the Five Muffins.</h2>
+</div>
+<div class="divBody">
+<p class="first">In a certain village there lived a poor beggar and his
+wife. The man used to go out every morning with a clean vessel in his
+hand, return home with rice enough for the day&rsquo;s meal, and thus
+they lived on in extreme poverty.</p>
+<p>One day a poor M&aacute;dhava <span class="corr" id="xd20e4814"
+title="Source: Br&acirc;hmin">Br&acirc;hmi&#7751;</span> invited the
+pair to a feast, and among M&aacute;dhavas muffins
+(<i>t&ocirc;&#347;ai</i>) are always a part of the good things on
+festive occasions. So during the feast the beggar and his wife had
+their fill of muffins. They were so pleased with them, that the woman
+was extremely anxious to prepare some muffins in her own house, and
+began to save a little rice every day from what her husband brought her
+for the purpose. When enough had been thus collected she begged a poor
+neighbour&rsquo;s wife to give her a little black pulse which the
+latter&mdash;praised be her charity&mdash;readily did. The faces of the
+beggar and his wife literally glowed with joy that day, for were they
+not to taste the long-desired muffins for a second time? <span class=
+"pagenum">[<a id="pb281" href="#pb281" name="pb281">281</a>]</span></p>
+<p>The woman soon turned the rice she had been saving, and the black
+pulse she had obtained from her neighbour into a paste, and mixing it
+well with a little salt, green chillies, coriander seed and curds, set
+it in a pan on the fire; and with her mouth watering all the while,
+prepared five muffins! By the time her husband had returned from his
+collection of alms, she was just turning out of the pan the fifth
+muffin! And when she placed the whole five muffins before him his
+mouth, too, began to water. He kept two for himself and two he placed
+before his wife, but what was to be done with the fifth? He did not
+understand the way out of this difficulty. That half and half made one,
+and that each could take two and a half muffins was a question too hard
+for him <span class="corr" id="xd20e4823" title="Source: too">to</span>
+solve. The beloved muffins must not be torn in pieces; so he said to
+his wife that either he or she must take the remaining one. But how
+were they to decide which should be the lucky one?</p>
+<p>Proposed the husband:&mdash;&ldquo;Let us both shut our eyes and
+stretch ourselves as if in sleep, each on a verandah on either side the
+kitchen. Whoever opens an eye and speaks first gets only two muffins;
+and the other gets three.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>So great was the desire of each to get the three muffins, that they
+both abided by the agreement, and the woman, though her mouth watered
+for the muffins, resolved to go through the ordeal. She <span class=
+"pagenum">[<a id="pb282" href="#pb282" name=
+"pb282">282</a>]</span>placed the five cakes in a pan and covered it
+over with another pan. She then carefully bolted the door inside and
+asking her husband to go into the east verandah, she lay down in the
+west one. Sleep she had none, and with closed eyes kept guard over her
+husband: for if he spoke first he would have only two muffins, and the
+other three would come to her share. Equally watchful was her husband
+over her.</p>
+<p>Thus passed one whole day&mdash;two&mdash;three! The house was never
+opened! No beggar came to receive the morning dole. The whole village
+began to enquire after the missing beggar. What had become of him? What
+had become of his wife?</p>
+<p>&ldquo;See whether his house is locked on the outside and whether he
+has left us to go to some other village,&rdquo; spoke the
+greyheads.</p>
+<p>So the village watchman came and tried to push the door open, but it
+would not open!</p>
+<p>&ldquo;Surely,&rdquo; said they, &ldquo;it is locked on the inside!
+Some great calamity must have happened. Perhaps thieves have entered
+the house, and after plundering their property, murdered the
+inmates.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;But what property is a beggar likely to have?&rdquo; thought
+the village assembly, and not liking to waste time in idle
+speculations, they sent two watchmen to climb the roof and open the
+latch from the inside.</p>
+<p>Meanwhile the whole village, men, women, and children, stood outside
+the beggar&rsquo;s house to see what <span class="pagenum">[<a id=
+"pb283" href="#pb283" name="pb283">283</a>]</span>had taken place
+inside. The watchmen jumped into the house, and to their horror found
+the beggar and his wife stretched on opposite verandahs like two
+corpses. They opened the door, and the whole village rushed in. They,
+too, saw the beggar and his wife lying so still that they thought them
+to be dead. And though the beggar pair had heard everything that passed
+around them, neither would open an eye or speak. For whoever did it
+first would get only two muffins!</p>
+<p>At the public expense of the village two green litters of bamboo and
+cocoanut leaves were prepared on which to remove the unfortunate pair
+to the cremation ground.</p>
+<p>&ldquo;How loving they must have been to have died together like
+this!&rdquo; said some greybeards of the village.</p>
+<p>In time the cremation ground was reached, and village watchmen had
+collected a score of dried cowdung cakes and a bundle of firewood from
+each house, for the funeral pyre. From these charitable contributions
+<i>two</i> pyres had been prepared, one for the man and one for the
+woman. The pyre was then lighted, and when the fire approached his leg,
+the man thought it time to give up the ordeal and to be satisfied with
+only two muffins! So while the villagers were still continuing the
+funeral rites, they suddenly heard a voice:&mdash; <span class=
+"pagenum">[<a id="pb284" href="#pb284" name="pb284">284</a>]</span></p>
+<p>&ldquo;I shall be satisfied with two muffins!&rdquo;</p>
+<p>Immediately another voice replied from the woman&rsquo;s
+pyre:&mdash;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;I have gained the day; let me have the three!&rdquo;</p>
+<p>The villagers were amazed and ran away. One bold man alone stood
+face to face with the supposed dead husband and wife. He was a bold
+man, indeed for when a dead man or a man supposed to have died comes to
+life, village people consider him to be a ghost. However, this bold
+villager questioned the beggars until he came to know their story. He
+then went after the runaways and related to them the whole story of the
+five muffins to their great amazement.</p>
+<p>But what was to be done to the people who had thus voluntarily faced
+death out of love for muffins. Persons who had ascended the green
+litter and slept on the funeral pyre could never come back to the
+village! If they did the whole village would perish. So the elders
+built a small hut in a deserted meadow outside the village and made the
+beggar and his wife live there.</p>
+<p>Ever after that memorable day our hero and his wife were called the
+muffin beggar, and the muffin beggar&rsquo;s wife, and many old ladies
+and young children from the village use to bring them muffins in the
+morning and evening, out of pity for them, for had they not loved
+muffin so much that they underwent death in life? <span class=
+"pagenum">[<a id="pb285" href="#pb285" name="pb285">285</a>]</span></p>
+</div>
+</div>
+<div id="ch26" class="div1"><span class="pagenum">[<a href=
+"#toc">Contents</a>]</span>
+<div class="divHead">
+<h2 class="label">XXVI.</h2>
+<h2 class="main">The Brahmar&acirc;kshas and the Hair.</h2>
+</div>
+<div class="divBody">
+<p class="first">In a certain village there lived a very rich landlord,
+who owned several villages, but was such a great miser that no tenant
+would willingly cultivate his lands, and those he had gave him not a
+little trouble. He was indeed so vexed with them that he left all his
+lands untilled, and his tanks and irrigation channels dried up. All
+this, of course, made him poorer and poorer day by day. Nevertheless he
+never liked the idea of freely opening his purse to his tenants and
+obtaining their good will.</p>
+<p>While he was in this frame of mind a learned <i>Sany&acirc;si</i>
+paid him a visit, and on his representing his case to him, he
+said:&mdash;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;My dear son,&mdash;I know an incantation (<i>mantra</i>) in
+which I can instruct you. If you repeat it for three months day and
+night, a Brahmar&acirc;kshas will appear before you on the first day of
+the fourth month. Make him your servant, and then you can set at naught
+all your petty troubles with your <span class="pagenum">[<a id="pb286"
+href="#pb286" name="pb286">286</a>]</span>tenants. The
+Brahmar&acirc;kshas will obey all your orders, and you will find him
+equal to one hundred servants.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>Our hero fell at his feet and begged to be instructed at once. The
+sage then sat facing the east and his disciple the landlord facing the
+west, and in this position formal instruction was given, after which
+the <i>Sany&acirc;si</i> went his way.</p>
+<p>The landlord, mightily pleased at what he had learnt, went on
+practising the incantation, till, on the first day of the fourth month,
+the great Brahmar&acirc;kshas stood before him.</p>
+<p>&ldquo;What do you want, sir, from my hands?&rdquo; said he;
+&ldquo;what is the object of your having propitiated me for these three
+months?&rdquo;</p>
+<p>The landlord was thunderstruck at the huge monster who now stood
+before him and still more so at his terrible voice, but nevertheless he
+said:&mdash;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;I want you to become my servant and obey all my
+commands.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;Agreed,&rdquo; answered the Brahmar&acirc;kshas in a very
+mild tone, for it was his duty to leave off his impertinent ways when
+any one who had performed the required penance wanted him to become his
+servant; &ldquo;Agreed. But you must always give me work to do; when
+one job is finished you must at once give me a second, and so on. If
+you fail I shall kill you.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>The landlord, thinking that he would have work <span class=
+"pagenum">[<a id="pb287" href="#pb287" name="pb287">287</a>]</span>for
+several such Brahmar&acirc;kshasas, was pleased to see that his
+demoniacal servant was so eager to help him. He at once took him to a
+big tank which had been dried up for several years, and pointing it out
+spoke as follows:&mdash;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;You see this big tank; you must make it as deep as the height
+of two palmyra trees and repair the embankment wherever it is
+broken.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;Yes, my master, your orders shall be obeyed,&rdquo; humbly
+replied the servant and fell to work.</p>
+<p>The landlord, thinking that it would take several months, if not
+years, to do the work in the tank, for it was two <i>kos</i> long and
+one <i>kos</i> broad, returned delighted to his home, where his people
+were awaiting him with a sumptuous dinner. When enemies were
+approaching the Brahmar&acirc;kshas came to inform his master that he
+had finished his work in the tank. He was indeed astonished and feared
+for his own life!</p>
+<p>&ldquo;What! finished the work in one day which I thought would
+occupy him for months and years; if he goes on at this rate, how shall
+I keep him employed. And when I cannot find it for him he will kill
+me!&rdquo; Thus he thought and began to weep; his wife wiped the tears
+that ran down his face, and said:&mdash;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;My dearest husband, you must not lose courage. Get out of the
+Brahmar&acirc;kshas all the work you can <span class="pagenum">[<a id=
+"pb288" href="#pb288" name="pb288">288</a>]</span>and then let me know.
+I&rsquo;ll give him something that will keep him engaged for a very
+very long time, and then he&rsquo;ll trouble us no more.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>But her husband only thought her words to be meaningless and
+followed the Brahmar&acirc;kshas to see what he had done. Sure enough
+the thing was as complete as could be, so he asked him to plough
+<i>all</i> his lands, which extended over twenty villages! This was
+done in two <i><span class="corr" id="xd20e4933" title=
+"Source: gha&#7789;ikas">gha&#7789;ik&acirc;s</span></i>! He next made
+him dig and cultivate <i>all</i> his garden lands. This was done in the
+twinkling of an eye! The landlord now grew hopeless.</p>
+<p>&ldquo;What more work have you for me?&rdquo; roared the
+Brahmar&acirc;kshas, as he found that his master had nothing for him to
+do, and that the time for his eating him up was approaching.</p>
+<p>&ldquo;My dear friend,&rdquo; said he, &ldquo;my wife says she has a
+little job to give you; do it please now. I think that that is the last
+thing I can give you to do, and after it in obedience to the conditions
+under which you took service with me, I must become your
+prey!<span class="corr" id="xd20e4943" title=
+"Not in source">&rdquo;</span></p>
+<p>At this moment his wife came to them, holding in her left hand a
+long hair, which she had just pulled out from her head, and
+said:&mdash;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;Well, Brahmar&acirc;kshas, I have only a very light job for
+you. Take this hair, and when you have made it straight, bring it back
+to me.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>The Brahmar&acirc;kshas calmly took it, and sat in a <span class=
+"pagenum">[<a id="pb289" href="#pb289" name=
+"pb289">289</a>]</span><i>p&icirc;pal</i> tree to make it straight. He
+rolled it several times on his thigh and lifted it up to see if it
+became straight; but no, it would still bend! Just then it occurred to
+him that goldsmiths, when they want to make their metal wires straight,
+have them heated in fire; so he went to a fire and placed the hair over
+it, and of course it frizzled up with a nasty smell! He was
+horrified!</p>
+<p>&ldquo;What will my master&rsquo;s wife say if I do not produce the
+hair she gave me?&rdquo;</p>
+<p>So he became mightily afraid, and ran away.</p>
+<p>This story is told to explain the modern custom of nailing a handful
+of hair to a tree in which devils are supposed to dwell, to drive them
+away. <span class="pagenum">[<a id="pb290" href="#pb290" name=
+"pb290">290</a>]</span></p>
+</div>
+</div>
+</div>
+<div class="back">
+<div id="notes" class="div1"><span class="pagenum">[<a href=
+"#toc">Contents</a>]</span>
+<div class="divHead">
+<h2 class="main">Notes</h2>
+<div class="div2"><span class="pagenum">[<a href=
+"#toc">Contents</a>]</span>
+<div class="divHead">
+<h3 class="main">Notes to XIII.&mdash;First Part.</h3>
+</div>
+<div class="divBody">
+<p class="first">Few stories are more familiar and widely spread than
+that of the Lost Camel, which occurs in the opening of the romance. It
+was formerly, and perhaps is still, reproduced in English school
+reading-books. Voltaire, in chapter iii. of his &ldquo;<span lang=
+"fr">Zadig; ou, La Destin&eacute;e</span>&rdquo; (the materials of
+which he is said to have derived from Geuelette&rsquo;s
+&ldquo;<span lang="fr">Soir&eacute;es Bretonnes</span>,&rdquo;) has a
+version in which a lost palfrey and a she dog are described by the
+&ldquo;sage&rdquo; from the traces they had left on the path over which
+they passed. The great Arabian historian and traveller Mas&rsquo;udi,
+in his &ldquo;Meadows of Gold, and Mines of Gems,&rdquo; written A.D.
+943, gives the story of the Lost Camel, and from Mas&rsquo;udi it was
+probably taken into the MS. text of the &ldquo;Thousand and One
+Nights,&rdquo; procured in the East (?Constantinople) by Wortley
+Montague, and now preserved in the Bodleian Library, Oxford.<a class=
+"noteref" id="xd20e4979src" href="#xd20e4979" name="xd20e4979src">1</a>
+In that MS. it forms an incident in the story of the Sultan of Yeman
+and his Three Sons: the princes, after their father&rsquo;s death,
+quarrel over the succession to the throne, and at length agree to lay
+their respective claims before one of the tributary princes. On the
+road one of them remarks, &ldquo;A camel has lately passed this way
+loaded with grain on one side, and with sweetmeats <span class="corr"
+id="xd20e4982" title="Source: on on">on</span> the other.&rdquo; The
+second observes, &ldquo;and the camel is blind of one eye.&rdquo; The
+third adds, &ldquo;and it has lost its tail.&rdquo; The owner comes up,
+and on hearing their description of his beast, forces them to go before
+the king of the country, to whom they explain how they discovered the
+defects of the camel and its lading. In a Persian work, entitled
+&ldquo;Nigaristan,&rdquo; three brothers rightly conjecture in like
+manner that a camel <span class="pagenum">[<a id="pb291" href="#pb291"
+name="pb291">291</a>]</span>which had passed, and which they had not
+seen, was blind of an eye, wanted a tooth, was lame, and laden with oil
+on the one side, and honey on the other. The story is also found in the
+Hebrew Talmud. Two slaves are overheard by their master conversing
+about a camel that had gone before them along the road. It was blind of
+an eye, and laden with two skin bottles, one of which contained wine,
+the other oil. In a Siberian version (Radloff), three youths are met by
+a man who asks them if they had seen his camel, to which they reply by
+describing the colour and defects of the animal so exactly that he
+accuses them to the Prince of having stolen it. &ldquo;I have lost a
+camel, my lord,&rdquo; said he, &ldquo;and when I met these three young
+men we saluted, and I told them that I had lost my camel. Quoth one of
+these youths, &lsquo;Was thy camel of a light colour?&rsquo; The second
+asked, &lsquo;was thy camel lame?&rsquo; And the third, &lsquo;Was it
+not blind of an eye?&rsquo; I answered Yes to their questions. Now
+decide, my lord. It is evident these young men have stolen my
+camel.&rdquo; Then the Prince asked the eldest, &ldquo;How did you know
+that the camel was of a light colour?&rdquo; He replied, &ldquo;By some
+hairs which has fallen on the ground when it had rubbed itself against
+trees.&rdquo; The two others gave answers similar to those in our
+version. Then said the Prince to the man, &ldquo;Thy camel is lost; go
+and look for it.&rdquo; So the stranger mounted his horse and departed.
+<span class="pagenum">[<a id="pb292" href="#pb292" name=
+"pb292">292</a>]</span></p>
+</div>
+</div>
+<div class="div2"><span class="pagenum">[<a href=
+"#toc">Contents</a>]</span>
+<div class="divHead">
+<h3 class="main">Notes to XIII.&mdash;The Second Part.</h3>
+</div>
+<div class="divBody">
+<p class="first"><i>The Hunter and his Faithful Dog.</i>&mdash;A
+variety of this story is cited from a Cawnpore newspaper, in the
+&ldquo;Asiatic Journal,&rdquo; Vol. <span class="sc">XV</span>. (new
+series), Part II. October, 1834, p. 78, which is to the following
+effect:&mdash;A Bunjarrah named Dabee had a dog called Bhyro, the
+faithful companion of his travels, who guarded his goods from robbers
+while he slept. He wished to go to a distant part of the country to
+trade in grain, but had not sufficient funds for the purpose. After
+much cogitation, he at length resolved to pledge his dog for 1,000
+rupees, and when he applied to several persons was laughed at for his
+folly; but a wealthy merchant named Dyaram gave the money, on condition
+that it should be paid back within twelve months, taking the dog Bhyro
+in pledge. When eleven months had passed, the merchant began to bewail
+the stupidity which had induced him to lend so large a sum on so
+precarious a security. His relentings were, however, premature. One
+dark and dreary night he was aroused from his slumbers by a great
+noise, occasioned by the clashing of swords and the barking of Bhyro. A
+band of armed men had entered the house with intent to plunder, but
+before they could effect their purpose they had been observed by the
+faithful Bhyro, who commenced an attack upon them. Before Dyaram could
+render any assistance, Bhyro had laid two of the robbers dead at his
+feet; a third, on the approach of Dyaram, aimed a blow at his head,
+which was prevented from taking effect by Bhyro seizing the ruffian by
+the throat and laying him prostrate on the ground. After peace was
+restored, Dyaram congratulated himself on having received Bhyro in
+pledge for the Bunjarrah, by which act he not only escaped being
+plundered, but in all probably murdered. Next morning <span class=
+"pagenum">[<a id="pb293" href="#pb293" name=
+"pb293">293</a>]</span>Dyaram called Bhyro, and after caressing him,
+said:&mdash;&ldquo;The service you rendered me last night is more than
+an equivalent for the 1,000 rupees I lent your master; go, faithful
+creature. I give you a free discharge from your obligation as security
+for him.&rdquo; Bhyro shook his head in token that it was impossible
+for him to go until his master returned; but Dyaram, comprehending his
+meaning, soon arranged matters by writing a statement of the
+circumstances, and giving a voucher for the 1,000 rupees. This document
+he tied round Bhyro&rsquo;s neck, which done, Bhyro expressed his
+delight by leaping about in every direction, and, after licking the
+hands of Dyaram, darted out of the house and set off in quest of his
+master. While these scenes were transpiring in Dyaram&rsquo;s house,
+Dabee was not unmindful of the pledge he had left behind him, and,
+having succeeded in his speculation, was returning with all haste to
+redeem it. At his last stage homewards he was surprised to see Bhyro
+approaching him with every demonstration of joy, but at sight of him
+Dabee&rsquo;s rage was kindled, and repulsing Bhyro as he fawned upon
+him he thus addressed him:&mdash;&ldquo;O, ungrateful wretch! is this
+the return you have made for my kindness to you? and is this the manner
+in which you have established my character for veracity? You remained
+faithful to your trust during eleven months&mdash;could you not have
+held out for thirty short days? You have, by your desertion from your
+post, entailed dishonour upon me, and for this you shall die.&rdquo;
+And, so saying, he drew his sword and slew him. After having committed
+this deed, he observed a paper tied round Bhyro&rsquo;s neck; having
+read it, his grief was indescribable. To atone in some measure for his
+rash act, caused poor Bhyro to be buried on the spot where he fell, and
+a superb monument to be erected over his remains. To the grave of
+Bhyro, even at the present day, resort natives who have been bitten by
+dogs, they believing that the dust collected there, when applied to the
+wounds, is an antidote for hydrophobia. <span class="pagenum">[<a id=
+"pb294" href="#pb294" name="pb294">294</a>]</span></p>
+</div>
+</div>
+<div class="div2"><span class="pagenum">[<a href=
+"#toc">Contents</a>]</span>
+<div class="divHead">
+<h3 class="main">Notes to XIII.&mdash;The Third Part.</h3>
+</div>
+<div class="divBody">
+<p class="first"><i>The Brahman&rsquo;s Wife and the
+Mongoose.</i>&mdash;We have, in this story, an Indian variety of the
+well-known Welsh legend of Llewellyn and his dog Gellert. A
+<span class="corr" id="xd20e5009" title=
+"Source: similiar">similar</span> legend was current in France during
+the Middle Ages. But our story&mdash;<i>mutatis mutandis</i>&mdash;is
+as old as the third century B.C., since it is found in a Buddhist work
+of that period. It also occurs in two Sanskrit forms of the celebrated
+Fables of Pilpay, or Bidnaia namely the &ldquo;Pancha Tantra&rdquo;
+(five chapters), which is said to date as far back as the 5th century
+A.D., and the &ldquo;Hitopadesa&rdquo; (Friendly Counsels); also in the
+Arabian and other Eastern versions of the same work. It is found in all
+the texts of the Book of Sindibad&mdash;Greek, Syriac, Persian, Hebrew,
+Old Castilian, Arabic, &amp;c., and in the several European versions,
+known generally under the title of &ldquo;The History of the Seven Wise
+Masters,&rdquo; the earliest form of which being a Latin prose work
+entitled &ldquo;Dolopathos.&rdquo; There are, of course, differences in
+the details of the numerous versions both Western and Eastern, but the
+fundamental outline is the same in all. In my work on the migrations of
+popular tales, I have reproduced all the known versions of this
+world-wide story, with the exception of that in the present romance,
+which is singular in representing the woman as killing herself after
+she had discovered her fatal mistake, and her husband as slaying his
+little son and himself. The author of the romance probably added these
+tragedies, in order to enable the supposed narrator to more forcibly
+impress the king with the <span class="corr" id="xd20e5015" title=
+"Source: grevious">grievous</span> consequences of acting in affairs of
+moment with inconsiderateness and precipitation. In most versions it is
+the husband who kills the faithful animal. Among the Malays the story
+of the Snake and the Mongoose is current in this <span class=
+"pagenum">[<a id="pb295" href="#pb295" name=
+"pb295">295</a>]</span>form:&mdash;A man left a tame bear in charge of
+his house, and of his sleeping child, while he was absent from home. On
+his return he missed his child, the house was in disorder, as if some
+great struggle had taken place, and the floor was covered with blood.
+Hastily concluding that the bear had killed and devoured the child, the
+enraged father slew the animal with his spear, but almost immediately
+afterwards found the carcase of a tiger, which the faithful bear had
+defeated and killed, and the child emerged unharmed from the jungle,
+where it had taken refuge.</p>
+<p>In a black-letter English edition of the &ldquo;Seven Wise
+Masters,&rdquo; the knight, having slain his hound and discovered his
+child safe in its cradle, exclaims (and here the hand of the misogynist
+monkish writer is very evident!)&mdash;&ldquo;Woe be to me, that, for
+the words of my wife, I have slain my good and best greyhound, the
+which had saved my child&rsquo;s life, and hath slain the serpent;
+therefore I will put myself to penance.&rdquo; And so he brake his
+sword in three pieces, and travelled in the direction of the Holy Land,
+and abode there all the days of his life. The preceding story of the
+Hunter and his Dog, it will be observed, is closely allied to that of
+the Brahman&rsquo;s Wife and the Mongoose; and in conclusion, where the
+hunter erects a stately tomb over his dog&rsquo;s remains, it presents
+a striking resemblance to the Welsh legend of Llewellyn and the dog
+Gellert, which is probably not merely fortuitous.</p>
+<p>A very curious version is found in a black-letter chapter-book,
+entitled the &ldquo;Seven Wise Mistresses,&rdquo; written in imitation
+of the &ldquo;Seven Wise Masters,&rdquo; by one Thomas Howard, about
+the end of the seventeenth century, in which a knight and his lady are
+wrecked and cast ashore on a desert island, and the knight soon
+afterwards dies. His wife takes a thorn out of a lion&rsquo;s foot
+(Androcles in petticoats), and the grateful animal follows her about,
+and provides her with food, and this is how the story goes
+on:&mdash;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;At last she began mourning to herself, deploring her
+condition in living in such obscurity in a foreign Country, and as her
+daily companion, a savage Beast, her mind yearning after her own
+habitation, she thus complained: <span class="pagenum">[<a id="pb296"
+href="#pb296" name="pb296">296</a>]</span>&rsquo;Oh, how hath fortune
+frowned on me that I am driven out from all human knowledge, and am
+glad to take up my habitation with the Beast of the Field!&rsquo;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;As she thus complained to herself, the Devil chanced to
+appear to her, and demanded the cause of her complaint, and she related
+all to him as you have heard. Then said he to her: &lsquo;What wilt
+thou give and I will provide a ship which shall carry thee home to thy
+own country.&rsquo; She answered: &lsquo;Half my Estates.&rsquo;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;<span class="corr" id="xd20e5032" title=
+"Not in source">&lsquo;</span>Nay,&rsquo; said the Devil, &lsquo;If
+thou wilt give me thy Soul at the term of twelve years, I will set thee
+down in thy own country, and thou shalt live and flourish so
+long.&rsquo; &lsquo;God forbid,&rsquo; said the Lady. &lsquo;I would
+rather end my wretched life in this solitary island than
+that.<span class="corr" id="xd20e5035" title=
+"Not in source">&rsquo;</span> &lsquo;Why then,&rsquo; said the Devil,
+&lsquo;I will make this bargain with you, that if you abstain from
+sleeping all the time of our voyage, which shall be but three days, I
+will have nothing to do with your Soul; if you sleep, I will have it as
+I have said.&rsquo;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;And upon this bargain the lady ventured, provided she might
+have her Lion with her. So &lsquo;twas concluded, and a brave Ship came
+and took the Lady and her Lion. When she lay down the Lion lay by her,
+and if she slumbered the Lion would touch her with his paw, by which
+means he kept her awake all the voyage, until she landed in her own
+country, and being come to her Father&rsquo;s house, she knocked at the
+gate. Then the Porter coming with all speed opened the gate and thought
+that it was a Beggar.</p>
+<p>&ldquo;Frowningly he shut it again, saying, &lsquo;There&rsquo;s
+nothing here for you.&rsquo; Then she bounced at the gate again, and
+asked the Porter if such a Knight lived there, meaning her Father, and
+he said &lsquo;Yes.&rsquo; &lsquo;Then<span class="corr" id="xd20e5042"
+title="Not in source">,</span>&rsquo; said she, &lsquo;Pray, deliver
+this piece of ring unto him.&rsquo; Now this ring was it she brake
+betwixt her Father and she at her departure out of the land. Then the
+Porter delivered the Ring to his Master, saying<span class="corr" id=
+"xd20e5045" title="Source: ;">:</span> &lsquo;The Beggar woman at the
+gate willed me to deliver the piece of ring unto you.&rsquo;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;When the Knight saw the ring he fell down in a swound but
+when he was revived he said, &lsquo;Call her in, for she is my
+<span class="pagenum">[<a id="pb297" href="#pb297" name=
+"pb297">297</a>]</span>only Daughter, whom I thought was dead.&rsquo;
+&lsquo;Then,&rsquo; said the Porter, &lsquo;I dare not call her in, for
+there is a mighty Lion with her.&rsquo; &lsquo;Though it be,&rsquo;
+said the Knight, &lsquo;call her in.&rsquo; Then said the Porter [to
+the Lady], &lsquo;You are to come in, but leave your Lion
+outside.<span class="corr" id="xd20e5052" title=
+"Not in source">&rsquo;</span> &lsquo;No,&rsquo; said the Lady,
+&lsquo;my Lion goes whereever I go, and where he is not, there will I
+not be.&rsquo;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;And when she came to her Father she fell down on her knees
+and wept. Her Father took her up in his arms and kissed her, weeping as
+fast, and after he clothed her in purple, and placed her by him in a
+chair, and demanded an account of her travels, and she told him all
+that had happened, and how the Lion had saved her life, and was the
+greatest comfort she had in the Wilderness. It chanced afterwards that
+as the Knight was going into his Wood to look after his young Horses,
+he met with a wild Boar, with whom he fell in combat. The Lion loved
+the Old Knight, and by accident walking along he scented the Boar, and
+as the Lion ran toward the place where the Boar was, the Steward espied
+him, and he ran into the Palace, and cryed out, <span class="corr" id=
+"xd20e5057" title="Source: the &lsquo;">&lsquo;the</span> Lion is
+running after my Master to destroy him.&rsquo;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;Then the Lady sent after him ten of her servants, who met the
+Lion, his mouth all bloody, and they ran back and told the Lady the
+Lion had destroyed her aged Father. Then said the Lady, &lsquo;O woe is
+me that ever I was born, that have brought a Lion from far to destroy
+my own Father.&rsquo; Therefore she commanded her servants to slay the
+<span class="corr" id="xd20e5063" title="Source: Lyon">Lion</span>,
+which no sooner was done but her Father came in, and said; &lsquo;O, I
+have met with a wild Boar, with whom I fought, and there came the Lion
+to my aid, and slew the Boar, and so saved my life, else I had died by
+the Boar.&rsquo;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;When the Lady heard this, O how she wept and wrung her hands,
+saying, &lsquo;For the words of a wicked Steward, I have slain my good
+Lion, who hath saved my life and my Father&rsquo;s. Cursed be the time
+I was advised by him.&rsquo;&rdquo;</p>
+<hr class="tb">
+<p><i>The Faithless Wife and the Ungrateful Blind Man.</i>&mdash;I do
+not remember having met with this story in any other collection,
+although there are there many tales in Asiatic story-books of
+<span class="pagenum">[<a id="pb298" href="#pb298" name=
+"pb298">298</a>]</span>women abandoning their blind or infirm husbands,
+and going off with strange men. A very considerable proportion, in fact
+of Eastern stories turn upon the alleged wickedness and profligacy and
+intrigues of women. This most unjust estimate of &ldquo;the sex&rdquo;
+seems to have been universal in Asiatic countries from every remote
+times and probably was introduced into Europe through the Crusades. Not
+a few of the medi&aelig;val Monkish tales represent women in a very
+unfavourable light, and this is also the case in our early English
+jest-books, which were compiled soon after the invention of printing.
+In the oldest Indian literature, however, especially the two grand
+epics &ldquo;Ramayana&rdquo; and &ldquo;Mahabharata,&rdquo; occur
+several notable tales of noble women, such as &ldquo;Dushyanta and
+Sakuntala,&rdquo; and the charming romance of &ldquo;Nala and
+Damayanti;&rdquo; and in another work, the &ldquo;Adventures of the Ten
+princes,&rdquo; (&ldquo;Dasa Kumara Charita,&rdquo;) the fine story of
+Gomiui, who is held up as a pattern to her sex. <span class=
+"pagenum">[<a id="pb299" href="#pb299" name="pb299">299</a>]</span></p>
+</div>
+</div>
+<div class="div2"><span class="pagenum">[<a href=
+"#toc">Contents</a>]</span>
+<div class="divHead">
+<h3 class="main">Notes to XIII.&mdash;The Fourth Part.</h3>
+</div>
+<div class="divBody">
+<p class="first"><i>The Wonderful Mango-fruit.</i>&mdash;A variety of
+this story occurs in the Persian &ldquo;Tuti Nama&rdquo; of
+Nakhshabi:&mdash;A Prince, who is very ill, sends a parrot of great
+sagacity to procure him some fruit of the Tree of Life. When at length
+the bird returns with the life-giving fruit, the Prince scruples to eat
+of it, upon which the parrot relates the legend of &ldquo;Solomon and
+the Water of Immortality;&rdquo; how that wise monarch declined to
+procure immunity from death, on consideration that he should thus
+survive all his friends and female favourites. The Prince, however,
+being suspicious regarding the fruit, sent some trusty messengers to
+&ldquo;bring the first apple that fell from the Tree of
+Existence.&rdquo; But it happened that a black snake had poisoned it by
+seizing it in its mouth and then letting it drop again. When the
+messengers returned with the fruit, the Prince tried the effect on a
+holy man, who instantly falls down dead. Upon seeing this, the Prince
+dooms the parrot to death; but the sagacious bird suggests that, before
+the Prince should execute him for treason, he should himself go to the
+Tree of Life and make another experiment with its fruit. The Prince
+does so, and, returning home, gives part of the fruit to an old woman,
+&ldquo;who, from age and infirmity, had not stirred abroad for many
+years;&rdquo; and, no sooner had she tasted it, than she was changed
+into a charming girl of eighteen. But more closely resembling our story
+is a version in a Canarese collection, entitled &ldquo;Katha
+Manjari&rdquo;:&mdash;A certain king had a magpie that flew one day to
+heaven with another magpie. From thence it took away some mango seed,
+and, having returned, gave it to the king, saying:&mdash;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;If you cause this to be planted and grow, whoever eats of its
+fruit old age will forsake him and his youth be restored.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>The king was much pleased, and caused it to be planted in
+<span class="pagenum">[<a id="pb300" href="#pb300" name=
+"pb300">300</a>]</span>his favourite garden. After some years, buds
+appeared and became flowers, then young fruit, then full grown; and
+when the fruit was ripe the king ordered one to be plucked and brought
+to him, when he gave it to an old man. But on it had fallen poison from
+a serpent as it was carried through the air by a kite, so the old man
+immediately withered and died. The king, on seeing this, exclaimed in
+wrath:&mdash;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;Is not this bird attempting to kill me?&rdquo; And he seized
+the magpie and wrung off its head. Afterwards in the village the tree
+had the name of the poisonous mango. Now, it happened that a washerman,
+taking the part of his wife in a quarrel with his old mother, struck
+the latter, who was so angry at her son that she resolved to die, in
+order that the blame of her death should fall upon him; and having gone
+to the poisonous mango-tree in the garden, she cut off a fruit and ate
+it, when instantly she became more blooming than a girl of sixteen.
+This miracle she published everywhere and it came to the king&rsquo;s
+ears, who, having called her and seen her, caused the fruit to be given
+to other old people. Having seen what was thus done by the marvelous
+virtue of the mango-fruit, the king sorrowfully exclaimed:&mdash;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;Alas, the faithful magpie is killed which gave me this divine
+tree! How guilty am I!&rdquo; And he pierced himself with his sword and
+died.</p>
+<p>&ldquo;Therefore,&rdquo; adds the story-teller, &ldquo;those who act
+without thought are certain to be ruined.&rdquo; The old
+Brahman&rsquo;s generously presenting the king with the wonderful
+mango-fruit in our story, finds its parallel with a difference, in the
+Hindu romance entitled &ldquo;Simhasana Dwatrinsatri,&rdquo; or
+Thirty-two Tales of a throne, where a Brahman having received from the
+gods, as a reward for his devotional austerities, the fruit of
+immortality, joyfully proceeds home and shows it to his wife, who
+advises him to give it to the Raja <span class="corr" id="xd20e5096"
+title="Source: Bhartrigari">Bhartrihari</span>, as the wealth he should
+receive in return were preferable to an endless life of poverty. He
+goes to the palace, and presenting the fruit to the Raja, acquaints him
+of its nature, and is rewarded with a lakh of rupees. The Raja gives
+the fruit to his wife, telling her that <span class="pagenum">[<a id=
+"pb301" href="#pb301" name="pb301">301</a>]</span>if she ate it her
+beauty would increase day by day, and she should be immortal. The Kani
+gives it to her paramour, the chief of police, who, in his turn,
+presents it as the choicest of gifts to a courtesan, who, after
+reflecting that it would only enable her to commit innumerable sins,
+resolves to offer it to the Raja, in hope of a reward in a future life.
+When Raja Bhartrihari receives the fruit again he is astonished, and,
+on learning from the <i>h&aelig;tera</i> from whom she had obtained it,
+he knew that his queen was unfaithful, and, abandoning his throne and
+kingdom, departs into the jungle, where he became an ascetic.
+<span class="pagenum">[<a id="pb302" href="#pb302" name=
+"pb302">302</a>]</span></p>
+</div>
+</div>
+<div class="div2"><span class="pagenum">[<a href=
+"#toc">Contents</a>]</span>
+<div class="divHead">
+<h3 class="main">Notes to XIII.&mdash;The Fifth Part.</h3>
+</div>
+<div class="divBody">
+<p class="first"><i>The Poisoned Food.</i>&mdash;This is a third
+instance of food or fruit being poisoned by serpents, and it occurs
+very frequently in Eastern stories. The oldest form of this tale is
+found in a Sanskrit collection entitled &ldquo;Twenty-five Tales of a
+Vampyre&rdquo; (<i>Vetalapanchavimsati</i>), which is probably of
+Buddhist extraction, and which also exists in many of the vernacular
+languages of India. The wife of a man named Harisvamin having been
+stolen from him one night by a Vidyadhara Prince, he gave away all his
+wealth to the Brahmans, and resolved to visit the sacred waters to wash
+away his sins, after which he hoped to recover his beloved wife; and
+the story thus proceeds:&mdash;Then he left the country, with his
+Brahman birth as his only fortune, and began to go round to all the
+sacred bathing-places in order to recover his beloved. And as he was
+roaming about there came upon him the terrible lion of the hot season,
+with the blazing sun for mouth and with a mane composed of his fiery
+rays. And the winds blew with excessive heat, as if warmed by the
+breath of sighs furnaced forth by travellers grieved at being separated
+from their wives. And the tanks, with their supply of water diminished
+by the heat and their drying white mud, appeared to be showing their
+broken hearts. And the trees by the roadside seemed to lament on
+account of the departure of the glory of spring, making their wailing
+heard in the shrill moaning of their bark, with leaves, as it were,
+lips, parched with heat.</p>
+<p>At that season Harisvamin, wearied out with the heat of the sun,
+with bereavement, hunger and thirst, and continual travelling,
+emaciated and dirty, and pining for food, reached in the course of his
+wanderings a certain village, and <span class="pagenum">[<a id="pb303"
+href="#pb303" name="pb303">303</a>]</span>found in it the house of a
+Brahman named Padmanabha, who was engaged in a sacrifice. And, seeing
+that many Brahmans were eating in his house, he stood leaning against
+the door-post, silent and motionless. And the good wife of that Brahman
+named Padmanabha, seeing him in this position, felt pity for him, and
+reflected:&mdash;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;Alas! mighty is hunger! Whom will it not bring down? For here
+stands a man at the door, who appears to be a householder, desiring
+food, with downcast countenance; evidently come from a long journey,
+and with all his faculties impaired by hunger. So is not he a man to
+whom food ought to be given?&rdquo; Having gone through these
+reflections, that kind woman took up in her hand a vessel full of rice
+boiled in milk, with <i><span class="corr" id="xd20e5122" title=
+"Source: ghi">gh&icirc;</span></i> and sugar, and brought it, and
+courteously presented it to him, and said:&mdash;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;Go and eat this somewhere on the bank of the lake, for this
+place is unfit to eat in, as it is filled with feasting
+Brahmans.&rdquo; He said &ldquo;I will do so,&rdquo; and took the
+vessel of rice and placed it at no great distance under a banyan-tree
+on the edge of the lake; and he washed his hands and feet in the lake,
+and rinsed his mouth, and then came back in high spirits to eat the
+rice. But while he was thus engaged a kite, holding a black cobra with
+its beak and claws, came and sat on that tree. And it so happened that
+poisonous saliva issued from the mouth of that dead snake, which the
+bird had captured and was carrying along. The saliva fell into the dish
+of rice which was placed under the tree, and Harisvamin, without
+observing it, came and ate up that rice. As soon as in his hunger he
+had devoured all that food, he began to suffer terrible agonies, caused
+by the poison. He exclaimed:&mdash;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;When fate has turned against a man, everything in this world
+turns also; accordingly this rice has become poison to me.&rdquo; Thus
+speaking, Harisvamin, tortured with the poison, tottered to the house
+of that Brahman who was engaged in a sacrifice, and said to his
+wife:&mdash;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;The rice which you gave me has poisoned me; so fetch me
+quickly a charmer who can counteract the operation of poison; otherwise
+you will be guilty of the death of a <span class="pagenum">[<a id=
+"pb304" href="#pb304" name="pb304">304</a>]</span>Brahman.&rdquo; When
+Harisvamin had said this to the good woman, who was beside herself to
+think what it could all mean, his eyes closed and he died.</p>
+<p>Then the Brahman who was engaged in a sacrifice drove his wife out
+of the house, though she was innocent and hospitable, being enraged
+with her for the supposed murder of her guest. The good woman, for her
+part, having incurred groundless blame from her charitable deed, and so
+become burdened with infamy, went to a holy bathing-place, to perform
+penance. Then there was a discussion before the superintendent of
+religion as to which of the four parties, the kite, the snake, and the
+couple who gave rice, was guilty of the murder of a Brahman; but the
+question was not decided.</p>
+<p>It will be seen that our story differs very considerably from the
+foregoing, which we must regard as the original. The same story occurs
+in all the Eastern versions of the Book of Sindibad, but in most of
+these it is not a traveller who is thus poisoned, but a wealthy man and
+his guests; having sent a domestic to the market to buy sour curds,
+which she carried back in an open vessel, poison from a serpent in a
+stork&rsquo;s mouth dropped into the curds, of which the master of the
+house and his guests partook and died. The story is probably more than
+2,000 years old.</p>
+<p>&ldquo;<i>Eating up the Protector.</i>&rdquo; Akin to this, but with
+a very different conclusion, is the well-known story of the traveller
+who released a tiger from a trap into which he had fallen. The
+Brahman&rsquo;s fidelity to his pact with the serpent reminds one of
+the Arabian story of the Merchant and the Genie. In a Tamil tale, a cow
+having given herself up to a tiger to redeem her owner (it is to be
+understood, of course, that both animals are human beings re-born in
+those forms) she obtains leave to go and suckle her calf, after which
+she returns when the tiger, moved by her fidelity, lets her go
+free.</p>
+<p>The serpent&rsquo;s emitting gems recalls Shakespeare&rsquo;s
+allusion to the popular notion of the &ldquo;toad, ugly and venomous,
+which bears a precious jewel in its head.&rdquo; It is a very ancient
+and widespread belief that serpents are the guardians of hidden
+treasures. Preller, in his work on Grecian mythology, <span class=
+"pagenum">[<a id="pb305" href="#pb305" name=
+"pb305">305</a>]</span>refers to a Servian story in which a shepherd,
+as in our tale, saves the life of a snake in a forest fire, and, in
+return for this service, the snake&rsquo;s father gives him endless
+treasures and teaches him the language of birds. There is a very
+similar story in Dozon&rsquo;s &ldquo;Contes Albanais.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>In the charming tale of &ldquo;Nala and Damayanti,&rdquo; which
+occurs in the third part (&ldquo;Vana Parva&rdquo;) of the grand Indian
+epic &ldquo;Mahabharata,&rdquo; the exiled king perceives a snake with
+a ray of jewels in its crest, writhing in a jungle fire, and lifting it
+out, carries it some distance, and is about to set it down, when the
+snake says to him, &ldquo;Carry me ten steps farther, and count them
+aloud as you go.&rdquo; So Nala proceeds, counting the steps&mdash;one,
+two, three&mdash;and when he said &ldquo;ten&rdquo; (<i>dasa</i>, which
+means &ldquo;ten&rdquo; and also &ldquo;bite&rdquo;) the snake took him
+at his word, and bit the king in the forehead, upon which he became
+black and deformed.</p>
+<p>An abstract of a considerably modified form of our romance orally
+current among the people of Bengal may be given in conclusion: A king
+appoints his three sons to patrol in turn the streets of his capital
+during the night. It happens that the youngest Prince in going his
+rounds one night sees a beautiful woman issuing from the royal palace,
+and accosting her, asks her business at such an hour. She
+replies:&mdash;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;I am the guardian deity of this palace; the king will be
+killed this night, therefore I am going away.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>The Prince persuades the goddess to return into the palace and await
+the event. As in our story, he enters his father&rsquo;s sleeping
+chamber and discovers a huge cobra near the royal couch. He cuts the
+serpent into many pieces, which he puts inside a brass vessel that is
+in the room. Then seeing that some drops of the serpent&rsquo;s blood
+had fallen on his step-mother&rsquo;s breast, he wraps a piece of cloth
+round his tongue to protect it from the poison, and licks off the
+blood. The lady awakes, and recognises him as he is leaving the room.
+She accuses him to the king of having used an unpardonable freedom with
+her. In the morning the king sends for his eldest son, and asks him:
+&ldquo;If a trusted servant should prove faithless how should he be
+punished?&rdquo; <span class="pagenum">[<a id="pb306" href="#pb306"
+name="pb306">306</a>]</span></p>
+<p>Quoth the Prince: &ldquo;Surely his head should be parted from his
+body; but before doing so you should ascertain whether the man is
+actually guilty.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>And then he proceeds to relate the following
+story:&mdash;&ldquo;Once upon a time there was a goldsmith who had a
+grown-up son, whose wife was acquainted with the language of animals,
+but she kept secret from her husband and all others the fact of her
+being endowed with such a rare gift. It happened one night she heard a
+jackal exclaim: &lsquo;There is a dead body floating on the river;
+would that some one might give me that body to eat, and for his pains
+take the diamond ring from the finger of the dead man.&rsquo;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;The woman arose from her bed and went to the bank of the
+river, and her husband, who was not asleep, followed her unobserved.
+She went into the water, drew the corpse to land, and unable to loosen
+the ring from the dead man&rsquo;s finger, which had swelled, she bit
+off the finger, and leaving the corpse on the bank, returned home,
+whither she had been preceded by her husband. Almost petrified with
+fear, the young goldsmith concluded from what he had seen that his wife
+was not a human being, but a ghoul (<i>rakshasi</i>), and early in the
+morning he hastened to his father and related the whole affair to
+him&mdash;how the woman had got up during the night and gone to the
+river, out of which she dragged a dead body to the land, and was busy
+devouring it when he ran home in horror.</p>
+<p>&ldquo;The old man was greatly shocked, and advised his son to take
+his wife on some pretext into the forest and leave her there to be
+destroyed by wild beasts. So the husband caused the woman to get
+herself ready to go on a visit to her father, and after a hasty
+breakfast they set out. In going through a dense jungle, where the
+goldsmith proposed abandoning his wife, she heard a serpent cry,
+&lsquo;O, passenger, I pray thee to seize and give me that croaking
+frog, and take for thy reward the gold and precious stones concealed in
+yonder hole.&rsquo; The woman at once seized the frog and threw it
+towards the serpent, and then began digging into the ground with a
+stick. Her husband quaked with fear, thinking that his ghoul-wife
+<span class="pagenum">[<a id="pb307" href="#pb307" name=
+"pb307">307</a>]</span>was about to kill him, but she called to him,
+saying, &lsquo;My dear husband, gather up all this gold and precious
+gems.&rsquo;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;Approaching the spot with hesitation he was surprised to
+perceive an immense treasure laid bare by his wife, who then explained
+to him how she had learned of it from the snake that lay coiled up near
+them, whose language she understood. Then he said to his
+wife&mdash;&rsquo;It is now so late that we cannot reach your
+father&rsquo;s house before dark, and we might be slain by wild beasts.
+Let us therefore return home.&rsquo; So they retraced their steps, and
+approaching the house the goldsmith said to his wife&mdash;&rsquo;Do,
+you, my dear, go in by the back door, while I enter by the front and
+show my father all this treasure.&rsquo;</p>
+<p>The woman went in by the back door and was met by her father-in-law,
+who, on seeing her, concluded that she had killed and devoured his son,
+and striking her on the head with a hammer which he happened to have in
+his hand, she instantly expired. Just then the son came into the room,
+but it was too late.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>&ldquo;I have told your Majesty this story,&rdquo; adds the eldest
+Prince, &ldquo;in order that before putting the man to death you should
+make sure that he is guilty.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>The king next calls his second son and asks him the same question,
+to which he replies by relating a story to caution his father against
+rash actions.</p>
+<p>&ldquo;A king, separated from his attendants while engaged in the
+chase, saw what he conceived to be rain-water dropping from the top of
+a tree, and, being very thirst, held his drinking cup under it until it
+was nearly filled, and, just as he was about to put it to his lips, his
+horse purposely moved so as to cause the contents to be spilled on the
+ground, upon which the king in a rage drew his sword and killed the
+faithful animal; but afterwards discovering that what he had taken for
+rain-water was poison that dropped from a cobra in the tree, his grief
+knew no bounds.&rdquo;</p>
+<p>Calling lastly his third son, the king asks him what should be done
+to the man who proved false to his trust. The Prince tells the story of
+the wonderful tree, the fruit of which <span class="pagenum">[<a id=
+"pb308" href="#pb308" name="pb308">308</a>]</span>bestowed on him who
+ate of it perennial youth, with unimportant variations from the version
+in our romance.</p>
+<p>Then the Prince explained the occasion of his presence in the Royal
+bedchamber, and how he had saved the king and his consort from the
+cobra&rsquo;s deadly bite. And the king, overjoyed and full of
+gratitude, strained his faithful son to his heart, and ever after
+cherished and loved him with all a father&rsquo;s love.</p>
+</div>
+</div>
+</div>
+<div class="footnotes">
+<hr class="fnsep">
+<p class="footnote"><span class="label"><a class="noteref" id=
+"xd20e4979" href="#xd20e4979src" name="xd20e4979">1</a></span> It is
+not generally known that the &ldquo;Birnam Wood&rdquo; incident in
+Shakespeare&rsquo;s &ldquo;Macbeth&rdquo; occurs in the same Arabian
+historical work.</p>
+</div>
+</div>
+<div class="div1"><span class="pagenum">[<a href=
+"#toc">Contents</a>]</span>
+<div class="divBody">
+<p class="first"><span class="sc">T. Brettell &amp; Co.</span>,
+Printers, Rupert Street, London,&mdash;W.</p>
+</div>
+</div>
+<div class="transcribernote">
+<h2 class="main">Colophon</h2>
+<h3 class="main">Availability</h3>
+<p class="first">This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no
+cost and with almost no restrictions whatsoever. You may copy it, give
+it away or re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License
+included with this eBook or online at <a class="exlink" title=
+"External link" href=
+"https://www.gutenberg.org/">www.gutenberg.org</a>.</p>
+<p>This eBook is produced by the Online Distributed Proofreading Team
+at <a class="exlink" title="External link" href=
+"https://www.pgdp.net/">www.pgdp.net</a>.</p>
+<p>Scans for this work are available in the Internet Archive (Copy
+<a class="exlink" title="External link" href=
+"http://www.archive.org/details/talesofsunorfolk00kinguoft">1</a>,
+<a class="exlink" title="External link" href=
+"http://www.archive.org/details/talessunorfolkl00unkngoog">2</a>,
+<a class="exlink" title="External link" href=
+"http://www.archive.org/details/cu31924073798013">3</a>).</p>
+<h3 class="main">Encoding</h3>
+<p class="first"></p>
+<h3 class="main">Revision History</h3>
+<ul>
+<li>2011-08-06 Started.</li>
+</ul>
+<h3 class="main">External References</h3>
+<p>This Project Gutenberg eBook contains external references. These
+links may not work for you.</p>
+<h3 class="main">Corrections</h3>
+<p>The following corrections have been applied to the text:</p>
+<table width="75%" summary=
+"Overview of corrections applied to the text.">
+<tr>
+<th>Page</th>
+<th>Source</th>
+<th>Correction</th>
+</tr>
+<tr>
+<td class="width20" valign="top"><a class="pageref" href=
+"#xd20e157">v</a>, <a class="pageref" href="#xd20e2904">180</a></td>
+<td class="width40" valign="bottom">Pandit</td>
+<td class="width40" valign="bottom">Pa&#7751;&#7693;it</td>
+</tr>
+<tr>
+<td class="width20" valign="top"><a class="pageref" href=
+"#xd20e420">viii</a></td>
+<td class="width40" valign="bottom">Chandralekh&acirc;</td>
+<td class="width40" valign="bottom">Chandral&ecirc;kh&acirc;</td>
+</tr>
+<tr>
+<td class="width20" valign="top"><a class="pageref" href=
+"#xd20e504">viii</a></td>
+<td class="width40" valign="bottom">Brahmar&acirc;kshars</td>
+<td class="width40" valign="bottom">Brahmar&acirc;kshas</td>
+</tr>
+<tr>
+<td class="width20" valign="top"><a class="pageref" href=
+"#xd20e583">4</a>, <a class="pageref" href="#xd20e2047">112</a>,
+<a class="pageref" href="#xd20e3938">234</a>, <a class="pageref" href=
+"#xd20e4070">243</a>, <a class="pageref" href="#xd20e4943">288</a></td>
+<td class="width40" valign="bottom">[<i>Not in source</i>]</td>
+<td class="width40" valign="bottom">&rdquo;</td>
+</tr>
+<tr>
+<td class="width20" valign="top"><a class="pageref" href=
+"#xd20e628">7</a></td>
+<td class="width40" valign="bottom">woman&rsquo;s</td>
+<td class="width40" valign="bottom">woman</td>
+</tr>
+<tr>
+<td class="width20" valign="top"><a class="pageref" href=
+"#xd20e642">9</a>, <a class="pageref" href="#xd20e865">32</a>,
+<a class="pageref" href="#xd20e2054">112</a>, <a class="pageref" href=
+"#xd20e2699">158</a>, <a class="pageref" href="#xd20e4018">240</a></td>
+<td class="width40" valign="bottom">,</td>
+<td class="width40" valign="bottom">.</td>
+</tr>
+<tr>
+<td class="width20" valign="top"><a class="pageref" href=
+"#xd20e680">12</a></td>
+<td class="width40" valign="bottom">bh&oacute;gam</td>
+<td class="width40" valign="bottom">bh&ocirc;gam</td>
+</tr>
+<tr>
+<td class="width20" valign="top"><a class="pageref" href=
+"#xd20e779">24</a>, <a class="pageref" href="#xd20e2303">130</a>,
+<a class="pageref" href="#xd20e4796">278</a></td>
+<td class="width40" valign="bottom">[<i>Not in source</i>]</td>
+<td class="width40" valign="bottom">.</td>
+</tr>
+<tr>
+<td class="width20" valign="top"><a class="pageref" href=
+"#xd20e835">29</a>, <a class="pageref" href="#xd20e1021">39</a>,
+<a class="pageref" href="#xd20e1261">60</a>, <a class="pageref" href=
+"#xd20e4530">265</a>, <a class="pageref" href="#xd20e4933">288</a></td>
+<td class="width40" valign="bottom">gha&#7789;ikas</td>
+<td class="width40" valign="bottom">gha&#7789;ik&acirc;s</td>
+</tr>
+<tr>
+<td class="width20" valign="top"><a class="pageref" href=
+"#xd20e840">29</a>, <a class="pageref" href="#xd20e4229">250</a>,
+<a class="pageref" href="#xd20e4322">253</a>, <a class="pageref" href=
+"#xd20e4370">255</a>, <a class="pageref" href="#xd20e4404">257</a>,
+<a class="pageref" href="#xd20e4519">265</a>, <a class="pageref" href=
+"#xd20e4523">265</a></td>
+<td class="width40" valign="bottom">gha&#7789;ika</td>
+<td class="width40" valign="bottom">gha&#7789;ik&acirc;</td>
+</tr>
+<tr>
+<td class="width20" valign="top"><a class="pageref" href=
+"#xd20e880">32</a></td>
+<td class="width40" valign="bottom">Ganap&#7789;i</td>
+<td class="width40" valign="bottom">Ga&#7751;apati</td>
+</tr>
+<tr>
+<td class="width20" valign="top"><a class="pageref" href=
+"#xd20e897">33</a></td>
+<td class="width40" valign="bottom">Gan&eacute;sa</td>
+<td class="width40" valign="bottom">Ga&#7751;&ecirc;&#347;a</td>
+</tr>
+<tr>
+<td class="width20" valign="top"><a class="pageref" href=
+"#xd20e961">36</a></td>
+<td class="width40" valign="bottom">he</td>
+<td class="width40" valign="bottom">the</td>
+</tr>
+<tr>
+<td class="width20" valign="top"><a class="pageref" href=
+"#xd20e970">36</a></td>
+<td class="width40" valign="bottom">pipal</td>
+<td class="width40" valign="bottom">p&icirc;pal</td>
+</tr>
+<tr>
+<td class="width20" valign="top"><a class="pageref" href=
+"#xd20e984">37</a></td>
+<td class="width40" valign="bottom">Va&#7749;jaim&acirc;nagar</td>
+<td class="width40" valign="bottom">Va&ntilde;jaim&acirc;nagar</td>
+</tr>
+<tr>
+<td class="width20" valign="top"><a class="pageref" href=
+"#xd20e1012">39</a></td>
+<td class="width40" valign="bottom">&#346;ankara</td>
+<td class="width40" valign="bottom">&#346;a&#7749;kara</td>
+</tr>
+<tr>
+<td class="width20" valign="top"><a class="pageref" href=
+"#xd20e1026">40</a></td>
+<td class="width40" valign="bottom">
+Ra&#7751;av&icirc;rasi&#7751;g&rsquo;s</td>
+<td class="width40" valign="bottom">
+Ra&#7751;av&icirc;rasi&#7749;g&rsquo;s</td>
+</tr>
+<tr>
+<td class="width20" valign="top"><a class="pageref" href=
+"#xd20e1102">47</a></td>
+<td class="width40" valign="bottom">Sa&#7749;kar&acirc;t</td>
+<td class="width40" valign="bottom">&#346;a&#7749;kar&acirc;t</td>
+</tr>
+<tr>
+<td class="width20" valign="top"><a class="pageref" href=
+"#xd20e1106">47</a></td>
+<td class="width40" valign="bottom">Sa&#7749;kara</td>
+<td class="width40" valign="bottom">&#346;a&#7749;kara</td>
+</tr>
+<tr>
+<td class="width20" valign="top"><a class="pageref" href=
+"#xd20e1167">52</a></td>
+<td class="width40" valign="bottom">Inora</td>
+<td class="width40" valign="bottom">Indra</td>
+</tr>
+<tr>
+<td class="width20" valign="top"><a class="pageref" href=
+"#xd20e1192">56</a></td>
+<td class="width40" valign="bottom">gha&#7789;ikas&rsquo;</td>
+<td class="width40" valign="bottom">gha&#7789;ik&acirc;s&rsquo;</td>
+</tr>
+<tr>
+<td class="width20" valign="top"><a class="pageref" href=
+"#xd20e1257">60</a></td>
+<td class="width40" valign="bottom">Siv&acirc;ch&acirc;r</td>
+<td class="width40" valign="bottom">&#346;iv&acirc;ch&acirc;r</td>
+</tr>
+<tr>
+<td class="width20" valign="top"><a class="pageref" href=
+"#xd20e1301">62</a></td>
+<td class="width40" valign="bottom">were</td>
+<td class="width40" valign="bottom">where</td>
+</tr>
+<tr>
+<td class="width20" valign="top"><a class="pageref" href=
+"#xd20e1306">63</a></td>
+<td class="width40" valign="bottom">intenton</td>
+<td class="width40" valign="bottom">intention</td>
+</tr>
+<tr>
+<td class="width20" valign="top"><a class="pageref" href=
+"#xd20e1393">71</a></td>
+<td class="width40" valign="bottom">[<i>Not in source</i>]</td>
+<td class="width40" valign="bottom">the</td>
+</tr>
+<tr>
+<td class="width20" valign="top"><a class="pageref" href=
+"#xd20e1442">74</a></td>
+<td class="width40" valign="bottom">forrth</td>
+<td class="width40" valign="bottom">fourth</td>
+</tr>
+<tr>
+<td class="width20" valign="top"><a class="pageref" href=
+"#xd20e1459">77</a>, <a class="pageref" href="#xd20e1467">78</a></td>
+<td class="width40" valign="bottom">cooly</td>
+<td class="width40" valign="bottom">coolie</td>
+</tr>
+<tr>
+<td class="width20" valign="top"><a class="pageref" href=
+"#xd20e1548">85</a></td>
+<td class="width40" valign="bottom">Suguna</td>
+<td class="width40" valign="bottom">Sugu&#7751;a</td>
+</tr>
+<tr>
+<td class="width20" valign="top"><a class="pageref" href=
+"#xd20e1628">91</a></td>
+<td class="width40" valign="bottom">Won&rsquo;t-leave</td>
+<td class="width40" valign="bottom">Won&rsquo;t-Leave</td>
+</tr>
+<tr>
+<td class="width20" valign="top"><a class="pageref" href=
+"#xd20e1638">91</a></td>
+<td class="width40" valign="bottom">Wont-Give</td>
+<td class="width40" valign="bottom">Won&rsquo;t-Give</td>
+</tr>
+<tr>
+<td class="width20" valign="top"><a class="pageref" href=
+"#xd20e1711">94</a>, <a class="pageref" href="#xd20e1889">100</a></td>
+<td class="width40" valign="bottom">kuta</td>
+<td class="width40" valign="bottom">k&ucirc;ta</td>
+</tr>
+<tr>
+<td class="width20" valign="top"><a class="pageref" href=
+"#xd20e1777">96</a></td>
+<td class="width40" valign="bottom">[<i>Not in source</i>]</td>
+<td class="width40" valign="bottom">-</td>
+</tr>
+<tr>
+<td class="width20" valign="top"><a class="pageref" href=
+"#xd20e1939">104</a></td>
+<td class="width40" valign="bottom">no</td>
+<td class="width40" valign="bottom">[<i>Deleted</i>]</td>
+</tr>
+<tr>
+<td class="width20" valign="top"><a class="pageref" href=
+"#xd20e1956">106</a></td>
+<td class="width40" valign="bottom">,</td>
+<td class="width40" valign="bottom">[<i>Deleted</i>]</td>
+</tr>
+<tr>
+<td class="width20" valign="top"><a class="pageref" href=
+"#xd20e2171">123</a>, <a class="pageref" href="#xd20e3354">199</a></td>
+<td class="width40" valign="bottom">ghatik&acirc;</td>
+<td class="width40" valign="bottom">gha&#7789;ik&acirc;</td>
+</tr>
+<tr>
+<td class="width20" valign="top"><a class="pageref" href=
+"#xd20e2194">124</a></td>
+<td class="width40" valign="bottom">retured</td>
+<td class="width40" valign="bottom">returned</td>
+</tr>
+<tr>
+<td class="width20" valign="top"><a class="pageref" href=
+"#xd20e2386">136</a></td>
+<td class="width40" valign="bottom">&rdquo;,</td>
+<td class="width40" valign="bottom">,&rdquo;</td>
+</tr>
+<tr>
+<td class="width20" valign="top"><a class="pageref" href=
+"#xd20e2391">136</a></td>
+<td class="width40" valign="bottom">Siva&rsquo;s</td>
+<td class="width40" valign="bottom">&#346;iva&rsquo;s</td>
+</tr>
+<tr>
+<td class="width20" valign="top"><a class="pageref" href=
+"#xd20e2498">144</a></td>
+<td class="width40" valign="bottom">XIV</td>
+<td class="width40" valign="bottom">XIII</td>
+</tr>
+<tr>
+<td class="width20" valign="top"><a class="pageref" href=
+"#xd20e2505">144</a></td>
+<td class="width40" valign="bottom">youug</td>
+<td class="width40" valign="bottom">young</td>
+</tr>
+<tr>
+<td class="width20" valign="top"><a class="pageref" href=
+"#xd20e2508">144</a>, <a class="pageref" href="#xd20e2522">144</a>,
+<a class="pageref" href="#xd20e2529">145</a>, <a class="pageref" href=
+"#xd20e2537">145</a>, <a class="pageref" href="#xd20e2543">145</a>,
+<a class="pageref" href="#xd20e2552">145</a>, <a class="pageref" href=
+"#xd20e2562">146</a>, <a class="pageref" href="#xd20e2565">146</a>,
+<a class="pageref" href="#xd20e2899">180</a>, <a class="pageref" href=
+"#xd20e2917">181</a>, <a class="pageref" href="#xd20e2924">181</a></td>
+<td class="width40" valign="bottom">Kali</td>
+<td class="width40" valign="bottom">K&acirc;l&icirc;</td>
+</tr>
+<tr>
+<td class="width20" valign="top"><a class="pageref" href=
+"#xd20e2534">145</a></td>
+<td class="width40" valign="bottom">name</td>
+<td class="width40" valign="bottom">names</td>
+</tr>
+<tr>
+<td class="width20" valign="top"><a class="pageref" href=
+"#xd20e2573">147</a></td>
+<td class="width40" valign="bottom">gh&acirc;&#7789;ikas</td>
+<td class="width40" valign="bottom">gha&#7789;ik&acirc;s</td>
+</tr>
+<tr>
+<td class="width20" valign="top"><a class="pageref" href=
+"#xd20e2578">147</a></td>
+<td class="width40" valign="bottom">ghatika</td>
+<td class="width40" valign="bottom">gha&#7789;ik&acirc;</td>
+</tr>
+<tr>
+<td class="width20" valign="top"><a class="pageref" href=
+"#xd20e2584">147</a></td>
+<td class="width40" valign="bottom">Kali&rsquo;s</td>
+<td class="width40" valign="bottom">K&acirc;l&icirc;&rsquo;s</td>
+</tr>
+<tr>
+<td class="width20" valign="top"><a class="pageref" href=
+"#xd20e2600">149</a></td>
+<td class="width40" valign="bottom">Hindus</td>
+<td class="width40" valign="bottom">Hind&ucirc;s</td>
+</tr>
+<tr>
+<td class="width20" valign="top"><a class="pageref" href=
+"#xd20e2607">149</a>, <a class="pageref" href="#xd20e5122">303</a></td>
+<td class="width40" valign="bottom">ghi</td>
+<td class="width40" valign="bottom">gh&icirc;</td>
+</tr>
+<tr>
+<td class="width20" valign="top"><a class="pageref" href=
+"#xd20e2611">149</a></td>
+<td class="width40" valign="bottom">dhal</td>
+<td class="width40" valign="bottom">dh&acirc;l</td>
+</tr>
+<tr>
+<td class="width20" valign="top"><a class="pageref" href=
+"#xd20e2765">166</a></td>
+<td class="width40" valign="bottom">Brahman</td>
+<td class="width40" valign="bottom">Br&acirc;hma&#7751;</td>
+</tr>
+<tr>
+<td class="width20" valign="top"><a class="pageref" href=
+"#xd20e2778">168</a></td>
+<td class="width40" valign="bottom">Mahesvara</td>
+<td class="width40" valign="bottom">Mah&ecirc;&#347;vara</td>
+</tr>
+<tr>
+<td class="width20" valign="top"><a class="pageref" href=
+"#xd20e2811">171</a></td>
+<td class="width40" valign="bottom">K&aacute;v&eacute;ri</td>
+<td class="width40" valign="bottom">K&acirc;v&ecirc;r&icirc;</td>
+</tr>
+<tr>
+<td class="width20" valign="top"><a class="pageref" href=
+"#xd20e2908">180</a></td>
+<td class="width40" valign="bottom">Vedas</td>
+<td class="width40" valign="bottom">V&ecirc;das</td>
+</tr>
+<tr>
+<td class="width20" valign="top"><a class="pageref" href=
+"#xd20e2912">180</a></td>
+<td class="width40" valign="bottom">Sastras</td>
+<td class="width40" valign="bottom">&#346;&acirc;stras</td>
+</tr>
+<tr>
+<td class="width20" valign="top"><a class="pageref" href=
+"#xd20e2934">182</a>, <a class="pageref" href="#xd20e5015">294</a></td>
+<td class="width40" valign="bottom">grevious</td>
+<td class="width40" valign="bottom">grievous</td>
+</tr>
+<tr>
+<td class="width20" valign="top"><a class="pageref" href=
+"#xd20e3033">188</a>, <a class="pageref" href="#xd20e5045">296</a></td>
+<td class="width40" valign="bottom">;</td>
+<td class="width40" valign="bottom">:</td>
+</tr>
+<tr>
+<td class="width20" valign="top"><a class="pageref" href=
+"#xd20e3103">191</a></td>
+<td class="width40" valign="bottom">conquerred</td>
+<td class="width40" valign="bottom">conquered</td>
+</tr>
+<tr>
+<td class="width20" valign="top"><a class="pageref" href=
+"#xd20e3153">192</a></td>
+<td class="width40" valign="bottom">tadingana</td>
+<td class="width40" valign="bottom">tadinga&#7751;a</td>
+</tr>
+<tr>
+<td class="width20" valign="top"><a class="pageref" href=
+"#xd20e3252">195</a></td>
+<td class="width40" valign="bottom">p&ucirc;ja</td>
+<td class="width40" valign="bottom">p&ucirc;j&acirc;</td>
+</tr>
+<tr>
+<td class="width20" valign="top"><a class="pageref" href=
+"#xd20e3378">199</a></td>
+<td class="width40" valign="bottom">Br&acirc;hmin&rsquo;s</td>
+<td class="width40" valign="bottom">Br&acirc;hmi&#7751;&rsquo;s</td>
+</tr>
+<tr>
+<td class="width20" valign="top"><a class="pageref" href=
+"#xd20e3451">205</a></td>
+<td class="width40" valign="bottom">panam</td>
+<td class="width40" valign="bottom">pa&#7751;am</td>
+</tr>
+<tr>
+<td class="width20" valign="top"><a class="pageref" href=
+"#xd20e3465">206</a></td>
+<td class="width40" valign="bottom">Br&acirc;hma&#7751;i</td>
+<td class="width40" valign="bottom">Br&acirc;hma&#7751;&icirc;</td>
+</tr>
+<tr>
+<td class="width20" valign="top"><a class="pageref" href=
+"#xd20e3532">210</a></td>
+<td class="width40" valign="bottom">Siva</td>
+<td class="width40" valign="bottom">&#346;iva</td>
+</tr>
+<tr>
+<td class="width20" valign="top"><a class="pageref" href=
+"#xd20e3535">210</a>, <a class="pageref" href="#xd20e3538">210</a>,
+<a class="pageref" href="#xd20e3990">239</a>, <a class="pageref" href=
+"#xd20e4021">240</a>, <a class="pageref" href="#xd20e4024">240</a>,
+<a class="pageref" href="#xd20e4056">242</a>, <a class="pageref" href=
+"#xd20e4059">242</a>, <a class="pageref" href="#xd20e4281">252</a>,
+<a class="pageref" href="#xd20e4547">266</a>, <a class="pageref" href=
+"#xd20e4584">267</a></td>
+<td class="width40" valign="bottom">Br&acirc;hmins</td>
+<td class="width40" valign="bottom">Br&acirc;hmi&#7751;s</td>
+</tr>
+<tr>
+<td class="width20" valign="top"><a class="pageref" href=
+"#xd20e3560">211</a>, <a class="pageref" href="#xd20e3580">212</a>,
+<a class="pageref" href="#xd20e3585">212</a>, <a class="pageref" href=
+"#xd20e3613">214</a>, <a class="pageref" href="#xd20e4302">252</a>,
+<a class="pageref" href="#xd20e4562">267</a>, <a class="pageref" href=
+"#xd20e4574">267</a>, <a class="pageref" href="#xd20e4578">267</a>,
+<a class="pageref" href="#xd20e4594">268</a>, <a class="pageref" href=
+"#xd20e4613">269</a>, <a class="pageref" href="#xd20e4616">269</a>,
+<a class="pageref" href="#xd20e4621">270</a>, <a class="pageref" href=
+"#xd20e4632">270</a>, <a class="pageref" href="#xd20e4641">270</a>,
+<a class="pageref" href="#xd20e4659">271</a>, <a class="pageref" href=
+"#xd20e4665">271</a>, <a class="pageref" href="#xd20e4671">271</a>,
+<a class="pageref" href="#xd20e4674">271</a>, <a class="pageref" href=
+"#xd20e4681">271</a>, <a class="pageref" href="#xd20e4691">272</a>,
+<a class="pageref" href="#xd20e4814">280</a></td>
+<td class="width40" valign="bottom">Br&acirc;hmin</td>
+<td class="width40" valign="bottom">Br&acirc;hmi&#7751;</td>
+</tr>
+<tr>
+<td class="width20" valign="top"><a class="pageref" href=
+"#xd20e3619">214</a></td>
+<td class="width40" valign="bottom">
+Chandral&ecirc;kk&acirc;&rsquo;s</td>
+<td class="width40" valign="bottom">
+Chandral&ecirc;kh&acirc;&rsquo;s</td>
+</tr>
+<tr>
+<td class="width20" valign="top"><a class="pageref" href=
+"#xd20e3811">227</a></td>
+<td class="width40" valign="bottom">
+Chandral&ecirc;k&acirc;&rsquo;s</td>
+<td class="width40" valign="bottom">
+Chandral&ecirc;kh&acirc;&rsquo;s</td>
+</tr>
+<tr>
+<td class="width20" valign="top"><a class="pageref" href=
+"#xd20e3854">230</a></td>
+<td class="width40" valign="bottom">Dan&#7693;ak&acirc;ranya</td>
+<td class="width40" valign="bottom">Dandak&acirc;ranya</td>
+</tr>
+<tr>
+<td class="width20" valign="top"><a class="pageref" href=
+"#xd20e3882">232</a>, <a class="pageref" href="#xd20e5042">296</a></td>
+<td class="width40" valign="bottom">[<i>Not in source</i>]</td>
+<td class="width40" valign="bottom">,</td>
+</tr>
+<tr>
+<td class="width20" valign="top"><a class="pageref" href=
+"#xd20e3894">232</a></td>
+<td class="width40" valign="bottom">Gang&acirc;</td>
+<td class="width40" valign="bottom">Ga&#7749;g&acirc;</td>
+</tr>
+<tr>
+<td class="width20" valign="top"><a class="pageref" href=
+"#xd20e3897">232</a>, <a class="pageref" href="#xd20e3901">232</a></td>
+<td class="width40" valign="bottom">Tung&acirc;</td>
+<td class="width40" valign="bottom">Tu&#7749;ga</td>
+</tr>
+<tr>
+<td class="width20" valign="top"><a class="pageref" href=
+"#xd20e3904">232</a></td>
+<td class="width40" valign="bottom">Tungabhadr&acirc;</td>
+<td class="width40" valign="bottom">Tu&#7749;gabhadr&acirc;</td>
+</tr>
+<tr>
+<td class="width20" valign="top"><a class="pageref" href=
+"#xd20e3925">233</a></td>
+<td class="width40" valign="bottom">J&ntilde;&acirc;nadidhi</td>
+<td class="width40" valign="bottom">J&ntilde;&acirc;nanidhi</td>
+</tr>
+<tr>
+<td class="width20" valign="top"><a class="pageref" href=
+"#xd20e3972">238</a>, <a class="pageref" href="#xd20e4083">243</a></td>
+<td class="width40" valign="bottom">J&#7749;&acirc;nanidhi</td>
+<td class="width40" valign="bottom">J&ntilde;&acirc;nanidhi</td>
+</tr>
+<tr>
+<td class="width20" valign="top"><a class="pageref" href=
+"#xd20e3987">239</a></td>
+<td class="width40" valign="bottom">to morrow</td>
+<td class="width40" valign="bottom">to-morrow</td>
+</tr>
+<tr>
+<td class="width20" valign="top"><a class="pageref" href=
+"#xd20e4010">240</a></td>
+<td class="width40" valign="bottom">advise</td>
+<td class="width40" valign="bottom">advice</td>
+</tr>
+<tr>
+<td class="width20" valign="top"><a class="pageref" href=
+"#xd20e4015">240</a></td>
+<td class="width40" valign="bottom">Kap&acirc;li&rsquo;s</td>
+<td class="width40" valign="bottom">Kap&acirc;l&icirc;&rsquo;s</td>
+</tr>
+<tr>
+<td class="width20" valign="top"><a class="pageref" href=
+"#xd20e4034">240</a></td>
+<td class="width40" valign="bottom">lesat</td>
+<td class="width40" valign="bottom">least</td>
+</tr>
+<tr>
+<td class="width20" valign="top"><a class="pageref" href=
+"#xd20e4037">240</a></td>
+<td class="width40" valign="bottom">as</td>
+<td class="width40" valign="bottom">at</td>
+</tr>
+<tr>
+<td class="width20" valign="top"><a class="pageref" href=
+"#xd20e4086">243</a></td>
+<td class="width40" valign="bottom">Kaly&acirc;ni</td>
+<td class="width40" valign="bottom">Kaly&acirc;n&icirc;</td>
+</tr>
+<tr>
+<td class="width20" valign="top"><a class="pageref" href=
+"#xd20e4124">247</a></td>
+<td class="width40" valign="bottom">toow as</td>
+<td class="width40" valign="bottom">too was</td>
+</tr>
+<tr>
+<td class="width20" valign="top"><a class="pageref" href=
+"#xd20e4137">248</a>, <a class="pageref" href="#xd20e4142">248</a>,
+<a class="pageref" href="#xd20e4195">249</a>, <a class="pageref" href=
+"#xd20e4312">253</a>, <a class="pageref" href="#xd20e4340">254</a>,
+<a class="pageref" href="#xd20e4345">254</a>, <a class="pageref" href=
+"#xd20e4356">254</a></td>
+<td class="width40" valign="bottom">Gundappa</td>
+<td class="width40" valign="bottom">Gun&#7693;appa</td>
+</tr>
+<tr>
+<td class="width20" valign="top"><a class="pageref" href=
+"#xd20e4202">250</a></td>
+<td class="width40" valign="bottom">Na&ntilde;jang&ocirc;&#7693;</td>
+<td class="width40" valign="bottom">
+Na&ntilde;ja&#7749;g&ocirc;&#7693;</td>
+</tr>
+<tr>
+<td class="width20" valign="top"><a class="pageref" href=
+"#xd20e4225">250</a></td>
+<td class="width40" valign="bottom">Na&ntilde;ja&#7749;g&ocirc;d</td>
+<td class="width40" valign="bottom">
+Na&ntilde;ja&#7749;g&ocirc;&#7693;</td>
+</tr>
+<tr>
+<td class="width20" valign="top"><a class="pageref" href=
+"#xd20e4261">251</a></td>
+<td class="width40" valign="bottom">gh&acirc;&#7789;ika</td>
+<td class="width40" valign="bottom">gha&#7789;ik&acirc;</td>
+</tr>
+<tr>
+<td class="width20" valign="top"><a class="pageref" href=
+"#xd20e4272">252</a></td>
+<td class="width40" valign="bottom">chunam</td>
+<td class="width40" valign="bottom">chu&#7751;am</td>
+</tr>
+<tr>
+<td class="width20" valign="top"><a class="pageref" href=
+"#xd20e4353">254</a></td>
+<td class="width40" valign="bottom">Gundappa&rsquo;s</td>
+<td class="width40" valign="bottom">Gun&#7693;appa&rsquo;s</td>
+</tr>
+<tr>
+<td class="width20" valign="top"><a class="pageref" href=
+"#xd20e4550">266</a></td>
+<td class="width40" valign="bottom">invaribly</td>
+<td class="width40" valign="bottom">invariably</td>
+</tr>
+<tr>
+<td class="width20" valign="top"><a class="pageref" href=
+"#xd20e4718">273</a></td>
+<td class="width40" valign="bottom">wealthyl andlord</td>
+<td class="width40" valign="bottom">wealthy landlord</td>
+</tr>
+<tr>
+<td class="width20" valign="top"><a class="pageref" href=
+"#xd20e4738">274</a></td>
+<td class="width40" valign="bottom">T&acirc;mil</td>
+<td class="width40" valign="bottom">Tamil&#804;</td>
+</tr>
+<tr>
+<td class="width20" valign="top"><a class="pageref" href=
+"#xd20e4823">281</a></td>
+<td class="width40" valign="bottom">too</td>
+<td class="width40" valign="bottom">to</td>
+</tr>
+<tr>
+<td class="width20" valign="top"><a class="pageref" href=
+"#xd20e4982">290</a></td>
+<td class="width40" valign="bottom">on on</td>
+<td class="width40" valign="bottom">on</td>
+</tr>
+<tr>
+<td class="width20" valign="top"><a class="pageref" href=
+"#xd20e5009">294</a></td>
+<td class="width40" valign="bottom">similiar</td>
+<td class="width40" valign="bottom">similar</td>
+</tr>
+<tr>
+<td class="width20" valign="top"><a class="pageref" href=
+"#xd20e5032">296</a></td>
+<td class="width40" valign="bottom">[<i>Not in source</i>]</td>
+<td class="width40" valign="bottom">&lsquo;</td>
+</tr>
+<tr>
+<td class="width20" valign="top"><a class="pageref" href=
+"#xd20e5035">296</a>, <a class="pageref" href="#xd20e5052">297</a></td>
+<td class="width40" valign="bottom">[<i>Not in source</i>]</td>
+<td class="width40" valign="bottom">&rsquo;</td>
+</tr>
+<tr>
+<td class="width20" valign="top"><a class="pageref" href=
+"#xd20e5057">297</a></td>
+<td class="width40" valign="bottom">the &lsquo;</td>
+<td class="width40" valign="bottom">&lsquo;the</td>
+</tr>
+<tr>
+<td class="width20" valign="top"><a class="pageref" href=
+"#xd20e5063">297</a></td>
+<td class="width40" valign="bottom">Lyon</td>
+<td class="width40" valign="bottom">Lion</td>
+</tr>
+<tr>
+<td class="width20" valign="top"><a class="pageref" href=
+"#xd20e5096">300</a></td>
+<td class="width40" valign="bottom">Bhartrigari</td>
+<td class="width40" valign="bottom">Bhartrihari</td>
+</tr>
+</table>
+</div>
+</div>
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+<pre>
+
+
+
+
+
+End of the Project Gutenberg EBook of Tales of the Sun, by 
+Mrs. Howard Kingscote and Pandit Natesa Sastri
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+The Project Gutenberg EBook of Tales of the Sun, by
+Mrs. Howard Kingscote and Pandit Natesa Sastri
+
+This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and with
+almost no restrictions whatsoever.  You may copy it, give it away or
+re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included
+with this eBook or online at www.gutenberg.org
+
+
+Title: Tales of the Sun
+       or Folklore of Southern India
+
+Author: Mrs. Howard Kingscote
+        Pandit Natesa Sastri
+
+Release Date: August 7, 2011 [EBook #37002]
+
+Language: English
+
+Character set encoding: ASCII
+
+*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK TALES OF THE SUN ***
+
+
+
+
+Produced by Jeroen Hellingman and the Online Distributed
+Proofreading Team at https://www.pgdp.net (This book was
+produced from scanned images of public domain material
+from the Google Print project.)
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+                            TALES OF THE SUN
+
+                                   Or
+
+                      Folklore of Southern India.
+
+
+
+                              Collected by
+
+                         MRS. HOWARD KINGSCOTE
+
+                                  and
+
+                         PANDIT NATESA SASTRI.
+
+
+
+                                London:
+                  W. H. Allen & Co. 13 Waterloo Place,
+                            and at Calcutta.
+
+                                 1890.
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+PREFACE.
+
+
+In offering these few Indian tales to the public, I cannot refrain from
+adding a few words at the beginning to express to Pandit Natesa Sastri
+my gratitude for the great assistance he has given me in collecting
+them, assistance without which they would never have seen the light in
+the shape of a complete volume. When I began writing down these tales,
+my only means of collecting them was through my native servants, who
+used to get them from the old women in the bazaars; but the fables
+they brought me were as full of corruptions and foreign adaptions as
+the miscellaneous ingredients that find their way into a dish of their
+own curry and rice, and had it not been for Mr. Sastri's timely aid, my
+small work would have gone forth to the world laden with inaccuracies.
+
+Mr. Sastri not only corrected the errors of my own tales, but allowed
+me to add to them many that he had himself collected, and that had
+already been published, either in small volumes or in numbers of
+The Indian Antiquary. For this reason I have left several notes which
+Mr. Cowper Temple, Mr. Clowston, and others had added to the tales that
+had already been printed, as they were too valuable to dispense with,
+and may be of service to students of folklore. In conclusion, I would
+crave the indulgence of my readers with regard to the style in which
+the tales are written, which has been left as nearly as possible in the
+form of a literal translation, in order to lend the Stories a "couleur
+locale," which is characteristic of the country they spring from.
+
+
+G. K.
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+CONTENTS.
+
+
+    Chapter                                                    Page
+
+    I.      The Three Deaf Men                                    1
+    II.     Why Brahmans cannot eat in the Dark                   5
+    III.    The Soothsayer's Son                                 11
+    IV.     Ranavirasing                                         36
+    V.      Charity alone Conquers                               65
+    VI.     Mr. Won't Give and Mr. Won't Leave                   86
+    VII.    Mr. Mighty-of-his-Mouth                              93
+    VIII.   The Mother-in-Law became an Ass                     102
+    IX.     The Story of Appayya                                107
+    X.      The Brahmin Girl that Married a Tiger               119
+    XI.     The Good Husband and the Bad Wife                   131
+    XII.    The Good Wife and the Bad Husband                   135
+    XIII.   The Lost Camel                                      140
+            The Three Calamities                                143
+            The Honest but Rash Hunter                          155
+            The Brahman's Wife and the Mungoose                 162
+            The Faithless Wife and the Ungrateful Blind Man     165
+            The Wonderful Mango Fruit                           171
+            The Poisoned Food                                   179
+            Eating up the Protector                             184
+    XIV.    The Monkey with the Tom-Tom                         187
+    XV.     Pride goeth before a Fall                           190
+    XVI.    Good will grow out of Good                          194
+    XVII.   Light makes Prosperity                              202
+    XVIII.  Chandralekha and the Eight Robbers                  210
+    XIX.    The Conquest of Fate                                230
+    XX.     The Brahman Priest who became an Amildar            248
+    XXI.    The Gardener's Cunning Wife                         257
+    XXII.   Keep it for the Beggar                              262
+    XXIII.  Good Luck to the Lucky One                          267
+    XXIV.   Retaliation                                         274
+    XXV.    The Beggar and the Five Muffins                     280
+    XXVI.   The Brahmarakshas and the Hair                      285
+            Notes                                               290
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+INTRODUCTION.
+
+
+It has often struck all lovers of Folklore and National Legends with
+wonder, that so many countries should have reproduced in different
+imagery and language the same tales. Persia, Arabia, and India give
+us the same fables as Italy, France, Norway, and Iceland, except
+for slight variations principally arising from difference of custom,
+distance of time, idiom and nationality.
+
+Able writers have explained this to us by a theory worthy of
+consideration, and admirable in its origin, but nevertheless wholly
+their own. They would have us believe that a certain group of
+tales belonged to a certain nation, and that through emigration and
+immigration, through wars and dispersions, these same tales have been
+carried backwards and forwards and dragged from country to country
+borrowing the language and peculiarities of the lands they passed
+through, just as the seed of some rare plant is borne on the breeze
+and bears fruit coarse or more refined according to the soil in which
+it at last takes root.
+
+In Germany we have Goedeck, Koehler, Sichecht, and a host of others who
+tell us that these tales are Oriental, and that all fable originates
+in the East, others again that they are transmitted to us by the
+same channel as the Aryan languages from Aryan tradition. I cannot
+see why one nation or one country alone should have the intelligence
+of producing fables which as a rule are next to religion in their
+teaching and intentions. If proverbs are the wisdom of nations, what
+are fables and legends but developed proverbs. What is the meaning of
+fable? It means an intent to convey moral instruction in a narrative
+in which the characters are represented by birds, beasts, or fishes;
+and often plants.
+
+Practically a parable is the same thing, and folklore and fairy-tales
+are the attempts of intelligent people to inculcate in their children
+or other ignorant people the great truths of religion or wisdom, by
+means of word-pictures that would bring these truths within the easy
+grasp of undeveloped minds, it is the old repeated tale? The Struggle
+between Right and Wrong. "Faust and Marguerite." The Wicked Punished,
+The Virtuous Rewarded.
+
+Disguise them as you will, there are certain tendons which run
+through the world from age to age; cords which no human hand has yet
+severed--which no decree of God's has changed--these are love and
+death, hate and vengeance, virtue and vice, right and wrong, suffering
+and joy; and as long as there is a world, as long as children are
+born, parents will invent fables with which to bring these facts
+before their offsprings' eyes in an intelligible manner.
+
+In the fables of the East, and especially of India, there is one
+peculiarity, namely, that craft and cunning are more generally
+rewarded than virtue, and stupidity condemned. This is the national
+characteristic. The tales of Southern India are as varied as any
+others, either Eastern or European. Magic and supernatural phenomena
+play a great part, but are usually assisted by the powers of the
+gods. This is again a national Hindoo characteristic. The Hindoo
+would shrink from any undertaking that is not under the patronage of
+the gods; yet here is a very noticeable feature, namely, that the
+divinities are treated as entirely secondary in power, interwoven
+only into a man's daily affairs as a sort of backbone or support in
+time of need, but to be despised and trampled upon at other times with
+impunity. This is a natural feature in a nation which has a deity to
+represent every vice and sin, and lends a certain character to the
+tales of Southern India different to the folklore of other countries.
+
+Probably further research will lay bare many still hidden treasures
+of Hindoo folklore; but this small collection of tales will doubtless
+suffice to throw light on Indian tradition, and to bring forward the
+natural peculiarities of the Hindoos as well as the assimilation of
+the folklore of different nations, an assimilation which I maintain
+results from the teaching propensities of each country and not from
+appropriation.
+
+
+    Georgiana Kingscote.
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+FOLKLORE IN SOUTHERN INDIA.
+
+
+I.
+
+THE STORY OF THE THREE DEAF MEN.
+
+
+When any awkward blunder occurs from a person acting under a mistaken
+notion, there is a common proverb in Tamil to the effect that the
+matter ended like the story of the three deaf men--(Muchchevidan
+kadaiyay mudindadu). The following is the story told to explain
+the allusion:--
+
+In a remote village there lived a husband and wife. Both of them
+were quite deaf. They had made this household arrangement, namely,
+to cook cabbage with tamarind and soup without tamarind one day, and
+cabbage without tamarind and soup with tamarind on the other. Thus
+on every alternate day the same dishes were repeated. One day, when
+taking his meal, the husband found the tamarind cabbage so very tasty
+that he wanted to have it also next day, and gave instructions to
+that effect. The deaf wife did not understand the order. According to
+the established rule she cooked cabbage without tamarind next day. The
+husband, when he sat down to his meal, found his order disregarded and,
+being enraged thereat, threw the cabbage against the wall, and went
+out in a rage. The wife ate her fill, and prepared tamarind cabbage
+for her husband.
+
+The husband went out, and sat down in a place where three roads
+crossed, to calm down his anger. At that time a shepherd happened to
+pass that way. He had lately lost a good cow and calf of his, and had
+been seeking them for some days. When he saw the deaf man sitting by
+the way, he took him for a soothsayer, and asked him to find out by
+his knowledge of Josyam [1] where the cow was likely to be found. The
+herdsman, too, was very deaf; and the man, without hearing what he
+was saying, abused him, and wished to be left undisturbed. In abusing
+him the husband stretched out his hand, pointing to the shepherd's
+face. This pointing the shepherd understood to indicate the direction
+where the lost cow and calf would be found. Thus thinking the poor
+shepherd went on in that direction, promising to present the soothsayer
+with the calf if he found it there with the cow. To his joy, and
+by mere chance, he found them. His delight knew no bounds. "That is
+a capital soothsayer. Surely I must present him with the calf." So
+thought he to himself, and returned with them to the deaf man, and,
+pointing to the calf, requested him to accept it.
+
+Now it unfortunately happened that the calf's tail was broken and
+crooked. The man thought the herdsman was blaming him unreasonably for
+having broken the calf's tail, while he knew nothing about it, and so,
+by a waive of his hand, denied the charge. This the shepherd mistook
+for a refusal of the calf, and a demand for the cow. The shepherd said,
+"How very greedy you are! I promised you only the calf, and not the
+cow." The husband said, "Never; I know nothing of either your cow
+or calf. I never broke the calf's tail. Some other must have done
+it." Thus they quarrelled, without understanding each other, for a
+long time, when a third party happened to pass by. Understanding the
+cause of the dispute, and, desiring to profit by their stupidity, he
+interfered, and said in a loud voice, and yet so as not to be heard
+by the deaf husband, "Well, shepherd, you had better go away with
+the cow. These soothsayers are always greedy. Leave the calf with
+me, and I shall make him accept it." The shepherd, much pleased to
+have secured the cow, walked home, leaving the calf with the third
+person. When the shepherd had gone, the passenger said to the deaf
+man, "You see how very unlawful it is for the shepherd to charge you
+with an offence which you never committed. It is always the case with
+shepherds. They are the biggest fools in the world! But never mind, so
+long as you have a friend in me. I shall somehow explain to him your
+innocence, and restore the calf to him." The husband, much pleased,
+ran home to escape from the consequences of supposed guilt. At the
+expense of the stupidity and deafness of both, the third traveller
+walked home with the calf.
+
+The husband, on his return, sat down to his dinner, and his wife served
+him the tamarind cabbage. He happened to put his finger to the place
+where the cabbage without tamarind had previously been served on the
+leaf. On applying it to his mouth, he found it so very sweet that he
+demanded that dish again. The wife replied to him that she had already
+emptied the pan. "Then at least bring me the cabbage that is sticking
+to the saucepan," said the husband; and the wife did accordingly.
+
+Here ends the story. The latter portion is also said to be the
+explanation of a proverb that is prevalent in Tamil,--"Sevuru kiraiyai
+valichchu podudi sunaiketta muli," meaning, "O thou feelingless
+deaf woman, give me at least the cabbage that is sticking to the
+saucepan." This proverb is applied to stubborn wives, who will
+have their own way, and do not obey their husbands submissively in
+unrefined society.
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+II.
+
+WHY BRAHMANS CANNOT EAT IN THE DARK.
+
+
+Among Hindus, especially among Brahmans of the Madras Presidency--and I
+now see from personal observation that it is the same in the Bombay
+Presidency also--there is a custom, while taking their meals,
+of leaving their food uneaten when it so happens that from any
+cause the light is blown out. Of course this could occur only in the
+night-time. Such mishaps now-a-days take place only in poor families,
+sitting down to supper with a single light. Hence the following story,
+told as the origin of this custom, is beginning to be forgotten. It
+runs as follows:--
+
+In a certain village there lived a Brahman who had an only
+daughter. She was deeply read in Sanskrit, and was of the most
+charming beauty. He procured a husband for her as deeply read as
+herself. The betrothal had already taken place; the muhurta or
+auspicious time for her marriage was fixed at the tenth ghatika [2]
+of that night. On that very evening the son-in-law went to a tank
+to perform his Sandhya vandana or evening prayers. It swarmed with
+crocodiles. People never went near it. The son-in-law, being quite
+new to the village, entered the tank without knowing anything of
+the danger. Unfortunately, there was none near to warn him. He had
+set his foot in the water when a crocodile caught him by the leg,
+and began to drag him into the water. That very night was fixed for
+his nuptials, and a crocodile was taking him to feast on his flesh. He
+was extremely horrified at his position, and said humbly to his enemy,
+"My friend crocodile! Listen to my words first, and then decide for
+yourself. A wife, the only daughter of an old Brahman, is waiting for
+me to-night. If you eat me now, you take me away without my seeing
+her, my father-in-law, and other relatives. Their hearts may break
+at the news of my death on the very day of the wedding. They may all
+curse you. If, on the contrary, you leave me now, I shall go home,
+speak to my wife and others about the sad calamity that has come over
+me, and after embracing and taking leave of her will come to you
+for your supper at the fifteenth ghatika. Till then leave me." The
+cruel crocodile, though very fond of human flesh, and himself dying
+of hunger, spared him for a few ghatikas at his humble request. After
+extracting several oaths from him that he would return in accordance
+to his promise, the crocodile went into the water.
+
+The son-in-law also went home. All his joy vanished; how could he be
+happy after his promise to the crocodile. Still, to give no uneasiness
+to the aged parents of his wife, he underwent all the ceremonies of
+the marriage. Only five more ghatikas remained for him to live in the
+world, as he thought. He, in a few words, explained everything to his
+wife, and asked her permission to leave her. She showed no sign of
+sorrow, preached to him about the iron hand of fate, and that he must
+undergo what was written on his forehead. She most willingly gave him
+permission to go, and he returned to the tank even a ghatika earlier,
+and called the crocodile, who came and seized him.
+
+At this moment a certain light glittered before the eyes of the
+crocodile and vanished. It was a woman that did it. The wife, after
+consoling her husband, and preaching to him about the supremacy of
+fate, had accompanied him unobserved with a lighted lamp concealed
+in a vessel. Just when the crocodile applied its teeth to the leg of
+her husband, she took the lamp out, flashed it before the crocodile's
+eyes, and quenched it. Nor was it without its intended effect. The
+crocodile left the husband to himself, and said, "You had better go
+now; I will never touch you after seeing a lamp extinguished when
+I began my meal to-day." The husband was astonished at the device
+of his wife, and still more at the faithful observance of a rule in
+an unreasonable beast. From that day it was fixed that men, who are
+still more reasonable, should never eat when the lamp is blown out.
+
+Another story is told. In a remote village there lived a poor woman,
+who laboured from morning till night in different houses, and returned
+to her hut with two measures of rice. That quantity would serve
+for ten ordinary persons. Being extremely poor, she used to keep no
+lamp, but cook her rice in the dark, only guided by the light of the
+fire. When she sat down for her meal even the light of the fire faded;
+so she had to eat in the dark. Though she used the full two measures of
+rice that she brought away every day, her hunger was never satisfied;
+she was always in extreme want.
+
+Now it so happened that she had a younger sister, who was somewhat
+richer than herself. The younger came to see her elder sister. The
+former never used to be without a light, and so asked her sister to
+buy some oil that night and light a lamp. The elder was compelled by
+necessity to do so; for that, she devoted a portion of her two measures
+of rice, and returned home with great uneasiness and perplexity of mind
+as to how less than two measures would furnish their supper that night,
+while full two measures were found insufficient on former occasions
+for herself alone. The lamp was set for the first time in her house,
+and she cooked the remaining rice. The younger sister was astonished
+to see her using so much for two. The elder, thinking within herself
+that the younger would soon see her mistake, cooked everything. Two
+leaves were spread, and they sat down to their supper. [3] Not even a
+fourth part of the rice in the pot was consumed, but already they were
+satisfied. The younger sister laughed at the foolishness of her elder,
+who now said, "I do not know what magic you have in you. Every day I
+cook two measures of rice, and fast the whole night, without finding
+them sufficient for myself. Now a fourth of less than two measures
+has satiated both. Please explain the cause." The younger sister,
+who was very intelligent herself, wanted to find out the cause, and
+asked next day if she might serve the meals without the lamp. Instead
+of eating she stretched out her hand and caught hold of a lock of
+hair. She asked the other at once to light the lamp, which, being
+done, they found a devil sitting by their side. On being questioned
+how he came there, he said that he was in the habit of going to every
+one who ate without a lamp, and swallowing his meals fast without
+leaving him a morsel. The elder sister perceived her mistake, and used
+a lamp from that day. The demon ceased to come. She had abundance
+for herself and something to spare. So when the lamp is blown out,
+devils are said to come and eat out of our leaves. Hence the custom
+of rising whenever such mishaps occur.
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+III.
+
+THE SOOTHSAYER'S SON.
+
+                        Janmaprabhriti daridryam dashavarshani bandhanam
+                        Samudratire marenam kinchit bhogam bhavishyati.
+
+
+Thus a Soothsayer when on his death-bed wrote the horoscope of his
+second son, and bequeathed it to him as his only property, leaving
+the whole of his estate to his eldest son. The second son pondered
+over the horoscope, and fell into the following reflections:--
+
+"Alas, am I born to this only in the world? The sayings of my father
+never failed. I have seen them prove true to the last word while
+he was living; and how has he fixed my horoscope! Janma parabhriti
+daridryam! From my birth poverty! Nor is that my only fate. Dasa
+varshani bandhanam: for ten years, imprisonment--a fate harder
+than poverty; and what comes next? Samudratire maranam: death on the
+sea-shore; which means that I must die away from home, far from friends
+and relatives on a sea-coast. The misery has reached its extreme height
+here. Now comes the funniest part of the horoscope, Kinchit bhogam
+bhavishyati--that I am to have some happiness afterwards! What this
+happiness is, is an enigma to me: To die first, to be happy for some
+time after! What happiness? Is it the happiness of this world? So it
+must be. For however clever one may be, he cannot foretell what may
+take place in the other world. Therefore it must be the happiness
+of this world; and how can that be possible after my death? It is
+impossible. I think my father has only meant this as a consoling
+conclusion to the series of calamities that he has prophesied. Three
+portions of his prophecy must prove true; the fourth and last is a
+mere comforting statement to bear patiently the calamities enumerated,
+and never to prove true. Therefore let me go to Banaras, bathe in
+the holy Ganga, wash away my sins, and prepare myself for my end. Let
+me avoid sea-coasts, lest death meet me there in accordance with my
+father's words. Come imprisonment: I am prepared for it for ten years."
+
+Thus thought he, and after all the funeral obsequies of his father were
+over, took leave of his elder brother, and started for Banaras. [4]
+He went by the middle of the Dakhan, [5] avoiding both the coasts,
+and went on journeying and journeying for weeks and months, till at
+last he reached the Vindhya mountains. While passing that desert he had
+to journey for a couple of days through a sandy plain, with no signs
+of life or vegetation. The little store of provision with which he
+was provided for a couple of days, at last was exhausted. The chombu,
+[6] which he carried always full, replenishing it with the sweet water
+from the flowing rivulet or plenteous tank, he had exhausted in the
+heat of the desert. There was not a morsel in his hand to eat; nor
+a drop of water to drink. Turn his eyes wherever he might he found a
+vast desert, out of which he saw no means of escape. Still he thought
+within himself, "Surely my father's prophecy never proved untrue. I
+must survive this calamity to find my death on some sea-coast." So
+thought he, and this thought gave him strength of mind to walk fast
+and try to find a drop of water somewhere to slake his dry throat. At
+last he succeeded, or rather thought that he succeeded. Heaven threw
+in his way a ruined well. He thought that he could collect some water
+if he let down his chombu with the string that he always carried
+noosed to the neck of it. Accordingly he let it down; it went some
+way and stopped, and the following words came from the well, "Oh,
+relieve me! I am the king of tigers, dying here of hunger. For the
+last three days I have had nothing. Fortune has sent you here. If you
+assist me now you will find a sure help in me throughout your life. Do
+not think that I am a beast of prey. When you have become my deliverer
+I can never touch you. Pray, kindly lift me up." Gangadhara, for that
+was the name of the Soothsayer's second son, found himself in a very
+perplexing position. "Shall I take him out or not? If I take him out
+he may make me the first morsel of his hungry mouth. No; that he will
+not do. For my father's prophecy never came untrue. I must die on a
+sea-coast and not by a tiger." Thus thinking, he asked the tiger king
+to hold tight to the vessel, which he accordingly did, and he lifted
+him up slowly. The tiger reached the top of the well and felt himself
+on safe ground. True to his word he did no harm to Gangadhara. On
+the other hand, he walked round his patron three times, and standing
+before him, humbly spoke the following words:--"My life-giver, my
+benefactor! I shall never forget this day, when I regained my life
+through your kind hands. In return for this kind assistance I pledge
+my oath to stand by you in all calamities. Whenever you are in any
+difficulty just think of me. I am there with you ready to oblige
+you by all the means that I can. To tell you briefly how I came in
+here:--Three days ago I was roaming in yonder forest, when I saw a
+goldsmith passing through it. I chased him. He, finding it impossible
+to escape my claws, jumped into this well, and is living to this
+moment in the very bottom of it. I also jumped in, but found myself
+in the first storey; [7] he is on the last and fourth storey. In the
+second storey lives a serpent half-famished with hunger. In the third
+storey lies a rat, similarly half-famished, and when you again begin
+to draw water these may request you first to release them. In the same
+way the goldsmith also may request. I tell you, as your bosom friend,
+never assist that wretched man, though he is your relation as a human
+being. Goldsmiths are never to be trusted. You can place more faith
+in me, a tiger, though I feast sometimes upon men, in a serpent whose
+sting makes your blood cold the very next moment, or in a rat, which
+does a thousand pieces of mischief in your house. But never trust a
+goldsmith. Do not release him; and if you do, you shall surely repent
+of it one day or other." Thus advising, the hungry tiger went away
+without waiting for an answer.
+
+Gangadhara thought several times of the eloquent way in which the tiger
+addressed him, and admired his fluency of speech. His thirst was not
+quenched. So he let down his vessel again, which was now caught hold
+of by the serpent, who addressed him thus:--"Oh my protector! Lift me
+up. I am the king of serpents, and the son of Adisesha, [8] who is now
+pining away in agony for my disappearance. Release me now. I shall ever
+remain your servant, remember your assistance, and help you throughout
+life in all possible ways. Oblige me: I am dying." Gangadhara, calling
+again to mind the Samudratire maranam--death on the sea-shore--lifted
+him up. He, like the tiger-king, walked round him thrice, and
+prostrating himself before him spoke thus:--"Oh, my life-giver, my
+father, for so I must call you, as you have given me another birth. I
+have already told you that I am Adisesha's son, and that I am the king
+of serpents. I was three days ago basking myself in the morning sun,
+when I saw a rat running before me. I chased him. He fell into this
+well. I followed him, but instead of falling on the third storey
+where he is now lying, I fell into the second. It was on the same
+evening that the goldsmith also fell down into the fourth storey,
+and the tiger whom you released just before me fell down into the
+first. What I have to tell you now is--do not relieve the goldsmith,
+though you may release the rat. As a rule, goldsmiths are never to
+be trusted. I am going away now to see my father. Whenever you are
+in any difficulty just think of me. I will be there by your side to
+assist you by all possible means. If, notwithstanding my repeated
+advice, you happen to release the goldsmith, you shall suffer for
+it severely." So saying, the Nagaraja (serpent-king) glided away in
+zigzag movements, and was out of sight in a moment.
+
+The poor son of the Soothsayer who was now almost dying of thirst,
+and was even led to think that the messengers of death were near
+him, notwithstanding his firm belief in the words of his father
+let down his vessel for a third time. The rat caught hold of it,
+and without discussing, he lifted up the poor animal at once. But
+it would not go away without showing its gratitude--"Oh life of my
+life! My benefactor! I am the king of rats. Whenever you are in any
+calamity just think of me. I will come to you, and assist you. My
+keen ears overheard all that the tiger-king and serpent-king told
+you about the Svarnataskara [9] (gold-smith), who is in the fourth
+storey. It is nothing but a sad truth that goldsmiths ought never
+to be trusted. Therefore never assist him as you have done to us
+all. And if you do, you shall feel it. I am hungry; let me go for the
+present." Thus taking leave of his benefactor, the rat, too, ran away.
+
+Gangadhara for a while thought upon the repeated advice given by the
+three animals about releasing the goldsmith, "What wrong would there be
+in my assisting him? Why should I not release him also?" So thinking
+to himself, Gangadhara let down the vessel again. The goldsmith
+caught hold of it, and demanded help. The Soothsayer's son had no
+time to lose; he was himself dying of thirst. Therefore he lifted
+the goldsmith up, who now began his story:--"Stop for a while,"
+said Gangadhara, and after quenching his thirst by letting down his
+vessel for the fifth time, still fearing that some one might remain
+in the well and demand his assistance, he listened to the goldsmith,
+who began as follows:--"My dear friend, my protector, what a deal of
+nonsense these brutes have been talking to you about me; I am glad you
+have not followed their advice. I am just now dying of hunger. Permit
+me to go away. My name is Manikkasari. I live in the East main street
+of Ujjaini which is twenty kas [10] to the south of this place, and so
+lies on your way when you return from Banaras. Do not forget to come
+to me and receive my kind remembrances of your assistance, on your
+way back to your country." So saying the goldsmith took his leave,
+and Gangadhara also pursued his way north after the above adventures.
+
+He reached Banaras, and lived there for more than ten years, spending
+his time in bathing, prayers, and other religious ceremonies. He
+quite forgot the tiger, serpent, rat, and goldsmith. After ten years
+of religious life, thoughts of home and of his brother rushed into his
+mind. "I have secured enough merit now by my religious observances. Let
+me return home." Thus thought Gangadhara within himself, and
+immediately he was on his way back to his country. Remembering the
+prophecy of his father he returned by the same way by which he went to
+Banaras ten years before. While thus retracing his steps he reached
+the ruined well where he had released the three brute kings and the
+goldsmith. At once the old recollections rushed into his mind, and he
+thought of the tiger to test his fidelity. Only a moment passed, and
+the tiger-king came running before him carrying a large crown in his
+mouth, the glitter of the diamonds of which for a time outshone even
+the bright rays of the sun. He dropped the crown at his life-giver's
+feet, and putting aside all his pride, humbled himself like a pet cat
+to the strokes of his protector, and began in the following words:--"My
+life-giver! How is it that you have forgotten me, your poor servant,
+for such a long time? I am glad to find that I still occupy a corner
+in your mind. I can never forget the day when I owed my life to your
+lotus hands. I have several jewels with me of little value. This crown,
+being the best of all, I have brought here as a single ornament of
+great value, and hence easily portable and useful to you in your own
+country." Gangadhara looked at the crown, examined it over and over,
+counted and recounted the gems, and thought within himself that he
+would become the richest of men by separating the diamonds and gold,
+and selling them in his own country. He took leave of the tiger-king,
+and after his disappearance thought of the kings of serpents and rats,
+who came in their turns with their presents, and after the usual
+formalities and exchange of words took their leave. Gangadhara was
+extremely delighted at the faithfulness with which the brute beasts
+behaved themselves, and went on his way to the south. While going along
+he spoke to himself thus:--"These beasts have been so very faithful in
+their assistance. Much more, therefore, must Manikkasari be faithful. I
+do not want anything from him now. If I take this crown with me as
+it is, it occupies much space in my bundle. It may also excite the
+curiosity of some robbers on the way. I will go now to Ujjaini on my
+way, Manikkasari requested me to see him without failure on my return
+journey. I shall do so, and request him to have the crown melted,
+the diamonds and gold separated. He must do that kindness at least
+for me. I shall then roll up these diamonds and gold ball in my rags,
+and bend my way homewards." Thus thinking and thinking he reached
+Ujjaini. At once he enquired for the house of his goldsmith friend,
+and found him without difficulty. Manikkasari was extremely delighted
+to find on his threshold him who ten years before, notwithstanding
+the advice repeatedly given him by the sage-looking tiger, serpent,
+and rat, had relieved him from the pit of death. Gangadhara at once
+showed him the crown that he received from the tiger-king, told him
+how he got it, and requested his kind assistance to separate the
+gold and diamonds. Manikkasari agreed to do so, and meanwhile asked
+his friend to rest himself for a while to have his bath and meals;
+and Gangadhara, who was very observant of his religious ceremonies,
+went direct to the river to bathe.
+
+How came a crown in the jaws of a tiger? It is not a difficult
+question to solve. A king must have furnished the table of the tiger
+for a day or two. Had it not been for that, the tiger could not have
+had a crown with him. Even so it was. The king of Ujjaini had a week
+before gone with all his hunters on a hunting expedition. All of a
+sudden a tiger--as we know now, the very tiger-king himself--started
+from the wood, seized the king, and vanished. The hunters returned
+and informed the prince about the sad calamity that had befallen his
+father. They all saw the tiger carrying away the king. Yet such was
+their courage that they could not lift their weapons to bring to the
+prince the corpse at least of his father.
+
+When they informed the prince about the death of his father he
+wept and wailed, and gave notice that he would give half of his
+kingdom to any one who should bring him news about the murderer of
+his father. The prince did not at all believe that his father was
+devoured by the tiger. His belief was that some hunters, coveting
+the ornaments on the king's person, had murdered him. Hence he had
+issued the notice. The goldsmith knew full well that it was a tiger
+that killed the king, and not any hunter's hands, since he had heard
+from Gangadhara about how he obtained the crown. Still, ambition
+to get half the kingdom prevailed, and he resolved with himself to
+make over Gangadhara as the king's murderer. The crown was lying
+on the floor where Gangadhara left it with his full confidence in
+Manikkasari. Before his protector's return the goldsmith, hiding
+the crown under his garments, flew to the palace. He went before the
+prince and informed him that the assassin was caught, and placed the
+crown before him. The prince took it into his hands, examined it,
+and at once gave half the kingdom to Manikkasari, and then enquired
+about the murderer. "He is bathing in the river, and is of such and
+such appearance," was the reply. At once four armed soldiers fly to
+the river, and bound the poor Brahman hand and foot, he sitting in
+meditation the while, without any knowledge of the fate that hung
+over him. They brought Gangadhara to the presence of the prince,
+who turned his face away from the murderer or supposed murderer,
+and asked his soldiers to throw him into the karagriham. [11] In a
+minute, without knowing the cause, the poor Brahman found himself in
+the dark caves of the karagriham.
+
+In old times the karagriham answered the purposes of the modern
+jail. It was a dark cellar underground, built with strong stone walls,
+into which any criminal guilty of a capital offence was ushered to
+breathe his last there without food and drink. Such was the cellar
+into which Gangadhara was thrust. In a few hours after he left the
+goldsmith he found himself inside a dark cell stinking with human
+bodies, dying and dead. What were his thoughts when he reached that
+place? "It is the goldsmith that has brought me to this wretched
+state; and, as for the prince: Why should he not enquire as to how I
+obtained the crown? It is of no use to accuse either the goldsmith
+or the prince now. We are all the children of fate. We must obey
+her commands. Dasavarshani Bandhanam. This is but the first day of
+my father's prophecy. So far his statement is true. But how am I
+going to pass ten years here? Perhaps without anything to sustain
+life I may drag on my existence for a day or two. But how pass ten
+years? That cannot be, and I must die. Before death comes let me
+think of my faithful brute friends."
+
+So pondered Gangadhara in the dark cell underground, and at that
+moment thought of his three friends. The tiger-king, serpent-king,
+and rat-king assembled at once with their armies at a garden near
+the karagriham, and for a while did not know what to do. A common
+cause--how to reach their protector, who was now in the dark cell
+underneath--united them all. They held their council, and decided to
+make an underground passage from the inside of a ruined well to the
+karagriham. The rat raja issued an order at once to that effect to
+his army. They, with their nimble teeth, bored the ground a long way
+to the walls of the prison. After reaching it they found that their
+teeth could not work on the hard stones. The bandicoots were then
+specially ordered for the business; they, with their hard teeth,
+made a small slit in the wall for a rat to pass and repass without
+difficulty. Thus a passage was effected.
+
+The rat raja entered first to condole with his protector on his
+misfortune. The king of the tigers sent word through the snake-king
+that he sympathised most sincerely with his sorrow, and that he was
+ready to render all help for his deliverance. He suggested a means
+for his escape also. The serpent raja went in, and gave Gangadhara
+hopes of delivery. The rat-king undertook to supply his protector
+with provisions. "Whatever sweetmeats or bread are prepared in any
+house, one and all of you must try to bring whatever you can to our
+benefactor. Whatever clothes you find hanging in a house, cut down, dip
+the pieces in water, and bring the wet bits to our benefactor. He will
+squeeze them and gather water for drink! and the bread and sweetmeats
+shall form his food." Having issued these orders the king of the rats,
+took leave of Gangadhara. They, in obedience to their king's order,
+continued to supply provisions and water.
+
+The Nagaraja said:--"I sincerely condole with you in your calamity;
+the tiger-king also fully sympathises with you, and wants me to tell
+you so, as he cannot drag his huge body here as we have done with our
+small ones. The king of the rats has promised to do his best to provide
+you with food. We would now do what we can for your release. From this
+day we shall issue orders to our armies to oppress all the subjects
+of this kingdom. The percentage of death by snake-bite and tigers
+shall increase from this day. And day by day it shall continue to
+increase till your release. After eating what the rats bring you, you
+had better take your seat near the entrance of the karagriham. Owing
+to the many sudden deaths that will occur some people that walk over
+the prison may say, 'How wicked the king has become. Were it not for
+his wickedness so many dreadful deaths by snake-bites could never
+occur.' Whenever you hear people speaking so, you had better bawl out
+so as to be heard by them, 'The wretched prince imprisoned me on the
+false charge of having killed his father, while it was a tiger that
+killed him. From that day these calamities have broken out in his
+dominions. If I were released I would save all by my powers of healing
+poisonous wounds and by incantations.' Some one may report this to
+the king, and if he knows it, you will obtain your liberty." Thus
+comforting his protector in trouble, he advised him to pluck up
+courage, and took leave of him. From that day tigers and serpents,
+acting under the special orders of their kings, united in killing as
+many persons and cattle as possible. Every day people were carried
+away by tigers or bitten by serpents. This havoc continued. Gangadhara
+went on roaring as loud he could that he would save those lives, had
+he only his liberty. Few heard him. The few that did took his words
+for the voice of a ghost. "How could he manage to live without food
+and drink for so long a time?" said the persons walking over his head
+to each other. Thus passed months and years. Gangadhara sat in the
+dark cellar, without the sun's light falling upon him, and feasted
+upon the bread-crumbs and sweetmeats that the rats so kindly supplied
+him with. These circumstances had completely changed his body. He
+had become a red, stout, huge, unwieldy lump of flesh. Thus passed
+full ten years, as prophesied in the horoscope--Dasavarshani Bandhanam.
+
+Ten complete years rolled away in close imprisonment. On the last
+evening of the tenth year one of the serpents got into the bed-chamber
+of the princess and sucked her life. She breathed her last. She was the
+only daughter of the king. He had no other issue--son or daughter. His
+only hope was in her; and she was snatched away by a cruel and untimely
+death. The king at once sent for all the snake-bite curers. He promised
+half his kingdom and his daughter's hand to him who would restore her
+to life. Now it was that a servant of the king, who had several times
+overheard Gangadhara's cries, reported the matter to him. The king
+at once ordered the cell to be examined. There was the man sitting in
+it. How has he managed to live so long in the cell? Some whispered that
+he must be a divine being. Some concluded that he must surely win the
+hand of the princess by restoring her to life. Thus they discussed,
+and the discussions brought Gangadhara to the king.
+
+The king no sooner saw Gangadhara than he fell on the ground. He
+was struck by the majesty and grandeur of his person. His ten years'
+imprisonment in the deep cell underground had given a sort of lustre
+to his body, which was not to be met with in ordinary persons. His
+hair had first to be cut before his face could be seen. The king
+begged forgiveness for his former fault, and requested him to revive
+his daughter.
+
+"Bring me in a muhurta [12] all the corpses of men and cattle,
+dying and dead, that remain unburnt or unburied within the range of
+your dominions; I shall revive them all," were the only words that
+Gangadhara spoke. After it he closed his lips as if in deep meditation,
+which commanded more respect than ever.
+
+Cart-loads of corpses of men and cattle began to come in every
+minute. Even graves, it is said, were broken open, and corpses buried a
+day or two before were taken out and sent for the revival. As soon as
+all were ready, Gangadhara took a vessel full of water and sprinkled
+it over them all, thinking only of his Nagaraja and Vyaghraraja. [13]
+All rose up as if from deep slumber, and went to their respective
+homes. The princess, too, was restored to life. The joy of the king
+knew no bounds. He cursed the day on which he imprisoned him, blamed
+himself for having believed the word of a goldsmith, and offered him
+the hand of his daughter and the whole kingdom, instead of half as he
+promised. Gangadhara would not accept anything. The king requested
+him to put a stop for ever to these calamities. He agreed to do so,
+and asked the king to assemble all his subjects in a wood near the
+town. "I shall there call in all the tigers and serpents and give them
+a general order." So said Gangadhara, and the king accordingly gave
+the order. In a couple of ghatikas [14] the wood near Ujjaini was
+full of people, who assembled to witness the authority of man over
+such enemies of human beings as tigers and serpents. "He is no man;
+be sure of that. How could he have managed to live for ten years
+without food and drink? He is surely a god." Thus speculated the mob.
+
+When the whole town was assembled, just at the dusk of evening,
+Gangadhara sat dumb for a moment, and thought upon the Vyaghraraja
+and Nagaraja, who came running with all their armies. People began
+to take to their heels at the sight of tigers. Gangadhara assured
+them of safety, and stopped them.
+
+The grey light of the evening, the pumpkin colour of Gangadhara, the
+holy ashes scattered lavishly over his body, the tigers and snakes
+humbling themselves at his feet, gave him the true majesty of the god
+Gangadhara. [15] For who else by a single word could thus command vast
+armies of tigers and serpents, said some among the people. "Care not
+for it; it may be by magic. That is not a great thing. That he revived
+cart-loads of corpses makes him surely Gangadhara," said others. The
+scene produced a very great effect upon the minds of the mob.
+
+"Why should you, my children, thus trouble these poor subjects of
+Ujjaini? Reply to me, and henceforth desist from your ravages." Thus
+said the Soothsayer's son, and the following reply came from the
+king of the tigers; "Why should this base king imprison your honour,
+believing the mere word of a goldsmith that your honour killed his
+father? All the hunters told him that his father was carried away by
+a tiger. I was the messenger of death sent to deal the blow on his
+neck. I did it, and gave the crown to your honour. The prince makes no
+enquiry, and at once imprisons your honour. How can we expect justice
+from such a stupid king as that? Unless he adopts a better standard
+of justice we will go on with our destruction."
+
+The king heard, cursed the day on which he believed in the word of
+a goldsmith, beat his head, tore his hair, wept and wailed for his
+crime, asked a thousand pardons, and swore to rule in a just way from
+that day. The serpent-king and tiger-king also promised to observe
+their oath as long as justice prevailed, and took their leave. The
+goldsmith fled for his life. He was caught by the soldiers of the
+king, and was pardoned by the generous Gangadhara, whose voice now
+reigned supreme. All returned to their homes.
+
+The king again pressed Gangadhara to accept the hand of his
+daughter. He agreed to do so, not then, but some time afterwards. He
+wished to go and see his elder brother first, and then to return and
+marry the princess. The king agreed; and Gangadhara left the city
+that very day on his way home.
+
+It so happened that unwittingly he took a wrong road, and had to pass
+near a sea coast. His elder brother was also on his way up to Banaras
+by that very same route. They met and recognised each other, even at
+a distance. They flew into each other's arms. Both remained still for
+a time almost unconscious with joy. The emotion of pleasure (ananda)
+was so great, especially in Gangadhara, that it proved dangerous to
+his life. In a word, he died of joy.
+
+The sorrow of the elder brother could better be imagined than
+described. He saw again his lost brother, after having given up,
+as it were, all hopes of meeting him. He had not even asked him his
+adventures. That he should be snatched away by the cruel hand of
+death seemed unbearable to him. He wept and wailed, took the corpse
+on his lap, sat under a tree, and wetted it with tears. But there
+was no hope of his dead brother coming to life again.
+
+The elder brother was a devout worshipper of Ganapati. [16] That was
+a Friday, a day very sacred to that god. The elder brother took the
+corpse to the nearest Ganesa [17] temple and called upon him. The
+god came, and asked him what he wanted. "My poor brother is dead and
+gone; and this is his corpse. Kindly keep it in your charge till I
+finish worshipping you. If I leave it anywhere else the devils may
+snatch it away when I am absent worshipping you; after finishing
+your puja [18] I shall burn him." Thus said the elder brother, and,
+giving the corpse to the god Ganesa, he went to prepare himself for
+that deity's ceremonials. Ganesa made over the corpse to his Ganas,
+[19] asking them to watch over it carefully.
+
+So a spoiled child receives a fruit from its father, who, when he gives
+it the fruit asks the child to keep it safe. The child thinks within
+itself, "My father will forgive me if I eat a portion of it." So
+saying it eats a portion, and when it finds it so sweet, it eats
+the whole, saying, "Come what will, what can father do, after all,
+if I eat it? Perhaps give me a stroke or two on the back. Perhaps he
+may forgive me." In the same way these Ganas of Ganapati first ate
+a portion of the corpse, and when they found it sweet, for we know
+it was crammed up with the sweetmeats of the kind rats, devoured the
+whole, and began consulting about the best excuse possible to offer
+to their master.
+
+The elder brother, after finishing the puja, demanded his brother's
+corpse of the god. The god called his Ganas who came to the front
+blinking, and fearing the anger of their master. The god was greatly
+enraged. The elder brother was very angry. When the corpse was not
+forthcoming he cuttingly remarked, "Is this, after all, the return
+for my deep belief in you? You are unable even to return my brother's
+corpse." Ganesa was much ashamed at the remark, and at the uneasiness
+that he had caused to his worshipper. So he, by his divine power,
+gave him a living Gangadhara instead of the dead corpse. Thus was
+the second son of the Soothsayer restored to life.
+
+The brothers had a long talk about each other's adventures. They
+both went to Ujjaini, where Gangadhara married the princess, and
+succeeded to the throne of that kingdom. He reigned for a long time,
+conferring several benefits upon his brother. How is the horoscope to
+be interpreted? A special synod of Soothsayers was held. A thousand
+emendations were suggested. Gangadhara would not accept them. At
+last one Soothsayer cut the knot by stopping at a different place
+in reading, "Samudra tire maranam kinchit." "On the sea-shore death
+for some time. Then "Bhogam bhavishyati." "There shall be happiness
+for the person concerned." Thus the passage was interpreted. "Yes;
+my father's words never went wrong," said Gangadhara. The three brute
+kings continued their visits often to the Soothsayer's son, the then
+king of Ujjaini. Even the faithless goldsmith became a frequent visitor
+at the palace, and a receiver of several benefits from royal hands.
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+IV.
+
+RANAVIRASING.
+
+
+Once upon a time in the town of Vanjaimanagar, [20] there ruled a
+king, named Sivachar. He was a most just king, and ruled so well that
+no stone thrown up fell down, no crow pecked at the new drawn milk,
+the lion and the bull drank water from the same pond, and peace and
+prosperity reigned throughout the kingdom. Notwithstanding all these
+blessings, care always sat on his face. The fruit which makes life in
+this world sweet, the redeemer to him from the horrible Naraka of Put,
+[21] a Putra, [22] he had not. His days and nights he spent in praying
+that God might bless him with a son. Wherever he saw pipal trees
+(Asvattharajas), [23] he ordered Brahmans to surround them. Whatever
+medicines the doctors recommended he was ever ready to swallow,
+however bitter they might be. "Eat even dung to get a son," says the
+proverb, and accordingly he did every thing to secure that happiness,
+but all in vain.
+
+Sivachar had a minister, named Kharavadana, a most wicked tyrant as
+ever lived in the world. The thought that the king was without an
+heir, and had no hopes of one, awakened in his mind the ambition
+of securing for his family the throne of Vanjaimanagar. Sivachar
+knew this well. But what could he do. His only care was to send up
+additional prayers to frustrate the thoughts of Kharavadana, and to
+secure for himself a good position after death, without undergoing
+the severe torments of the Put-hell.
+
+At last fortune favoured Sivachar; for what religious man fails to
+secure his desire? The king in his sixtieth year had a son. His joy
+can better be imagined than described. Lacs (Lakhs) of Brahmans
+were fed in honour of the son-birth festival, Putrotsavam, as it
+is technically called. The state prisons were opened, and all the
+prisoners let loose. Thousands of kine and innumerable acres of
+land were offered to Brahmans, and every kind of charity was duly
+practised. The ten days of the Sutikagrihavasa (confinement) were
+over. On the eleventh day the father saw his much longed-for son's
+face, and read on the lines of it great prosperity, learning, valour,
+goodness and every excellent quality.
+
+The cradle-swinging, naming, and other ceremonies were duly performed,
+and the prince grew up under the great care generally shown to a king's
+son. His name the elders fixed as Sundara. [24] The minister whose
+only wish was to get the throne for his family, was much disappointed
+at the birth of a son to his master. The whole kingdom rejoiced at
+the event, and the minister was the only man who was sorry. When one
+is disappointed in his high hopes and expectations, he devises plans
+to take away the barrier that lies in his way. Even so, Kharavadana
+said to himself, "Let me see how affairs progress. The old king is
+near his grave. When he dies, leaving a son in his minority I myself
+must be his regent for a time. Shall I not then have opportunity
+enough of securing for ever for myself and my family the throne of
+Vanjaimanagar?" So thought he within himself, and was quiet for a time.
+
+Sivachar, who was a very shrewd man, on several occasions, read the
+minister's mind, and knew very well how his intentions stood. "This
+cruel devil may murder my only son. I care not if he usurps the
+throne. What I fear is, that he may murder him. Na daivam Sankarat
+param. No other god but Sankara. And he must have his own way. If it
+is so written on the prince's head I cannot avoid it." Thus sighed
+Sivachar, and this sorrow (soka), made him leaner day by day. Just
+ten years after the birth of Sundara, the king fell ill and lay on
+his deathbed.
+
+Sivachar had a servant, named Ranavirasing, whom he had all along
+observed to be very honest and faithful. That servant the king called
+to his side, and asking all others except Sundara, who was weeping
+by his father's pillow, to leave the room, addressed him thus:--"My
+dear Ranavirasing! I have only a few ghatikas before me. Listen to my
+words, and act accordingly. There is one God above us all, who will
+punish or reward us according to our bad or good acts. If by avarice
+or greed of money you ever play false to the trust that I am going to
+repose in you that God will surely punish you. It is not unknown to
+you what great difficulties I had in getting this only son, Sundara;
+how many temples I built, how many Brahmans I fed, how many religious
+austerities I underwent, &c., &c.. God after all gave me a son." Here
+his sorrow prevented him from proceeding further, and he began to cry
+aloud, and shed tears. "Do not weep on my account, father. We cannot
+wipe off what was written on our heads. We must undergo happiness or
+misery as is thereon written by Brahma, cried the prince. Ranavirasing
+was melted at the sight. He took the boy on his lap, and with his
+own upper garment wiped his eyes. The old man continued, "Thus you,
+my faithful Ranavirasing, know everything. I now wish that I had
+not performed all that I did to get this son. For when I die at this
+moment, who is there to take care of him for the next? Kharavadana may
+devise plan after plan to remove my boy from this world, and secure
+the kingdom for himself. My only hope is in you. I give him into your
+hands." Here the aged father, notwithstanding his illness, rose up a
+little from his bed, took hold of his son's hand, and after kissing
+it for the last time, placed it in Ranavirasing's. "Care not if he
+does not get the kingdom. If you only preserve him from the wicked
+hands of the minister whom I have all along seen to be covetous of
+the throne, you will do a great work for your old master. I make you
+from this moment the lord of my palace. From this minute you are
+father, mother, brother, servant, and everything to my son. Take
+care that you do not betray your trust." Thus ended the king, and
+sent at once for the minister. When he came he spoke to him thus,
+"Kharavadana! See what I am now. Yesterday I was on the throne. To-day,
+in a few minutes, I must breathe my last. Such is the uncertainty of
+life. Man's good acts alone follow him to the other world. Take my
+signet-ring. [Here the king took the ring from off his finger, and gave
+it to the minister.] Yours is the throne for the present, as long as
+the prince is in his minority. Govern well the kingdom. When the prince
+attains his sixteenth year kindly give him back the throne. Exercise
+a paternal care over him. Find a good and intelligent princess for
+his wife." Suddenly, before his speech was quite finished, the king
+felt the last pangs of death. The sage-looking minister promised
+him everything.
+
+Sivachar breathed his last. After the usual weeping and wailing
+of a Hindu funeral, his corpse was burnt to ashes in a sandalwood
+pyre. All his queens--and there were several scores--committed sati
+[25] with the corpse. The ceremonies were all regularly conducted,
+the minister himself superintended everything.
+
+Kharavadana then succeeded to the throne of Vanjaimanagar. Ranavirasing
+became the lord of the palace, and true to his promise exercised all
+care over his trust. He was always at the side of Sundara. That he
+might not lose the sweetness of boyhood in study and play, Ranavirasing
+brought to the palace twenty gentlemen's sons of good conduct and
+learning and made them the prince's fellow-students. A professor
+for every branch of learning was employed to teach the prince and
+his companions. Sundara thus received a sound and liberal education,
+only he was never allowed to go out of the palace. Ranavirasing guarded
+him very strictly, and he had every reason to do so. For Kharavadana,
+as soon as he became king, had issued a notice that the assassin
+of Sundara should have a reward of a karor [26] mohurs; and already
+every avaricious hand was in search of his head. Before the issue of
+this notice, Kharavadana found out a good girl and married her to the
+prince. She lived with her husband in the palace, and Ranavirasing
+strictly watched her, as she had been chosen by the minister. He would
+not allow Sundara to speak to her. These strict prohibitions displeased
+the prince, even with his faithful servant. But the latter could not
+help it till he had full confidence in her. He used to advise Sundara
+not even to take a betel-leaf from her hands. But love is blind. So
+the prince within himself accused his old guardian; but he could not
+help following his orders. Thus passed on a few years.
+
+Sundara reached his sixteenth year. Nothing happened about the
+transference of the kingdom; the prince, almost in imprisonment in
+the palace, had forgotten everything about the kingdom. Ranavirasing
+wished to wait till, as he thought, the prince had acquired better
+governing faculties. Thus some time passed.
+
+Full eight years had elapsed from the death of Sivachar. Sundara was
+already eighteen, and still he had not received his kingdom. Nothing
+was neglected in his education. Though Ranavirasing exercised all
+paternal care over him, still it was not to his liking; for he found
+in him a great barrier to the pleasures of youth. The only pleasure
+for the prince, therefore, was the company of his friends.
+
+One fine evening on the fourteenth day of the dark half of the month of
+Vaisakha of the Vasanta [27] season, the prince was sitting with his
+companions in the seventh story of his mansion viewing the town. The
+dusk of evening was just throwing her mantle over the city. People in
+their several vocations were at that time ceasing work, and returning
+home. In the eastern division of the town the prince saw a big mansion,
+and just to break the silence asked his friends what that was. "That is
+the Rajasthanik Kacheri, [28] a place you ought to have been sitting
+in for the last two years. The wretched minister, Kharavadana, has
+already usurped your seat; for, if he had intended to give you back
+the kingdom he would have done it two years ago when you reached your
+sixteenth year. Let us now console ourselves that God has spared your
+life till now, notwithstanding all the awards promised to the taker
+of your head. Even the proclamation is dying out of the memory of
+the people now." So said one of his friends and ceased.
+
+These words fell like arrows in the ear of Sundara and troubled
+him. Shame that he had been thus treated brought a change of colour
+over his face which all his friends perceived, and they felt sorry for
+having touched upon the subject. The prince, perceiving that he had
+played a woman's part among his friends, resumed or pretended to resume
+his former cheerful countenance, and changed the conversation to some
+pleasanter topics. They separated very late that night. Before doing
+so, Sundara asked them all to present themselves in the durbar hall
+[29] early next morning. At the same time he also ordered Ranavirasing
+to keep horses ready for himself and his friends for a morning ride
+through the town the next day. "I was only waiting to hear such an
+order from your own mouth, Mai Bab Chakravarti! [30] I was thinking
+from your retired disposition that you were not an energetic man. I
+will have the horses ready." Ranavirasing at once issued orders to
+his servants to keep ready saddled and decked twenty-one horses for
+the prince and his companions. He also appointed a certain number of
+his men to ride in front of the party.
+
+The morning came. The friends assembled, as promised the previous
+evening. The prince and they, after a light breakfast, mounted their
+horses. The horsemen rode in front and behind. The prince with his
+friends marched in the middle. Ranavirasing with drawn sword rode
+by his side. The party went through the four main streets of the
+town. Every one rose up and paid due respect to their old king's
+son. When passing through the street where the minister's mansion was,
+Ranavirasing perceived that Kharavadana paid no respect to the royal
+march. This seemed a most unbearable insult to Ranavirasing. He bit
+his lips, gnashed his teeth, and wrung his hands. The prince observed
+all the mental pains of his faithful guardian, and laughed to himself
+at his simplicity. About mid-day the party returned to the palace. The
+friends dispersed, and Sundara after the ceremonies of the new-moon
+day had a slight dinner, and retired to rest.
+
+The morning ride was deep in the mind of the prince. Though he laughed
+to himself at the simplicity of Ranavirasing when the latter gnashed
+his teeth in the morning, the insult had left a stronger and deeper
+impression in his heart. The day was almost spent. Sundara took a very
+light supper, and shut himself up in his bed-room before the first
+watch was quite over. Ranavirasing, as usual, watched outside. The
+prince found his wife sound asleep in her bed, and without disturbing
+her he went up and down the room. A thread-like substance attracted his
+attention in a corner of the bed-chamber. On examination he found it
+to be a thread ladder. He had not even time to think how it came into
+the bed-chamber. Just then Ranavirasing had retired for a few minutes
+to take his supper. "The old fool is off now to eat; and Paramesvara
+has thrown this ladder in my way. Let me now escape." Thus thinking,
+Sundara came out unobserved by his old guardian, and ascended to the
+top of the seventh mansion. From that place he cast his ladder towards
+a big tree in the East Main street. On pulling it he found that it was
+firmly fixed. "Let me get down, and Paramesvara will assist me." So
+praying, before the first watch was over, the prince got down from
+his palace, and was in a few minutes in the East street. The severe
+watch kept over him by Ranavirasing made it very difficult for him
+to go out when he liked, and now by the grace of God, as he thought,
+he had escaped that dark new-moon night.
+
+"Life is dear to every one. What can I do if any of the minister's
+men find me out now and murder me? Na daivam Sankarat param. No
+god but Sankara, and he will now help me." Thus thinking he walked
+to the nearest pyal, and lingered there till the bustle of the town
+subsided. Nor was it in vain that he stopped there. He overheard while
+there the following conversation take place between the master and
+mistress of the house at which he lingered:--"Console yourself, my
+wife. What shall we do? Fate has so willed it on our heads. May Brahma
+[31] become without a temple for the evil that he has sent us. When the
+old king was living he appreciated my merits, and at every Sankranti
+[32] gave me due dakshina [33] for my knowledge of the Vedas. [34]
+Now there reigns a tyrant over our kingdom. I have been lingering
+here with the hope that the son of Sivachar would one day come to the
+throne and relieve our sufferings. Now that such hope is altogether
+gone, I have made up my mind to leave this nasty city, and go to some
+good place where there reigns a king who can appreciate our yogyata
+(merit)." Of these words Sundara overheard every syllable, and these
+supplied the fuel to the fire of shame and anger that was already
+burning in his mind. "Let me try to win back my kingdom. If I succeed,
+I shall save other lives. If I die, I alone die. May Paramesvara help
+me." So saying he walked out of the town, and passed the east gate. The
+night was as dark as could be, for it was a new moon night. Clouds
+were gathering in the sky, and there were some symptoms of rain.
+
+There was a Ganesa temple on the way. As it was already drizzling,
+the prince went inside till the rain should cease. No sooner had he
+entered it than he saw two men, who by their conversation appeared to
+be shepherds, coming towards that same temple. They seemed to have
+been watching their flocks near an adjacent field, and had come to
+shelter themselves from the rain in the temple. Sundara when he saw
+them, trembled for his life, and crept in. The shepherds sat down on
+the verandah, and taking out their bags began to chew betel-nuts. An
+idle lizard began to chirp in a corner. To break the silence, one
+said to the other, "Well, Ramakon, I have heard that you are a great
+soothsayer and interpreter of bird sounds and lizard speeches. Let me
+know what these chirps of the lizard that we heard just now mean. Tell
+me." Ramakon replied, "This is news which I would never have revealed
+at any other time. But as no fourth person is likely to be here at this
+time on a rainy night, let me tell you that the prince of the town is
+now lingering here in this temple. So the lizard says. Hence I said,
+'no fourth person.' I am glad that no evil hand has yet been tempted,
+though such a high price has been set upon his head. The very fact
+that he has lived up to this time unhurt in a tiger's domain augurs
+well for his future prosperity." Ramakon had scarcely finished his
+speech when the idle lizard again made its chit, chit, and Ramakon
+now asked his friend, Lakshmanakon, for that was the other's name,
+to interpret those sounds. "This has rather a sad meaning for the
+prince. The Mantri [35] and Pradhani [36] are coming here in a few
+minutes (nimishas), to consult on a secret topic. So says the lizard,"
+said Lakshmanakon to Ramakon, and at that very moment a light was
+seen at a distance. "It is the minister's carriage. Let us be off. God
+only must save the prince." So saying, they both ran away.
+
+The feelings of the prince inside were like that of a man who
+was being led to the gallows. The bitterest enemy of his life,
+the minister himself, was coming to that very place where he was
+hiding. "I foolishly accused my old guardian, Ranavirasing, and now
+I see his good intentions. How I am to be spared from this calamity
+Sankara only knows." Thus thinking, he hurriedly fled to the inmost
+part of the temple behind the very image, and sat down there, still
+like a stump, without even breathing freely, lest his breath might
+reveal him. He had ample time there to admire the sound knowledge of
+the shepherds in interpreting the lizard chirps, their simplicity,
+their honesty and truthfulness; for, had they been otherwise, they
+might at once have caught hold of the prince and made him over to the
+tiger minister. True to the interpretation of the second shepherd, a
+carriage stopped in front of the Ganesa temple, and there came out of
+it the Mantri and the Pradhani. Excepting themselves and, of course,
+the carriage driver and, as we know, the prince behind the Ganesa,
+there were no others there. Kharavadana and his subordinate chose that
+solitary place at the dead of night to hold secret consultations. The
+Mantri spoke first, and one could easily perceive from his words that
+he was in a fit of anger. "Why should the prince be thus allowed to
+ride free through my streets? Of the innumerable servants who eat our
+salt was there not one to cut down that impertinent head?" roared the
+minister. The Pradhani replied, "My king, my lord, excuse me first
+for the humble words that I am going to speak before your honour. We
+have taken up a kingdom to which we have no right. If the prince
+had demanded the throne two years ago, we ought rightfully to have
+returned it to him. He never asked, and we did not restore it. He
+never troubles us with demands, but lives like a poor subject of the
+crown in his own quarters. Such being the case, why should we kill
+him? Why should we murder the only son of our old and much-respected
+king Sivachar? What I beg to suggest to your honour is, that we should
+no more trouble ourselves about his poor head." The Pradhani, as he
+discovered that these words were not to the taste of Kharavadana,
+stopped at once without proceeding further, though he had much to
+say upon that subject. "Vile wretch! Dare you preach morals to your
+superiors. You shall see the result of this, before the morning dawns,"
+bawled out the Minister. The Pradhani saw that all his excellent advice
+was like blowing a horn in a deaf man's ears. He feared for his own
+life, and so at once begged a thousand pardons, and promised to bring
+the head of the prince within a week. And as Kharavadana wanted only
+that, he spared the Pradhani. They then talked on different subjects,
+and prepared to start.
+
+The prince inside, behind the Ganesavigraha, [37] was now almost
+stifled to death. The short breaths that he inhaled and exhaled
+were themselves enough to kill him. Add to that the horrible
+words that fell on his ears. For all that he continued to hide
+himself. Kharavadana and the Pradhani finished their conversation
+and got into the carriage. Sundara called courage to his assistance,
+"Sankara has saved me till now; he may so save me throughout." So
+thinking to himself, he boldly came out of the temple without making
+the least noise and sat behind the carriage, and, as it rolled on,
+thought again within himself: "I will follow these, come what may,
+and find out what more plans they devise against my life."
+
+The carriage drove on to the opposite end of the town. It passed the
+west gate and entered a big park outside the town. The undaunted prince
+followed. In the middle of the park a fine tank was discovered. The
+banks looked like day, being lighted up profusely. In the midst of the
+tank a small island with a gaudy mansion was seen. Pillars of gold,
+sofas of silver and doors of diamonds made it the very Indraloka [38]
+itself. A broad road with avenues of sweet smelling flowering trees
+connected the island with the bank. It was at that road that the
+carriage stopped. The prince, before that was reached, had got down
+and hid himself under the shade of a tree, to see unobserved all that
+passed in the mansion which he had every reason to believe was the
+destination of the minister. Kharavadana descended from the carriage
+and sent the Pradhani home. What most astonished the prince was the
+absence of male servants in that garden. At the entrance of the road
+twenty young females of the most exquisite beauty waited and conducted
+Kharavadana through the sweet bower to the mansion. When it was
+reached, the minister sat down on a most richly furnished gold couch,
+and ordered the females there to bring the queen. Ten females arranged
+themselves on each side of an ivory palanquin, and started, apparently,
+to bring the queen in it. "These females themselves resemble Rambha,
+[39] Urvasi, [39] &c. A woman who has beauty superior to the heads of
+these females must, of course, be of the greatest beauty imaginable in
+this world. Let me see her." Thus thinking, the prince Sundara
+anxiously awaited the return of the palanquin. In a few minutes it
+came. A female of the most charming beauty jumped briskly out of it. The
+minister came running to give his helping hand to her. Horror of
+horrors, what sees the prince! It was his own wife, the very girl that
+the minister had married to him a few years before, that got down from
+the palanquin. "Are my eyes deceived? Do they perform their functions
+aright? Let me look once more." So again and again wiping his eyes to
+clear them a little, the prince saw distinctly. It was his very wife
+herself. "Oh, I most foolishly accused that grey-headed guardian for
+a wicked fool, because he would not allow me to be friends with my
+wife. I now see what he saw a long time ago. Perhaps if I had seen
+more of her I should have thus been brought in here by some secret
+way that these devils seem now to have to the inmost parts of the
+palace. If I had taken anything from her hands I should have died
+that very day. My poor old man, my Ranavirasing it is, who has saved
+me from all these calamities." These thoughts and a thousand more
+were passing through Sundara's mind when he saw his wife sitting down
+on the same couch with the minister. She accused him of the delay in
+murdering her husband, of his letting all opportunities escape during
+the morning ride. "Horrible! Did you, Kharavadana, marry me to such
+a faithful wife! Thank God and Ranavirasing that I have not fallen
+into her snares," thought Sundara to himself. The minister offered
+a thousand excuses, related to her all that had taken place between
+himself and the Pradhani, and of what the latter had promised. Then
+they both retired to bed. At that moment the treacherous owl began
+to hoot, and one of the maid-servants, who happened to be a clever
+interpreter of owl-hootings revealed, to secure the favour of the
+minister, that the prince was lurking behind a tree in that very
+garden. Knowing the price set on Sundara's head even female hands
+flew to cut it off. All ran with torches to search the garden.
+
+These words, of course, fell upon the ears of the prince like
+thunder. Before the people there began their search he began his race,
+jumped over a high wall, and flew like a kite. Before the lady-racers
+and the minister had left their sweet road to the tank-bank, Sundara
+found himself in the north street of the town. The news that the
+prince was out that night spread like a flame from the pleasure-park
+outside throughout the whole town, and before long avaricious persons
+were searching in the streets for his valuable head. Sundara thought
+it dangerous to pass through the streets, and wished to hide himself
+in a safe place. Fortune conducted him to one. It was a ruined old
+choultry, where food, during the days of his father, was distributed
+in charity to the beggars of the town, and which was now only resorted
+to by them to sleep, and not to receive rice. The prince entered it,
+and laid himself down in the midst of them, fortunately unobserved. He
+could hear from where he was the noise of the persons searching
+outside. In the garden the minister searched in vain, and accusing
+the female for her wrong interpretation as he thought, retired to bed.
+
+Outside the north gate, at a distance of three ghatikas' walk, lived
+a robber. He used to start out on a plundering expedition once in
+seven years. In the houses and mansions he used to rob he took only
+jewels of various kinds, Gomeda, [40] pushparuga, (topaz) vajra, [41]
+vaidurya, [42] &c.; gold and silver he rejected as being too mean for
+his dignity. As he was a high-caste robber, he used to take a coolie
+with him on his way to carry his booty. Of course, that coolie never
+returned from the cave. He was put to death after his services were
+over, lest he should disclose the secret of the robber.
+
+Unfortunately, that new-moon night happened to be the night of that
+cruel robber's plundering expedition. He came out, and when he saw
+people in search of the prince, thinking that he was not in his palace,
+he wanted to plunder it. Wishing for a coolie, he entered the ruined
+choultry, to pick out one among the beggars there. Passing over the
+others he came to the prince. He found him stout and strong. "This
+beggar will do me good service to-day. I shall break my custom,
+and amply reward this man for his services." So thinking to himself,
+the gentleman robber tapped Sundara with his cane on the back. The
+prince had just closed his eyes. In the short sleep that ensued he
+dreamt that the minister's servants were pursuing him, and that
+one had caught him. At that very moment the gentleman-robber's
+stroke fell upon his back, giving a sort of reality to his dream. He
+awoke with horror. "Tell me who you are," asked the unknown person,
+"A beggar," was the reply. "How does the night appear to you?" asked
+the robber. "As dark as dark can be," replied the prince. The robber
+applied a sort of kajjala [43] to the prince's eyes, and asked, "How
+does the night appear now?" "As luminous as if a karor of suns were
+in the sky," answered Sundara. The robber applied a tilaka [44] to the
+intended coolie's forehead and addressed him thus: "I am a robber, now
+going to plunder the palace, from which the prince is absent. Follow
+me. I shall reward you richly. The kajjala has made the night a day
+to you. The tilaka takes you unobserved wherever you wish to go." So
+saying, and dragging the coolie or supposed coolie by the hand,
+the robber went off to the palace. Wherever he found a door locked,
+he applied a leaf that he carried in his hand to the fastening, and
+behold, the lock flew back, and the door opened of its own accord. The
+prince was astonished. In a few minutes the robber opened one and all
+of the gates and boxes, and extracted all the precious stones. He tied
+them up in a bundle, and set it on the prince's head, and asked him to
+follow. Sundara followed. He assisted in the plunder of his own palace,
+and carried the booty behind the robber, who, praised be his stupidity,
+never for one moment suspected he was a prince, but admired his coolie
+for the beauty of his person, thought of saving his life, and also of
+making him his son-in-law. For the robber had a beautiful daughter,
+for whom he had long been searching for a suitable husband. So with
+this thought he reached the cave, stopped before it, and taking the
+bundle from the prince's head ordered him to go into a large cell,
+the mouth of which he covered with a big stone, which he lifted up by
+pronouncing an incantation over it. The robber went with the bundle
+to his wife, and described to her the beauty of the coolie, and what
+a fair match he would be for their daughter. The wife did not like it,
+and asked her husband to do with the coolie as they usually did, i.e.,
+murder him; and the robber, who never in anything acted against the
+will of his wife, went in to fetch his weapon.
+
+Meanwhile the robber's daughter, an excellent girl, of the most
+charming beauty, overhearing all that took place between her parents,
+came running to the cave where the coolie was confined. She pronounced
+a single word over the stone lid of the cave, and it opened, and the
+prince, who had lost all hopes of recovery, now beheld a beautiful girl
+coming towards him. "Whoever you may be, my dear coolie, fly for your
+life for the present. You are my husband. My father has so named you,
+but as my mother does not like it, he has gone to fetch his weapon to
+murder you. Excepting we three, none, not even Brahma, can open the
+once-shut gates. After hearing you once called my husband, I must ever
+regard you so. Now fly, and escape my father's sharp sword. If you are
+a man, marry me in kind remembrance of the assistance rendered. If you
+fail to do so you are a beast, and I shall die a virgin." So saying she
+conducted out in haste the supposed coolie, who had only time to take a
+hasty embrace, whispering in her ear that he was the prince, and that
+he would marry her without fail. He now ran for his life. Fearing the
+robber would come after him he left the way by which he reached the
+cave, and passing through unknown fields reached the south gate of
+the town. By that time the search for him had almost abated, and the
+prince, praising God for his delivery, reached the south street. The
+night was almost spent. Before returning to the palace he wished
+to take rest for a few minutes, till he had recovered his breath,
+and so he sat down on the pyal of an old and almost ruined house.
+
+That happened to be the house of a poor Brahman, who had not even
+sufficient clothes to wear. As the prince sat down in a corner of
+the pyal the door of the house opened, and the old Brahman came
+out. The old woman, the Brahmani, was standing at the door with a
+vessel containing water for her husband. Subhasastri, for that was
+the Brahman's name, looked up to the sky for a couple of minutes,
+after which he heaved a deep sigh, and said, "Alas, the prince,
+the only son of our former protector, Sivachar, is not to remain
+for more than two ghatikas. A kalasarpa (black serpent) will sting
+him. What shall we do? We are poor. If we could begin Sarpahoma [45]
+now we could tie the mouth of the snake, sacrifice it in the fire,
+and thus save the prince." So saying the poor Brahman cried. Sundara,
+who overheard everything, jumped down in confusion, and fell at the
+feet of the Brahman, who asked him who he was. "I am a herdsman of
+the palace. Preserve my master's life," was the reply. Subhasastri
+was extremely poor. He had no means to procure a small quantity of
+ghi even to begin the homa. [46] He did not know what to do. He begged
+from his neighbours, who all laughed at his stupidity, and ridiculed
+his astrology. The prince in a hopeless state of anguish wrung his
+hands, and in wringing them he felt his ring. Drawing it off his
+finger he gave it to Subhasastri, and requested him to pawn it. The
+latter resorted to the nearest bazar, and awakening the bazar-keeper
+procured from him a little ghi, by pawning the ring. Running home and
+bathing in cold water the Brahman sat down for the homa. The prince,
+fearing the serpent, wished to sit inside the house, but at a distance
+from the place of the ceremony. Just at the appointed hour a large
+black serpent broke through the sky, fell on the head of the prince,
+whom he was not able to bite, and gave up its life in the fire. "This
+is no shepherd, but the very prince himself," said the Brahmani. [47]
+Sundara rose up, and running surrounded them thrice, spoke to them
+thus:--"You alone are my parents and protectors. This night has
+been a most adventurous one with me. There was every possibility of
+my escaping every other calamity, and so I did. But no other power
+except yours could have averted this snake-bite. So my rescue is due
+to you alone. I have no time to lose now. Before daylight I must fly
+unobserved to the palace, and you shall before long see my reward
+for this." So saying, Sundara ran to his palace and entered.
+
+Ranavirasing was almost dead. The rumour that the prince was out
+reached him. He was astonished at the way in which Sundara had got
+out. He searched the whole palace. To his astonishment all the rooms
+had previously been opened and plundered. "Has the prince been stolen
+away by some vile tricks from the palace," thought Ranavirasing,
+and without knowing what to do he was buried in the ocean of sorrow,
+from which he gave up all hopes of recovering. What was his joy,
+then, when he saw the prince enter the palace just at dawn. "Mai Bab
+Chakravarti, where have you been the whole night, throwing away the
+advice of your poor slave? How many enemies you have in this world,
+you have yet to know," said Ranavirasing. "I know them all now, only
+listen to what I say, and do as I bid. I have won the crown without
+a blow. Thank the day that gave me you as my protector, for it was
+only yesterday that I had ample reason to verify your statements. My
+adventures would make your hair stand on end. Thank God I have escaped
+from all of them unhurt. If you have a few men ready now, we have won
+the kingdom." So saying, the prince explained to him every detail of
+his adventure. "If we catch hold of the minister now, we have done
+all." "I could never for one moment think that you in a single night
+could have seen and done so much. Now that heaven has shown you the
+way, I shall obey you," said Ranavirasing, and Sundara accordingly
+issued the orders. He described the house with the pyal at which he
+had lingered for a while the previous night, and asked a servant to
+bring the owner of that house to the Rajasthanik office. Ranavirasing
+brought in the Pradhani, who was extremely delighted at the good
+intention of the prince. He was offered the Mantri's place. Two were
+sent to the shepherds. Twenty were sent to the pleasure-park to have
+the minister and his sweet paramour brought to the court in chains. The
+female servants were also ordered to be brought. The robber and his
+cruel wife were not forgotten. The prince minutely described the
+cave, and asked his servants to catch and imprison the robber by
+surprising him suddenly, without giving him time to have recourse
+to his vile tricks--lock-breaking kajjala, &c. The palace palanquin
+was sent for the robber's daughter, whom the prince had firmly made
+up his mind to marry. The palace elephants were decked and sent to
+fetch with all pomp Subhasastri and his wife to the court. Thus,
+without a single stroke, Sundara won the kingdom. Ranavirasing was
+thunder-struck by the excellent and bold way in which the prince in
+one night went through the series of calamities, and successfully
+overcame them all. The Pradhani's delight knew no bounds. He himself
+broke open the court and every one connected with the previous night's
+adventure was ushered in. The prince bathed, offered up his prayers,
+and attended the council. When Subhasastri came in with his wife the
+prince put them on the simhasana, [48] and himself standing before
+them, explained to all his previous night's adventures, rewarded
+the poor Brahman and the shepherds, punished by banishment the
+maid-servant who, knowing that the prince's head was coveted, revealed
+his concealment, and ordered his wife, the minister, the robber,
+and the robber's wife to be beheaded. He rewarded without limit his
+protector, Subhasastri, and married the robber's daughter, being won
+over by her sincerity. The Pradhani, as we have said already, he made
+his minister, and with his old guardian, the faithful Ranavirasing,
+the prince reigned for several years in the kingdom of Vanjaimanagar.
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+V.
+
+"CHARITY ALONE CONQUERS."
+
+Dharmame jayam.
+
+
+In the town of Tevai [49] there lived a king called Suguna. He had
+an excellent minister named Dharmasila. They ruled for a long time in
+prosperity over the kingdom. Both of them had sons. The prince's name
+was Subuddhi. He was a noble prince, and quite in keeping with his
+name, was always bent upon doing good to the world. The minister's son
+was named Durbuddhi, a most wicked boy, whose only delight was teasing
+beasts and birds from his infancy, and which ripened into all sorts
+of wickedness as he grew to boyhood. Notwithstanding the difference
+between their temperaments the prince and the minister's son were the
+best of friends. The motto of the prince was Dharmame jayam--Charity
+alone conquers. That of the minister's son was Adharmame jayam--Absence
+of Charity alone conquers. When rising from their beds, when beginning
+their prayers, when sitting down for meals or study, and, in fact,
+before beginning to do anything, each repeated his motto. The people
+had great hopes in Subuddhi, whom they fully expected to see a good
+and benevolent king; but the minister's son all thoroughly hated. Even
+the minister himself, his father, hated his son for his vile turn of
+mind, which he found impossible to change. His only friend, as we have
+already said, was the prince, who, notwithstanding all his faults,
+loved him sincerely. Both of them had grown up together from their
+very cradle, had played in the same dust, had read their lessons
+side by side in the same school under the same teachers. Fortune so
+ordained that the prince's mind should take such a bent, while the
+mind of the minister's son turned in a crooked way.
+
+Nor was Durbuddhi insensible to the disgust and dislike which every
+one manifested towards him. He was well aware of all that was going
+on around. Still he would not change.
+
+"I have no friend in this world excepting yourself, my dear Subuddhi,"
+exclaimed Durbuddhi one day to his royal friend while they were
+riding together.
+
+"Fear nothing. I shall ever stand by you as your true friend,"
+replied Subuddhi.
+
+"My very father hates me. Who else would like me then? On the other
+hand, every one likes you. You may soon get yourself married to some
+beautiful lady, while I must remain a bachelor; for no girl would marry
+me. You may soon rise to the place of a king; but I cannot become your
+minister, as the people do not like me. What can I do?" So said the
+minister's son, and hung down his head, as if conscious for a time
+of the utter hatred with which the people regarded him.
+
+Subuddhi replied, "Heed it not, I will make you my minister, give
+you everything you want, and see you well provided for."
+
+"If so, will you give me your wife one day, at least, if you happen
+to get married before me, and if I remain a bachelor after you,"
+were the words which the wretched Durbuddhi shamelessly uttered to
+the face of his only friend.
+
+These words were enough in themselves to enrage the prince's mind. But
+he was of so good a nature that instead of becoming angry, he smiled
+at the stupidity of his companion, and agreed that he would thus give
+him his wife one day in case he got married first. Thus took place
+an agreement between Subuddhi and Durbuddhi while they were still
+quite young.
+
+Several years passed after this agreement, when one day the prince
+went to hunt in a neighbouring forest. His inseparable companion,
+the minister's son, and several hunters followed him to the wood. The
+prince and the minister's son both gave chase to a deer. They rode
+so much in advance of the hunters that they lost themselves in a
+thick jungle, where the latter could neither see nor follow them. The
+hunters returned after dark, and informed the king and the minister
+about the disappearance of their sons. They thought that as their
+sons were grown-up men they need not fear for their safety.
+
+The two friends chased the deer and found themselves in the midst
+of a thick forest in the evening. Except a slight breakfast in the
+early morning they had tasted no other food. Hunger was pinching them
+severely. The hot chase had awakened a severe thirst, to quench which
+they were not able to find a drop of water. In utter hopelessness of
+life they resigned themselves to the course of their steeds. The beasts
+seemed very well to understand the wants of their royal riders. They
+went on trotting, and at last, about midnight, stopped on the banks
+of a large tank.
+
+The riders, who were almost dead with thirst, opened their closed eyes
+when the horses stopped. All of a sudden, and to their great joy,
+they found themselves on the banks of a large tank. Their joy knew
+no bounds.
+
+"Surely God takes care of His children. Had it not been for His kind
+care how could we have come to this tank, when we had given ourselves
+up to the guidance of our horses?" thought Subuddhi to himself,
+and got down from his horse.
+
+The minister's son, who had become more exhausted by that time than
+his companion, also alighted. Subuddhi, true to the nobility of his
+mind, took both the steeds first to water, and, after satisfying their
+thirst and loosening them to graze by the side of a grassy meadow,
+he went into the water to quench his thirst. The minister's son also
+followed. After a short prayer Subuddhi took some handfuls of water,
+and returned to the bank. Durbuddhi also returned. They chose a
+clean spot, and sat down to rest during the remaining part of the
+night. The prince, when taking his seat, pronounced his usual motto,
+"Charity alone conquers," and the minister's son also repeated his,
+"Absence of Charity alone conquers."
+
+These words fell like venom into the ears of the prince at that
+time. He could not control his anger then, notwithstanding his mild
+disposition. The hardships of the day, their fortunate arrival on a
+tank in the dead of night to have their thirst quenched, were fresh
+in Subuddhi's mind, and the prayers that he was offering to God were
+not yet over. That the minister's son should never think of all this,
+and go on with his own stupid motto even at that time was intolerable
+to Subuddhi.
+
+"Vile wretch! detested atheist! have you no shame, to utter your wicked
+motto even after such calamities? It is not too late even now. Mend
+your character. Think of the God that saved you just now. Believe in
+Him. Change your motto from this day." Thus spoke the angry prince
+to the minister's son.
+
+Durbuddhi, who was naturally of a wicked and quarrelsome temperament,
+flew into a rage at once at the excellent advice of the prince.
+
+"Stop your mouth. I know as well as you do; you cannot wag your tail
+here. I can oppose you single-handed in this forest."
+
+Thus saying, the minister's son sprang like an enraged lion at
+Subuddhi, who, as he never dreamt of any such thing, was completely
+overpowered by the wicked Durbuddhi. The prince was thrown down in the
+twinkling of an eye, and the minister's son was upon him. He severely
+thrashed his royal master, and, taking hold of a twig that was lying
+close by, tore out the prince's two eyes, filled up the sockets with
+sand, and ran away with his horse, thinking that he had completely
+killed him.
+
+Subuddhi was almost dead; his body was bruised all over; his eyes
+were no more; his physical pain was unbearable.
+
+"Is there a God over us all?" thought Subuddhi. The night was
+almost over. The cool and sweet breeze of the morning gave him some
+strength. He rose up, and, crawling on the ground, felt his way to
+the entrance of a temple. He crept in, shut the gates, and fastened
+the bolt.
+
+It happened to be a temple of the fierce Kali. She used to go out every
+morning to gather roots and fruits, and to return at evening. That
+day, when she returned, she found her gates shut against her. She
+threatened with destruction the usurper of her temple. A voice,
+and we know that it was Subuddhi's, replied from within:
+
+"I am already dying of the loss of my eyes. So, if in anger you kill
+me, it is so much the better; for what use is there in my living
+blind? If, on the contrary, you pity me, and by your divine power
+give me my eyes, I shall open the gates."
+
+Kali was in a very difficult position. She was very hungry, and saw
+no other way of going inside than by giving Subuddhi his eyes.
+
+"Open the gates; your request is granted," said Kali. No sooner were
+these words uttered than the prince recovered his eyes. His delight
+may be better imagined than described. He opened the gates and vowed
+before Kali that he would from that day continue in that temple as
+her servant and worshipper.
+
+The wretched Durbuddhi, after his horrible act, rode on composedly,
+following the footsteps of his horse, and reached the forest where
+he had been hunting the day before in company with the prince. He
+thence returned home all alone. When his father saw him coming back
+he suspected something wrong to the prince, and asked his son what
+had become of him.
+
+"We chased a deer, and he rode so much in advance of me that he
+was out of sight, and finding all search vain, I returned alone,"
+was Durbuddhi's reply.
+
+"This I would have believed from anyone but yourself. Never plant your
+feet in these dominions till you bring back the prince again. Run for
+your life," was the order of the minister, and Durbuddhi accordingly
+ran off, fearing the anger of his father.
+
+Thus the Prince Subuddhi served in the Kali temple; and Durbuddhi,
+fully confident that he had killed his friend, roamed about from
+place to place, as he saw no possibility of returning to his own
+country without the prince.
+
+Thus passed several months. The goddess Kali was extremely delighted
+at the sincere devotion of Subuddhi, and, calling him one day to her
+side, said:
+
+"My son! I am delighted with your great devotion to me. Enough of
+your menial services here. Better return now to your kingdom. Your
+parents are likely to be much vexed at your loss. Go and console
+their minds." Thus ended Kali, and Subuddhi replied:
+
+"Excuse me, my goddess, my mother, I no more regard them as my
+parents. This wood is not a large place if they wished to search
+for me. As they were so careless about me, I shall also from this
+day disregard them. You are my father and mother. Therefore permit
+me to end my days here in your service." So saying, Subuddhi begged
+Kali to allow him to stay, and the goddess agreed accordingly, for
+some time at least.
+
+After a few more months, Kali called the prince again to her, and
+addressed him thus:
+
+"My boy! I have devised another plan. Better not, then, go to your
+parents, as you do not wish to go now. At a short distance from this
+place, in the Kaveri country, reigns a staunch devotee of mine. His
+daughter had small-pox, and as he forgot to do proper respect to me,
+I have blinded both her eyes. The king has issued a proclamation that
+he will give the whole kingdom and his daughter in marriage to him who
+would cure her of her defect. He has hung up a bell (ghanta) at which
+every physician who wishes to try the case strikes. The king comes
+running as soon as he hears the sound, takes home the doctor and shows
+him the case. Several persons have tried in vain; for who could repair
+a defect inflicted by the displeasure of the gods? Now I mean to send
+you there. That king is a staunch worshipper of my feet. Though I have
+punished him, still I pity the sad calamity that has come upon his
+daughter. You had better go there and strike the bell. He will take
+you and show you the case. For three consecutive days apply my holy
+ashes to her eyes. Though fools may deride these ashes, still by them
+a true devotee can work wonders. On the fourth day her eyes will be
+perfectly restored. Then you will secure her hand, and, what is more,
+the country of Kaveri. Reign there, for you are born to reign, being
+a prince, and not to spend your time here in this wood. If you do not
+do so you will commit a sin, and, what is more, incur my displeasure."
+
+Thus ended Kali, and the prince could not refuse; for he feared the
+anger of the goddess. Agreeing to her words, and with her manifold
+blessings, he started and reached the kingdom of Kaveri.
+
+He struck the bell. The king came running to welcome the new
+doctor. All the previous physicians had tried by medicines external
+and internal. The new doctor--Prince Subuddhi--proposed to treat the
+case by mantras--incantations. The old king, who was very religious,
+fully believed that the new doctor might effect the cure, and, just
+as he expected, on the fourth day his daughter's sight was completely
+restored. The king's joy knew no bounds. He enquired into the parentage
+of the doctor: and when he came to know that he had princely blood
+in his veins, that he was as honourably descended as himself, his
+joy was greatly increased. He sent up a thousand prayers to the
+god for giving him a royal son-in-law. As promised in his notice,
+he would have to give his daughter to anyone, whatever he might be,
+who effected the cure. The lowest beggar, the lowest caste-man, if
+he had only succeeded in curing her, would have had as much claim to
+her hand as the prince-physician. So when the person that effected
+the cure proved to be a prince, the king was extremely delighted,
+and at once made all arrangements for the marriage of his daughter,
+and gave her to Subuddhi: and, himself being very old, he gave the
+kingdom also to the prince at the same time.
+
+Thus by the favour of Kali, Subuddhi had a princess for his wife and a
+kingdom to govern. Subuddhi, as we know, was an excellent man. Though
+he became king now, he consulted his father-in-law in all matters,
+and, in fact, acted only as manager for the old man. Every evening he
+used to consult him for an hour or two before disposing of intricate
+cases. The duty of signing, too, he reserved for the old man. Thus
+even on those days when there were no cases he used to go to his
+father-in-law to get papers signed. Thus passed on a couple of years
+or so.
+
+One evening, while sitting in company with his wife in the loftiest
+room of his palace after the duties of the day, he cast his eyes to
+the east main street and contemplated the bustle of that part of the
+town. Carts creaking under the load of merchandise, the flourish
+with which the goods and wares were exposed for sale, fashionable
+gentlemen in their fanciful evening costumes walking to and fro,
+the troublesome hawkers that stand by the roadside questioning every
+one as to what they would buy, and several other things interested
+him, and for a time made him somewhat proud even, that he ruled over
+such a rich country. But sweetness is not always unaccompanied with
+bitterness. He saw in that same street a man whose face was very
+familiar to him, but whom he could not at once make out. A black
+man was sitting on a projecting pyal of a corner of a shop, and was
+mending some torn gunny bags. Subuddhi looked at him carefully.
+
+"Is it the minister's son, Durbuddhi? No; he is not so black; rather
+was not when I saw him last," thought Subuddhi with himself, and
+examining his face, he at last exclaimed, "It is he! It is he! It is my
+friend and companion." "Who is it?" exclaimed the princess, and rushed
+at once to his side. She had most carefully watched her husband's face
+for the past few minutes while he was in deep contemplation. "It is
+my friend, the minister's son, by name Durbuddhi. We were companions
+from our birth; we played in the same dust, read in the same school,
+and were ever inseparable companions. I do not know what has brought
+him to the condition in which I see him now," said Subuddhi, and
+sent some one to fetch him. Of the wicked and base act of the vile
+Durbuddhi he did not care to inform his gentle wife, who now retired
+to her inner apartments, as decorum did not allow her to be in company
+with her husband when he was receiving others.
+
+The persons sent brought in Durbuddhi. Whatever might have been the
+cruelty that he had received from the hands of the minister's son,
+the prince began to shed tears when he saw his old companion ushered
+in, not in that blooming cheerful red complexion in which he had seen
+him last, but in a weather-beaten dark skin and dejected colour of
+a coolie in which he saw him a few minutes ago.
+
+"I excuse you all your faults, my dear Durbuddhi. Tell me quickly
+what has brought you to this wretched plight," asked Subuddhi, and
+while asking he began to cry aloud. The minister's son also shed
+tears copiously, and cried or pretended to cry; for be it known that
+he was a perfect scoundrel, born to no good in the world.
+
+"My own mischief has brought me to this plight. When I returned to our
+country, after putting out your eyes and thinking that I had killed
+you, my father banished me from our dominions, and ordered me never
+to plant my feet within their limits without bringing you back. As I
+thought I had put an end to your life I never came back to that tank
+in search of you. I engaged myself as a coolie in the streets of this
+town after trying several other places without success, and I now
+stand before you." Thus ended Durbuddhi, and the prince quite forgot
+his cruelty to him. He ordered his servants to get the minister's
+son bathed, and attired in as rich robes as he himself wore. Then
+he related to him his own story, without omitting a single point,
+and at once made him his minister.
+
+The whole story of Durbuddhi, excepting the single point of his
+having put out his eyes, the prince related to his wife, father,
+and mother-in-law.
+
+Thus was Durbuddhi again restored to his high position, through the
+liberal kindness of Subuddhi. Subuddhi did not stop even at this. He
+began to send him with papers and other things to the old king for
+signature. This went on for some months. All the while Durbuddhi was
+as obedient as might be, and by his vile tricks had completely won
+over the heart of the old king.
+
+One evening, after the signatures were over, Durbuddhi stopped for
+a while as if desirous to speak. "What do you want?" said the old
+king. "Nothing but your favour," was the only reply, after which he
+retired. Thus he went on for some days and weeks. Every day he stopped
+for a few minutes after the state business was over, and when the
+old king asked the reason for it went on giving evasive answers. At
+last one evening the old king was extremely provoked. The cunning
+Durbuddhi had purposely intended this.
+
+"What a big fool are you to stop every day as if wishing to speak
+and never to utter a word," broke out the old king.
+
+"I beg pardon of your honour; I was thinking all the while whether I
+should let out my secret or not. At last, I have come to the conclusion
+that I will keep it to myself," replied the diabolical Durbuddhi.
+
+"No, you shall let it out," roared the old king, whose curiosity
+was more roused than abated by the words, purposely obscure, of
+the minister's son. Durbuddhi, after simulating much reluctance at
+disclosing the supposed secret, loudly began his harangue:
+
+"My lord, ever since I came here I have been making enquiries about
+the nobility of your family, about the sacrifices that you and your
+ancestors have performed, about the purifications that you and your
+elders have undergone, and about a thousand other particulars, each
+of which is enough to secure you and your descendants the place of
+Achyuta (Achyutapada) himself. These delighted me for a time--I say
+for a time--for listen, please, to what follows. When I compared with
+the pure fame of your famous family, that of your son-in-law, my heart
+began to pain me. Indeed the pain which began at that moment has not
+yet ceased. Know, then, that your son-in-law is not a prince. No doubt
+he has royal blood in his veins, which makes him look like a king. How
+came he to be so skilful in medicine. Just enquire the cause. To be no
+more in the dark, the king of my country--over which my father is the
+minister--set out one day on savar. While passing a barber's street he
+saw a beautiful damsel of that caste. Bewitched by her beauty the king
+wanted to include her in his harem, notwithstanding her low position
+in society. The child of that woman, is your son-in-law. He being the
+son of a barber-mother acquired thus easily the art of medicine. That
+a king was his father makes him look like a prince. If he had been of
+pure birth why should he leave his kingdom, and come here to effect
+the cure of your daughter? Except this prince, or supposed prince,
+all those that came here were mere doctors by caste." Thus ended the
+vile Durbuddhi, and taking in his hand the papers, vanished out of
+the room quickly, like a serpent that had stung.
+
+The sweet words in which the minister's son clothed his arguments,
+the rising passion at the thought that he had been falsely imposed
+upon by a barber's son, the shame--or rather supposed shame--that he
+thought had come over his family, and a thousand other feelings clouded
+for a time the clear reason of the old king. He saw no other way of
+putting an end to the shame than by the murder of his dear daughter and
+son-in-law first, and of his own self and queen afterwards. At once he
+sent for the executioner, who came in. He gave him his signet-ring,
+and commanded him to break open the bed-room of his son-in-law that
+midnight, and murder him with his wife while asleep. The hukums, or
+orders given with signet-rings, can never be disobeyed. The executioner
+humbled himself to the ground, as a sign of his accepting the order,
+and retired to sharpen his knife for his terrible duty.
+
+Neither Subuddhi nor his affectionate wife had any reason to suspect
+this terrible mandate. The old queen and the treacherous Durbuddhi
+had equally no reason to know anything about it. The old man, after
+issuing the hukum, shut himself up in his closet, and began to weep
+and wail as if he had lost his daughter from that moment. Durbuddhi,
+after kindling the fire, as says the Tamil proverb, by means of his
+treachery, came back with the papers to the prince. A thought occurred
+in his mind that Subuddhi's fate was drawing near. He wanted to carry
+out the agreement between himself and the prince about the latter's
+wife. The excellent Subuddhi, who always observed oaths most strictly,
+was confused for a time. He did not know what to do. To stick to the
+oath and surrender his wife to another; or to break it and preserve
+the chastity of his own wife. At last, repeating in his own mind,
+"Charity alone conquers," and also thinking that Heaven would somehow
+devise to preserve his wife, he went to her, explained to her how
+the matter stood, and ordered her to go to the minister's son. She
+hesitatingly consented; for, as a good wife, she could not disobey
+her husband's commands. Subuddhi then told Durbuddhi that he might
+have his wife as his own.
+
+The princess went to her mother, crying that her husband had turned
+out mad. "Or else who would promise to give his wife to another. What
+does he mean by that?"
+
+"My daughter! fear nothing, perhaps, in his boyhood, he made this rash
+promise without thinking. The promise once made now pains him. Unable
+to break it, and leaving it to yourself to preserve your chastity,
+he has so ordered you. And he would, nay must, excuse you, if you
+by some means or other save yourself, and apparently make good
+your husband's promise also. A thought just comes to me how to do
+that. There is your foster-sister, exactly resembling you. I shall
+send her in your place." So consoling her daughter, the old queen at
+once made all the requisite arrangements. And, of course, Subuddhi
+had no reason then to know anything about them.
+
+In the middle of the night his door is forced open, and a ruffian
+with a drawn sword, blazing like lightning, rushes in, and murders
+the pair. Thus in that very night in which Durbuddhi had reached the
+topmost point of his vice, he was cut down by the supreme hand of
+God. For, it is said, that when crime increases, God himself cannot
+tolerate it.
+
+The morning dawned. Subuddhi rose from his couch, and after his morning
+prayers was sitting in the council hall. The princess and her mother
+rose from their beds, and were attending to their business. A servant
+just at that time came running to the old queen, and said:
+
+"Our king is weeping in his room that his daughter is now no more. I
+think that there is something wrong with his majesty's brains
+to-day. Come and console him."
+
+The queen, who knew nothing of what had happened, ran to her husband's
+room, quite astonished at the change. The husband reported everything
+to her--the sage-looking minister's son, the barber's son-in-law,
+and everything, and then concluded that their daughter and son-in-law
+were no more.
+
+"What! compose yourself. Our son-in-law is sitting in his durbar. Our
+daughter is just adorning herself in her dressing-room. Were you
+dreaming? Are you in your right senses?" said the queen.
+
+The king ordered the executioner to bring the heads, which, on
+examination, proved to be those of the minister's son and of the
+foster-sister. The queen told everything of the one-day-wife-giving
+engagement, and her own arrangements about it. The old king could not
+understand what all this meant. He drew out his sword and ran to the
+durbar like a maddened lion, and stood armed before his son-in-law.
+
+"Relate to me your true origin, and everything respecting
+yourself. Speak the truth. How came you to learn medicine? If you are a
+prince why should you leave your own dominions and come down here? What
+about this wicked agreement of giving your wife to another? Who is
+this minister's son?"
+
+Subuddhi, without omitting a single point, related everything that
+had taken place, even to the putting out of his eyes. The old man
+threw down his sword, took his son-in-law in his arms almost, for so
+great was his joy at the excellent way which fate had prepared for
+his escape, and said:
+
+"My son, my life, my eye. True it is, true it is. Dharma alone
+conquers, and you that hold that motto have conquered everything. The
+vile wretch whom, notwithstanding the series of rogueries that
+he practised upon you, you protected, has at last found out that
+his Adharmam never conquers. But he never found it out. It was his
+Adharmam that cut him off on the very night of his supposed complete
+conquest by it."
+
+Letters were sent at once to Tevai, inviting Suguna and Dharmasila
+to the happy rejoicings at the prince and princess's delivery, and
+a re-marriage was celebrated with all pomp, in honour of their lucky
+escape. Dharmasila, as he disliked his son, never shed a single tear
+for his loss. Subuddhi lived for a long time, giving much consolation
+to his own and his wife's parents. Through the blessings of Kali they
+had several intelligent sons.
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+VI.
+
+VIDAMUNDAN KODAMUNDAN.
+
+MR. WON'T-GIVE AND MR. WON'T-LEAVE.
+
+
+In a certain town there lived a clever old Brahman, named
+Won't-Give. [50] He used to go out daily and to beg in all the houses
+round, under the pretence that he had to feed several Brahmans in
+his own house. Good people, that believed in his words, used to give
+him much rice and curry stuffs, with which he would come home, and
+explain to his wife how he had deceived such and such a gentleman
+by the imposition of feeding in charity many persons at home. But
+if any hungry Brahman, who had heard of his empty boast of feeding
+Brahmans at home, came to him, he was sent away with some excuse or
+other. In this way Mr. Won't-Give brought home a basketful of rice and
+other necessaries every day, of which he only used a small portion for
+himself and his wife, and converted the remainder into money. And thus,
+by imposition and tricks, he managed to live well for several years.
+
+In an adjoining village there lived another very clever Brahman, named
+Won't-Leave. [51] Whenever he found any man reluctant and unwilling
+to give him anything that he begged of him, he would persist in
+bothering him until he had wrung from him a dole. This Mr. Won't-Leave,
+hearing of the charity of Mr. Won't-Give, and his benevolent feeding
+of Brahmans, came to see him one day, and requested him to give him
+a meal. Mr. Won't-Give told him that for that day ten Brahmans had
+already been settled, and that if he came the next day he would have
+his meal without fail. Mr. Won't-Leave agreed to this, and left him
+for that day. Mr. Won't-Give had, of course, told him the very lie
+he was accustomed to tell all that occasionally begged meals of him.
+
+Now Mr. Won't-Leave was not so stupid as to be thus imposed upon. He
+stood before Mr. Won't-Give's door precisely at the appointed ghatika
+(hour) the next day, and reminded the master of the house of his
+promise. Mr. Won't-Give had never before been taken at his word,
+and determined to send away the impertinent guest by some stronger
+excuse than the first, and so he spoke to him thus:--
+
+"Sir, I am very sorry to say that my wife fell ill last night of a
+strong fever, from which she has not yet recovered. Owing to this
+unforeseen accident I have had to postpone my charitable feedings
+(samaradhana) till her recovery, so do not trouble me, please, for
+some days more."
+
+Mr. Won't-Leave heard these words with an expression of sincere,
+or rather, seemingly sincere, sorrow in his face, and replied:--
+
+"Respected sir, I am very sorry for the illness of the mistress of the
+house, but to give up charitable feeding of Brahmans on that account
+is a great sin. For the last ten years I have been studying the art
+of cooking, and can now cook for even several hundreds of Brahmans; so
+I can assist you now in preparing the necessaries for the samaradhana."
+
+Mr. Won't-Give could not refuse such a request, but he deceitfully
+determined in his mind to get Mr. Won't-Leave to cook for him, and
+then to drive him away without giving him his rice. And so he said:--
+
+"Yes, that is a very good idea. I am much obliged to you for your
+kind suggestion. Come in; let us cook together."
+
+So saying, the master of the house took Mr. Won't-Leave inside and
+they both went into the kitchen, while the mistress of the house,
+at the command of her husband, pretended to be ill.
+
+Now Mr. Won't-Give was a good liver, and prepared, with the assistance
+of Mr. Won't-Leave, several good dishes. And then the difficulty was
+to drive the fellow out, for the long-maintained rule of never feeding
+a single Brahman must not be broken that day. So, when the cooking
+was all over, the master of the house gave to Mr. Won't-Leave a kasu
+(copper coin), and asked him to bring some leaves from the bazar
+(for plates), and he accordingly went. Mr. Won't-Give, meanwhile,
+came to his wife, and instructed her thus:--
+
+"My dearest wife, I have spared you the trouble of cooking
+to-day. Would that we could get such stupid fools as this every day
+to cook for us! I have now sent him out to fetch us some leaves,
+and it won't look well if we shut our doors against him or drive him
+away; so we must make him go away of his own accord. A thought has
+just come into my mind as to how we can do it. As soon as he comes
+you shall commence to quarrel with me. I shall then come to you
+and beat you, or, rather, the ground near you, with both my hands,
+and you must continue your abuse and cries. The guest will find this
+very disgusting, and will leave us of his own accord."
+
+Mr. Won't-Give had just finished when he saw Mr. Won't-Leave returning
+with the leaves. The wife, as pre-arranged, abused her husband right
+and left for his great imprudence and over-liberality in feeding the
+Brahmans. Said she:
+
+"How are we to get on in the world if you thus empty the house of
+everything we have in feeding big-bellied Brahmans? Must you be
+so particular as to invite them, even when I am sick?" These, and
+a thousand similar expressions, were now launched at the husband's
+head. He pretended not to hear it for a time, but at last, apparently
+overcome by anger, he went in and with his hands gave successive
+blows on the floor. At every blow on the floor the wife cried out
+that she was being murdered, and that those who had mercy in their
+hearts should come to her rescue.
+
+Mr. Won't-Leave, from the court-yard of the house, listened to what
+was taking place inside, but not wishing to interfere in a quarrel
+between husband and wife, left matters to take their own course,
+and got into the loft, where he hid himself, fearing that he would
+be summoned as a witness to the quarrel.
+
+After a time Mr. Won't-Give came out of the room where he had been
+beating the floor, and to his joy he could not find the guest. He
+cautiously looked round him and saw no signs of Mr. Won't-Leave. Of
+course, having had no reason to think that his guest would be sitting
+in the loft, he did not look up there; and even if he had done so,
+he would not have found him, for he had hidden himself out of sight.
+
+Mr. Won't-Give now carefully bolted the door, and his wife came out
+and changed her dirty cloth for a clean one. Said her husband to her:
+
+"At last we have succeeded in driving him out; come, you too must be
+hungry; let us have our dinner together."
+
+Two leaves were spread on the ground, and all the dishes were equally
+divided into them. Meanwhile Mr. Won't-Leave was watching all that took
+place below him and, being himself very hungry, was slyly watching
+for an opportunity to jump down. Mr. Won't-Give, gloating over his
+trickery, said to his wife:
+
+"Well, my love, did I not beat you without hurting you?" to which
+she replied:
+
+"Did I not continue to cry without shedding tears?" when suddenly
+there fell on their ears:
+
+"And did I not come to have my dinner without going away?" and down
+jumped Mr. Won't-Leave, from the loft, and took his seat in front of
+the leaf spread by Mr. Won't-Give for his wife. And Mr. Won't-Give,
+though disappointed, was highly pleased at the cleverness of his guest.
+
+This story is cited as the authority for three proverbs that have
+come into use in Tamil.
+
+
+        "Novamal aditten."
+        "Oyamal aluden."
+        "Pokamal vanden."
+
+
+which represent the exchanges of politeness between the husband,
+the wife, and the guest, quoted in the foregoing paragraphs.
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+VII.
+
+VAYALVALLAN KAIYAVALLA.
+
+MR. MIGHTY-OF-HIS-MOUTH AND MR. MIGHTY-OF-HIS-HANDS.
+
+
+In two adjoining villages there lived two famous men. The one
+was called Mr. Mighty-of-his-mouth [52]--one that could accomplish
+wonders with words alone. The other was called Mr. Mighty-of-his-hands
+[53]--one who could make no use of that glib instrument the tongue, but
+was able to bear burdens, cut wood, and perform other physical labour.
+
+It so happened that they agreed to live together in the house of
+the Mr. Mighty-of-his-mouth, to try and see which of them was the
+superior. They accordingly kept company for several months, till the
+great feast of the nine nights (navaratri) came on. On the first day
+of the feast Mr. Mighty-of-his-hands wanted to sacrifice a goat to
+the goddess Kali. So he said to Mr. Mighty-of-his-mouth,
+
+"My dear friend, we both are mighty in our way, and so it would be
+shameful for us to buy the goat, that we want to sacrifice, with
+money. We should manage to get it without payment."
+
+"Yes, we must do so, and I know how," replied Mr. Mighty-of-his-mouth,
+and he asked his friend to wait till that evening.
+
+Now there lived a shepherd at one ghatika's (hour's) distance from
+their house, and the two friends resolved to go to his fold that
+night and steal away one of his goats. Accordingly, when it was dark,
+they approached his fold. The shepherd had just finished his duties
+to the mute members of his flock, and wanted to go home and have
+his rice hot. But he had no second person to watch the flock, and he
+must not lose his supper. So he planted his crook before the fold,
+and throwing his blanket (kambali) over it, thus addressed it:
+
+"My son, I am very hungry, and so must go for my rice. Till I return
+do you watch the flock. This wood is rich in tigers and goblins
+(bhutas). Some mischievous thief or bhuta--or kuta [54] may come
+to steal away the sheep. Watch over them carefully." So saying the
+shepherd went away.
+
+The friends had heard what the shepherd said. Of course,
+Mr. Mighty-of-his-mouth laughed within himself at this device of the
+shepherd to impress upon would-be robbers that he had left some one
+there to watch his sheep, while really he had only planted a pole
+and thrown a blanket over it. Mr. Mighty-of-his-hands, however, did
+not see the trick, and mistaking the stick to be an actual watchman
+sitting at his duty before the fold, spoke thus to his friend:
+
+"Now what are we to do? There is a watchman sitting in front of the
+fold." Thereon, Mr. Mighty-of-his-mouth cleared away his doubts by
+saying that it was no watchman, but a mere stick, and entered the
+fold with his friend.
+
+It had also so happened that on that very night a bhuta (goblin) had
+come into the fold to steal away a sheep. It shuddered with fear on
+hearing the shepherd mention the kuta, for having never heard of the
+existence of kutas, it mistook this imaginary being to be something
+superior in strength to itself. So thinking that a kuta might come
+to the fold, and not wishing to expose itself till it knew well what
+kutas were, the bhuta transformed itself into a sheep and laid itself
+down among the flock. By this time the two Mighties had entered the
+fold and begun an examination of the sheep. They went on rejecting
+one animal after another for some defect or other, till at last they
+came to the sheep which was none other than the bhuta. They tested it,
+and when they found it very heavy--as, of course, it would be with
+the soul of the bhuta in it--they began to tie up its legs to carry
+it home. When hands began to shake it the bhuta mistook the Mighties
+for the kutas, and said to itself:--
+
+"Alas! the kutas have come to take me away. What am I to do? What
+a fool I was to come into the fold!" So thought the bhuta as
+Mr. Mighty-of-his-hands was carrying it away on his head, with his
+friend following him behind. But the bhuta soon began to work its
+devilish powers to extricate itself, and Mr. Mighty-of-his-hands
+began to feel pains all over his body and said to his friend:
+
+"My dear Mighty, I feel pains all over me. I think what we have brought
+is no sheep!" Mr. Mighty-of-his-mouth was inwardly alarmed at the words
+of his friend, but did not like to show that he was afraid. So he said:
+
+"Then put down the sheep, and let us tear open its belly, so that we
+shall each have only one-half of it to carry."
+
+This frightened the bhuta, and he melted away on the head of
+Mr. Mighty-of-his-hands, who, relieved of his devilish burden, was
+glad to return home safe with his friend.
+
+The bhuta, too, went to its abode and there told its fellow-goblins
+how it had involved itself in a great trouble and how narrowly it
+had escaped. They all laughed at its stupidity and said, "What a
+great fool you are! They were not kutas. In fact there are no kutas
+in the world. They were men, and it was most stupid of you to have
+got yourself into their hands. Are you not ashamed to make such a fuss
+about your escape?" The injured bhuta retorted that they would not have
+made such remarks had they seen the kutas. "Then show us these kutas,
+as you choose to call them," said they, "and we will crush them in
+the twinkling of an eye." "Agreed," said the injured bhuta, and the
+next night it took them to the house of the Mighties, and said from
+a distance: "There is their house. I cannot approach it. Do whatever
+you like." The other bhutas were amazed at the fear of their timid
+brother, and resolved among themselves to put an end to the enemies
+of even one member of their caste. So they went in a great crowd
+to the house of the Mighties. Some stood outside the house, to see
+that none of the inmates escaped, and some watched in the back-yard,
+while a score of them jumped over the walls and entered the court-yard.
+
+Mr. Mighty-of-his-hands was sleeping in the verandah, adjoining the
+courtyard, and when he heard the noise of people jumping about,
+he opened his eyes, and to his terror saw some bhutas in the
+court. Without opening his mouth he quietly rolled himself along
+the ground, and went to the room where Mr. Mighty-of-his-mouth was
+sleeping with his wife and children. Tapping gently at the door he
+awoke his friend and said:
+
+"What shall we do now? The bhutas have invaded our house, and will
+soon kill us."
+
+Mr. Mighty-of-his-mouth told him quietly not to be afraid, but to go
+and sleep in his original place, and that he himself would make the
+bhutas run away. Mr. Mighty-of-his-hands did not understand what his
+friend meant, but not wishing to argue rolled his way back to his
+original place and pretended to sleep, though his heart was beating
+terribly with fright. Mr. Mighty-of-his-mouth now awoke his wife,
+and instructed her thus:
+
+"My dearest wife, the foolish bhutas have invaded our house, but
+if you act according to my advice we are safe, and the goblins will
+depart harmlessly. What I want you to do is, to go to the hall and
+light a lamp, spread leaves on the floor, and then pretend to awake
+me for my supper. I shall get up and enquire what you have ready to
+give me to eat. You will then reply that you have only pepper water
+and vegetables. With an angry face I shall say, 'What have you done
+with the three bhutas that our son caught hold of on his way back
+from school?' Your reply must be, 'The rogue wanted some sweetmeats
+on coming home. Unfortunately I had none in the house, so he roasted
+the three bhutas and gobbled them up.'"
+
+Thus instructing his wife Mr. Mighty-of-his-mouth pretended to go to
+sleep. The wife accordingly spread the leaves and called her husband
+for his supper. During the conversation that followed, the fact that
+the son had roasted three goblins for sweetmeats was conveyed to the
+bhutas. They shuddered at the son's extraordinary ability, and thought,
+
+"What must the father do for his meals when a son roasts three bhutas
+for sweetmeats?"
+
+So they at once took to their heels. Then going to the brother they
+had jeered at, they said to him that indeed the kutas were their
+greatest enemies, and that none of their lives were safe while they
+remained where they were, as on that very evening the son of a kuta
+had roasted three of them for sweetmeats. They therefore all resolved
+to fly away to the adjoining forest, and disappeared accordingly. Thus
+Mr. Mighty-of-his-mouth saved himself and his friend on two occasions
+from the bhutas.
+
+The friends after this went out one day to an adjoining village and
+were returning home rather late in the evening. Darkness fell on them
+before half the way was traversed, and there lay before them a dense
+wood infested by beasts of prey: so they resolved to spend the night in
+a high tree and go home next morning, and accordingly got up into a big
+pipal. Now this was the very wood into which the bhutas had migrated,
+and at midnight they all came down with torches to catch jackals
+and other animals to feast upon. The fear of Mr. Mighty-of-his-hands
+may be more imagined than described. The dreaded bhutas were at the
+foot of the very tree in which he had taken up his abode for the
+night! His hands trembled. His body shook. He lost his hold, and down
+he came with a horrible rustling of leaves. His friend, however, was,
+as usual, ready with a device, and bawled out:
+
+"I wished to leave these poor beings to their own revelry. But you
+are hungry and must needs jump down to catch some of them. Do not
+fail to lay your hands on the stoutest bhuta."
+
+The goblins heard the voice which was already very familiar to their
+ears, for was it not the kuta whose son had roasted up three bhutas
+for sweetmeats that spoke? So they ran away at once, crying out:
+
+"Alas, what misery! Our bitter enemies have followed us even to
+this wood!"
+
+Thus the wit of Mr. Mighty-of-his-mouth saved himself and his friend
+for the third time.
+
+The sun began to rise, and Mr. Mighty-of-his-hands thrice walked
+round Mr. Mighty-of-his-mouth and said:
+
+"My dear friend, truly you only of us two are mighty. Mere physical
+strength is of no use without skill in words. The latter is far
+superior to the former, and if a man possess both, he is, as it were,
+a golden lotus having a sweet scent. It is enough for me now to have
+arrived at this moral! With your kind permission I shall return to
+my village." Mr. Mighty-of-his-mouth asked his friend not to consider
+himself under any obligation, and, after honouring him as became his
+position he let him return to his village.
+
+The moral of this short story is that in man there is nothing great
+but mind.
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+VIII.
+
+THE MOTHER-IN-LAW BECAME AN ASS.
+
+
+Little by little the mother-in-law became an ass--vara vara mami
+kaludai pol anal, is a proverb among the Tamils, applied to those
+who day by day go downwards in their progress in study, position,
+or life, and based on the following story:--
+
+In a certain village their lived a Brahman with his wife, mother,
+and mother-in-law. He was a very good man, and equally kind to all
+of them. His mother complained of nothing at his hands, but his wife
+was a very bad-tempered woman, and always troubled her mother-in-law
+by keeping her engaged in this work or that throughout the day, and
+giving her very little food in the evening. Owing to this the poor
+Brahman's mother was almost dying of misery. On the other hand, her
+own mother received very kind treatment, of course, at her daughter's
+hands, but the husband was so completely ruled by his wife, that he
+had no strength of mind to oppose her ill-treatment of his mother.
+
+One evening, just before sunset, the wife abused her mother-in-law with
+such fury, that the latter had to fly away to escape a thrashing. Full
+of misery she ran out of the village, but the sun had begun to set,
+and the darkness of night was fast overtaking her. So finding a ruined
+temple she entered it to pass the night there. It happened to be
+the abode of the village Kali (goddess), who used to come out every
+night at midnight to inspect her village. That night she perceived a
+woman--the mother of the poor Brahman--lurking within her prakaras
+(boundaries), and being a most benevolent Kali, called out to her,
+and asked her what made her so miserable that she should leave her
+home on such a dark night. The Brahmani told her story in a few
+words, and while she was speaking the cunning goddess was using her
+supernatural powers to see whether all she said was true or not, and
+finding it to be the truth, she thus replied in very soothing tones:--
+
+"I pity your misery, mother, because your daughter-in-law troubles
+and vexes you thus when you have become old, and have no strength
+in your body. Now take this mango," and taking a ripe one from out
+her waist-band, she gave it to the old Brahmani with a smiling
+face--"eat it, and you will soon become a young woman like your
+own daughter-in-law, and then she shall no longer trouble you." Thus
+consoling the afflicted old woman, the kind-hearted Kali went away. The
+Brahmani lingered for the remainder of the night in the temple, and
+being a fond mother she did not like to eat the whole of the mango
+without giving a portion of it to her son.
+
+Meanwhile, when her son returned home in the evening he found his
+mother absent, but his wife explained the matter to him, so as to throw
+the blame on the old woman, as she always did. As it was dark he had no
+chance of going out to search for her, so he waited for the daylight,
+and as soon as he saw the dawn, started to look for his mother. He
+had not walked far when to his joy he found her in the temple of Kali.
+
+"How did you pass the cold night, my dearest mother?" said he. "What
+did you have for dinner? Wretch that I am to have got myself married
+to a cur. Forget all her faults, and return home."
+
+His mother shed tears of joy and sorrow, and related her previous
+night's adventure, upon which he said:--
+
+"Delay not even one nimisha (minute), but eat this fruit at once. I
+do not want any of it. Only if you become young and strong enough to
+stand that nasty cur's troubles, well and good."
+
+So the mother ate up the divine fruit, and the son took her upon his
+shoulders and brought her home, on reaching which he placed her on the
+ground, when to his joy she was no longer an old woman, but a young
+girl of sixteen, and stronger than his own wife. The troublesome
+wife was now totally put down, and was powerless against so strong
+a mother-in-law.
+
+She did not at all like the change, and having to give up her habits
+of bullying, and so she argued to herself thus:--
+
+"This jade of a mother-in-law became young through the fruit of the
+Kali, why should not my mother also do the same, if I instruct her
+and send her to the same temple."
+
+So she instructed her mother as to the story she ought to give to
+the goddess and sent her there. Her old mother, agreeably to her
+daughter's injunctions, went to the temple, and on meeting with the
+goddess at midnight, gave a false story that she was being greatly
+ill-treated by her daughter-in-law, though, in truth, she had nothing
+of the kind to complain of. The goddess perceived the lie through her
+divine powers, but pretending to pity her, gave her also a fruit. Her
+daughter had instructed her not to eat it till next morning, and till
+she saw her son-in-law.
+
+As soon as morning approached, the poor hen-pecked Brahman was ordered
+by his wife to go to the temple and fetch his mother-in-law, as he
+had some time back fetched away his mother. He accordingly went, and
+invited her to come home. She wanted him to eat part of the fruit, as
+she had been instructed, but he refused, and so she swallowed it all,
+fully expecting to become young again on reaching home. Meanwhile her
+son-in-law took her on his shoulders and returned home, expecting,
+as his former experience had taught him, to see his mother-in-law
+also turn into a young woman. Anxiety to see how the change came on
+over-came him, and half way he turned his head, and found such part
+of the burden on his shoulders as he could see, to be like parts of an
+ass, but he took this to be a mere preliminary stage towards youthful
+womanhood! Again he turned, and again he saw the same thing several
+times, and the more he looked the more his burden became like an ass,
+till at last when he reached home, his burden jumped down braying
+like an ass and ran away.
+
+Thus the Kali, perceiving the evil intentions of the wife, disappointed
+her by turning her mother into an ass, but no one knew of it till
+she actually jumped down from the shoulders of her son-in-law.
+
+This story is always cited as the explanation of the proverb
+quoted above--vara vara mami kaludai pol anal--little by little
+the mother-in-law became an ass, to which is also commonly added ur
+varumbodu ulaiyida talaippattal--and as she approached the village,
+she began to bray.
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+IX.
+
+The Story of Appayya. [55]
+
+                                                 Apupena hatah chorah
+                                                 Hata khadgona kesari
+                                                 Turamgena hatam sainyam
+                                                 Vidhirbhagyanu sarini
+
+
+In a remote village there lived a poor Brahman and his wife. Though
+several years of their wedded life had passed, they unfortunately had
+no children, and so, being very eager for a child, and having no hope
+of one by his first wife, the poor Brahman made up his mind to marry
+a second. His wife would not permit it for some time, but finding
+her husband resolved, she gave way, thinking within herself that she
+would manage somehow to do away with the second wife. As soon as he
+had got her consent the Brahman arranged for his second marriage and
+wedded a beautiful Brahman girl. She went to live with him in the same
+house with the first wife, who, thinking that she would be making the
+world suspicious if she did anything suddenly, waited for some time.
+
+Isvara himself seemed to favour the new marriage, and the second wife,
+a year after her wedding, becoming pregnant, went in the sixth month of
+her pregnancy to her mother's house for her confinement. Her husband
+bore his separation from her patiently for a fortnight, but after
+this the desire to see her again began to prey upon his mind, and
+he was always asking his first wife when he ought to go to her. She
+seemed to sympathise fully with his trouble, and said:--
+
+"My dearest husband, your health is daily being injured, and I am glad
+that your love for her has not made it worse than it is. To-morrow
+you must start on a visit to her. It is said that we should not go
+empty-handed to children, a king, or a pregnant woman; so I shall
+give you one hundred apupa cakes, packed up separately in a vessel,
+which you must give to her. You are very fond of apupas and I fear
+that you will eat some of them on the way; but you had better not do
+so. And I will give you some cakes packed in a cloth separately for
+you to eat on your journey."
+
+So the first wife spent the whole night in preparing the apupa cakes,
+and mixed poison in the sugar and rice-flour of those she made for
+her co-wife and rival; but as she entertained no enmity against her
+husband the apupas cakes for him were properly prepared. By the time
+the morning dawned she had packed up the hundred apupas in a brass
+vessel which could be easily carried on a man's head.
+
+After a light breakfast--for a heavy one is always bad before a
+journey on foot--the Brahman placed the brass vessel on his head,
+and holding in his hand the kerchief containing the food for himself
+on the way, started for the village of his second wife, which happened
+to be at a distance of two days' journey. He walked in hot haste till
+evening approached, and when the darkness of night overtook him the
+rapidity of his walk had exhausted him, and he felt very hungry. He
+espied a wayside shed and a tank near his path, and entered the water
+to perform his evening ablution to the god of the day, who was fast
+going down below the horizon. As soon as this was over he untied his
+kerchief, and did full justice to its contents by swallowing every cake
+whole. He then drank some water, and being quite overcome by fatigue,
+fell into a deep slumber in the shed, with his brass vessel and its
+sweet, or rather poisonous, contents under his head.
+
+Close by the spot where the Brahman slept there reigned a famous
+king who had a very beautiful daughter. Several persons demanded her
+hand in marriage, among whom was a robber chieftain who wanted her
+for his only son. Though the king liked the boy for his beauty, the
+thought that he was only a robber for all that prevented him from
+making up his mind to give his daughter in marriage to him. The
+robber chief, however, was determined to have his own way, and
+accordingly despatched one hundred of his band to fetch away the
+princess in the night without her knowledge while she was sleeping,
+to his palace in the woods. In obedience to their chieftain's order
+the robbers, on the night the Brahman happened to sleep in the shed,
+entered the king's palace and stole away the princess, together with
+the bed on which she was sleeping. On reaching the shed the hundred
+robbers found themselves very thirsty--for being awake at midnight
+always brings on thirst. So they placed the cot on the ground and
+were entering the water to quench their thirst; just then they
+smelt the apupa cakes, which, for all that they contained poison,
+had a very sweet savour. The robbers searched about the shed, and
+found the Brahman sleeping on one side and the brass vessel lying at
+a distance from him, for he had pushed it from underneath his head
+when he had stretched himself in his sleep; they opened the vessel,
+and to their joy found in it exactly one hundred apupa cakes.
+
+"We have one here for each of us, and that is something better than
+mere water. Let us each eat before we go into it," said the leader
+of the gang, and at once each man swallowed greedily what he had in
+his hand, and immediately all fell down dead. Lucky it was that no
+one knew of the old Brahmani's trick. Had the robbers had any reason
+to suspect it they would never have eaten the cakes; had the Brahman
+known it he would never have brought them with him for his dear second
+wife. Lucky was it for the poor old Brahman and his second wife,
+and lucky was it for the sleeping princess, that these cakes went,
+after all, into the stomachs of the villainous robbers!
+
+After sleeping his fill the Brahman, who had been dreaming of his
+second wife all night, awoke in haste to pursue the remainder of his
+journey to her house. He could not find his brass vessel, but near the
+place where he had left it he found several men of the woods, whom
+he knew very well by their appearance to be robbers, as he thought,
+sleeping. Angered at the loss of his vessel he took up a sword from
+one of the dead robbers and cut off all their heads, thinking all
+the while that he was killing one hundred living robbers, who were
+sleeping after having eaten all his cakes. Presently the princess's
+cot fell under his gaze, and he approached it and found on it a most
+beautiful lady fast asleep. Being an intelligent man he perceived that
+the persons whose heads he had cut off must have been some thieves,
+or other wicked men, who had carried her off. He was not long in doubt,
+for not far off he saw an army marching up rapidly with a king at its
+head, who was saying, "Down with the robber who has stolen away my
+daughter." The Brahman at once inferred that this must be the father
+of the sleeping princess, and suddenly waking her up from her sleep
+spoke thus to her:--
+
+"Behold before you the hundred robbers that brought you here a few
+hours ago from your palace. I fought one and all of them single-handed,
+and have killed them all."
+
+The princess was highly pleased at what she heard, for she knew of
+all the tricks the robbers had previously played to carry her off. So
+she fell reverently at the Brahman's feet and said:--
+
+"Friend, never till now have I heard of a warrior who, single-handed,
+fought one hundred robbers. Your valour is unparalleled. I will be
+your wife, if only in remembrance of your having saved me from falling
+into the hands of these ruffians."
+
+Her father and his army was now near the shed, for he had all along
+watched the conduct of the robber chieftain, and as soon as the
+maid-servants of the palace informed him of the disappearance of the
+princess and her bed, he marched straight with his soldiers for the
+woods. His joy, when he saw his daughter safe, knew no bounds, and
+he flew into his daughter's arms, while she pointed to the Brahman
+as her preserver. The king now put a thousand questions to our hero,
+who, being well versed in matters of fighting, gave sound replies, and
+so came successfully out of his first adventure. The king, astonished
+at his valour, took him to his palace, and rewarded him with the hand
+of the princess. And the robber chieftain, fearing the new son-in-law,
+who, single-handed, had killed a hundred of his robbers, never troubled
+himself about the princess. Thus the Brahman's first adventure ended
+in making him son-in-law to a king!
+
+Now there lived a lioness in a wood near the princess's country,
+who had a great taste for human flesh, and so, once a week, the king
+used to send a man into the wood to serve as her prey. All the people
+now collected together before the king, and said:--
+
+"Most honoured king, while you have a son-in-law who killed one hundred
+robbers with his sword, why should you continue to send a man into
+the wood every week. We request you to send your son-in-law next week
+to the wood and have the lioness killed."
+
+This seemed most reasonable to the king, who called for his son-in-law,
+and sent him, armed to the teeth, into the wood.
+
+Now our Brahman could not refuse to go, for fear of losing the fame
+of his former exploit, and, hoping that fortune would favour him, he
+asked his father-in-law to have him hoisted up into a big banyan tree
+with all kinds of weapons, and this was done. The appointed time for
+the lioness to eat her prey approached, and as she saw no one coming
+for her, and as sometimes those that had to come used to linger for
+a short time in the tree in which the Brahman had taken refuge, she
+went up to it to see that no such trick has been played upon her this
+time. This made the Brahman tremble so violently that he dropped the
+sword he held in his hand. At that very moment the lioness happened
+to yawn, and the sword dropped right into her jaws and killed her. As
+soon as the Brahman saw the course which events had taken, he came
+down from the tree, and invented a thousand stories of how he had
+given battle to the terrible lioness and overcome her. This exploit
+fully established his valour, and feasts and rejoicings in honour of
+it followed, and the whole country round blessed the son-in-law of
+their king.
+
+Near this kingdom there also reigned a powerful emperor, who levied
+tribute from all the surrounding countries. To this emperor the
+father-in-law of our most valorous Brahman, who, at one stroke,
+had killed one hundred robbers, and, at another, a fierce lioness,
+had also to pay a certain amount of tribute; but, trusting to the
+power of his son-in-law, he stopped the tribute to the emperor, who,
+by the way, was named Appayya Raja, and who, as soon as the tribute
+was stopped, invaded his dominions, and his father-in-law besought
+the Brahman for assistance.
+
+Again the poor Brahman could not refuse, for, if he did, all his
+former fame would have been lost; so he determined to undertake
+this adventure also, and to trust to fortune rather than give up the
+attempt. He asked for the best horse and the sharpest sword, and set
+out to fight the enemy, who had already encamped on the other side
+of the river, which flowed at a short distance to the east of the town.
+
+Now the king had a very unruly horse, which had never been broken in,
+and this he gave his son-in-law; and, supplying him with a sharp sword,
+asked him to start. The Brahman then asked the king's servants to
+tie him up with cotton strings tight on to the saddle, and set out
+on the expedition.
+
+The horse, having never till then felt a man on its back, began to
+gallop most furiously, and flew onwards so fast that all who saw it
+thought the rider must lose his life, and he too was almost dead
+with fear. He tried his best to curb his steed, but the more he
+pulled the faster it galloped, till giving up all hopes of life he
+let it take its course. It jumped into the water and swam across to
+the other side of the river, wetting the cotton cords by which the
+Brahman was tied down to the saddle, making them swell and giving
+him the most excruciating pain. He bore it, however, with all the
+patience imaginable. Presently the horse reached the other side
+of the river, where there was a big palmyra tree, which a recent
+flood had left almost uprooted and ready to fall at the slightest
+touch. The Brahman, unable to stop the course of the horse, held
+fast on to the tree, hoping thus to check its wild career. But
+unfortunately for him the tree gave way, and the steed galloped on
+so furiously that he did not know which was the safer--to leave the
+tree or to hold on to it. Meanwhile the wet cotton cords hurt him so
+that he, in the hopelessness of despair, bawled out appa! ayya! [56]
+On went his steed, and still he held on to the palmyra tree. Though
+now fighting for his own life, the people that were watching him
+from a great distance thought him to be flying to the battlefield,
+armed with a palmyra tree! The cry of lamentation, appa ayya, which he
+uttered, his enemy mistook for a challenge, because, as we know, his
+name happened to be Appayya. Horror-struck at the sight of a warrior
+armed with a huge tree, his enemy turned and fled. Yatha raja tatha
+prajah--"As is the king so are the subjects,"--and accordingly his
+followers also fled. The Brahman warrior (!) seeing the fortunate
+course events had again taken pursued the enemy, or rather let his
+courser have its own furious way. Thus the enemy and his vast army
+melted away in the twinkling of an eye, and the horse, too, when it
+became exhausted, returned towards the palace.
+
+The old king had been watching from the loftiest rooms of his palace
+all that had passed on the other side of the river, and believing his
+son-in-law had, by his own prowess, driven out the enemy, approached
+him with all pomp. Eager hands quickly cut the knots by which the
+victorious (!) Brahman had been held tight in his saddle, and his old
+father-in-law with tears of joy embraced him on his victory, saying
+that the whole kingdom was indebted to him. A splendid triumphal
+march was conducted, in which the eyes of the whole town were directed
+towards our victorious hero.
+
+Thus, on three different occasions, and in three different adventures,
+fortune favoured the poor Brahman and brought him fame. He then sent
+for his two former wives and took them into his palace. His second
+wife, who was pregnant when he first started with the apupa cakes to
+see her, had given birth to a male child, who was, when she came back
+to him, more than a year old. The first wife confessed to her husband
+her sin of having given him poisoned cakes, and craved his pardon;
+and it was only now that he came to know that the hundred robbers he
+killed in his first adventure were all really dead men, and that they
+must have died from the effects of the poison in the cakes, and, since
+her treachery had given him a new start in life, he forgave her. She,
+too, gave up her enmity to the partners of her husband's bed, and
+all the four lived in peace and plenty for many a long day afterwards.
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+X.
+
+THE BRAHMIN GIRL THAT MARRIED A TIGER.
+
+
+In a certain village there lived an old Brahmin who had three sons and
+a daughter. The girl being the youngest was brought up most tenderly
+and became spoilt, and so whenever she saw a beautiful boy she would
+say to her parents that she must be wedded to him. Her parents were,
+therefore, much put about to devise excuses for taking her away from
+her youthful lovers. Thus passed on some years, till the girl was
+very nearly grown up, and then the parents, fearing that they would
+be driven out of their caste if they failed to dispose of her hand
+in marriage before she came to the years of maturity, began to be
+eager about finding a bridegroom for her.
+
+Now near their village there lived a fierce tiger, that had attained to
+great proficiency in the art of magic, and had the power of assuming
+different forms. Having a great taste for Brahmin's food, the tiger
+used now and then to frequent temples and other places of public
+refreshment in the shape of an old famished Brahmin in order to share
+the food prepared for the Brahmins. The tiger also wanted, if possible,
+a Brahmin wife to take to the woods, and there to make her cook his
+meals after her fashion. One day, when he was partaking of his meals
+in Brahmin shape at a satra [57], he heard the talk about the Brahmin
+girl who was always falling in love with every beautiful Brahmin boy.
+
+Said he to himself, "Praised be the face that I saw first this
+morning. I shall assume the shape of a Brahmin boy, and appear as
+beautiful can be, and win the heart of the girl."
+
+Next morning he accordingly became in the form of a great Sastrin
+(proficient in the Ramayana) and took his seat near the ghat of the
+sacred river of the village. Scattering holy ashes profusely over
+his body he opened the Ramayana and began to read.
+
+"The voice of the new Sastrin is most enchanting. Let us go and hear
+him," said some women among themselves, and sat down before him to
+hear him expound the great book. The girl for whom the tiger had
+assumed this shape came in due time to bathe at the river, and as
+soon as she saw the new Sastrin fell in love with him, and bothered
+her old mother to speak to her father about him, so as not to lose
+her new lover. The old woman too was delighted at the bridegroom
+whom fortune had thrown in her way, and ran home to her husband,
+who, when he came and saw the Sastrin, raised up his hands in praise
+of the great god Mahesvara. The Sastrin was now invited to take his
+meals with them, and as he had come with the express intention of
+marrying the daughter, he, of course, agreed.
+
+A grand dinner followed in honour of the Sastrin, and his host began
+to question him as to his parentage, &c., to which the cunning
+tiger replied that he was born in a village beyond the adjacent
+wood. The Brahmin had no time to wait for further enquiries, and as
+the boy was very fair he married his daughter to him the very next
+day. Feasts followed for a month, during which time the bridegroom
+gave every satisfaction to his new relatives, who supposed him to be
+human all the while. He also did full justice to the Brahmin dishes,
+and swallowed everything that was placed before him.
+
+After the first month was over the tiger-bridegroom bethought him of
+his accustomed prey, and hankered after his abode in the woods. A
+change of diet for a day or two is all very well, but to renounce
+his own proper food for more than a month was hard. So one day he
+said to his father-in-law, "I must go back soon to my old parents,
+for they will be pining at my absence. But why should we have to
+bear the double expense of my coming all the way here again to take
+my wife to my village? So if you will kindly let me take the girl
+with me I shall take her to her future home, and hand her over to
+her mother-in-law, and see that she is well taken care of."
+
+The old Brahmin agreed to this, and replied, "My dear son-in-law,
+you are her husband, and she is yours, and we now send her with you,
+though it is like sending her into the wilderness with her eyes tied
+up. But as we take you to be everything to her, we trust you to treat
+her kindly."
+
+The mother of the bride shed tears at the idea of having to send her
+away, but nevertheless the very next day was fixed for the journey. The
+old woman spent the whole day in preparing cakes and sweetmeats for
+her daughter, and when the time for the journey arrived, she took care
+to place in her bundles and on her head one or two margosa [58] leaves
+to keep off demons. The relatives of the bride requested her husband
+to allow her to rest wherever she found shade, and to eat wherever she
+found water, and to this he agreed, and so they began their journey.
+
+The boy tiger and his human wife pursued their journey for two or
+three ghatikas [59] in free and pleasant conversation, when the girl
+happened to see a fine pond, round which the birds were warbling their
+sweet notes. She requested her husband to follow her to the water's
+edge and to partake of some of the cakes and sweetmeats with her.
+
+But he replied, "Be quiet, or I shall show you my original shape."
+
+This made her afraid, so she pursued her journey in silence until she
+saw another pond, when she asked the same question of her husband,
+who replied in the same tone.
+
+Now she was very hungry, and not liking her husband's tone, which
+she found had greatly changed ever since they had entered the woods,
+said to him,
+
+"Show me your original shape."
+
+No sooner were these words uttered than her husband's form changed
+from that of a man. Four legs, striped skin, a long tail, and a
+tiger's face came over him suddenly and, horror of horrors! a tiger
+and not a man stood before her! Nor were her fears stilled when the
+tiger in human voice began as follows:--
+
+"Know henceforth that I, your husband, am a tiger--this very tiger
+that now speaks to you. If you have any regard for your life you must
+obey all my orders implicitly, for I can speak to you in human voice,
+and understand what you say. In a couple of ghatikas we shall reach
+my home, of which you will become the mistress. In the front of my
+house you will see half-a-dozen tubs, each of which you must fill up
+daily with some dish or other, cooked in your own way. I shall take
+care to supply you with all the provisions you want." So saying the
+tiger slowly conducted her to his house.
+
+The misery of the girl may more be imagined than described, for if
+she were to object she would be put to death. So, weeping all the
+way, she reached her husband's house. Leaving her there he went out
+and returned with several pumpkins and some flesh, of which she soon
+prepared a curry and gave it to her husband. He went out again after
+this and returned in the evening with several vegetables and some
+more flesh, and gave her an order:--
+
+"Every morning I shall go out in search of provisions and prey,
+and bring something with me on my return; you must keep cooked for
+me whatever I leave in the house."
+
+So next morning as soon as the tiger had gone away she cooked
+everything left in the house and filled all the tubs with food. At
+the tenth ghatika the tiger returned and growled out,
+
+"I smell a man! I smell a woman in my wood." And his wife for very
+fear shut herself up in the house.
+
+As soon as the tiger had satisfied his appetite he told her to open
+the door, which she did, and they talked together for a time, after
+which the tiger rested awhile, and then went out hunting again. Thus
+passed many a day, till the tiger's Brahmin wife had a son, which
+also turned out to be only a tiger.
+
+One day, after the tiger had gone out to the woods, his wife was
+crying all alone in the house, when a crow happened to peck at some
+rice that was scattered near her, and seeing the girl crying, began
+to shed tears.
+
+"Can you assist me?" asked the girl.
+
+"Yes," said the crow.
+
+So she brought out a palmyra leaf and wrote on it with an iron nail
+all her sufferings in the wood, and requested her brothers to come
+and relieve her. This palmyra leaf she tied to the neck of the crow,
+which, seeming to understand her thoughts, flew to her village and
+sat down before one of her brothers. He untied the leaf and read the
+contents of the letter and told them to his other brothers. All the
+three then started for the wood, asking their mother to give them
+something to eat on the way. She had not enough rice for the three,
+so she made a big ball of clay and stuck it over with what rice she
+had, so as to make it look like a ball of rice. This she gave to the
+brothers to eat on their way, and started them off to the woods.
+
+They had not proceeded long before they espied an ass. The youngest,
+who was of a playful disposition, wished to take the ass with him. The
+two elder brothers objected to this for a time, but in the end they
+allowed him to have his own way. Further on they saw an ant, which
+the middle brother took with him. Near the ant there was a big palmyra
+tree lying on the ground, which the eldest took with him to keep off
+the tiger.
+
+The sun was now high in the horizon and the three brothers became very
+hungry. So they sat down near a tank and opened the bundle containing
+the ball of rice. To their utter disappointment they found it to be
+all clay, but being extremely hungry they drank all the water in the
+pond and continued their journey. On leaving the tank they found a big
+iron tub belonging to the washerman of the adjacent village. This they
+took also with them in addition to the ass, the ant, and the palmyra
+tree. Following the road described by their sister in her letter sent
+by the crow, they walked on and on till they reached the tiger's house.
+
+The sister, overjoyed to see her brothers again, ran out at once to
+welcome them.
+
+"My dearest brothers, I am so glad to see that you have come here
+to relieve me after all, but the time for the tiger's coming home is
+approaching, so hide yourselves in the loft, and wait till he is gone."
+
+So saying, she helped her brothers to ascend into the loft. By this
+time the tiger returned, and perceived the presence of human beings
+by the peculiar smell. He asked his wife whether any one had come to
+their house. She said, "No." But when the brothers, who with their
+trophies of the way--the ass, the ant, and so on--were sitting upon
+the loft, saw the tiger dallying with their sister, they were greatly
+frightened; so much so that the youngest, through fear, began to quake,
+and they all fell on the floor.
+
+"What is all this?" said the terrified tiger to his wife.
+
+"Nothing," said she, "but your brothers-in-law. They came here a watch
+[60] ago, and as soon as you have finished your meals they want to
+see you."
+
+"How can my brothers-in-law be such cowards," thought the tiger
+to himself.
+
+He then asked them to speak to him, whereon the youngest brother put
+the ant which he had in his hand into the ear of the ass, and as soon
+as the latter was bitten, it began to bawl out most horribly.
+
+"How is it that your brothers have such a hoarse voice?" said the
+tiger to his wife.
+
+He next asked them to show him their legs. Taking courage at the
+stupidity of the tiger on the two former occasions, the eldest brother
+now stretched out the palmyra tree.
+
+"By my father, I have never seen such a leg," said the tiger, and
+asked his brothers-in-law to show their bellies. The second brother
+now showed the tub, at which the tiger shuddered, and saying, "such
+a harsh voice, so stout a leg, and such a belly, truly I have never
+heard of such persons as these!" He ran away.
+
+It was already dark, and the brothers, wishing to take advantage
+of the tiger's terror, prepared to return home with their sister
+at once. They ate up what little food she had, and ordered her to
+start. Fortunately for her her tiger-child was asleep. So she tore it
+into two pieces and suspended them over the hearth, and, thus getting
+rid of the child, she ran off with her brothers towards home.
+
+Before leaving she bolted the front door from inside, and went out
+at the back of the house. As soon as the pieces of the cub, which
+were hung up over the hearth, began to roast, they dripped, which
+made the fire hiss and sputter; and when the tiger returned at about
+midnight, he found the door shut and heard the hissing of the fire,
+which he mistook for the noise of cooking muffins. [61]
+
+"I see," said he to himself, "how very cunning you are; you have
+bolted the door and are cooking muffins for your brothers. Let us
+see if we can't get your muffins."
+
+So saying he went round to the back door and entered his house, and
+was greatly perplexed to find his cub torn in two and being roasted,
+his house deserted by his Brahmin wife, and his property plundered;
+for his wife, before leaving, had taken with her as much of the
+tiger's property as she could conveniently carry.
+
+The tiger now discovered all the treachery of his wife, and his heart
+grieved for the loss of his son, that was now no more. He determined
+to be revenged on his wife, and to bring her back into the wood, and
+there tear her into many pieces in place of only two. But how to bring
+her back? He assumed his original shape of a young bridegroom, making,
+of course, due allowance for the number of years that had passed since
+his marriage, and next morning went to his father-in-law's house. His
+brothers-in-law and his wife saw from a distance the deceitful form
+he had assumed, and devised means to kill him. Meanwhile the tiger
+Brahmin approached his father-in-law's house, and the old people
+welcomed him. The younger ones too ran here and there to bring
+provisions to feed him sumptuously, and the tiger was highly pleased
+at the hospitable way in which he was received.
+
+There was a ruined well at the back of the house, and the eldest of
+the brothers placed some thin sticks across its mouth, over which
+he spread a fine mat. Now it is usual to ask guests to have an oil
+bath before dinner, and so his three brothers-in-law requested the
+tiger to take his seat on the fine mat for his bath. As soon as he
+sat on it, the thin sticks being unable to bear his weight, gave way,
+and down fell the cunning tiger with a heavy crash! The well was at
+once filled in with stones and other rubbish, and thus the tiger was
+effectually prevented from doing any more mischief.
+
+But the Brahmin girl, in memory of her having married a tiger, raised
+a pillar over the well and planted a tulasi [62] shrub on the top of
+it. Morning and evening, for the rest of her life, she used to smear
+the pillar with sacred cowdung, and water the tulasi shrub.
+
+This story is told to explain the Tamil proverb, "Summa irukkiraya,
+suruvattai kattattuma," which means--
+
+"Be quiet, or I shall show you my original shape."
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+XI.
+
+THE GOOD HUSBAND AND THE BAD WIFE.
+
+
+In a remote village there lived a Brahmin whose good nature and
+charitable disposition were proverbial. Equally proverbial also were
+the ill-nature and uncharitable disposition of the Brahmani--his
+wife. But as Paramesvara (God) had joined them in matrimony, they
+had to live together as husband and wife, though their temperaments
+were so incompatible. Every day the Brahmin had a taste of his wife's
+ill-temper, and if any other Brahmin was invited to dinner by him,
+his wife, somehow or other, would manage to drive him away.
+
+One fine summer morning a rather stupid Brahmin friend of his came
+to visit our hero and was at once invited to dinner. He told his
+wife to have dinner ready earlier than usual, and went off to the
+river to bathe. His friend not feeling very well that day wanted a
+hot bath at the house, and so did not follow him to the river, but
+remained sitting in the outer verandah. If any other guest had come,
+the wife would have accused him of greediness to his face and sent
+him away, but this visitor seemed to be a special friend of her lord,
+so she did not like to say anything; but she devised a plan to make
+him go away of his own accord.
+
+She proceeded to smear the ground before her husband's friend with
+cowdung, and placed in the midst of it a long pestle, supporting
+one end of it against the wall. She next approached the pestle most
+solemnly and performed worship (puja) to it. The guest did not in the
+least understand what she was doing, and respectfully asked her what
+it all meant.
+
+"This is what is called pestle worship," she replied. "I do it as a
+daily duty, and this pestle is intended to break the head of some human
+being in honour of a goddess, whose feet are most devoutly worshipped
+by my husband. Every day as soon as he returns from his bath in the
+river, he takes this pestle, which I am ordered to keep ready for him
+before his return, and with it breaks the head of any human being
+whom he has managed to get hold of by inviting him to a meal. This
+is his tribute (dakshina) to the goddess; to-day you are the victim."
+
+The guest was much alarmed.
+
+"What! break the head of a guest! I at any rate shall not be deceived
+to-day," thought he, and prepared to run away.
+
+The Brahmin's wife appeared to sympathise with his sad plight,
+and said:--
+
+"Really, I do pity you. But there is one thing you can do now to save
+yourself. If you go out by the front door and walk down the street
+my husband may follow you, so you had better go out by the back door."
+
+To this plan the guest most thankfully agreed, and hastily ran off
+by the back door.
+
+Almost immediately our hero returned from his bath, but before he
+could arrive his wife had cleaned up the place she had prepared for
+the pestle worship, and when the Brahmin, not finding his friend in
+the house inquired of her as to what had become of him, she said in
+seeming anger:--
+
+"The greedy brute! he wanted me to give him this pestle--this very
+pestle which I brought forty years ago as a dowry from my mother's
+house, and when I refused he ran away by the back-yard in haste."
+
+But her kind-hearted lord observed that he would rather lose the
+pestle than his guest, even though it was a part of his wife's dowry,
+and more than forty years old. So he ran off with the pestle in his
+hand after his friend, crying out,
+
+"Oh Brahmin! Oh Brahmin! Stop please, and take the pestle."
+
+But the story told by the old woman now seemed all the more true to
+the guest when he saw her husband running after him, and so he said,
+
+"You and your pestle may go where you please. Never more will you
+catch me in your house," and ran away.
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+XII.
+
+THE GOOD WIFE AND THE BAD HUSBAND. [63]
+
+
+In a remote village there lived a man and his wife, who was a stupid
+little woman and believed everything that was told her. Whenever
+people wanted anything from her they used to come and flatter her;
+but this had to be done in the absence of her husband, because he
+was a very miserly man, and would never part with any of his money,
+for all he was exceedingly rich. Nevertheless, without his knowledge
+cunning beggars would now and then come to his wife and beg of her, and
+they used generally to succeed, as she was so amenable to flattery. But
+whenever her husband found her out he would come down heavily upon her,
+sometimes with words and sometimes with blows. Thus quarrels arose,
+till at last, for the sake of peace, the wife had to give up her
+charitable propensities.
+
+Now there lived in the village a rogue of the first water, who had many
+a time witnessed what took place in the rich miser's family. Wishing
+to revive his old habit of getting what he wanted from the miser's
+wife he watched his opportunity and one day, when the miser had gone
+out on horseback to inspect his land, he came to his wife in the
+middle of the day and fell down at the threshold as if overcome by
+exhaustion. She ran up to him at once and asked him who he was.
+
+"I am a native of Kailasa," said he, "sent down by an old couple
+living there, for news of their son and his wife."
+
+"Who are those fortunate dwellers on Siva's mountain?" said she.
+
+On this the rogue gave the names of her husband's deceased parents,
+which he had taken good care, of course, to learn from the neighbours.
+
+"Do you really come from them?" said she. "Are they doing well
+there? Dear old people. How glad my husband would be to see you, were
+he here! Sit down please, and take rest awhile till he returns. How
+do they live there? Have they enough to eat and to dress themselves?"
+
+These and a thousand other questions she put to the rogue, who, for
+his part, wanted to get away as quick as possible, as he knew full
+well how he would be treated if the miser should return while he was
+there, so he said:--
+
+"Mother, language has no words to describe the miseries they are
+undergoing in the other world. They have not a rag to cover themselves,
+and for the last six days they have eaten nothing, and have lived on
+water only. It would break your heart to see them."
+
+The rogue's pathetic words fully deceived the good woman, who firmly
+believed that he had come down from Kailasa, sent by the old couple
+to her.
+
+"Why should they suffer so?" said she, "when their son has plenty to
+eat and to dress himself, and when their daughter-in-law wears all
+sorts of costly ornaments?"
+
+With that she went into the house and came out with two boxes
+containing all the clothes of herself and her husband, and gave
+the whole lot to the rogue, with instructions to take them to her
+poor old people in Kailasa. She also gave him her jewel box for her
+mother-in-law.
+
+"But dress and jewels will not fill their hungry stomachs," said he.
+
+Requesting him to wait a little, the silly woman brought out her
+husband's cash chest and emptied the contents into the rogue's coat,
+[64] who now went off in haste, promising to give everything to the
+good people in Kailasa. Our good lady in accordance with etiquette,
+conducted him a few hundred yards along the road and sent news of
+herself through him to her relatives, and then returned home. The
+rogue now tied up all his booty in his coat and ran in haste towards
+the river and crossed over it.
+
+No sooner had our heroine reached home than her husband returned
+after his inspection of his lands. Her pleasure at what she had done
+was so great, that she met him at the door and told him all about the
+arrival of the messenger from Kailasa, and how she had sent clothes,
+and jewels, and money through him to her husband's parents. The anger
+of her husband knew no bounds. But he checked himself for a while,
+and asked her which road the messenger from Kailasa had taken, as he
+said he wanted to follow him and send some more news to his parents. To
+this she willingly agreed and pointed out the direction the rogue had
+gone. With rage in his heart at the trick played upon his stupid wife,
+our hero rode on in hot haste, and after a ride of two ghatikas he
+caught sight of the departing rogue, who, finding escape hopeless,
+climbed up into a big pipal tree. Our hero soon reached the bottom
+of the tree and shouted to the rogue to come down.
+
+"No, I cannot, this is the way to Kailasa," said the rogue, and
+climbed up on the top of the tree.
+
+Seeing no chance of the rogue's coming down, and as there was no
+third person present to whom he could call for help, our hero tied
+his horse to an adjacent tree and began climbing up the pipal tree
+himself. The rogue thanked all his gods when he saw this, and waited
+till his enemy had climbed nearly up to him, and then, throwing down
+his bundle of booty, leapt quickly from branch to branch till he
+reached the bottom. He then got upon his enemy's horse, and with his
+bundle rode into a dense forest in which no one was likely to find him.
+
+Our hero being much older in years was no match for the rogue. So
+he slowly came down, and cursing his stupidity in having risked his
+horse to recover his property, returned home at his leisure. His wife,
+who was waiting his arrival, welcomed him with a cheerful countenance
+and said:--
+
+"I thought as much, you have sent away your horse to Kailasa to be
+used by your father."
+
+Vexed as he was at his wife's words, our hero replied in the
+affirmative to conceal his own stupidity.
+
+Thus, some there are in this world, who, though they may not willingly
+give away anything, pretend to have done so when, by accident, or
+stupidity, they happen to lose it.
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+XIII.
+
+THE LOST CAMEL AND OTHER TALES.
+
+
+FIRST PART.
+
+There was a city called Alakapuri, famous for all the riches that
+sea and land can yield, and inhabited by people speaking different
+languages. In that city reigned a king named Alakesa, who was a
+storehouse of all excellent qualities. He was so just a king that
+during his reign the cow and the tiger amicably quenched their thirst
+side by side in the same pond, the cats and the rats sported in one
+and the same spot, and the kite and the parrot laid their eggs in the
+same nest, as though they were "birds of a feather." [65] The women
+never deviated from the path of virtue, and regarded their husbands
+as gods. Timely rain refreshed the soil, and all Alakesa's subjects
+lived in plenty and happiness. In short, Alakesa was the body, and
+his subjects the soul of that body, for he was upright in all things.
+
+Now there was in Alakapuri a rich merchant who lost a camel one day. He
+searched for it without success in all directions, and at last reached
+a road which he was informed led to another city, called Mathurapuri,
+the king of which was named Mathuresa. He had under him four excellent
+ministers, whose names were Bodhaditya, Bodhachandra, Bodhavyapaka,
+and Bodhavibhishana. These four ministers, being, for some reason,
+displeased with the king, quitted his dominions, and set out for
+another country. As they journeyed along they observed the track of a
+camel, and each made a remark on the peculiar condition of the animal,
+judging from the footsteps and other indications on the road. [66]
+
+Presently they met the merchant who was searching for his camel, and,
+entering into conversation with him, one of the travellers inquired if
+the animal was not lame in one of its legs; another asked if it was not
+blind of the right eye; the third asked if its tail was not unusually
+short; and the fourth inquired if it was not suffering from colic. They
+were all answered in the affirmative by the merchant, who was convinced
+that they must have seen the animal, and eagerly demanded where they
+had seen it. They replied that they had seen traces of the camel,
+but not the camel itself, which being inconsistent with the minute
+description they had given of it, the merchant accused them of having
+stolen the beast, and immediately applied to king Alakesa for redress.
+
+On hearing the merchant's story, the king was equally impressed
+with the belief that the travellers must know what had become of the
+camel, and sending for them threatened them with his displeasure if
+they did not confess the truth. How could they know, he demanded,
+that the camel was lame or blind, or whether the tail was long or
+short, or that it was suffering from any malady, unless they had it
+in their possession? In reply, they each explained the reasons which
+had induced them to express their belief in these particulars. The
+first traveller said:--
+
+"I noticed in the footmarks of the animal that one was deficient,
+and I concluded accordingly that it was lame of one of its legs."
+
+The second said:--"I noticed that the leaves of the trees on the left
+side of the road had been snapped or torn off, whilst those on the
+right side were untouched, whence I concluded that the animal was
+blind of his right eye."
+
+The third said:--"I saw some drops of blood on the road, which I
+conjectured had flowed from the bites of gnats or flies, and I thence
+concluded that the camel's tail was shorter than usual, in consequence
+of which he could not brush the insects away."
+
+The fourth said:--"I observed that while the forefeet of the animal
+were planted firmly on the ground the hind ones appeared to have
+scarcely touched it, whence I guessed that they were contracted by
+pain in the belly of the animal."
+
+When the king heard their explanation he was much struck by the
+sagacity of the travellers, and giving 500 pagodas to the merchant who
+had lost the camel; he made the four young men his principal ministers,
+and bestowed on each of them several villages as free gifts.
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+XIII.
+
+THE THREE CALAMITIES.
+
+
+From that time these four young men became the confidential advisers
+of king Alakesa in all important affairs of state, and, as night is
+the house of sins, they in turn kept a regular watch in the city of
+Alakapuri, each patrolling the streets during three hours of the
+night. Thus they continued to faithfully serve king Alakesa, till
+one night, the First Minister, when his watch was over, proceeded
+as usual, to see whether the royal bedchamber was properly guarded;
+after which he went to the temple of the goddess Kali, where he heard
+what seemed to him the voice of a woman, lamenting and sobbing in
+great distress. Concealing himself behind the vad-tree of the temple,
+he called out:--
+
+"Who are you, poor woman? and why do you thus weep?"
+
+At once the cries ceased, and a voice from the temple inquired:--
+
+"Who art thou that thus questionest me?"
+
+Then the minister knew that it was Kali herself who wept; so he threw
+himself on the ground, and, rising up, exclaimed:--
+
+"O, my mother!--Kali!--Sambhavi!--Mahamayi! [67] Why should you thus
+weep?" quoth Kali.
+
+"What is the use of my revealing it to thee? Canst thou render any
+assistance?"
+
+The minister said that, if he had but her favour, there was nothing
+he could not do. Then the goddess told him that a calamity was about
+to come upon the king, and fearing that such a good monarch was soon
+to disappear from the world, she wept.
+
+The thought of such a misfortune caused the minister to tremble;
+he fell down before the goddess, and with tears streaming from his
+eyes besought her to save him. Kali was much gratified to observe
+his devotion to his master, and thus addressed him:--
+
+"Know, then, that your king will be in danger of three calamities
+to-morrow, any one of which will be sufficient to cause his
+death. First of all, early in the morning, there will come to the
+palace several carts containing newly-reaped paddy grains. The king
+will be delighted at this, and immediately order a measure of the
+paddy to be shelled and cooked for his morning meal. Now, the field
+in which that paddy grew is the abode of serpents, two of which
+were fighting together one day, when they emitted poison, which has
+permeated those grains. Therefore, the morning meal of your king will
+contain poison, but only in the first handful will it take effect and
+he will die. Should he escape, another calamity is in store for him
+at noon. The king of Vijayanagara will send to-morrow some baskets of
+sweetmeats; in the first basket he has concealed arrows. King Alakesa,
+suspecting no treachery, will order the first basket to be opened in
+his presence, and will meet his death by that device. And even should
+he escape this second calamity, a third will put an end to his life
+to-morrow night. A deadly serpent will descend into his bed room,
+by means of the chain of his hanging bed, and bite him. But, should
+he be saved from this last misfortune, Alakesa will live long and
+prosperously, till he attains the age of a hundred and twenty years."
+
+Thus spake Kali, in tones of sorrow, for she feared that the king
+would lose his life by one of these three calamities. The Minister
+prostrated himself on the ground, and said that if the goddess would
+grant him her favour he was confident he could contrive to avert all
+the threatened evils from the king. Kali smiled and disappeared;
+and the Minister, taking her kind smile as a token of her favour,
+returned home and slept soundly.
+
+As soon as morning dawned, the First Minister arose, and having made
+the customary ablutions, proceeded to the palace. He took care to
+reveal to no one the important secret communicated to him by the
+goddess--not even to his three colleagues. The sun was not yet two
+ghatikas [68] above the horizon when several carts containing the
+finest paddy grains, specially selected for the king's use, came
+into the courtyard of the palace. Alakesa was present, and ordered
+a measure of it to be at once shelled and cooked. The coming in of
+the carts and the king's order so exactly coincided with Kali's words
+that the Minister began to fear that he was quite unequal to the task
+of averting the fatality; yet the recollection of the smile of the
+goddess inspired him with fresh resolution, and he at once went to
+the palace-kitchen and requested the servants to inform him when the
+king was about to go to dinner. After issuing orders for the storing
+of the grain, king Alakesa retired to perform his morning ablutions
+and other religious duties.
+
+Meanwhile a carriage containing the jars of sweetmeats sent by the
+king of Vijayanagara drove up to the palace, and the emissary who
+accompanied the present, told the royal servants that his master
+had commanded him to deliver it to king Alakesa in person. The
+First Minister well understood the meaning of this, and, promising
+to bring the king, went into the palace, caused one of the servants
+to be dressed like Alakesa, and conducted him to the carriage. The
+officer of the Vijayanagara king placed the first jar before the
+supposed Alakesa, who at once opened it, when lo! there darted forth
+several arrows, one of which pierced his heart, and he fell dead on
+the spot. [69] In an instant the emissary was seized and bound, and
+the officers began to lament the death of their good king. But the
+fatal occurrence spread rapidly through the palace, and soon the real
+Alakesa made his appearance on the scene. The officers now beheld
+one Alakesa dead and fallen to the ground, pierced by the arrow,
+and another standing there alive and well. The First Minister then
+related how, suspecting treachery, he brought out a servant of the
+palace dressed like the king, and how he had been slain in place of his
+royal master. Alakesa thanked the Minister for having so ingeniously
+saved his life, and went into the palace. Thus was one of the three
+calamities to the king averted by the faithful Bodhaditya.
+
+When it was the hour for dinner, the king and his courtiers all sat
+down, with the exception of the First Minister, who remained standing,
+without having taken a leaf for his own use. The king, observing this,
+with a smile pointed out a leaf to him, [70] but Bodhaditya would not
+sit; he wished to be near the king and to abstain from eating on that
+occasion. So the king allowed him to have his own way. The food having
+been served on the leaves, the hands of all, including the king, were
+mingling the rice, ghi, and dhal for the first course. Near the king
+stood his faithful Minister Bodhaditya, and, when the king raised the
+first handful to his mouth, "Stop, my master," cried he, "I have long
+hoped for this handful as a present to me from your royal hands. I pray
+you give it to me, and feast upon the rest of the rice on your leaf."
+
+This was uttered more in a tone of command than of request, and the
+king was highly incensed at what he naturally considered as insolence
+on the part of the Minister. For such a request, especially when made
+to a king, is deemed nothing less than an insult, while to refuse it
+is equally offensive. So, whatever thoughts may have passed through
+Alakesa's mind, recollecting how the Minister had that morning saved
+his life, he gave him the handful of rice, which Bodhaditya received
+with delight, feeling grateful for the favour of the goddess in being
+the means of averting this second calamity.
+
+Far different, however, were the sentiments of the king and the
+assembled company. One and all declared Bodhaditya to be an insolent,
+proud fellow; but the king, while secretly blaming himself for having
+allowed him to use so much familiarity, suppressed his anger, in
+consideration of the important service the Minister had rendered him.
+
+On the approach of night the heart of the First Minister throbbed
+violently, for the third calamity predicted by the goddess was yet
+to be encountered. His watch being ended, before retiring to rest,
+he went to examine the royal bedroom, where he saw the light burning
+brightly, and the king and queen asleep side by side in the ornamented
+swing cot, which was suspended from the roof by four chains. Presently,
+he perceived, with horror, a fierce black snake, the smell of which
+is enough to kill a man, slowly gliding down the chain near the head
+of the queen. The Minister noiselessly went forward, and with a single
+stroke of his sharp sword, cut the venomous brute in two. Bodhaditya,
+to avoid disturbing any person at such an hour of the night, threw the
+pieces over the canopy of the bed, rejoicing at having thus averted
+the third and last calamity. But a fresh horror then met his eyes;
+a drop of the snake's poison had fallen on the bosom of the queen,
+which was exposed in the carelessness of slumber.
+
+"Alas, sacred goddess," he muttered, "why do you thus raise up new
+obstacles in my efforts to avert the evil which you predicted? I have
+done what I could to save the king, and in this last attempt I have
+killed his beloved queen. What shall I do?"
+
+Having thus briefly reflected, he wiped off the poison from the queen's
+bosom with the tip of his little finger, and, lest the contact of the
+venom with his finger should endanger his own life, he cut the tip
+of it off and threw it on the canopy. Just then the queen awoke, and
+perceiving a man hastily leaving the room, she cried: "Who are you?"
+
+The Minister respectfully answered: "Most venerable mother! I am your
+son, Bodhaditya," and at once retired.
+
+Upon this the queen thought within herself: "Alas! is there such
+a thing as a good man in the world? Hitherto I have regarded this
+Bodhaditya as my son; but now he has basely taken the opportunity
+of thus disgracing me when my lord and I were sound asleep. I shall
+inform the king of this, and have that wretch's head struck off before
+the morning."
+
+Accordingly she gently awakened the king, and with tears trickling
+down her beauteous face, she told him what had occurred, and concluded
+with these words:--"Till now, my lord, I considered that I was wife to
+you alone; but this night your First Minister has made me doubt it,
+since to my question, 'Who are you?' he answered, without any shame,
+'I am Bodhaditya,' and went away."
+
+On hearing of this violation of the sanctity of his bedchamber,
+Alakesa was greatly enraged, and determined to put to death such
+an unprincipled servant, but first to communicate the affair to his
+three other Ministers.
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+XIII.
+
+SECOND PART.
+
+
+When the Second Minister's watch was over, he went to inspect the
+guard at the royal bedchamber, and Alakesa hearing his footsteps
+inquired who was there.
+
+"Your servant, Bodhachandra, most royal lord," was the reply.
+
+"Enter, Bodhachandra," said the king; "I have somewhat to communicate
+to you."
+
+Then Alakesa, almost choking with rage, told him of the gross offence
+of which his colleague the First Minister had been guilty, and demanded
+to know whether any punishment could be too severe. Bodhachandra
+humbled himself before the king, and thus replied--
+
+"My lord, such a crime merits a heavy requital. Can one tie up fire
+in one's cloth and think that as it is but a small spark it will
+do us no harm? How, then, can we excuse even slight deviations from
+the rules of propriety? Therefore, if Bodhaditya be really guilty,
+he must be signally punished. But permit me to represent to your
+Majesty the advisability of carefully inquiring into this matter
+before proceeding to judgment. We ought to ascertain what reasons he
+had for such a breach of the harem rules; for should we, carried away
+by anger, act rashly in this affair, we may repent when repentance is
+of no avail. As an example, I shall, with your Majesty's permission
+relate a story." The king having at once given his consent, the Second
+Minister began to relate the
+
+
+
+STORY OF THE HONEST BUT RASH HUNTER AND HIS FAITHFUL DOG.
+
+There dwelt in a certain forest a hunter named Ugravira, who was lord
+of the woods, and as such, had to pay a fixed sum of money to the king
+of the country. It happened once that the king unexpectedly demanded
+of him one thousand five hundred pons. [71] The hunter sold all his
+property and realised only a thousand pons, and was perplexed how
+to procure the rest of the required amount. At length he bethought
+him of his dog, which was of the best kind, and was beloved by him
+more than anything else in the whole world. He took his dog to an
+adjacent city, where he pledged him to a merchant named Kubera for
+five hundred pons, at the same time giving the merchant his bond
+for the loan. Before going away, the hunter with tears in his eyes,
+thus addressed the intelligent animal:--
+
+"Mrigasimha, [i.e., lion among beasts] O my faithful friend, do not
+leave thy new master until I have paid him back the money I have
+borrowed of him. Obey and serve him, even as thou hast ever obeyed
+and served me."
+
+Some time after this, the merchant Kubera had to leave home and
+proceed with his merchandise to foreign countries: so he called the
+hunter's dog to his side, and bade him watch at his doors and prevent
+the intrusion of robbers and other evil-disposed persons. The dog
+indicated, both by his eyes and his tail, that he perfectly understood
+his instructions. Then the merchant, having enjoined his wife to
+feed the dog three times every day with rice and milk, set out on
+his travels. The dog kept his watch outside the house, and for a few
+days the merchant's wife fed him regularly three times a day. But this
+kind treatment was not to continue. She had for her paramour a wicked
+youth of the Setti caste, who, soon after the departure of Kubera,
+became a constant visitor at the merchant's house. The faithful dog
+instinctively surmised that his new master would not approve of such
+conduct; so one night, when the youth was leaving the house, Mrigasimha
+sprang upon him like an enraged lion, and seizing him by the throat,
+sent the evildoer to the other world. The merchant's wife hearing
+the scuffle, ran to the spot to save her lover, but found him dead.
+
+Though extremely grieved at the loss of her paramour, she had the
+presence of mind to immediately carry the body to the garden at the
+back of the house, where she concealed it in a great pit, and covered
+it with earth and leaves, vainly thinking that she had thus concealed
+her own shame. All this was not done, however, without being observed
+by the watchful dog; and, henceforward, the merchant's wife hated
+him with a deadly hatred. She no longer gave him food, and the poor
+creature was fain to eat such grains of rice as he found adhering to
+the leaves thrown out of the house after meals, still keeping guard
+at the door.
+
+After an absence of two months the merchant returned, and the dog,
+the moment he saw him, ran up to him and rolled himself on the ground
+at his feet; then seizing the merchant's cloth he dragged him to the
+very spot in the garden where the youth's body was hidden, and began
+to scratch the ground, at the same time looking into the merchant's
+face and howling dismally, from which Kubera concluded that the dog
+wished him to examine the place. Accordingly he dug up the spot and
+discovered the body of the youth, whom, indeed, he had suspected
+of being his wife's paramour. In a great fury he rushed into the
+house and commanded his wife, on pain of instant death, to relate the
+particulars of this affair without concealing anything. The wretched
+woman, seeing that her sin was discovered, confessed all, upon which
+her husband exclaimed!--
+
+"Disgrace of womankind! you have not a fraction of the virtue possessed
+by this faithful brute, which you have, out of revenge, allowed to
+starve. But why should I waste words on thee? Happy am I in having no
+children by thee! Depart, and let me see thy face no more." So saying,
+he thrust her out of the house. Then the merchant fed the dog with
+milk, rice and sugar, after which he said to that lion of beasts
+(Mrigasimha, as he was called)--
+
+"Thou trusty friend, language fails to express my gratitude to
+thee. The five hundred pons which I lent thy old master the hunter
+are as nothing compared with thy services to me, by which I consider
+the debt as more than paid. What must be the feelings of the hunter
+without thy companionship? I now give thee leave to return to him."
+
+The merchant took the hunter's bond, and tearing it slightly at the
+top as a token that it was cancelled, he placed it in the dog's mouth
+and sent him back to his former master, and he at once set off towards
+the forest.
+
+Now by this time the hunter had contrived to save up the five
+hundred pons, and with the money and the interest due thereon, he
+was going to the merchant to redeem his bond and reclaim his dog. To
+his great surprise he met Mrigasimha on the way, and as soon as the
+dog perceived him he ran up to him to receive his caresses. But the
+hunter immediately concluded that the poor brute, in his eagerness to
+rejoin him, had run away from the merchant, and determined to put him
+to death. Accordingly he plucked a creeper, and fastening it round the
+dog's neck tied him to a branch of a tree, and the faithful creature,
+who was expecting nothing but kindness from his old master, was by him
+most cruelly strangled. The hunter then continued his journey, and,
+on reaching the merchant's house, he laid down the money before him.
+
+"My dear friend," said Kubera, "the important service your dog
+rendered me in killing my wife's paramour, has amply repaid your
+debt, so I gave him permission to return to you, with your bond in
+his mouth. Did you not meet him on your way? But why do you look so
+horrified? What have you done to the dog?"
+
+The hunter, to whom everything was now only too clear, threw himself
+on the ground, like a huge tree cut at the root, and, after telling
+Kubera how he had inconsiderately slain the faithful dog, stabbed
+himself with his dagger. The merchant grieved at the death both of
+the dog and the hunter, which would not have occurred had he waited
+until Ugravira came to redeem his bond, snatched the weapon out of the
+hunter's breast and also stabbed himself. The news of this tragedy
+soon reached the forest, and the wife of the hunter, not wishing to
+survive her lord, threw herself into a well and was drowned. Lastly,
+even the wife of the merchant, finding that so many fatalities were
+due to her own misconduct, and that she was despised by the very
+children in the streets, put an end to her wretched life.
+
+"Thus," added the Second Minister, "five lives were lost in consequence
+of the hunter's rashness. Wherefore I would respectfully beseech your
+Majesty to investigate the case of Bodhaditya, and to refrain from
+acting merely under the influence of anger."
+
+Having thus spoken, Bodhachandra obtained leave to retire to his
+own house.
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+XIII.
+
+THIRD PART.
+
+
+At the end of the third watch of the night, Bodhavyapaka, the Third
+Minister of king Alakesa, went to see whether the royal bedchamber
+was properly guarded, and the king, summoning him to his presence,
+told him of the First Minister's crime, upon which Bodhavyapaka,
+after making due obeisance, thus spake:--
+
+"Most noble king, such a grave crime should be severely punished,
+but it behoves us not to act before having ascertained that he is
+guilty beyond doubt, for evil are the consequences of precipitation,
+in proof of which I know a story which I will relate, with your
+Majesty's leave."
+
+
+
+STORY OF THE BRAHMAN'S WIFE AND THE MUNGOOSE.
+
+On the banks of the Ganges, which also flows by the most holy city
+of Banaras, there is a town named Mithila, where dwelt a very poor
+Brahman called Vidyadhara. He had no children, and to compensate
+for this want, he and his wife tenderly nourished in their house a
+mungoose--a species of weasel. It was their all in all--their younger
+son, their elder daughter--their elder son, their younger daughter,
+so fondly did they regard that little creature. The god Visvesvara
+and his spouse Visalakshi observed this, and had pity for the unhappy
+pair; so by their divine power they blessed them with a son. This
+most welcome addition to their family did not alienate the affections
+of the Brahman and his wife from the mungoose; on the contrary,
+their attachment increased, for they believed that it was because of
+their having adopted the pet that a son had been born to them. So the
+child and the mungoose were brought up together, as twin brothers,
+in the same cradle.
+
+It happened one day when the Brahman had gone out to beg alms of the
+pious and charitable, that his wife went into the garden to cull some
+pot-herbs, leaving the child asleep in his cradle, and by his side
+the mungoose kept guard. An old serpent, which was living in the
+well in the garden, crept into the house and under the cradle, and
+was beginning to climb into it to bite the child when the mungoose
+fiercely attacked it and tore it into several pieces, thus saving
+the life of the Brahman's little son, and the venomous snake, that
+came to slay, itself lay dead beneath the cradle.
+
+Pleased at having performed such an exploit, the mungoose ran into
+the garden to show the Brahman's wife its blood-smeared mouth, but
+she rashly mistook the deliverer of her child for his destroyer,
+and with one stroke of the knife in her hand with which she was
+cutting herbs she killed the faithful creature, and then hastened
+into the house to see her dead son. But there she found the child
+in his cradle alive and well, only crying at the absence of his
+little companion, the mungoose, and under the cradle lay the great
+serpent cut to pieces. The real state of affairs was now evident,
+and the Brahman presently returning home, his wife told him of her
+rash act and then put an end to her life. The Brahman, in his turn,
+disconsolate at the death of the mungoose and his wife, first slew
+his child and then killed himself.
+
+
+
+"And thus," added the Third Minister, "by one rash act four creatures
+perished, so true is it that precipitation results in a series of
+calamities. Do not, then, condemn Bodhaditya before his guilt is
+clearly proved." Alakesa, having given Bodhachandra the signal to
+retire, he quitted the presence and went home.
+
+When the watch of the Fourth Minister, Bodhavibhishana, was terminated,
+he visited the private apartments of the king (who had been meanwhile
+pondering over the stories he had heard), and was called into
+the sleeping chamber by Alakesa, and informed of his colleague's
+unpardonable offence. The Minister, after due prostration, thus
+addressed his royal master:--
+
+"Great king, I can scarcely bring myself to believe that Bodhaditya
+could ever be guilty of such a crime, and I would respectfully remind
+your Majesty that it would not be consistent with your world-wide
+reputation for wisdom and justice were you to pronounce judgment in
+this case without having inquired into all the circumstances. Evil
+and injustice result from hasty decisions and actions, of which a
+striking illustration is furnished in the
+
+
+
+STORY OF THE FAITHLESS WIFE AND THE UNGRATEFUL BLIND MAN.
+
+In the town of Mithila there lived a young Brahman who, having
+had a quarrel with his father-in-law, set out on a pilgrimage to
+Banaras. Going through a forest he met a blind man, whose wife was
+leading him by means of a stick, one end of which she held in her
+hand, and her husband holding the other end was following her. She was
+young and fair of face, and the pilgrim made signs to her that she
+should go with him and leave her blind husband behind. The proposal
+thus signified pleased this wanton woman, so she bade her husband
+sit under a tree for a few minutes while she went and plucked him
+a ripe mango. The blind man sat down accordingly, and his wife went
+away with the Brahman. After waiting a long time in expectation of
+his wife's return, and no person coming near him, (for it was an
+unfrequented place), her infidelity became painfully apparent to him,
+and he bitterly cursed both her and the villain who had enticed her
+away from him. For six days he remained at the foot of the tree,
+in woeful condition, without a morsel of rice or a drop of water,
+and he was well nigh dead, when at length he heard the sound of
+footsteps near him, and cried faintly for help. A man of the Setti
+caste and his wife came up to him, and inquired how he happened to be
+in such a plight. The blind man told them how his wife had deserted
+him, and gone away with a young Brahman whom they had met, leaving
+him there alone and helpless. His story excited the compassion of the
+Setti and his wife. They gave him to eat of the small quantity of rice
+they had with them, and, having supplied him with water to quench his
+thirst, the Setti bade his wife lead him with his stick. The woman,
+though somewhat reluctant to walk thus in company with a man who
+was not her husband, yet, reflecting that charitable actions ought
+never to be left undone, complied with her lord's request, and began
+to lead the blind man. After travelling in this manner for a day,
+the three reached a town, and took up their abode for the night in
+the house of a friend of the Setti, where the latter and his wife
+gave the blind man a share of their rice before tasting a morsel
+themselves. At daybreak the next morning they advised him to try to
+provide for himself in some way in that town, and prepared to resume
+their journey. But the blind man, forgetting all the kindness they
+had shown him, began to raise an alarm, crying out:--
+
+"Is there no king in this city to protect me and give me my
+rights? Here is a Setti rascal taking away my wife with him! As I am
+blind, she denies that I am her husband, and follows that rogue! But
+will not the king give me justice?"
+
+The people in the street at once reported these words to the king,
+who caused inquiry to be made into the matter. The fact of the Setti's
+wife having led the blind man, seemed to indicate that the latter,
+and not the Setti, was the woman's husband, and foolishly concluded
+that both the Setti and his wife were the real criminals. Accordingly
+he sentenced the Setti to the gallows, because he attempted to entice
+away a married woman, and his wife to be burnt in the kiln, as she
+wished to forsake her husband, and he a blind man. When these sentences
+were pronounced the blind man was thunder-struck. The thought that
+by a deliberate lie he had caused the death of two innocent persons
+now stung him to the heart. By this lie he expected that the Setti
+only should be punished, and that his wife would be made over to him
+as his own wife, but now he found she also was condemned to death.
+
+"Vile wretch that I am!" said he; "I do not know what sins I committed
+in my former life to be thus blind now. My real wife, too, deserted me;
+and I, heaping sins upon sins, have now by a false report sent to death
+an innocent man and his wife, who rescued me from a horrible fate and
+tended to all my wants last night. O, Mahesvara! what punishment you
+have in reserve for me I know not."
+
+This soliloquy, being overheard by some by-standers, was communicated
+to the king, who bitterly reproaching himself for having acted so
+rashly, at once released the good Setti and his wife, and caused the
+ungrateful blind man to be burnt in the kiln.
+
+"Thus, you see, my lord," added the fourth Minister, "how
+nearly that king had plunged himself into a gulf of crime by his
+rashness. Therefore, my most noble king, I would respectfully and
+humbly request you to consider well the case of Bodhaditya, and punish
+him severely if he be found really guilty."
+
+
+
+Having thus spoken, the Fourth Minister obtained leave to depart.
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+XIII.
+
+FOURTH PART.
+
+
+The night was now over: darkness, the harbourer of vice, fled away;
+the day dawned. King Alakesa left his bedchamber, bathed and made his
+religious ablutions, and, after breakfasting, summoned a council of all
+his father's old ministers and advisers. Alakesa took his seat in the
+midst of the assembly; anger was clearly visible in his countenance;
+his eyes had lost their natural expression and had turned very red;
+his breath was as hot as that of a furnace. He thus addressed them:--
+
+"Know ye all, the ministers of my father and of myself, that last
+night, during the first watch, my First Minister, Bodhaditya, while
+I and my queen were asleep in our chamber, came and touched with his
+finger the bosom of my queen. Consider well the gravity of this crime,
+and express your opinions as to what punishment he merits."
+
+Thus spake king Alakesa, but all the ministers, not knowing what answer
+to return, hung down their heads in silence. Among those present was
+an aged minister named Manuniti, who called Bodhaditya to his side
+and privately learned the whole story. He then humbly bowed before
+the king, and thus spake:--
+
+"Most noble king, men are not always all-wise, and, before replying to
+your Majesty's question, I beg permission to relate in your presence
+the story of a king in whose reign a certain benevolent action was
+repaid with disgrace and ignominy:--
+
+
+
+STORY OF THE WONDERFUL MANGO FRUIT.
+
+On the banks of the Kaveri there was a city called Tiruvidaimarudur,
+where ruled a king named Chakraditya. In that city there lived a
+poor Brahman and his wife, who, having no children, brought up in
+their house a young parrot as tenderly as if it had been their own
+offspring. One day the parrot was sitting on the roof of the house,
+basking itself in the morning sun, when a large flock of parrots flew
+past, talking to each other about certain mango fruits. The Brahman's
+parrot asked them what were the peculiar properties of those fruits,
+and was informed that beyond the seven oceans there was a great mango
+tree, the fruit of which gave perpetual youth to the person who ate
+of it, however old and infirm he might be. On hearing of this wonder
+the Brahman's parrot requested permission to accompany them, which
+being granted, they all continued their flight. When at length they
+arrived at the mango tree, all ate of its fruit; but the Brahman's
+parrot reflected:--
+
+"It would not be right for me to eat this fruit; I am young, while
+my adopted parents, the poor Brahman and his wife are very old. So I
+shall give them this fruit, and they will become young and blooming
+by eating it."
+
+And that same evening the good parrot brought the fruit to the Brahman,
+and explained to him its extraordinary properties. But the Brahman
+thought within himself:--
+
+"I am a beggar. What matters it if I become young and live for ever,
+or else die this very moment? Our king is very good and charitable. If
+such a great man should eat of this fruit and renew his youth, he
+would confer the greatest benefit on mankind. Therefore I will give
+this mango to our good king."
+
+In pursuance of this self-denying resolution, the poor Brahman
+proceeded to the palace and presented the fruit to the king, at the
+same time relating how he had obtained it and its qualities. The king
+richly rewarded the Brahman for his gift, and sent him away. Then he
+began to reflect thus:--
+
+"Here is a fruit which can bestow perpetual youth on the person who
+eats it. I should gain this great boon for myself alone, and what
+happiness could I expect under such circumstances unless shared by
+my friends and subjects? I shall therefore not eat this mango-fruit,
+but plant it carefully in my garden, and it will in time become a
+tree, which will bear much fruit having the same wonderful virtue,
+and my subjects shall, every one, eat of the fruit, and, with myself,
+be endowed with everlasting youth."
+
+So, calling his gardener, the king gave him the fruit, and he planted
+it in the royal presence. In due course of time the fruit grew
+into a fine tree, and during the spring season it began to bud and
+blossom and bear fruit. The king, having fixed upon an auspicious
+day for cutting one of the mango-fruits, gave it to his domestic
+chaplain, who was ninety years old, in order that his youth should
+be renewed. But no sooner had the priest tasted it than he fell down
+dead. At this unexpected calamity the king was both astonished and
+deeply grieved. When the old priest's wife heard of her husband's
+sudden death she came and prayed the king to allow her to perform sati
+with him on the same funeral pyre, which increased the king's sorrow;
+but he gave her the desired permission, and himself superintended
+all the ceremonies of the cremation. King Chakraditya then sent for
+the poor Brahman, and demanded of him how he had dared to present a
+poisonous fruit to his king. The Brahman replied:--
+
+"My lord, I brought up a young parrot in my house, in order to console
+me for having no son. That parrot brought me the fruit one day,
+and told me of its wonderful properties. Believing that the parrot
+spoke the truth, I presented it to your Majesty, never for a moment
+suspecting it to be poisonous."
+
+The king listened to the poor Brahman's words, but thought that the
+poor priest's death should be avenged. So he consulted his ministers
+who recommended, as a slight punishment, that the Brahman should
+be deprived of his left eye. This was done accordingly, and, on his
+return home, when his wife saw his condition, she asked the reason
+of such mutilation.
+
+"My dear," said she, "the parrot we have fostered so tenderly is the
+cause of this."
+
+And they resolved to break the neck of the treacherous bird. But the
+parrot, having overheard their conversation, thus addressed them:--
+
+"My kind foster parents, everyone must be rewarded for the good actions
+or punished for the evil deeds of his previous life. I brought you the
+fruit with a good intention, but my sins in my former life have given
+it a different effect. Therefore I pray you to kill me and bury me
+with a little milk in a pit. And, after my funeral ceremony is over,
+I request you to undertake a pilgrimage to Banaras to expiate your
+own sins."
+
+So the old Brahman and his wife killed their pet parrot and buried
+it as directed, after which, overcome with grief, they set out on a
+pilgrimage to the Holy City.
+
+Meanwhile the king commanded his gardener to set guards over the
+poison-tree, and to allow no one to eat of its fruit; and all the
+inhabitants soon came to know that the king had a mango tree in
+his garden, the fruit of which was deadly poison. Now, there was
+in the city an old washerwoman, who had frequent quarrels with her
+daughter-in-law, and one day, being weary of life, she left the house,
+threatening to eat of the poison tree and die.
+
+The young parrot who was killed for having brought the poisonous
+mango-fruit was re-born as a green parrot, and was waiting for an
+opportunity to demonstrate the harmless nature of the tree; and when he
+saw the old woman approach with a determination to put an end to her
+life by eating of its fruit, he plucked one with his beak and dropped
+it down before her. The old woman rejoiced that fate sanctioned her
+death, and greedily ate the fruit, when lo! instead of dying she
+became young and blooming again. Those who had seen her leave the
+house a woman over sixty years of age were astonished on seeing her
+return as a handsome girl of sixteen and learning that the wonderful
+transformation was caused by the supposed poisonous mango-tree.
+
+The strange news soon reached the king, who, in order to test the tree
+still further, ordered another fruit of it to be brought and gave it
+to a goldsmith of more than ninety years of age, who had embezzled
+some gold which had been entrusted to him to make into ornaments
+for the ladies of the palace, and was on that account undergoing
+imprisonment. When he had eaten the fruit, he, in his turn, became
+a young man of sixteen. The king was now convinced that the fruit
+of the mango-tree, so far from being poisonous, had the power of
+converting decrepit age into lusty and perennial youth. But how had
+the old priest died by eating of it?
+
+It was by a mere accident. One day a huge serpent was sleeping on a
+branch of the mango-tree, and its head hung over one of the fruit;
+poison dropped from its mouth and fell on the rind of that fruit;
+the gardener, who had no knowledge of this, when asked to bring a
+fruit for the priest, happened to bring the one on which the poison
+had fallen, and the priest having eaten it, died.
+
+And now the king caused proclamation to be made throughout his kingdom
+that all who pleased might come and partake of the mango-fruit, and
+everyone ate of it and became young. But king Chakaraditya's heart
+burnt within him at the remembrance of his ill-treatment of the poor
+Brahman, who had returned with his wife from Banaras. So he sent
+for him, explained his mistake, and gave him a fruit to eat, which,
+having tasted, the aged Brahman became young and his eye was also
+restored to him. But the greatest loss of all, that of the parrot who
+brought the fruit from beyond the seven oceans, remained irreparable.
+
+
+
+"Thus, my lord," continued the old minister, Manuniti, "it behoves us
+not to act precipitately in this affair of Bodhaditya, which we must
+carefully sift before expressing our opinion as to the punishment he
+may deserve at your majesty's hands."
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+XIII.
+
+FIFTH PART.
+
+
+When Manuniti had concluded his story of the wonderful mango-fruit,
+king Alakesa ordered his four ministers to approach the throne,
+and then, with an angry countenance he thus addressed Bodhaditya:--
+
+"What excuse have you for entering my bedchamber without permission,
+thus violating the rules of the harem?"
+
+Bodhaditya humbly begged leave to relate to his majesty a story of
+how a Brahman fed a hungry traveller and had afterwards to endure the
+infamy of having caused that traveller's death, and on king Alakesa
+signifying his consent, he thus began:--
+
+
+
+STORY OF THE POISONED FOOD.
+
+There was a city called Vijayanagara, to the north of which flowed
+a small river with mango topes [72] on both banks. One day a young
+Brahmin pilgrim came and sat down to rest by the side of the stream,
+and, finding the place very cool and shady, he resolved to bathe,
+perform his religious ablutions, and make his dinner off the rice
+which he carried tied up in a bundle.
+
+Three days before there had come to the same spot an old Brahmin whose
+years numbered more than three score and ten; he had quarrelled with
+his family, and had fled from his house to die. Since he had reached
+that place he had tasted no food, and the young pilgrim found him lying
+in a pitiable state, and placed near him a portion of his rice. The old
+man arose, and proceeded to the rivulet in order to wash his feet and
+hands, and pronounce a holy incantation or two before tasting the food.
+
+While thus engaged a kite, carrying in its beak a huge serpent,
+alighted upon the tree at the foot of which was the rice given by
+the pilgrim to the old man, and while the bird was feasting on the
+serpent some of its poison dropped on the rice, and the old Brahmin,
+in his hunger, did not observe it on his return; he greedily devoured
+some of the rice, and instantly fell down dead.
+
+The young pilgrim, seeing him prostrate on the ground, ran to help
+him, but found that life was gone; and concluding that the old man's
+hasty eating after his three days' fast must have caused his death,
+and being unwilling to leave his corpse to be devoured by kites and
+jackals, he determined to cremate it before resuming his journey. With
+this object he ran to the neighbouring village, and, reporting to the
+people what had occurred on the tope, requested their assistance in
+cremating the old man's body.
+
+The villagers, however, suspected that the young pilgrim had killed
+and robbed the old Brahmin; so they laid hold of him, and, after
+giving him a severe flogging, imprisoned him in the village temple
+of Kali. Alas! what a reward was this for his kind hospitality! and
+how was he repaid for his beneficence!
+
+The unhappy pilgrim gave vent to his sorrows in the form of verses
+in praise of the goddess in whose temple he was a prisoner; for he
+was a great Pandit, versed in the four Vedas, and the six Sastras,
+and the sixty-four varieties of knowledge. On hearing the pilgrim's
+verses, the rage of the goddess descended upon the villagers, who
+had so rashly accused and punished him for a crime of which he was
+innocent. Suddenly the whole village was destroyed by fire, and the
+people lost all their property, and were houseless. In their extremity
+they went to the temple of Kali, and humbly requested the goddess to
+inform them of the cause of the calamity which had thus unexpectedly
+come upon them. The goddess infused herself into the person of one
+of the villagers, and thus responded:--
+
+"Know ye, unkind villagers, that ye have most unjustly scourged
+and imprisoned in our presence an innocent, charitable, and pious
+Brahmin. The old man died from the effects of the poison, which dropped
+from a serpent's mouth on some rice at the foot of a tree when it
+was being devoured by a kite. Ye did not know of this; nevertheless
+ye have maltreated a good man without first making due inquiry as to
+his guilt or innocence. For this reason we visited your village with
+this calamity. Beware, and henceforward avoid such sins."
+
+So saying, Kali departed from the person through whom she had
+manifested herself. [73] Then the villagers perceived the grievous
+error into which they had fallen. They released the good pilgrim and
+implored his forgiveness, which he readily granted. And thus was an
+innocent man charged with murder in return for his benevolent actions.
+
+"Even so," continued Bodhaditya, "my most noble sovereign, I have
+this day had to endure the infamy of having violated the harem for
+saving your valuable life."
+
+He then sent for a thief who was undergoing imprisonment, and gave
+him the handful of rice which he had the preceding day snatched
+from the king at dinner, and the thief having eaten it, instantly
+died. He next caused a servant to go to the royal bed-chamber, and
+fetch from the canopy of the couch the pieces of the serpent and his
+little finger-tip, which he laid before the wonder-struck king and
+the counsellors, and then addressed his majesty as follows:--
+
+"My most noble king, and ye wise counsellors, it is known to you
+all that we four ministers keep watch over the town during the four
+quarters of the night, and mine is the first watch. Well, while I
+was on duty the day before yesterday, I heard a weeping voice in the
+direction of the temple. I proceeded to the spot, and discovered the
+goddess sobbing bitterly. She related to me how three calamities
+awaited the king on the morrow. The first of them was the arrows
+despatched by the king of Vijayanagara as sweetmeats to our Sovereign;
+the second was the poisoned rice, and the third the serpent. In trying
+to avert these calamities, I have committed the offence of entering
+the harem."
+
+
+
+And he thereupon explained the whole affair from first to last.
+
+King Alakesa and the whole assembly were highly delighted at the
+fidelity and devotion of Bodhaditya; for it was now very evident
+that he had done nothing amiss, but had saved the life of the king
+on three occasions, and indeed also the life of the queen by wiping
+off the serpent's poison which had fallen on her bosom. Then Alakesa
+related the following story in explanation of the proverb:--
+
+
+
+"EATING UP THE PROTECTOR." [74]
+
+In the country of Uttara there lived a Brahmin named Kusalanatha,
+who had a wife and six sons. All lived in a state of prosperity for
+some time, but the entrance of Saturn into the Brahmin's horoscope
+turned everything upside down. The once prosperous Brahmin became poor,
+and was reduced to go to the neighbouring woods to gather bamboo rice
+with which to feed his hungry family. [75]
+
+One day while plucking the bamboo ears, he saw a bush close by
+in flames, in the midst of which was a serpent struggling for its
+life. The Brahmin at once ran to its rescue, and stretching towards
+it a long green stick the reptile crept on to it and escaped from the
+flames, and then spread its hood and with a hissing sound approached
+to sting its rescuer. The Brahmin began to weep and bewail his folly in
+having saved the ungrateful creature, at which the serpent asked him:--
+
+"O Brahmin, why do you weep?"
+
+Said the old man: "You now purpose to kill me; is this the reward
+for my having saved your life?"
+
+"True, you have rescued me from a terrible death, but how am I to
+appease my hunger?" replied the serpent.
+
+And quoth the Brahmin, "You speak of your hunger, but who is to feed
+my old wife and six hungry children at my house?"
+
+The serpent, seeing the anxiety of the Brahmin, emitted a precious
+gem from its hood, and bade him take it home and give it to his
+wife for household expenses, after which to return to the wood to be
+devoured. The old man agreed, and, solemnly promising to return without
+fail, went home. Having given the gem to his family, and told them
+of his pact with the serpent, the Brahmin went back to the wood. The
+serpent had meanwhile reflected upon its own base ingratitude.
+
+"Is it right," said it to itself, "to kill him who saved me from the
+flames? No! I shall rather perish of hunger, if I cannot find a prey
+to-day, than slay my protector."
+
+So when the old Brahmin appeared, true to his word, the serpent
+presented him with another valuable gem, and after expressing a wish
+that he should live long and happily with his wife and children,
+went its own way, while the Brahmin returned joyously to his home.
+
+"Even as the serpent purposed acting towards its benefactor," continued
+the king, "so did I, in my rage, intend putting to death my faithful
+minister and the protector of my life, Bodhaditya; and to free myself
+from this grievous sin there is no penance I should not undergo."
+
+
+
+Then king Alakesa ordered a thousand Brahmins to be fed every day
+during his life, and many rich gifts to be distributed in temples as
+atonement for his great error. And from that day Bodhaditya and his
+three colleagues enjoyed still more of the royal favour. With those
+four faithful ministers king Alakesa lived a most happy life and had
+a most prosperous reign.
+
+May there be prosperity to all!
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+XIV.
+
+THE MONKEY WITH THE TOM-TOM. [76]
+
+
+In a remote wood there lived a monkey, and one day while he was eating
+wood-apples, a sharp thorn from the tree ran into the tip of his tail,
+he tried his best to get it out but could not. So he proceeded to
+the nearest village, and calling the barber asked him to oblige him
+by removing the thorn.
+
+"Friend barber," said the monkey, "a thorn has run into my tail. Kindly
+remove it and I will reward you."
+
+The barber took up his razor and began to examine the tail; but as he
+was cutting out the thorn he cut off the tip of the tail. The monkey
+was greatly enraged and said:--
+
+"Friend barber, give me back my tail. If you cannot do that, give me
+your razor."
+
+The barber was now in a difficulty, and as he could not replace the
+tip of the tail he had to give up his razor to the monkey.
+
+The monkey, went back to the wood with his razor thus trickishly
+acquired. On the way he met an old woman, who was cutting fuel from
+a dried-up tree.
+
+"Grandmother, grandmother," said the monkey, "the tree is very
+hard. You had better use this sharp razor, and you will cut your
+fuel easily."
+
+The poor woman was very pleased, and took the razor from the monkey. In
+cutting the wood she, of course, blunted the razor, and the monkey
+seeing his razor thus spoiled, said:--
+
+"Grandmother, you have spoiled my razor. So you must either give me
+your fuel or get me a better razor."
+
+The woman was not able to procure another razor. So she gave the
+monkey her fuel and returned to her house bearing no load that day.
+
+The roguish monkey now put the bundle of dry fuel on his head and
+proceeded to a village to sell it. There he met an old woman seated
+by the roadside and making puddings. Said the monkey to her:--
+
+"Grandmother, grandmother, you are making puddings and your fuel is
+already exhausted. Use mine also and make more cakes."
+
+The old lady thanked him for his kindness and used his fuel for her
+puddings. The cunning monkey waited till the last stick of his fuel
+was burnt up, and then he said to the old woman:--
+
+"Grandmother, grandmother, return me my fuel or give me all your
+puddings."
+
+She was unable to return him the fuel, and so had to give him all
+her puddings.
+
+The monkey with the basket of puddings on his head walked and walked
+till he met a Paraiya [77] coming with a tom-tom towards him.
+
+"Brother Paraiya," said the monkey, "I have a basketful of puddings
+to give you. Will you, in return, present me with your tom-tom?"
+
+The Paraiya gladly agreed, as he was then very hungry, and had nothing
+with him to eat.
+
+The monkey now ascended with the tom-tom to the topmost branch of a
+big tree and there beat his drum most triumphantly, saying in honour
+of his several tricks:--
+
+"I lost my tail and got a razor; dum dum." [78]
+
+"I lost my razor and got a bundle of fuel; dum dum."
+
+"I lost my fuel and got a basket of puddings; dum dum".
+
+"I lost my puddings and got a tom-tom; dum dum."
+
+Thus there are rogues in this innocent world, who live to glory over
+their wicked tricks.
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+XV.
+
+PRIDE GOETH BEFORE A FALL.
+
+
+Corresponding to this English proverb, there is one in Tamil--Ahambha
+vam alai alikkum--"Self-pride brings destruction;" and the following
+story is related by the common folk to illustrate it.
+
+In a certain village there lived ten cloth merchants, who always
+went about together. Once upon a time they had travelled far afield,
+and were returning home with a great deal of money which they had
+obtained by selling their wares. Now there happened to be a dense
+forest near their village, and this they reached early one morning. In
+it there lived three notorious robbers, of whose existence the traders
+had never heard, and while they were still in the middle of it, the
+robbers stood before them, with swords and cudgels in their hands,
+and ordered them to lay down all they had. The traders had no weapons
+with them, and so, though they were many more in number, they had
+to submit themselves to the robbers, who took away everything from
+them, even the very clothes they wore, and gave to each only a small
+loin-cloth (langoti), a span in breadth and a cubit in length.
+
+The idea that they had conquered ten men, and plundered all their
+property, now took possession of the robbers' minds. They seated
+themselves like three monarchs before the men they had plundered, and
+ordered them to dance to them before returning home. The merchants now
+mourned their fate. They had lost all they had, except their chief
+essential, the langoti, and still the robbers were not satisfied,
+but ordered them to dance.
+
+There was, among the ten merchants, one who was very intelligent. He
+pondered over the calamity that had come upon him and his friends,
+the dance they would have to perform, and the magnificent manner in
+which the three robbers had seated themselves on the grass. At the
+same time he observed that these last had placed their weapons on
+the ground, in the assurance of having thoroughly cowed the traders,
+who were now commencing to dance. So he took the lead in the dance,
+and, as a song is always sung by the leader on such occasions, to
+which the rest keep time with hands and feet, he thus began to sing:--
+
+
+                Namanum puli per,
+                Talanum tiru per:
+                Savana talanai
+                Tiruvanan suttinan,
+                Savana talan midi
+                Ta tai tom tadingana.
+
+                "We are puli men,
+                They are tiru men:
+                If one sa man,
+                Surrounds tiru men.
+                Sa man remains.
+                Ta, tai, tom, tadingana."
+
+
+The robbers were all uneducated, and thought that the leader was
+merely singing a song as usual. So it was in one sense; for the leader
+commenced from a distance, and had sung the song over twice, before
+he and his companions commenced to approach the robbers. They had
+understood his meaning, which, however, even to the best educated,
+unless trained to the technical expressions of trade, would have
+remained a riddle.
+
+When two traders discuss the price of an article in the presence of
+a purchaser, they use an enigmatic form of language.
+
+"What is the price of this cloth?" one trader will ask another.
+
+"Puli rupees," another will reply, meaning "ten rupees."
+
+Thus, there is no possibility of the purchaser knowing what is meant
+unless he be acquainted with trade technicalities. [79] By the rules of
+this secret language tiru means "three," puli means "ten," and savana
+(or shortly sa) means "one." So the leader by his song meant to hint
+to his fellow-traders that they were ten men, the robbers only three,
+that if three pounced upon each of the robbers, nine of them could hold
+them down, while the remaining one bound the robbers' hands and feet.
+
+The three thieves, glorying in their victory, and little understanding
+the meaning of the song and the intentions of the dancers, were proudly
+seated chewing betel and tambak (tobacco). Meanwhile the song was
+sung a third time. Ta tai tom had left the lips of the singer; and,
+before tadingana was out of them, the traders separated into parties
+of three, and each party pounced upon a thief. The remaining one--the
+leader himself, for to him the other nine left the conclusion--tore
+up into long narrow strips a large piece of cloth, six cubits long,
+and tied the hands and feet of the robbers. These were entirely
+humbled now, and rolled on the ground like three bags of rice!
+
+The ten traders now took back all their property, and armed themselves
+with the swords and cudgels of their enemies; and when they reached
+their village, they often amused their friends and relatives by
+relating their adventure. [80]
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+XVI.
+
+GOOD WILL GROW OUT OF GOOD.
+
+
+In a certain town there reigned a king named Patnipriya, [81] to whose
+court, a poor old Brahmin, named Papabhiru, [82] came every morning,
+with a yellow lime in his hand, and presenting it to the king,
+pronounced a benediction in Tamil:--
+
+
+            Nanmai vidaittal, nanmai vilaiyum:
+            Timai vidaittal, timai vijaiyum:
+            Nanmaiyum timaiyum pinvara kanalam.
+
+            "If good is sown, then good will grow:
+            If bad is sown, then bad will grow:
+            Thus good or bad the end will show."
+
+
+The king respected as much the noble benediction of the Brahman as
+he did his grey hairs.
+
+In this way the presentation of the fruit continued daily, though
+the Brahmin had nothing to request from the king, but simply wished
+to pay his respects. On observing that he had no ulterior motives,
+but was merely actuated by rajasevana, or duty to his king, the king's
+admiration for his old morning visitor increased the more.
+
+After presenting the fruit the Brahmin waited upon his sovereign till
+his puja [83] was over, and then went home where his wife kept ready
+for him all the requisites for his own puja. Papabhiru then partook
+of what dinner his wife had prepared for him. Sometimes, however,
+a Brahmin neighbour sent him an invitation to dinner, which he at
+once accepted. For his father, before he breathed his last, had
+called him to his bedside, and, pronouncing his last benediction,
+had thus advised him in Tamil:--
+
+
+            Kalai sottai tallade,
+            Kannil Kandadai sollade,
+            Rajanukku payandu nada."
+
+            "Morning meal do thou never spurn,
+            Nor say thou what thine eyes discern,
+            But serve thy king for fame to earn."
+
+
+Thus it was that Papabhiru began his visits to the king, nor did he
+ever reject an invitation to dinner, though it might come at a very
+inconvenient time.
+
+Now on a certain ekadasi [84] morning, Papabhiru went to the king
+to pay his respects as usual, with the lime and the benediction, but
+found that he had gone to his puja and so followed him there. On seeing
+the Brahmin, the king's face glowed with pleasure, and he said:--
+
+"My most revered god on earth, [85] I thought that some ill must have
+befallen you, when I missed you in the council-hall this morning;
+but praised be Paramesvara for having sent you to me, though it is
+a little late. I never do my puja without placing my scimitar by the
+side of the god, but last night I left it in my queen's room. It is
+under the pillow of the couch on which I usually sleep. Until you
+came I could find no suitable person to fetch it for me, and so I have
+waited for you. Would you kindly take the trouble to fetch it for me?"
+
+The poor Brahmin was only too glad of the opportunity thus presented
+to him of serving his king, and so he ran to the harem and into the
+room where the king usually slept. The queen was a very wicked woman
+and always having secret meetings with courtiers of her husband, so
+when Papabhiru returned he surprised the queen and one of her lovers
+walking in the garden, he went through, however, to the king's room,
+and lifting up the king's pillow felt for the scimitar, and went
+away. True however, to his father's words, "Nor say thou what thine
+eyes discern," he never opened his lips and went his way with a
+heavy heart.
+
+The queen and her wicked suitor were greatly alarmed.
+
+"That rogue of an old Brahmin has seen us and may report to the king
+at the first opportunity," faltered the minister.
+
+But the queen, as bold in words as in sin, said; "I will have him
+murdered before the sun rises. Wait you here. I shall inform the king
+of what is to be done and report the result to you, and then you may
+go home."
+
+So saying, she went and stood before her royal husband who was at
+his worship. Patnipriya rose up and asked her the reason of her
+sudden appearance.
+
+Said she, "Your Majesty seems to think the whole world as innocent
+as yourself. That wretched old Brahmin, though his hair is as white
+as milk, has not forgotten his younger days, he asked me to run away
+with him. If you do not order his death before to-morrow morning,
+I shall kill myself."
+
+The king was much vexed with what he heard, and all the regard he had
+for the Brahmin disappeared at once. He called two of his executioners
+and spoke to them thus before his wife:--
+
+"Take to the east gate of the town a large iron caldron, and keep it
+boiling to the brim with gingely oil. [86] A certain person shall
+come to you in the morning and ask you, 'Is it all done?' Without
+observing who he is, tie his hands and feet and throw him into the
+boiling oil. When he has been boiled to death, put out the fire and
+empty out the oil."
+
+The executioners received the order and went away to perform
+their terrible duty. The queen, too, glad at heart at having thus
+successfully arranged for the murder of the Brahmin, reported the
+fact to the minister, but said nothing about the special question to
+be put by the victim. The minister, much pleased, went to his palace
+and waited for news of the Brahmin's death.
+
+When his puja was over the king sent for Papabhiru, and the poor
+Brahmin, never having before been sent for at such a time, made his
+appearance with a beating heart. When he arrived the king, in order
+to arouse no suspicion in his mind, said gently to him:--
+
+"My dear Brahmin, to-morrow morning, when you go to make your
+ablutions, pass by the east gate. There you will see two persons
+seated by the side of a large caldron. Ask them, 'Is it all done?' And
+whatever reply they give you, come and communicate to me."
+
+Thus spoke the king, firmly believing that Papabhiru would never
+return to him; while the Brahmin, glad to be able to serve the king
+a second time next morning, went home and slept soundly. Early in
+the morning, even a ghatika before his usual time, he got up, and,
+placing on his head a bag containing dry clothes, proceeded to the
+river for his morning bath. He took the road to the eastern gate as
+he had been ordered, but had not walked far when a friend invited
+him to a dvadasi [87] breakfast.
+
+"My poor old mother did not taste even a drop of water the whole of the
+ekadasi, (yesterday). Rice and hot water for a bath are ready. Pour a
+little of the water over your head, [88] pronounce one gayatri [89]
+and taste a handful of rice. Whatever may be the urgency of your
+business, oblige me for my poor mother's sake."
+
+Thus spoke his friend, and Papabhiru, out of regard to his father's
+order never to spurn a morning meal, ran in haste into his friend's
+house to oblige him; the king's order all the while sitting heavily
+on his mind.
+
+Meanwhile the minister was most anxious to hear the news of the
+Brahmin's death, but was afraid to send any one to inquire about it,
+lest he should arouse suspicion. So he went himself to the east gate,
+as soon as the sun had risen, and asked the executioners, sitting by
+the side of the caldron, by way of a simple question: "Is the business
+all done?" And as they were instructed not to observe who the person
+was that came to question them, but to tie him up and boil him in the
+oil, they, notwithstanding his howls, bound him and threw him in. As
+soon as he was dead, they extinguished the fire, poured out the oil,
+turned over the caldron, corpse and all.
+
+The Brahmin finished his dvadasi breakfast, in great haste, and,
+with the betel leaf still in his hand, ran to the gate to inquire of
+the persons seated by the caldron whether it was all done. When he
+put them the question, they smilingly replied:--
+
+"Yes, Sir, it is all done. The minister is boiled to death. We gave
+full execution to the king's orders. You may go and report the affair
+to him."
+
+The Brahmin, not knowing the reason for the course events had taken,
+ran back and reported the reply of the executioners to the king. The
+minister's interference in the affair at once kindled suspicion in the
+king's mind. He unsheathed his scimitar, and holding it in his right
+hand, twisted the lock of hair on the Brahmin's head into his left. He
+then asked him whether he had not tried to get his wife away from him
+the previous morning, and told him that, if he concealed the truth,
+he would make an end of him. The poor Brahmin now confessed what he
+had seen, on which the king threw down the scimitar and fell down on
+his knees before him.
+
+"The words of thy benediction, O respected Brahmin, have only
+now been explained to me. Thou hast sown nothing but good; and
+good in having thy life preserved, hast thou reaped. The wicked
+minister--whose conscious guilt made him so very anxious to hear
+about thy death--because he sowed a bad intention in his heart has
+reaped evil, even a death that he never expected. Another victim of
+evil sowing, remains in my queen, in whom I placed an undeserved love."
+
+So said he, and ordered her to the gallows. The old Brahmin he
+appointed his minister and reigned for a long time.
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+XVII.
+
+LIGHT MAKES PROSPERITY.
+
+
+There is a Tamil proverb dipam lakshmikaram, meaning, "light makes
+prosperity," and the following story is related to explain it:--
+
+In the town of Govindapathi there lived a merchant named Pasupati
+Setti, who had a son and a daughter. The son's name was Vinita and the
+daughter's Garvi, and while still playmates they made a mutual vow,
+that in case they ever had children that could be married to each
+other, they would certainly see that this was done. Garvi grew up
+to marry a very rich merchant, and gave birth in due course to three
+daughters, the last of whom was named Sunguni. Vinita, too, had three
+sons. Before, however, this brother and sister could fulfil their
+vow an event happened which threw a gloom over all their expectations.
+
+Pasupati Setti died, and his creditors--for he had many--grew
+troublesome. All his property had to be sold to clear his debts,
+and in a month or two after his father's death Vinita was reduced to
+the condition of a penniless pauper. But being a sensible person he
+patiently bore up against his calamity, and tried his best to live
+an honest life on what little was left to him.
+
+His sister Garvi was, as has been already said, married into a rich
+family, and when she saw the penniless condition of her brother the
+engagements she had entered into with him began to trouble her. To
+give or not to give her daughters in marriage to the sons of her
+brother! This was the question that occupied her thoughts for several
+months, till at last she determined within herself never to give poor
+husbands to her children. Fortunately for her, two young merchants of
+respectable family offered themselves to her two eldest daughters,
+she gladly accepted them and had the weddings celebrated. The last
+daughter, Suguni, alone remained unmarried.
+
+Vinita was sorely troubled in his heart at this disappointment,
+as he never thought that his sister would thus look down upon his
+poverty; but, being very sensible, he never interfered and never said
+a word. The vow of his childhood was, however, known to every one, and
+some came to sympathise with him; while others spoke in a criticising
+tone to Garvi for having broken her promise, because her brother had
+become poor through unforeseen circumstances. Their remarks fell on the
+ears of Suguni, who was as yet unmarried, and also was a very learned
+and sensible girl. She found her uncle Vinita extremely courteous and
+respectful, and his sons all persons of virtue and good nature. The
+thought that her mother should have forgotten all these excellent and
+rare qualities in the presence of fleeting mammon (asthiraisvarya)
+vexed her heart very greatly. So, though it is considered most
+contrary to etiquette for a girl in Hindu society to fix upon a boy
+as her husband, she approached her mother and thus addressed her:--
+
+"Mother, I have heard all the story about your vow to your brother
+to marry us--myself and my sisters--to his sons, our cousins; but
+I am ashamed to see you have unwarrantably broken it in the case of
+my sisters. I cannot bear such shame. I cannot marry anyone in the
+world except one of my three cousins. You must make up your mind to
+give me your consent."
+
+Garvi was astonished to hear her youngest daughter talk thus to her.
+
+"You wish to marry a beggar?" said she. "We will never agree to it,
+and if you persist we will give you away to your penniless pauper,
+but we will never see your face again."
+
+But Suguni persisted. So her marriage with the youngest son of Vinita
+was arranged. He had never spoken a word about it to his sister,
+but he had waited to make matches for his children till all his
+sister's daughters had been given away, and when he heard that Suguni
+was determined to marry his youngest son, he was very pleased. He
+soon fixed upon two girls from a poor family for his other sons,
+and celebrated the three weddings as became his position.
+
+Suguni was as noble in her conduct as in her love for her poor
+cousin. She was never proud or insolent on account of having come
+from a rich family. Nor did she ever disregard her husband, or his
+brothers, or father.
+
+Now Vinita and his sons used to go out in the mornings to gather
+dried leaves which his three daughters-in-law stitched into plates
+(patravali), which the male members of the family sold in the bazar for
+about four panams each. [90] Sometimes these leaf-plates would go for
+more, sometimes for less; but whatever money the father-in-law brought
+home his daughters-in-law used for the day's expense. The youngest
+of them was Suguni, who spent the money most judiciously, and fed her
+father-in-law and his sons sumptuously. Whatever remained she partook
+of with her two poor sisters-in-law, and lived most contentedly. And
+the family respected Suguni as a paragon of virtue, and had a very
+great regard for her. Her parents, as they had threatened, never
+returned to see how their last, and of course once beloved, child
+was doing in her husband's home. Thus passed a couple of years.
+
+One day the king of the town was taking an oil bath, and pulling a
+ring off his finger, left it in a niche in the open courtyard. A garuda
+(Brahmani kite) was at that moment describing circles in the air, and,
+mistaking the glittering rubies in the ring for flesh, pounced upon it
+and flew away. Finding it not to be flesh he dropped it in the house of
+Suguni's husband. She happened to be alone working in the courtyard,
+while her sisters-in-law and the others were in different parts of
+the house. So she took up the sparkling ring and hid it in her lap.
+
+Soon afterwards she heard a proclamation made in the street that the
+king had lost a valuable ring, and that any person who could trace it
+and give it back to him should obtain a great reward. Suguni called
+her husband and his brothers and thus addressed them:--
+
+"My lord and brothers, I have the king's ring. Exactly at midday a
+garuda dropped it in our courtyard and here it is. We must all go to
+the king, and there, before you three, I shall deliver up the ring,
+explaining how I got it. When his majesty desires me to name my
+reward I shall do so, and beg of you never to contradict or gainsay
+my desires, if they appear very humble in your opinion."
+
+The brothers agreed, and they all started for the palace. They had
+a very great respect for Suguni and expected a good result from this
+visit to the king.
+
+The palace was reached, and the ring was given back to the king
+with the explanation. His majesty was charmed at the modesty and
+truthfulness of Suguni, and asked her to name her reward.
+
+"My most gracious sovereign! King of kings! Supreme lord! Only a slight
+favour thy dog of a servant requests of your majesty. It is this,
+that on a Friday night all the lights in the town be extinguished,
+and not a lamp be lit even in the palace. Only the house of thy dog
+of a servant must be lighted up with such lights as it can afford."
+
+"Agreed, most modest lady. We grant your request, and we permit you
+to have the privilege you desire this very next Friday."
+
+Joyfully she bowed before his majesty, and returned with her husband
+and the others to her house. She then pledged the last jewel she had
+by her and procured some money.
+
+Friday came. She fasted the whole day, and as soon as twilight
+approached she called both the brothers of her husband, and thus
+addressed them:--
+
+"My brothers, I have made arrangements for lighting up our house
+with one thousand lamps to-night. One of you, without ever closing
+your eyes for a moment, must watch the front of our house and the
+other the back. If a woman of a graceful appearance and of feminine
+majesty wishes you to permit her to enter it, boldly tell her to
+swear first never to go out again. If she solemnly agrees to this,
+then permit her to come in. If in the same way any woman wishes to
+go out, make a similar condition that she must swear never to return
+at any time in her life."
+
+What Suguni said seemed ridiculous to the brothers; but they allowed
+her to have her way, and waited to see patiently what would take place.
+
+The whole town was gloomy that night, except Suguni's house; for,
+by order of his majesty, no light was lit in any other house. The
+Ashtalakshmis--the Eight Prosperities--entered the town that night and
+went house by house into every street. All of them were dark, and the
+only house lit up was Suguni's. They tried to enter it, but the brother
+at the door stopped them and ordered them to take the oath. This they
+did, and when he came to understand that these ladies were the Eight
+Prosperities, he admired the sagacity of his brother's wife.
+
+A nimisha after the eight ladies had gone in, there came out of the
+house a hideous female and requested permission to go, but the brother
+at the back would not permit this unless she swore never to come back
+again. She solemnly swore, and the next moment he came to know that
+she was Mudevi, or Adversity, the elder sister of Prosperity.
+
+For she said:--"My sisters have come. I cannot stay here for a minute
+longer. God bless you and your people. I swear by everything sacred
+never to come back."
+
+And so, unable to breathe there any longer, Adversity ran away.
+
+When the morning dawned, the Prosperities had already taken up a
+permanent abode with the family. The rice bag became filled. The money
+chest overflowed with money. The pot contained milk. And thus plenty
+began to reign in Suguni's house from that day. The three brothers and
+her father-in-law were overjoyed at the way Suguni had driven away
+their poverty for ever, and even Suguni's parents did not feel it a
+disgrace to come and beg their daughter's pardon. She nobly granted
+it and lived with all the members of her family in prosperity for a
+long life.
+
+It is a notion, therefore, among orthodox Hindus, that light in the
+house brings prosperity, and darkness adversity. [91]
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+XVIII.
+
+CHANDRALEKHA AND THE EIGHT ROBBERS.
+
+
+There was an ancient city named Kaivalyam, in the Pandiya country,
+and in that city there lived a dancing girl named Muttumohana. She was
+an excellent gem of womankind, for though born of the dancing-girls'
+caste, she was a very learned and pious woman, and never would she
+taste her food without first going and worshipping in the temple of
+Siva. She moved in the society of kings, ministers, and Brahmins, and
+never mingled with low people, however rich they might be. She had a
+daughter named Chandralekha, whom she put to school with the sons of
+kings, ministers and Brahmins. Chandralekha showed signs of very great
+intelligence, even when she was beginning her alphabet, so that the
+master took the greatest care with her tuition, and in less than four
+years she began her lessons and became a great pandita. [92] However,
+as she was only a dancing-girl by birth, there was no objection to her
+attending to her studies in open school till she attained to maturity,
+and, accordingly, up to that age she attended the school and mastered
+the four Vedas and Sastras and the sixty-four varieties of knowledge.
+
+She then ceased to attend the school, and Muttumohana said to her:--
+
+"My darling daughter, for the last seven or eight years you have
+been taking lessons under the Brahmin, your master, in the various
+departments of knowledge, and you must now pay a large fee to
+remunerate your master's labours in having taught you so much. You
+are at liberty to take as much money as you please from my hoard."
+
+So saying she handed over the key to her daughter, and Chandralekha,
+delighted at her mother's sound advice, filled up five baskets with
+five thousand mohars in each, and setting them on the heads of five
+maid-servants, went to her master's house with betel leaves, areca nut,
+flowers and cocoanuts in a platter in her hand, to be presented along
+with the money. The servants placed the baskets before the master and
+stood outside the house, while Chandralekha took the dish of betel
+leaves, nuts, &c., and humbly prostrated herself on the ground before
+him. Then, rising up, she said:--
+
+"My most holy guru (master), great are the pains your holiness
+undertook in instructing me, and thus destroying the darkness of my
+ignorance. For the last eight years I have been a regular student
+under your holiness, and all the branches of knowledge hath your
+holiness taught me. Though what I offer might be insufficient for
+the pains your holiness took in my case, still I humbly request your
+holiness to accept what I have brought."
+
+Thus said she, and respectfully pushed the baskets of mohars and
+the betel-nut platter towards the Brahmin. She expected to hear
+benedictions from her tutor, but in that we shall see she was soon
+disappointed.
+
+Replied the wretched Brahmin:--
+
+"My dear Chandralekha, do you not know that I am the tutor of the
+prince, the minister's son and several others of great wealth in
+Kaivalyam? Of money I have more than enough. I do not want a single
+mohar from you, but what I want is that you should marry me." [93]
+
+Thus spoke the shameless teacher, and Chandralekha's face changed
+colour. She was horrified to hear such a suggestion from one whom she
+had thought till then to be an incarnation of perfection. But, still
+hoping to convince him of the unjustness of the request, she said:--
+
+"My most holy master! The deep respect I entertain towards your holy
+feet is such that, though your holiness's words are plain, I am led
+to think that they are merely uttered to test my character. Does not
+your holiness know the rules by which a preceptor is to be regarded
+as a father, and that I thus stand in the relationship of a daughter
+to your holiness? So kindly forget all that your holiness has said,
+and accepting what I have brought in my humble state, permit me to
+go home."
+
+But the wretched teacher never meant anything of the sort. He had
+spoken in earnest, and his silence now and lascivious look at once
+convinced the dancing-girl's daughter of what was passing in his
+mind. So she quickly went out and told her servants to take back
+the money.
+
+At home Muttumohana was anxiously awaiting the return of her daughter,
+and as soon as Chandralekha came in without the usual cheerfulness in
+her face, and without having given the presents, her mother suspected
+that something had gone wrong, and inquired of her daughter the cause
+of her gloom. She then related to her mother the whole story of her
+interview with her old master. Muttumohana was glad to find such a
+firm heart in her daughter, and blessed her, saying that she would
+be wedded to a young husband, and lead a chaste life, though born of
+the dancing-girls' caste. The money she safely locked up in her room.
+
+Now, the Brahmin, in consequence of his disappointment, was very angry
+with Chandralekha, and, that no young and wealthy gentleman might
+visit her house, he spread reports that Chandralekha was possessed of
+a demon (kuttichchatti). So no one approached Chandralekha's house to
+win her love, and her mother was much vexed. Her great wish was that
+some respectable young man should secure her daughter's affections,
+but the master's rumours stood in the way. And thus a year passed,
+and the belief that a kuttichchatti had possessed Chandralekha gained
+firm ground.
+
+After what seemed to these two to be a long period, a sage happened to
+visit Muttumohana's house, and she related to him all her daughter's
+story. He listened and said:--
+
+"Since the belief that a demon has taken possession of your daughter
+has taken firm hold of the citizens, it is but necessary now that
+she should perform (puja) worship to the demon-king on the night of
+the new moon of this month in the cremation-ground. Let her do this
+and she will be all right, for then some worthy young man can secure
+her affections."
+
+So saying the sage went away, and his advice seemed to be reasonable
+to the mother. She very well knew that no such demon had possessed
+her daughter, but that it was all the master's idle report. But still,
+to wipe away any evil notion in the minds of the people she publicly
+proclaimed that her daughter would perform puja in the cremation-ground
+at midnight at the next new moon. [94] Now, it is always the rule in
+such rites that the person who is possessed should go alone to the
+cremation-ground, and, accordingly, on the night of the next new moon,
+Chandralekha went to the burning-ground with a basket containing all
+the necessary things for worship, and a light.
+
+Near Kaivalyam, at a distance of five kos from it, was a great
+forest called Khandavam. In it there dwelt eight robbers, who used
+to commit the greatest havoc in the country round. At the time that
+Chandralekha proceeded to the cremation-ground, these eight robbers
+also happened to go there to conceal what they had stolen in the
+earlier part of that night. Then, being relieved of their burden,
+they determined to go to some other place to plunder during the
+latter half of the night also. When Chandralekha heard the sound of
+footsteps at a distance she feared something wrong, and, covering up
+her glittering light by means of her empty basket, concealed herself
+in a hollow place. The thieves came and looked round about them. They
+found nobody, but, fearing that some one might be near, one of them
+took out an instrument called kannakkol, and, whirling it round his
+head, threw it towards the east. This kannakkol is the instrument
+by which these robbers bore holes in walls and enter buildings, and
+some robbers say they get it from a thunderbolt. During a stormy
+day they make a large heap of cow-dung, into which a thunderbolt
+falls and leaves a rod in the middle, which is so powerful that it
+can bore even through stone walls without making any noise. It has
+also the attribute of obeying its master's orders. So when the chief
+of the eight robbers threw his kannakkol towards the east, true to
+its nature, it fell into the hole in which Chandralekha was hiding,
+and began to pierce her in the back. As soon as she felt it, she
+dragged it out by both her hands without making the slightest noise,
+and, throwing it under her feet, stood firmly over it. The robbers,
+having concealed the eight boxes of wealth they had brought with
+them in the sands near the cremation-ground, went away to spend the
+remaining part of the night usefully in their own fashion.
+
+As soon as the robbers had left the place Chandralekha came out, and,
+taking possession of the robbers' rod, took out the eight boxes that
+the robbers had buried. With these she quickly hastened home, where
+her mother was awaiting her return. She soon made her appearance,
+and related all that had occurred during the night to her mother. They
+soon removed the contents of the boxes and locked them up safely. Then,
+taking the empty boxes, she filled them up with stones, old iron and
+other useless materials, and, arranging them two and two by the side
+of each leg of her cot, went to sleep on it.
+
+As the night was drawing to a close, the robbers, with still more
+booty, came to the ground, and were thunderstruck when they missed
+their boxes. But as the day was dawning they went away into the jungle,
+leaving the investigation of the matter to the next night. They were
+astonished at the trick that had been played upon them and were very
+anxious to find out the thief who had outwitted thieves. Now they were
+sure that their boring-rod, which they had aimed against the unknown
+person who might be lurking in the smasanam (cremation-ground),
+must have wounded him. So one of them assumed the guise of an
+ointment-seller, [95] and, with some ointment in a cocoanut-bottle,
+began to walk the streets of Kaivalyam city, crying out:--
+
+"Ointment to sell. The best of ointments to cure new wounds and old
+sores. Please buy my ointment."
+
+And the other seven thieves assumed seven different disguises and
+also went wandering round the streets of the city. A maid-servant
+of Chandralekha had seen that her mistress was suffering from the
+effects of a wound in her back, and never suspecting a thief in the
+medicine seller, called out to the ointment-man and took him inside
+the house. She then informed Chandralekha that she had brought in
+an ointment-man, and that she would do well to buy a little of his
+medicine for her wound. The clever Chandralekha at once recognised the
+thief in the medicine vendor, and he too, as he was a very cunning
+brute, recognised in the young lady the thief of his boxes, and
+found her wound to be that made by his boring-rod. They soon parted
+company. The lady bought a little ointment, and the thief in disguise,
+gladly giving a little of his precious stuff from his cocoanut-bottle,
+went away. The eight thieves had appointed a place outside Kaivalyam
+for their rendezvous, and there they learnt who had robbed them of
+their treasure. Not wishing to remain idle, they chose that very
+night both to break into Chandralekha's house and bring away herself
+and their boxes.
+
+Chandralekha, too, was very careful. She locked up all the treasures
+and kept the eight boxes filled with rubbish, so as to correspond with
+their original weights, under the cot on which she slept, or rather
+pretended to sleep, that night. The thieves in due course made a hole
+into her bedroom and entered. They found her to all appearance sound
+asleep, and to their still greater joy, they found beneath her cot
+their eight boxes.
+
+"The vixen is asleep. Let us come to-morrow night and take her away;
+but first let us remove our boxes."
+
+So saying to each other, they took their boxes, each placing one on his
+head, and returned in haste to their cave, which they reached early in
+the morning. But when they opened the boxes to sort out their booty,
+astonishment of astonishments, their eyes met only broken pieces of
+stone, lumps of iron, and other such rubbish. Every one of them placed
+his forefinger at right angles to the tip of his nose, and exclaimed:--
+
+"Ah! A very clever girl. She has managed to deceive us all. But let
+this day pass. We shall see whether she will not fall into our hands
+to-night."
+
+Thus, in wonder and amazement, they spent the whole day. Nor was
+Chandralekha idle at her own house. She was sure she would again see
+the robbers in her room that night, and, in order to be prepared for
+the occasion, she made a small sharp knife out of the robber's rod,
+and kept it beneath her pillow, in the place where she was accustomed
+to keep her purse containing a few betel leaves, nuts, chunam, &c.,
+to chew. The night came on. Early Chandralekha had her supper and
+retired to bed. Sleep she could not, but she cunningly kept eyelids
+closed and pretended to sleep. Even before it was midnight the eight
+thieves broke into her room, saying to themselves:--
+
+"This clever lady-thief sleeps soundly. We will do her no mischief
+here. Let us range ourselves two and two at each leg of her cot,
+and carry her away unconscious to the woods. There we can kill her."
+
+Thus thinking, the eight thieves ranged themselves at the side
+of the four legs of the cot, and, without the slightest shaking,
+removed the cot with the sleeper on it outside the town. Their
+joy in thus having brought away their enemy was very great, and,
+not fearing for the safe custody of their prisoner, they marched to
+their cave. Meanwhile Chandralekha was not idle on the cot. The way
+to the jungle was through a long and fine avenue of mango trees. It
+was the mango season, and all the branches were hanging with bunches
+of ripe and unripe fruit. To make up for her weight on the cot she
+kept plucking mango bunches and heaping them on it, and as soon as
+a quantity which she thought would make up her weight was upon her
+cot, she without the slightest noise took hold of a branch and swung
+herself off it. The thieves walked on as before, the weight on their
+heads not apparently diminishing, leaving our heroine safely seated
+on a mango branch to pass the few remaining ghatikas of that anxious
+night there. The thieves reached their cave just at daybreak, and
+when they placed their burden down their eyes met only bunches of
+ripe mangoes, and not the lady they looked for.
+
+"Is she a woman of flesh and blood, or is she a devil?" asked the
+chief of the next in rank.
+
+"My lord! she is a woman fast enough, and if we search in the wood
+we shall find her," replied he, and at once all the eight robbers
+after a light breakfast began to search for her.
+
+Meanwhile the morning dawned upon Chandralekha and let her see that
+she was in the midst of a thick jungle. She feared to escape in
+the daytime as the way was long, and she was sure that the robbers
+would soon be after her. So she resolved to conceal herself in some
+deep ambush and wait for the night. Before she left the cot for the
+mango branch she had secured in her hip the small knife she had made
+for herself out of the robbers' rod and the purse containing the
+materials for chewing betel; and near the tree into which she had
+climbed she saw a deep hollow surrounded by impenetrable reeds on all
+sides. So she slowly let herself down from the tree into this hollow,
+and anxiously waited there for the night.
+
+All this time the eight thieves were searching for her in different
+places, and one of them came to the spot where Chandralekha had sat
+in the tree, and the dense bushes near made him suspect that she
+was hidden there; so he proceeded to examine the place by climbing
+up the tree. When Chandralekha saw the thief on the tree she gave
+up all hopes of life. But suddenly a bright thought came into her
+mind, just as the man up above saw her. Putting on a most cheerful
+countenance she slowly spoke to him.
+
+"My dear husband, for I must term you so from this moment, since God
+has elevated you now to that position, do not raise an alarm. Come
+down here gently, that we may be happy in each other's company. You
+are my husband and I am your wife from this moment."
+
+So spoke the clever Chandralekha, and the head of the thief began
+to turn with joy when he heard so sweet a speech, and forgetting all
+her previous conduct to himself and his brethren, he leapt into the
+hollow. She welcomed him with a smiling face, in which the eager heart
+of the robber read sincere affection, and gave him some betel-nut
+to chew and chewed some herself merrily. Now redness of the tongue
+after chewing betel is always an indication of the mutual affection
+of a husband and wife among the illiterate of Hindu society. So while
+the betel-leaf was being chewed she put out her tongue to show the
+thief how red it was, letting him see thereby how deeply she loved
+him: and he, to show in return how deeply he loved her, put out his
+tongue too. And she, as if examining it closely, clutched it in her
+left hand, while with her right hand in the twinkling of an eye cut
+off the tongue and nose of the robber, and taking advantage of the
+confusion that came over him she cut his throat and left him dead.
+
+By this time evening was fast approaching, and the other seven robbers,
+after fruitless search, returned to their cave, feeling sure that
+the eighth man must have discovered Chandralekha. They waited and
+waited the whole night, but no one returned, for how could a man who
+had been killed come back?
+
+Our heroine, meanwhile, as soon as evening set in started homewards,
+being emboldened by the occasion and the circumstances in which she
+was placed. She reached home safely at midnight and related all her
+adventures to her mother. Overcome by exhaustion she slept the rest of
+the night, and as soon as morning dawned began to strengthen the walls
+of her bedroom by iron plates. To her most useful pocket-knife she now
+added a bagful of powdered chillies, and went to bed, not to sleep,
+but to watch for the robbers. Just as she expected, a small hole was
+bored in the east wall of her bedroom, and one of the seven robbers
+thrust in his head. As soon as she saw the hole our heroine stood
+by the side of it with the powder and knife, and with the latter she
+cut off the nose of the man who peeped in and thrust the powder into
+the wound. Unable to bear the burning pain he dragged himself back,
+uttering "na, na, na, na," having now no nose to pronounce properly
+with. A second thief, abusing the former for having lost his nose
+so carelessly, went in, and the bold lady inside dealt in the same
+way with his nose, and he too, dragged himself back in the same way,
+calling out "na, na, na, na." A third thief abused the second in his
+turn, and going in lost his nose also. Thus all the seven thieves
+lost their noses, and, fearing to be discovered if they remained,
+ran off to the forest, where they had to take a few days' rest from
+their plundering habits to cure their mutilated noses.
+
+Chandralekha had thus three or four times disappointed the thieves. The
+more she disappointed them the more she feared for her own safety,
+especially as she had now inflicted a life-long shame on them.
+
+"The thieves will surely come as soon as their noses are cured and
+kill me in some way or other. I am, after all, only a girl," she
+thought to herself. So she went at once to the palace and reported
+all her adventures with the eight robbers to the prince, who had been
+her former class-mate. The prince was astonished at the bravery of
+Chandralekha, and promised the next time the robbers came to lend
+her his assistance. So every night a spy from the palace slept in
+Chandralekha's house to carry the news of the arrival of the robbers to
+the prince, should they ever go there. But the robbers were terribly
+afraid of approaching Chandralekha's house, after they came to know
+that she had a knife made out of the boring-rod. But they devised
+among themselves a plan of inviting Chandralekha to the forest under
+the pretence of holding a nautch, and sent to her house a servant for
+that purpose. The servant came, and, entering Chandralekha's house,
+spoke thus to her:--
+
+"My dear young lady, whoever you may be, you have now a chance of
+enriching yourself. I see plainly from the situation of your house
+that you are one of the dancing-girls' caste. My masters in the forest
+have made a plan to give a nautch to their relatives on the occasion
+of a wedding which is to take place there the day after to-morrow. If
+you come there they will reward you with a karor of mohars for every
+nimisha (minute) of your performance."
+
+Thus spoke the servant, and Chandralekha, knowing that the mission
+was from the thieves, agreed to perform the nautch, and, asking the
+man to come and take her and her party the next morning to the forest,
+sent him away.
+
+In order to lose no time she went at once to the prince and told him
+all about the nautch. Said she:--
+
+"I know very well that this is a scheme of the thieves to kill me,
+but before they can do that we must try to kill them. A way suggests
+itself to me in this wise. To make up a nautch party more than seven
+persons are required. One must play the drum; a second must sound the
+cymbals; a third must blow upon the nagasvara pipe, etc., etc. So I
+request you to give me seven of your strongest men to accompany me
+disguised as men of my party, and some of your troops must secretly
+lie in ambush in readiness to take the robbers prisoners when a signal
+is given to them."
+
+Thus Chandralekha spoke, and all her advice the prince received with
+great admiration. He himself offered to follow her as her drummer for
+the nautch, and he chose six of the ablest commanders from his army,
+and asked them to disguise themselves as fiddlers, pipers, etc., and
+he directed an army of a thousand men to follow their footsteps at a
+distance of two ghatikas' march, and to lie in ambush near the place
+where they were going to perform the nautch, ready for a call. Thus
+everything was arranged and all were ready by the morning to start
+from Chandralekha's house.
+
+Before the third ghatika of the morning was over, the robbers' servant
+came to conduct Chandralekha with her party to the forest, where the
+prince and six of his strongest men disguised as her followers, were
+waiting for him. Chandralekha with all her followers accompanied him,
+but as soon as she left her house a spy ran off to the army, which,
+as ordered by the prince, began to follow her party at a distance of
+two ghatikas.
+
+After travelling a long way Chandralekha and her party reached the
+nautch pavilion at about five ghatikas before sunset. All their
+hosts were without their noses, and some still had their noses
+bandaged up. When they saw that Chandralekha's followers had a fine
+and prepossessing appearance, even the hard hearts of the robbers
+softened a little.
+
+"Let us have a look at her performance. She is now entirely in
+our possession. Instead of murdering her now, we will witness her
+performance for a ghatika," said the robbers to each other; and all
+with one voice said "agreed," and at once the order for the performance
+was given.
+
+Chandralekha, who was clever in every department of knowledge, began
+her performance, and, by the most exquisite movement of her limbs,
+held the audience spell-bound, when suddenly ta tai, tom clashed the
+cymbals. This was the signal for the destruction of the robbers, as
+well as the sign of the close of a part of the nautch. In the twinkling
+of an eye the seven disguised followers of the dancing-girl had thrown
+down the thieves and were upon them. Before the servants of the robbers
+could come to the help of their masters the footsteps of an army near
+were heard, and in no time the prince's one thousand men were on the
+spot and took all the robbers and their followers prisoners.
+
+So great had been the ravages of these robbers in and round Kaivalyam
+that, without any mercy being shown to them, they and their followers
+were all ordered to be beheaded, and the prince was so much won over
+by the excellent qualities of Chandralekha that, notwithstanding her
+birth as a dancing-girl, he regarded her as a gem of womankind and
+married her.
+
+"Buy a girl in a bazar" (kanniyai kadaiyir kol) is a proverb. What
+matter where a girl is born provided she is virtuous! And Chandralekha,
+by her excellent virtue, won a prince for her lord. And when that
+lord came to know of the real nature of his teacher, who was also
+the teacher of Chandralekha, he banished him from his kingdom, as a
+merciful punishment, in consideration of his previous services.
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+XIX.
+
+THE CONQUEST OF FATE.
+
+
+In the Dakshinadesa there lived a Brahmin boy who from his childhood
+was given a very liberal education in Sanskrit. He had read so much
+in philosophy that before he reached the sixteenth year of his life
+he began to despise the pleasures of the world. Everything which he
+saw was an illusion (mithya) to him. So he resolved to renounce the
+world and to go to a forest, there to meet with some great sage,
+and pass his days with him in peace and happiness.
+
+Having thus made up his mind, he left his home one day without the
+knowledge of his parents and travelled towards the Dandakaranya. After
+wandering for a long time in that impenetrable forest, and undergoing
+all the miseries of a wood inhabited only by wild beasts, he reached
+the banks of the Tungabhadra. His sufferings in his wanderings in a
+forest untrodden by human feet, his loneliness in the midst of wild
+beasts, his fears whether after all he had not failed in his search
+for consolation in a preceptor to teach him the higher branches of
+philosophy, came up one after another before his mind. Dejected and
+weary, he cast his glance forward as far as it could reach. Was it
+a reality or only imagination? He saw before him a lonely cottage
+of leaves (parnasala). To a lonely traveller even the appearance of
+shelter is welcome, so he followed up his vision till it became a
+reality, and an aged hoary Brahmin, full fourscore and more in years,
+welcomed our young philosopher.
+
+"What has brought you here, my child, to this lonely forest thus
+alone?" spoke in a sweet voice the hoary lord of the cottage of leaves.
+
+"A thirst for knowledge, so that I may acquire the mastery over the
+higher branches of philosophy," was the reply of our young adventurer,
+whose name was Subrahmanya.
+
+"Sit down my child," said the old sage, much pleased that in this
+Kaliyuga, which is one long epoch of sin, there was at least one
+young lad who had forsaken his home for philosophy.
+
+Having thus seen our hero safely relieved from falling a prey to the
+tigers and lions of the Dandakaranya, let us enquire into the story
+of the old sage. In the good old days even of this Kaliyuga learned
+people, after fully enjoying the world, retired to the forests,
+with or without their wives, to pass the decline of life in solemn
+solitude and contemplation. When they went with their wives they were
+said to undergo the vanaprastha stage of family life.
+
+The hoary sage of our story was undergoing vanaprastha, for he was
+in the woods with his wife. His name while living was Jnananidhi. He
+had built a neat parnasala, or cottage of leaves, on the banks of
+the commingled waters of the Tunga and Bhadra, and here his days and
+nights were spent in meditation. Though old in years he retained the
+full vigour of manhood, the result of a well-spent youth. The life
+of his later years was most simple and sinless.
+
+
+        "Remote from man, with God he passed his days;
+        Prayer all his business, all his pleasures praise."
+
+
+The wood yielded him herbs, fruits, and roots, and the river,
+proverbial [96] for its sweet waters, supplied him with drink. He
+lived, in fact, as simply as the bard who sang:--
+
+
+                "But from the mountain's grassy side
+                    A guiltless feast I bring;
+                A bag with herbs and fruits supplied,
+                    And water from the spring."
+
+
+His faithful wife brought him these, while Jnananidhi himself devoted
+his whole time to the contemplation of God.
+
+Such was Jnananidhi--the abode of all wise people--to whom the
+boy-philosopher, Subrahmanya, resorted. After questioning each other
+both were mightily pleased at the fortune which had brought them
+together. Jnananidhi was glad to impart his hard-earned knowledge
+during his leisure moments to the young student, and Subrahmanya,
+with that longing which made him renounce the city and take to the
+woods eagerly swallowed and assimilated whatever was administered to
+him. He relieved his mother--for as such he regarded his master's
+wife--of all her troubles, and used, himself, to go out to bring
+the fruits, herbs, and roots necessary for the repasts of the little
+family. Thus passed five years, by which time our young friend had
+become learned in the many branches of Aryan philosophy.
+
+Jnananidhi had a desire to visit the source of the Tungabhadra, but
+his wife was eight months advanced in her pregnancy. So he could not
+take her; and to take care of her he had to leave behind his disciple,
+Subrahmanya. Thus after commending the lady to Subrahmanya's care,
+and leaving for female assistance another sage's wife, whom he had
+brought from a distant forest, Jnananidhi went his way.
+
+Now, there is a strong belief among Hindus that Brahma, the great
+creator, writes on everyone's head at the time of his birth his
+future fortunes in life. He is supposed to do this just at the
+moment of birth. Of course, the great god when he enters the room
+to discharge his onerous duty, is invisible to all human eyes. But
+the eyes of Subrahmanya were not exactly human. The supreme knowledge
+which Jnananidhi had imparted to him made it easy for him to discern at
+once a person entering most impolitely the room in which his master's
+wife had been confined.
+
+"Let your reverence stop here," said the disciple angrily though
+respectfully.
+
+The great god shuddered, for he had been in the habit of entering
+hourly innumerable buildings on his eternal rounds of duty, but never
+till then had a human being perceived him and asked him to stop. His
+wonder knew no measure, and as he stood bewildered the following
+reprimand fell on his ears:
+
+"Hoary Brahmin sage (for so Brahma appeared), it is unbecoming your age
+thus to enter the hut of my master, unallowed by me, who am watching
+here. My teacher's wife is ill. Stop!"
+
+Brahma hastily--for the time of inscribing the future fortune on the
+forehead of the baby to be born was fast approaching--explained to
+Subrahmanya who he was and what had brought him there. As soon as
+our young hero came to know the person who stood before him he rose
+up, and, tying his upper cloth round his hips as a mark of respect,
+went round the creator thrice, fell down before Brahma's most holy
+feet and begged his pardon. Brahma had not much time. He wanted to
+go in at once, but our young friend would not leave the god until he
+explained what he meant to write on the head of the child.
+
+"My son!" said Brahma, "I myself do not know what my iron nail will
+write on the head of the child. When the child is born I place the
+nail on its head, and the instrument writes the fate of the baby in
+proportion to its good or bad acts in its former life. To delay me
+is merely wrong. Let me go in."
+
+"Then," said Subrahmanya, "your holiness must inform me when your
+holiness goes out what has been written on the child's head."
+
+"Agreed," said Brahma and went in. After a moment he returned, and
+our young hero at the door asked the god what his nail had written.
+
+"My child!" said Brahma, "I will inform you what it wrote; but if you
+disclose it to anyone your head will split into a thousand pieces. The
+child is a male child. It has before it a very hard life. A buffalo and
+a sack of grain will be its livelihood. What is to be done. Perhaps
+it had not done any good acts in its former life, and as the result
+of its sin it must undergo miseries now."
+
+"What! Your supreme holiness, the father of this child is a great
+sage! And is this the fate reserved to the son of a sage?" wept the
+true disciple of the sage.
+
+"What have I to do with the matter? The fruits of acts in a former
+life must be undergone in the present life. But, remember, if you
+should reveal this news to any one your head will split into a
+thousand pieces."
+
+Having said this Brahma went away, leaving Subrahmanya extremely pained
+to hear that the son of a great sage was to have a hard life. He could
+not even open his lips on the subject, for if he did his head would be
+split. In sorrow he passed some days, when Jnananidhi returned from
+his pilgrimage and was delighted to see his wife and the child doing
+well, and in the learned company of the old sage our young disciple
+forgot all his sorrow.
+
+Three more years passed away in deep study, and again the old
+sage wanted to go on a pilgrimage to the sacred source of the
+Tungabhadra. Again was his wife expecting her confinement, and he
+had to leave her and his disciple behind with the usual temporary
+female assistance. Again, too, did Brahma come at the moment of birth,
+but found easy admittance as Subrahmanya had now become acquainted
+with him owing to the previous event. Again did Brahma take an oath
+from him not to communicate the fortunes of the second child, with
+the curse that if he broke his oath, his head would split into a
+thousand pieces. This child was a female, and the nail had written
+that her fate was to be that of a frivolous woman. Extremely vexed
+was our young philosopher. The thought vexed him to such a degree,
+that language has no words to express it. After worrying a great deal
+he consoled himself with the soothing philosophies of the fatalists,
+that fate alone governs the world.
+
+The old sage in due course returned, and our young disciple spent
+two more happy years with him. After a little more than ten years
+had been thus spent the boy reached to five years and the girl to
+two. The more they advanced in years the more did the recollection
+of their future pain Subrahmanya. So one morning he humbly requested
+the old sage to permit him to go on a long journey to the Himalayas
+and other mountains, and Jnananidhi, knowing that all that he knew
+had been grasped by the young disciple, permitted him with a glad
+heart to satisfy his curiosity.
+
+Our hero started, and after several years, during which he visited
+several towns and learned men, reached the Himalayas. There he saw
+many sages, and lived with them for some time. He did not remain in
+one place, for his object was more to examine the world. So he went
+from place to place, and after a long and interesting journey of
+twenty years he again returned to the banks of the Tungabhadra, at
+the very place where he lived for ten years and imbibed philosophical
+knowledge from Jnananidhi. But he saw there neither Jnananidhi nor his
+old wife. They had long since fallen a prey to the lord of death. Much
+afflicted at heart at seeing his master and mistress no more, he went
+to the nearest town, and there after a deal of search he found a coolie
+with a single buffalo. The fate which Brahma's nail had written on
+his master's son rushed into the mind of Subrahmanya. He approached
+the coolie, and, on closely examining him from a distance, our hero
+found distinct indications of his master's face in the labourer. His
+grief knew no bounds at seeing the son of a great sage thus earning
+his livelihood by minding a buffalo. He followed him to his home,
+and found that he had a wife and two children. One sack of corn he had
+in his house and no more, from which he took out a portion every day
+and gave it to his wife to be shelled. The rice was cooked, and with
+the petty earnings of a coolie, he and his family kept body and soul
+together. Each time the corn in the sack became exhausted he used to
+be able to save enough to replenish it again with corn. Thus did he
+(according to the writing of Brahma's nail) pass his days. Kapali
+was the name of this coolie, the sage's son.
+
+"Do you know me, Kapali?" said our hero, as he remembered his name.
+
+The coolie was astonished to hear his name so readily pronounced by
+one who was apparently a stranger to him, but he said:--
+
+"I am sorry that I do not know you, Sir."
+
+Subrahmanya then explained to him who he was, and requested him to
+follow his advice.
+
+"My dear son," said he, "do as I bid you. Early morning to-morrow leave
+your bed and take to the market your buffalo and the corn sack. Dispose
+of them for whatever amount they will fetch. Do not think twice about
+the matter. Buy all that is necessary for a sumptuous meal from the
+sale proceeds and eat it all up at once without reserving a morsel
+for the morrow. You will get a great deal more than you can eat in a
+day; but do not reserve any, even the smallest portion of it. Feed
+several other Brahmins with it. Do not think that I advise you for
+your ruin. You will see in the end that what your father's disciple
+tells you is for your own prosperity."
+
+However, whatever the sage might say, Kapali could not bring himself
+to believe him.
+
+"What shall I do to feed my wife and children to-morrow if I sell
+everything belonging to me to-day?"
+
+Thus thought Kapali, and consulted his wife.
+
+Now she was a very virtuous and intelligent woman. Said she:--
+
+"My dear lord, we have heard that your father was a great mahatma. This
+disciple must equally be a mahatma. His holiness would not advise us
+to our ruin. Let us follow the sage's advice."
+
+When Kapali's wife thus supported the sage, he resolved to dispose of
+his beast and sack the next morning, and he did so accordingly. The
+provisions he bought were enough to feed fifty Brahmins morning and
+evening, as well as his own family. So that day he fed Brahmins for
+the first time in his life. Night came on, and after an adventurous day
+Kapali retired to sleep, but sleep he could not. Meanwhile Subrahmanya
+was sleeping on the bare verandah outside the house, and he came to
+the sage and said:--
+
+"Holy sage, nearly half the night is spent, and there are only
+fifteen ghatikas more for the dawn. What shall I do for the morrow
+for my hungry children? All that I had I have spent. I have not even
+a morsel of cold rice for the morning."
+
+Subrahmanya showed him some money that he had in his hand, enough to
+buy a buffalo and a sack of corn in case the great god did not help
+him, and asked him to spend that night, at least the remainder of it,
+in calm sleep. So Kapali, with his heart at ease, retired to rest.
+
+He had not slept more than ten ghatikas when he dreamt that all
+his family--his wife and children--were screaming for a mouthful
+of rice. Suddenly he awoke and cursed his poverty which always
+made such thoughts dwell uppermost in his mind. There were only
+five ghatikas for the lord of the day to make his appearance in the
+eastern horizon, and before this could happen he wanted to finish his
+morning bath and ablutions, and so he went to his garden to bathe at
+the well. The shed for the buffalo was erected in the garden, and it
+had been his habit daily before bathing to give fresh straw to his
+beast. That morning he thought he would be spared that duty. But,
+wonder of wonders! He saw another buffalo standing there. He cursed
+his poverty again which made him imagine impossibilities. How could it
+be possible that his beast should be standing there when he had sold
+it the previous morning? So he went into the shed and found a real
+buffalo standing there. He could not believe his eyes, and hastily
+brought a lamp from his house. It was, however, a real buffalo, and
+beside it was a sack of corn! His heart leapt with joy, and he ran
+out to tell his patron, Subrahmanya. But when the latter heard it he
+said with a disgusted air:--
+
+"My dear Kapali, why do you care so much? Why do you feel so
+overjoyed? Take the beast at once with the corn-sack and sell them
+as you did yesterday."
+
+Kapali at once obeyed the orders and changed the money into
+provisions. Again fifty Brahmins were fed the next day too, and
+nothing was reserved for the third day's use. Thus it went on in
+Kapali's house. Every morning he found a buffalo and a sack of corn,
+which he sold and fed Brahmins with the proceeds. In this way a month
+passed. Said Subrahmanya one day:--
+
+"My dear Kapali, I am your holy father's disciple, and I would never
+advise you to do a thing prejudicial to your welfare. When I came to
+know that you were the son of the great sage, Jnananidhi, and were
+leading so wretched a life, I came to see you in order to alleviate
+your miseries. I have now done so, having pointed out the way to you
+to live comfortably. Daily must you continue thus. Do as you have
+been doing for the past month, and never store away anything, for if
+you reserve a portion all this happiness may fail, and you will have
+to revert to your former wretched life. I have done my duty towards
+you. If you become ambitious of hoarding up money this good fortune
+may desert you."
+
+Kapali agreed to follow the advice of the sage to the uttermost detail
+and requested him to remain in his house. Again said Subrahmanya:--
+
+"My son! I have better work before me than living in your house. So
+please excuse me. But before leaving you, I request you to inform
+me as to where your sister is. She was a child of two years of age
+when I saw her twenty years ago. She must be about twenty-two or
+twenty-three now. Where is she?"
+
+Tears trickled down the eyes of Kapali when his sister was
+mentioned. Said he:--
+
+"Do not, my patron, think of her. She is lost to the world. I am
+ashamed to think of her. Why should we think of such a wretch at this
+happy time?"
+
+At once the inscription made by Brahma's nail rushed into Subrahmanya's
+mind and he understood what was meant. Said he:--
+
+"Never mind; be open and tell me where she is."
+
+Then her brother, Kapali, with his eyes still wet with tears, said
+that his sister, the daughter of the sage Jnananidhi, was leading the
+worst of lives in an adjoining village, and that her name was Kalyani.
+
+Subrahmanya took leave of Kapali and his wife, after blessing his
+little children and again warning his friend. He had conferred what
+happiness he could upon his master's son, and now the thought of
+reforming his master's daughter reigned supreme in his heart. He
+went at once to the village indicated and reached it at about
+nightfall. After an easy search he found her house and knocked at the
+door. The door was at once opened. But on that day she was astonished
+to see a face such as she could never expect to approach her house.
+
+"Do you know me, Kalyani?" said Subrahmanya, and she in reply said that
+she did not. He then explained who he was, and when she came to know
+that it was a disciple of her father that was standing before her she
+wept most bitterly. The thought that after having been born of such
+a holy sage, she had adopted so wretched a life, the most shameful in
+the world, made her miserable at heart. She fell down at his feet and
+asked to be forgiven. She then explained to him her extreme misery,
+and the hard necessity which had compelled her to take to her present
+way of living. He then consoled her and spoke thus:--
+
+"My dear daughter! My heart burns within me when I see that necessity
+has driven you to this wretched life. But I can redeem you if you
+will only follow my advice. From this night you had better shut your
+door, and never open it to any other person except to him who brings
+to you a large measure full of pearls of the first water. You follow
+this advice for a day and I shall then advise you further."
+
+Being the daughter of a great sage, and having been compelled by
+necessity to take to a wretched life, she readily consented to follow
+her father's disciple when he promised to redeem her. She bolted the
+door, and refused admission to anyone unless they brought a large
+measure full of pearls. Her visitors, fancying that she must have
+gone mad, went away. The night was almost drawing to a close and all
+her friends had gone away disappointed. Who was there in the village
+to give to her one measure full of pearls? But as the nail of Brahma
+had appointed for her such a life as stated, some one was bound to
+comply with her terms. And as there was no human being who could do
+so, the god Brahma himself assumed the shape of a young man, and,
+with a measure full of pearls, visited her in the last watch of the
+night and remained with her.
+
+When morning dawned he disappeared, and when Kalyani explained to the
+disciple of her father the next morning that after all one person had
+visited her with a measure full of pearls on the previous night, he was
+glad to hear of it. He knew that his plan was working well. Said he:--
+
+"My dear daughter, you are restored to your former good self hereafter
+from this day. There are very few people in this world who could
+afford to give you a measure full of pearls every night. So he that
+brought you the pearls last night must continue to do so every night,
+and he shall be hereafter your only husband. No other person must ever
+hereafter see your face, and you must obey my orders. You must sell all
+the pearls he brings you every day and convert them into money. This
+money you should spend in feeding the poor and other charities. None
+of it must you reserve for the next day, neither must you entertain
+a desire to hoard up money. The day you fail to follow my advice you
+will lose your husband, and then you will have to fall back on your
+former wretched life."
+
+Thus said Subrahmanya, and Kalyani agreed to strictly follow his
+injunctions. He then went to live under a tree opposite to her house
+for a month to see whether his plan was working well, and found it
+worked admirably.
+
+Thus, after having conferred happiness, to the best of his abilities,
+on the son and daughter of his former master, Subrahmanya took
+leave of Kalyani, and with her permission, most reluctantly given,
+he pursued his pilgrimage.
+
+One moonlight night, after a long sleep, Subrahmanya rose up almost
+at midnight, and hearing the crows crowing he mistook it for the dawn
+and commenced his journey. He had not proceeded far, when on his way
+he met a beautiful person coming towards him, with a sack of corn
+on his head and a bundle of pearls tied up in the end of his upper
+cloth on his shoulder, leading a buffalo before him.
+
+"Who are you, sir, walking thus in this forest?" said Subrahmanya.
+
+When thus addressed, the person before him threw down the sack and
+wept most bitterly.
+
+"See, sir, my head is almost become bald by having to bear to Kapali's
+house a sack of corn every night. This buffalo I lead to Kapali's
+shed and this bundle of pearls I take to Kalyani's house. My nail
+wrote their fate on their respective heads and by your device I have
+to supply them with what my nail wrote. When will you relieve me of
+these troubles?"
+
+Thus wept Brahma, for it was no other personage. He was the creator
+and protector of all beings, and when Subrahmanya had pointed out the
+way for his master's children, and they had conquered fate, Brahma
+too was conquered. So the great god soon gave them eternal felicity
+and relieved himself of his troubles.
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+XX.
+
+THE BRAHMAN PRIEST WHO BECAME AN AMILDAR. [97]
+
+
+In the Karnata desa there reigned a famous king named Chamunda,
+who was served by an household priest, named Gundappa, well versed
+in all the rituals at which he officiated.
+
+Chamunda, one day, while chewing betel-leaves, thus addressed Gundappa,
+who was sitting opposite him:--
+
+"My most holy priest, I am greatly pleased at your faithfulness in
+the discharge of your sacred duties; and you may ask of me now what
+you wish and I shall grant your request."
+
+The priest elated replied: "I have always had a desire to become
+the Amildar [98] of a district and to exercise power over a number
+of people; and if your Majesty should grant me this I shall have
+attained my ambition."
+
+"Agreed," said the king, and at that time the Amildarship of Nanjangod
+happening to be vacant, his Majesty at once appointed his priest to the
+post, thinking that his priest, who was intelligent in his duties,
+would do well in the new post. Before he sent him off, however,
+he gave Gundappa three bits of advice:--
+
+(1). Mukha kappage irabeku.
+
+(2). Ellaru kevianna kachchi matan adu.
+
+(3). ellar juttu kayyalii irabeku.
+
+The meaning of which is:
+
+(1). You should always keep a black (i.e. frowning) countenance.
+
+(2). When you speak about State affairs you should do it biting the
+ear (i.e. secretly--close to the ear).
+
+(3.) The locks of every one should be in your hand (i.e. you must
+use your influence and make every one subservient to you).
+
+Gundappa heard these words so kindly given by the king, and the way
+in which he listened to them made his Majesty understand that he had
+taken them to heart. So with a smiling face the king gave the letter
+containing the appointment to Gundappa, who returned home with an
+elated heart.
+
+He told his wife about the change that had come over his prospects,
+and wished to start at once to take charge of the new post. The king
+and his officers at once sent messengers to Nanjangod informing the
+officers of the Amildari that a newly appointed Amildar would be
+coming soon. So they all waited near the gate of the town to pay
+their respects to the new Amildar and escort him into it.
+
+Gundappa started the very next morning to Nanjangod with a bundle
+containing clean clothes, six by twelve cubits long, on his head. Poor
+priest! Wherever he saw the kusa grass on the road, he was drawn
+to it by its freshness, and kept on storing it up all the way. The
+sacred grass had become so dear to him, that, though he would have no
+occasion to use it as Amildar of Nanjangod, he could not pass by it
+without gathering some of it. So with his bundle of clothes on his
+head and his beloved kusa grass in his hands, Gundappa approached
+the city of Nanjangod about the twentieth ghatika of the day.
+
+Now, though it was very late in the day, none of the officers,
+who had come out to receive the Amildar had returned home to their
+meals. Everyone was waiting in the gate and when Gundappa turned
+up, no one took him to be anything more than a priest. The bundle
+on his head and the green ritual grass in his hands proclaimed his
+vocation. But everyone thought that, as a priest was coming by the
+very road the Amildar would take, he might bring news of him--whether
+he had halted on the road and would or might be expected before the
+evening. So the next officer in rank to the Amildar came to the most
+reverend priest and asked him whether he had any news of the coming
+Amildar; on which our hero put down his bundle and taking out the cover
+containing the order of his appointment with a handful of kusa grass,
+lest his clothes be polluted if he touched them with his bare hands
+informed his subordinate that he was himself the Amildar!
+
+All those assembled were astonished to find such a wretched priest
+appointed to so responsible a post, but when it was made known that
+Gundappa was the new Amildar the customary music was played and he was
+escorted in a manner due to his position, into the town. He had been
+fasting from the morning, and a grand feast was prepared for him in
+the house of the next senior official, which Gundappa entered for a
+dinner and rest. He there informed the officials that he would be at
+the office at the twenty-fifth ghatika of the evening. From the way
+in which he issued the order all thought that he was really an able
+man, and that he had come in the guise of a simple priest in order to
+find out the real state of his district. So every officer went home,
+bathed, had his meal in haste and attended at the office.
+
+The chief assistant took the Amildar to his house, and entertained
+his guest as became his position. Gundappa, being a priest, was a very
+good eater, for never for a day in his life had he spent money out of
+his own pocket on meals, so what reason had he to enquire about the
+price of provisions? It was at the expense of others he had grown so
+fat! And doing more than full justice to all the good things, much to
+the secret amusement of his host and assistant, Gundappa rose up from
+his food, and washed his hands. He then wanted betel-leaves though to
+ask for these before the host offers them is very impolite. But his
+subordinate interpreted it as an order from a master and brought the
+platter containing the necessary nutmeg, mace, nut, leaves, and chunam
+(lime).
+
+"Where is the dakshina?" [99] next asked the Amildar. His host did
+not quite understand whether this was meant in earnest or in joke,
+but before he could solve the question in his mind:--
+
+"Where is the dakshina?" reiterated the Amildar, and his assistant,
+thinking that his new superior was prone to taking bribes, at once
+brought a bag containing 500 mohars and placed it in the platter. Now
+a dakshina to a Brahmin is not usually more than a couple of rupees,
+but should an Amildar ask for one, his assistant would naturally
+mistake him, and think he was hinting at a bribe!
+
+Gundappa greatly pleased at a princely dakshina such as he had never
+seen before in all his life, at once opened the bag and counted out
+every gold piece in it, carefully tying them up in his bundle. He
+then began to chew his betel, and at one gulp swallowed up all the
+nutmeg and mace in the platter! All this made his assistant strongly
+suspect the real nature of the new Amildar; but then there was the
+order of the king, and it must be obeyed! Gundappa next asked his
+assistant to go on in advance of him to the office, saying that he
+would be there himself in a ghatika. The assistant accordingly left
+a messenger to attend on the Amildar, and being very anxious to see
+things in good order, left his house for the office.
+
+Gundappa now remembered the three bits of advice given by the king,
+the first of which was that he should always put on, when in office,
+a black countenance. Now he understood the word "black" in its literal
+sense, and not in its allegorical one of "frowning," and, so going
+into the kitchen, he asked for a lump of charcoal paste. When this
+was ready he blackened the whole of his face with it, and covering
+his face with his cloth--as he was ashamed to show it--entered the
+office. With his face thus blackened and partly covered with a cloth,
+the new Amildar came and took his seat. Now and then he would remove
+the cloth from his eyes to see how his officers were working, and
+meanwhile all the clerks and others present were laughing in their
+sleeves at the queer conduct of their chief.
+
+The evening was drawing to a close, and there were certain orders to
+be signed: so taking them all in his hand the assistant approached
+the Amildar, and stood at a respectful distance. Gundappa, however,
+asked him to come nearer, and nearer the assistant came.
+
+"Still nearer," said Gundappa, and nearer still came the assistant.
+
+The second bit of advice from the king now rushed into the Amildar's
+mind that he should bite the ears of his officials when he enquired
+into State affairs, and as Gundappa's want of sense always made
+him take what was said literally, he opened his mouth and bit the
+ear of his assistant, while in a muffled voice he asked him whether
+all his people enjoyed full prosperity! The assistant, now in very
+fear of his life, roared out that all the people were enjoying the
+greatest prosperity. But Gundappa would not let go his ear till the
+poor assistant had roared out the answer more than twenty times. The
+poor wretch's ear soon began to swell enormously, and leaving the
+office in disgust, he started to report to the king the insane acts
+of the new Amildar.
+
+Two out of the three bits of advice from the king had now been duly
+obeyed, but the third, that the locks of all the people must be in
+his hands, remained unfulfilled, and Gundappa wished to carry out that
+also quickly. Night had now set in, and as the Amildar still remained
+in his seat, all his officers were compelled to do the same. In this
+way the tenth ghatika of the night approached, and still the Amildar
+would not get up, but sat with his black face secured in his cloth, now
+and then peeping out to see whether they were all asleep or awake. The
+fact was, he was waiting for an opportunity to have all the locks of
+his officers in his hand! As soon as all his officers fell asleep
+he intended to cut off all their locks, as usual understanding the
+words in their literal sense! At about midnight, never dreaming of
+the stupid act that the Amildar was contemplating in his mind, every
+one fell asleep, and Gundappa rose up, and with a pair of scissors
+cut off all the locks of his officers. He then tied them all up in
+a bundle and returned to his assistant's home late at night, where
+the servants gave him something to eat; after which he started with
+his bag of mohars and bundle of locks to his king to inform him of
+how well he had obeyed his orders!
+
+In the early morning he reached the presence of his Majesty only a
+nimisha after his assistant had arrived. Seeing the Amildar he was
+too afraid to to lodge any complaint, but his swollen ear drew the
+attention of every eye in the assembly.
+
+Gundappa now stood before the king with the charcoal on his face
+and said:--
+
+"Most noble king, you ordered me to blacken my face for my new
+duty. See, I have not even yet removed the dye! You ordered me next
+only to speak while biting an ear. Look, please, at my assistant's
+ear, who stands before you and tell me whether I have not obeyed
+you!! And as for having the locks of my officers in my hands; why
+here they are in this bundle!!!"
+
+Never had the king seen a similar instance of such stupidity, and
+the thought that Gundappa had shorn so many respectable heads of
+their locks, and had really bitten the ear of a worthy gentleman,
+brought much shame to his heart. He begged pardon of the injured
+man and from that day forward was very careful in the choice of his
+officers! Poor Gundappa was dismissed even from the priestship, and
+his belly grew lean from having no longer the privilege of eating
+rich food at others' cost!
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+XXI.
+
+THE GARDENER'S CUNNING WIFE.
+
+
+In a certain village there lived with his wife a poor gardener who
+cultivated greens in a small patch in the backyard of his house. They
+were in thirty little beds, half of which he would water every
+day. This occupied him from the fifth to the fifteenth ghatika.
+
+His wife used to cut a basketful of greens every evening, and he
+took them in the mornings to sell in the village. The sale brought
+him a measure or two of rice, and on this the family lived! If he
+could manage any extra work of an evening he got a few coppers which
+served to meet their other expenses.
+
+Now in that village there was a temple to Kali, before which was a
+fine tank with a mango tree on its bank. The fish in the tank and the
+mangoes from the tree were dedicated to the goddess, and were strictly
+forbidden to the villagers. If any one was discovered cutting a mango
+or catching a fish, he was at once excommunicated from the village. So
+strict was the prohibition.
+
+The gardener was returning home one morning after selling his
+greens and passed the temple. The mangoes, so carefully guarded by
+religious protection, were hanging on the tree in great numbers,
+and the gardener's eyes fell on them! His mouth watered. He looked
+round about him, and fortunately there was no one by, at least, as
+far as his eyes could reach. So he hastily plucked one of the mangoes
+and with nimble feet descended into the tank to wash it. Just then
+a most charming shoal of fish met his eyes. These protected dwellers
+in the tank had no notion of danger, and so were frolicking about at
+their ease. The gardener looked about him first and finding no one
+by caught half a dozen stout fish at one plunge of his hand. He hid
+them and the mango underneath the rice in his basket and returned
+home, happy in the thought that he had not been caught. Now he had
+a special delight in fish, and when he reached his house he showed
+what he brought to his wife and asked her to prepare a dish with the
+newly caught fish and the never-till-then tasted mango.
+
+Meanwhile he had to water his garden, and went to the backyard for
+the purpose. The watering was done by a pikota. He used to run up
+and down the pole while a friend of his, the son of his neighbour,
+lifted the water and irrigated the garden.
+
+Meanwhile his wife cooked the dish of mango and fish in a pan, and
+found the flavour so sweet that even while the fish was only half
+cooked she began to taste one bit of it after another till more than
+half had already gone down her throat! The dish was at last cooked,
+and the few remaining slices in the pan were taken off the fire, so
+she went into the verandah and from thence saw her husband running up
+and down the pikota. She beckoned to him that the dish was ready and
+that he should come in and taste it. However, he never noticed her,
+but kept on running up and down the pikota, and while running up
+and down he was obliged to wave his hands about, and this his wife
+mistook as an indication that she might eat up her portion of the
+dish. At any rate her imagination made her think so; and she went in
+and ate a slice, and then went out into the verandah again to call
+her husband who was still running up and down the pikota. Again, her
+husband, so she thought, waved his hands in permission to go on with
+her dinner. Again she went in and had another slice. Thus it went on
+for a full ghatika till the last slice was consumed.
+
+"Alas!" thought she, "With what great eagerness my husband fetched
+the fish and the mango, and how sadly, out of greediness, have I
+disappointed him. Surely his anger will know no bounds when he comes
+in. I must soon devise some means to save myself."
+
+So she brought the pan in which she cooked the fish and mango out
+of the house and covered it with another pan of similar size and
+sat down before it. Then she undid her hair and twisted it about
+her head until it was dishevelled. She then began to make a great
+noise. This action by a woman in an illiterate family of low caste is
+always supposed to indicate a visitation from a goddess and a demon;
+so when her husband from the pikota tree saw the state of his wife,
+his guilty conscience smote him. The change in his wife alarmed him,
+and he came down suddenly and stood before her. As soon as she saw
+him she roared out at him:--
+
+"Why have you injured me to-day by plundering my mango and fish? How
+dare you do such an irreligious act? You shall soon see the results
+of your impertinence!"
+
+"The goddess has come upon my wife most terribly," thought the poor
+man. "Her divine power may soon kill her! What shall I do?"
+
+So he fell at the feet of the divine visitation as he thought it to
+be, and said:--
+
+"My most holy goddess, your dog of a servant has this day deviated
+from the straight path. Excuse him this time, and he will never do
+so a second time."
+
+"Run then with the pan which contains the fruits of your robbery and
+dip it deep into my tank. Then shall the fish become alive and the
+mango shall take its place in the tree."
+
+The gardener received the order most submissively, and taking the
+pan in his hand flew to the tank. There he dipped it in the water
+and came back to his house fully believing that his sin that day had
+been forgiven, and that the cooked fish had become alive again and
+the mango a living one. Thus did the cunning wife save herself from
+her husband's wrath!
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+XXII.
+
+KEEP IT FOR THE BEGGAR.
+
+
+When anything sweet is prepared in the house on a particular night, and
+when the children, after feeding to their fill, say to the mother:--
+
+"Amma, this pudding is sweet; keep it for the morning," the mother
+says at once:--
+
+"Ask me to keep it for the beggar, and I shall do it."
+
+"Why should I not say keep it for the morning, Amma," ask the curious
+children, and the South Indian mother gives to her listening children
+the following story:--
+
+In a certain village there lived an affectionate husband and wife. The
+husband would go to look after the fields and garden and return home
+with abundance of vegetables. The wife would cook and serve her lord
+to his fill. Before going out in the morning the husband used to
+take whatever of last night's dishes were left cold to remain for
+his breakfast.
+
+The husband was a great eater of dhal [100] soup. Every night the
+wife used to prepare a large quantity of it and leave a good portion
+of it to stand for the morning's breakfast of her lord. And he, too,
+owing to his taste for the cold rice, used to warn his wife--though
+she was very careful--and say:--
+
+"Keep me some of this soup for the next morning."
+
+The wife used to say: "Yes, my dear husband, I shall do so."
+
+This went on for several years. Every day the dhal soup was invariably
+prepared for the night meal and a good portion of it was reserved for
+the cold rice. Every night, the husband, without forgetting for even
+a single day, used to ask his wife to reserve a portion. Thus passed
+on several years, as we have already said.
+
+One night this husband had his supper. The wife had sat at her
+husband's leaf to take her supper after her lord had had his. That
+night, too, our hero, as usual, repeated:--
+
+"Keep, my dear, some of this soup for the morning."
+
+At once a gurgling laughter was heard near the doorsill of their
+house. The pair were astonished, and searched their whole house. No
+one was discovered. Again the husband said:--
+
+"Keep, my dear, some of this soup for the morning."
+
+Again the laughter was heard. Finding that the laughter immediately
+followed his order, the husband repeated it a third time. A third
+time also the laughter broke out. They were astonished. Three times
+had laughter been heard in their house, and still they could see no
+one. Thinking that some one must have mocked him from the neighbouring
+houses, he made careful inquiries and satisfied himself that none
+of his neighbours had mocked him. He was afraid at the laughter
+which thrice proceeded from a part of his house, as he had heard
+it distinctly.
+
+That very night our hero had a sudden and unforeseen calamity, and
+just as he was dragging the latch of his backyard door a serpent
+stung him in his finger. Neighbours hearing of the venomous reptile
+in their next house, ran there with a stout cudgel. Already the
+master of the house, who was passionately fond of the dhal soup,
+had swooned away. His wife was mourning by his side, saying:--
+
+"My dear husband. How did you forget your soup so soon and leave us
+all for the other world? Just now you gave me the order, and before
+tasting it even you have died."
+
+The neighbours began to search for the snake; but they did not
+succeed. And again a voice exclaimed from vacuum:--
+
+"This husband's fate ended at the twelfth ghatika of this night. Yama
+ordered me to go and fetch him to his world. I came down and reached
+this house at the eighth ghatika when the husband was giving the
+order to reserve for the morning meal his dear dhal soup. I could not
+contain my laughter, and so broke out with a gurgling noise. As I am
+divine no one could perceive me. And so none ever found me in this
+house after they heard the laughter. Then I transformed myself into
+a serpent and waited for the hour to do my death-dealing duty. The
+poor man is now no more. Four ghatikas ago he was of opinion that he
+would live and eat his cold rice to-morrow morning. How very sanguine
+people are in this world of uncertainty. The cause for my laughter
+was the husband's certainty when he issued that order to reserve the
+dhal soup for the breakfast."
+
+Thus ended the messenger, and vanished of course to inform his master
+how he had executed his orders.
+
+And from that day, my children, it was fixed that our life in this
+world is always uncertain, and that one who lives at this moment
+cannot be sure of doing so at the next moment. While such is the case,
+how can you say, "Keep the pudding for to-morrow morning." Since you
+saw in the story just related to you, that we can never be certain
+of our life, you must say, instead of "for to-morrow morning, for
+the beggar." If we keep it for the beggar, and if we fortunately
+live till to-morrow morning, we shall use a portion of it and give
+the remainder to the beggar. Hence you must always, hereafter,
+say when any supper from overnight is to be left for the morning,
+"Keep it for the beggar, Amma."
+
+"Yes, mother. We shall do so hereafter," replied the children.
+
+In India, among Brahmins, the wife must never take her food before her
+lord, unless she is pregnant or sick. In these two cases even on the
+days when it is possible to avoid the meal before her lord, the wife
+invariably does it; on other days she cannot probably help it when she
+is physically unable. And in taking her meal, the wife sits in front
+of the leaf (dish) from which her husband has eaten. Most husbands
+generally leave their leaves clean, some out of pure affection to
+their wives and out of a good intention of not injuring the feelings
+of their wives. But there are others, who, as they are unclean in
+their other habits, are also unclean in their eating. The appearance
+of their leaves after they have left off eating, is like those thrown
+out in the streets and mutilated by crows and dogs. But their wives,
+cursing their lot to have married such husbands, must, as long as
+they are orthodox, eat out of those leaves.
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+XXIII.
+
+GOOD LUCK TO THE LUCKY ONE; OR, SHALL I FALL DOWN?
+
+
+In a certain town there lived a wealthy Brahmin. He wished to build
+a house--pretty large and spacious--as became his riches. For that
+purpose he called in a great number of soothsayers, and fixed,
+guided by their scientific opinion, a place for building the
+mansion. A certain portion of every day is supposed to be bad for
+doing work. This portion is sometimes called the Rahu-kala--the
+evil time of the demon rahu and sometimes tyajya--the time to be
+avoided. And abandoning carefully all these evil hours the wealthy
+Brahmin built his mansion in ten years. The first entrance into a
+new house to dwell is performed always with a great deal of pomp and
+ceremony, even by the poor according to their means. And our wealthy
+Brahmin to please the gods of the other world and the gods of this
+world--bhusuras Brahmins--spent a great deal of his wealth, and with
+veoras and music sounding all around him he entered into his house.
+
+The whole of the day almost was spent in ceremonies and
+festivities. All the guests left the place at evening, and much
+exhausted by the exertions of the day the Brahmin house-owner retired
+to rest. Before sleep could close his eyelids he heard a fearful voice
+over his head exclaiming:--"Shall I fall down? Shall I fall down?"
+
+Great was the concern of the landlord at hearing this voice. He thought
+that some demon had taken possession of his house, and that he was
+going to pull down the roof of his house over his own head. That very
+night with as much haste as he entered the new house, he vacated it
+and went back to his old house.
+
+Sirukakhatti perukavalka is the Tamil proverb. The meaning of it
+is "build small and live great," i.e., build small houses without
+laying out much capital uselessly in houses and live prosperously;
+and in villages many a rich landlord would prefer small houses to big
+ones. The idea that he had spent a great deal of money to build a big
+house troubled our hero. The spaciousness of the house was one reason
+for the devil to come in so easily, as he thought. When he vacated
+his house on the very night of the day he entered it people began to
+talk all sorts of scandals about it. The ladies in the bathing places
+(ghats) in rivers began to give all sorts of colour to the devils in
+that house. One said that when she was coming to the river she saw
+a company of devils dancing round and round the middle pillar of the
+upper storey of that unfortunate house. Another said that she observed
+unearthly lights in that mansion the previous night. Thus people
+talked and talked, furnishing new colours and new adventures out of
+their pure imagination for a phenomena which they never saw. And our
+unfortunate rich man had to lock up his house which he built after so
+many days, and at the expense of so much money. Thus passed six months.
+
+In that town there lived a poor beggar Brahmin. He was in extreme
+poverty, and spent a great portion of the day in begging from house
+to house his meal and clothes. He had, poor man, seven children. With
+this large family he was constantly in the greatest misery. He had
+not a proper house to live in. A miserable hut was all his wealth in
+that village. Winter was approaching, and the roof of their only hut
+began to fall down. The increasing miseries made the poor Brahmin
+resolve upon suicide. He could not bring himself to do that by his
+own hand. He had heard of the haunted house, and resolved to go there
+with all his family and perish by the hands of the devils. This was
+his secret intention, but he never spoke of it to any one. One day
+he came to the rich Brahmin who was the owner of the haunted mansion,
+and spoke to him thus:--
+
+"My noble lord! The winter is approaching and the roof of my hut has
+fallen away. If you would kindly allow it I shall pass the rainy days
+in your big house."
+
+When the rich man heard this he was very glad to see that one person
+at least there was in his little world who wanted the use of his
+house. So, without hesitating any longer, he replied:--
+
+"My most holy sir, you can have the free use of that whole house for
+whatever time you may want it. It is enough if you light a lamp there
+and live happily. I built it, and I am not destined to live there. You
+can go and try your fortune there."
+
+So said the rich landlord, and gave the key of that haunted house to
+the poor Brahmin. The latter took it, and with his family went and
+lived there from that day. That very night he also heard the same
+voice: "Shall I fall down?" "Shall I fall down?" twice. Nothing
+daunted, and quite resolved to perish with his wife and children,
+who were sound asleep near him, he exclaimed, "Fall down," and lo! a
+golden river of mohurs and pagodas began to fall down in the middle of
+the room from the top of the roof. It began falling and falling without
+any stopping till the poor Brahmin, who sat agape with wonder, began
+to fear that they would all be buried in mohurs. The moment he saw
+the sea of wealth before him, his idea of suicide abandoned him. "Stop
+please," said he at once, and the mohur-fall came to a sudden stop. He
+was delighted at the good nature of the devil, or whatever good spirit
+might have taken possession of the house, for its having given him so
+much wealth. He heaped up all the mohurs in one room, and locked it up,
+and had the key of it in his own possession. His wife and children got
+up during the mohur-fall. They also were informed of everything. The
+poor Brahmin advised his wife and children to keep the matter secret,
+and they, to their great credit, did so. They all--the poor parents and
+children--rejoiced at the good fortune that had made its visit to them.
+
+As soon as morning dawned the poor Brahmin converted little by
+little his mohurs into money and bought grains and clothes for his
+family. This he did day by day till rumour began to spread that
+the poor Brahmin had found a treasure-trove in the rich landlord's
+house. Of course this rumour reached the ears of the wealthy
+man also. He came to the poor Brahmin and asked him all about the
+treasure-trove. The latter to his great honour related to the landlord
+every bit of the mohur-fall. He also wished to witness it and sleep
+in the room with the poor Brahmin, for the first time in his life,
+his thirst for mohurs inducing him to do so. At about midnight "Shall
+I fall down?" was again heard.
+
+"Fall down" said the poor Brahmin, and lo! the mohurs began to descend
+like a water-fall. But, horror of horrors, they all appeared as so
+many scorpions to the house-owner. The poor man was heaping up the
+gold coins, but all of them seemed to crawl as so many scorpions to
+the eyes of the landlord.
+
+"Stop please," said the poor man, and the mohur-fall stopped.
+
+Then turning to the house-owner, the poor man said: "My lord, you
+may take home this heap for your use."
+
+The house-owner began to weep and said: "Most fortunate of mankind,
+I have heard my old father often repeat a proverb, 'To the fortunate
+fortune comes,' and its meaning I have discovered to-day only. I built
+the house and ran away when I heard the 'shall I fall.' No doubt I
+did very well, for had I remained a scorpion torrent would have sent
+me to the other world. Know then my most fortunate friend, that I
+see all your mohurs as so many scorpions. I have not the fortune to
+see them as mohurs. But you have that gift. So from this moment this
+house is yours. Whatever you can convert into money of your mohurs
+I shall receive and bless you."
+
+So saying the house-owner came out of the room fearing the
+scorpions. And our poor man thus had all the fortune to himself,
+and was no longer a poor man. He soon became one of the wealthiest
+of men of his time, but remembering that he owed all his riches to
+the wealthy landlord who gave him the house, he used to share with
+the latter half of his wealth every year.
+
+This story explains the Tamil proverb Madrishtam ullavanukku kidaikkum;
+to the fortunate good fortune.
+
+
+    N.B.--This story was also related to me by my step-mother
+    whose birth-place is a village in the Trichinopoly district.
+
+        N. S.
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+XXIV.
+
+RETALIATION--PALIKKUPPALI.
+
+
+There is a proverb in Tamil called Palikkuppali vangukiradu which
+would best be translated by the expression "tit for tat," and the
+following story I heard when a boy from my step-mother, illustrating
+that proverb, and I have of late found the same story also in the
+Trichinopoly districts.
+
+In a certain village there lived a poor Sudra. He had made a vow
+to the goddess of his village, that if he came out successfully in
+a certain undertaking he would offer her a couple of goats. And he
+succeeded in his undertaking, and thought that his goddess alone had
+granted his request. Great was his joy and greater became his faith
+in her extraordinary powers. And as he promised he brought two fat
+goats and sacrificed them to her.
+
+These goats thus sacrificed and the Sudra sacrificer who meanwhile
+had died by a sudden fever, after a short time were all re-born in
+the world to undergo the results of their goodness or sin. The two
+goats, because they were sacrificed to the goddess, were re-born as
+the king and the minister of a large country. The Sudra, as he had
+as much faith in his former life as in his goddess, was reborn in
+the priest's (gurukkula) caste, of course neither the king and his
+minister nor the priest had any reason to know their former life,
+until the death of the latter approached, as we shall presently see. A
+large kingdom fell to the share of the king, and he with his minister
+reigned over it most peacefully. In an unfrequented wilderness was a
+famous temple of a powerful goddess of of that country, and in that
+pagoda the priest regularly conducted her worship.
+
+Thus passed several years, the king and minister happy in their
+own kingdom, and the priest executing his religious duties in the
+wilderness. The priest was leading a most calm and holy life, eating
+what grew in the wilderness. His life was as pure as pure can be.
+
+But for all that fate would not forgive him for his acts in his
+former life.
+
+The king and the minister had vowed to the goddess of the wilderness
+that if they returned successfully from the conquest of an enemy of
+theirs they would offer her some human sacrifice. And so they returned,
+and to make entire their vow to the goddess they left their kingdom
+like ordinary men and came to the wood. All along the way they searched
+for a person to sacrifice, but no one--fortunately for him--was to be
+found. They still thought that the vow must not be left unaccomplished,
+and resolved upon catching the priest of the temple and offering him
+up as their intended sacrifice. When such strong people like the king
+and his minister resolved to do so, what could the poor priest do? He
+was quite unable to escape when those two informed him of what they
+were going to do with him on his entering to worship the goddess. Said
+the priest:--
+
+"Sirs! You have come here resolved upon offering me up as a sacrifice
+to the goddess. I cannot hereafter escape your hold. But if you
+would allow me to perform my puja to the goddess this morning also,
+I shall gladly die after having done my duty."
+
+So said the priest, and the king and the minister watched at the
+entrance and let him in.
+
+The priest went into the Garbhagriha--the holy of the holies in the
+temple, and performed his worship to the goddess. After that was over
+he gave the image a severe blow on its back and thus addressed it:--
+
+"Most merciless goddess. What have you done for all my faith in you. In
+this lonely wilderness, without knowing any other duty than your
+worship, I had been your true servant for the past many years. And
+in reward for all that, I must fall now a prey to the sacrifice of
+the king and the minister who are sharpening their knives outside
+to cut off my head at this moment. Is this the result of all my puja
+(worship) to you."
+
+So spake the priest, and the goddess, laughing, thus replied from
+the vacuum:--
+
+"My true priest. Your acts in your former life must trouble you in
+this. And the charitable acts of this life, even, cannot protect
+you in your next birth. In your former birth you had murdered two
+goats. They were born as king and minister, and have dragged you here
+to murder you. But this--the murder you are to undergo soon, by these
+hands will relieve you only of one of the two murders of your former
+life. And for the other murder you and they would be re-born again,
+and again they would kill you. So in your next third life from this
+one you would enjoy the fruits of all this devotion. Since now you
+know the story of your former life, you will forgive me, I think."
+
+Thus spoke the goddess, and the priest, as the knowledge of his former
+life dawned upon him, by the grace of the goddess, seemed resolved
+to die, in order to pay for his former sin. But the idea that in the
+next life he was to undergo the same punishment, vexed him much, and
+falling down at the goddess's feet, he respectfully requested her to
+try her best to let him off the next life; and the goddess's heart
+was also moved at the severity of fate which would make her devotee
+pass through one more life in misery before he enjoyed the fruits of
+his devotion. So she devised the following plan to exculpate him from
+his two crimes at the same time, and thus replied:--
+
+"Priest! 'Intelligence can conquer even Fate,' is the proverb. When
+Kali gave 500 years' life to Vikramaditya in his town, Bhatti,
+his minister, by making the king live six months in his capital and
+six months in the jungle, made his master's life to last for 1000
+years. So by intelligence we conquer our fate too, sometimes. So hear
+my advice. Ask the king who has come to murder you to hold one end of
+the knife, and request his minister to hold the other end. Ask both
+of them to aim the blow at your neck; that will accomplish everything
+complete during this life. They will have no revenge to take from
+you in your next life."
+
+So saying, the voice of the goddess stopped. The priest came back
+with a cheerful heart to the king and the minister, and asked them to
+oblige him by each of them holding one end of the knife and murdering
+him. They agreed, and performed thus their vow. The poor priest, too,
+without having another miserable life, was born a king in his next
+life, and lived in prosperity.
+
+Here the story ends, and the story-teller in the Hindu household,
+and in my case my stepmother, would at once moralise, that if we did
+anything to any one in this life, that one would pay us out for it
+in our next life.
+
+
+    N.B.--I am led to think that this story does not contain a
+    purely Hindu moral.
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+XXV.
+
+THE BEGGAR AND THE FIVE MUFFINS.
+
+
+In a certain village there lived a poor beggar and his wife. The man
+used to go out every morning with a clean vessel in his hand, return
+home with rice enough for the day's meal, and thus they lived on in
+extreme poverty.
+
+One day a poor Madhava Brahmin invited the pair to a feast, and
+among Madhavas muffins (tosai) are always a part of the good things
+on festive occasions. So during the feast the beggar and his wife had
+their fill of muffins. They were so pleased with them, that the woman
+was extremely anxious to prepare some muffins in her own house, and
+began to save a little rice every day from what her husband brought
+her for the purpose. When enough had been thus collected she begged
+a poor neighbour's wife to give her a little black pulse which the
+latter--praised be her charity--readily did. The faces of the beggar
+and his wife literally glowed with joy that day, for were they not
+to taste the long-desired muffins for a second time?
+
+The woman soon turned the rice she had been saving, and the black
+pulse she had obtained from her neighbour into a paste, and mixing it
+well with a little salt, green chillies, coriander seed and curds,
+set it in a pan on the fire; and with her mouth watering all the
+while, prepared five muffins! By the time her husband had returned
+from his collection of alms, she was just turning out of the pan the
+fifth muffin! And when she placed the whole five muffins before him
+his mouth, too, began to water. He kept two for himself and two he
+placed before his wife, but what was to be done with the fifth? He did
+not understand the way out of this difficulty. That half and half made
+one, and that each could take two and a half muffins was a question too
+hard for him to solve. The beloved muffins must not be torn in pieces;
+so he said to his wife that either he or she must take the remaining
+one. But how were they to decide which should be the lucky one?
+
+Proposed the husband:--"Let us both shut our eyes and stretch ourselves
+as if in sleep, each on a verandah on either side the kitchen. Whoever
+opens an eye and speaks first gets only two muffins; and the other
+gets three."
+
+So great was the desire of each to get the three muffins, that they
+both abided by the agreement, and the woman, though her mouth watered
+for the muffins, resolved to go through the ordeal. She placed the
+five cakes in a pan and covered it over with another pan. She then
+carefully bolted the door inside and asking her husband to go into
+the east verandah, she lay down in the west one. Sleep she had none,
+and with closed eyes kept guard over her husband: for if he spoke
+first he would have only two muffins, and the other three would come
+to her share. Equally watchful was her husband over her.
+
+Thus passed one whole day--two--three! The house was never opened! No
+beggar came to receive the morning dole. The whole village began to
+enquire after the missing beggar. What had become of him? What had
+become of his wife?
+
+"See whether his house is locked on the outside and whether he has
+left us to go to some other village," spoke the greyheads.
+
+So the village watchman came and tried to push the door open, but it
+would not open!
+
+"Surely," said they, "it is locked on the inside! Some great calamity
+must have happened. Perhaps thieves have entered the house, and after
+plundering their property, murdered the inmates."
+
+"But what property is a beggar likely to have?" thought the village
+assembly, and not liking to waste time in idle speculations, they
+sent two watchmen to climb the roof and open the latch from the inside.
+
+Meanwhile the whole village, men, women, and children, stood outside
+the beggar's house to see what had taken place inside. The watchmen
+jumped into the house, and to their horror found the beggar and his
+wife stretched on opposite verandahs like two corpses. They opened
+the door, and the whole village rushed in. They, too, saw the beggar
+and his wife lying so still that they thought them to be dead. And
+though the beggar pair had heard everything that passed around them,
+neither would open an eye or speak. For whoever did it first would
+get only two muffins!
+
+At the public expense of the village two green litters of bamboo and
+cocoanut leaves were prepared on which to remove the unfortunate pair
+to the cremation ground.
+
+"How loving they must have been to have died together like this!" said
+some greybeards of the village.
+
+In time the cremation ground was reached, and village watchmen had
+collected a score of dried cowdung cakes and a bundle of firewood from
+each house, for the funeral pyre. From these charitable contributions
+two pyres had been prepared, one for the man and one for the woman. The
+pyre was then lighted, and when the fire approached his leg, the man
+thought it time to give up the ordeal and to be satisfied with only
+two muffins! So while the villagers were still continuing the funeral
+rites, they suddenly heard a voice:--
+
+"I shall be satisfied with two muffins!"
+
+Immediately another voice replied from the woman's pyre:--
+
+"I have gained the day; let me have the three!"
+
+The villagers were amazed and ran away. One bold man alone stood face
+to face with the supposed dead husband and wife. He was a bold man,
+indeed for when a dead man or a man supposed to have died comes to
+life, village people consider him to be a ghost. However, this bold
+villager questioned the beggars until he came to know their story. He
+then went after the runaways and related to them the whole story of
+the five muffins to their great amazement.
+
+But what was to be done to the people who had thus voluntarily faced
+death out of love for muffins. Persons who had ascended the green
+litter and slept on the funeral pyre could never come back to the
+village! If they did the whole village would perish. So the elders
+built a small hut in a deserted meadow outside the village and made
+the beggar and his wife live there.
+
+Ever after that memorable day our hero and his wife were called the
+muffin beggar, and the muffin beggar's wife, and many old ladies and
+young children from the village use to bring them muffins in the
+morning and evening, out of pity for them, for had they not loved
+muffin so much that they underwent death in life?
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+XXVI.
+
+THE BRAHMARAKSHAS AND THE HAIR.
+
+
+In a certain village there lived a very rich landlord, who owned
+several villages, but was such a great miser that no tenant would
+willingly cultivate his lands, and those he had gave him not a little
+trouble. He was indeed so vexed with them that he left all his lands
+untilled, and his tanks and irrigation channels dried up. All this,
+of course, made him poorer and poorer day by day. Nevertheless he
+never liked the idea of freely opening his purse to his tenants and
+obtaining their good will.
+
+While he was in this frame of mind a learned Sanyasi paid him a visit,
+and on his representing his case to him, he said:--
+
+"My dear son,--I know an incantation (mantra) in which I can instruct
+you. If you repeat it for three months day and night, a Brahmarakshas
+will appear before you on the first day of the fourth month. Make him
+your servant, and then you can set at naught all your petty troubles
+with your tenants. The Brahmarakshas will obey all your orders,
+and you will find him equal to one hundred servants."
+
+Our hero fell at his feet and begged to be instructed at once. The
+sage then sat facing the east and his disciple the landlord facing
+the west, and in this position formal instruction was given, after
+which the Sanyasi went his way.
+
+The landlord, mightily pleased at what he had learnt, went on
+practising the incantation, till, on the first day of the fourth month,
+the great Brahmarakshas stood before him.
+
+"What do you want, sir, from my hands?" said he; "what is the object
+of your having propitiated me for these three months?"
+
+The landlord was thunderstruck at the huge monster who now stood
+before him and still more so at his terrible voice, but nevertheless
+he said:--
+
+"I want you to become my servant and obey all my commands."
+
+"Agreed," answered the Brahmarakshas in a very mild tone, for it
+was his duty to leave off his impertinent ways when any one who had
+performed the required penance wanted him to become his servant;
+"Agreed. But you must always give me work to do; when one job is
+finished you must at once give me a second, and so on. If you fail
+I shall kill you."
+
+The landlord, thinking that he would have work for several such
+Brahmarakshasas, was pleased to see that his demoniacal servant was
+so eager to help him. He at once took him to a big tank which had been
+dried up for several years, and pointing it out spoke as follows:--
+
+"You see this big tank; you must make it as deep as the height of
+two palmyra trees and repair the embankment wherever it is broken."
+
+"Yes, my master, your orders shall be obeyed," humbly replied the
+servant and fell to work.
+
+The landlord, thinking that it would take several months, if not
+years, to do the work in the tank, for it was two kos long and one
+kos broad, returned delighted to his home, where his people were
+awaiting him with a sumptuous dinner. When enemies were approaching
+the Brahmarakshas came to inform his master that he had finished his
+work in the tank. He was indeed astonished and feared for his own life!
+
+"What! finished the work in one day which I thought would occupy him
+for months and years; if he goes on at this rate, how shall I keep
+him employed. And when I cannot find it for him he will kill me!" Thus
+he thought and began to weep; his wife wiped the tears that ran down
+his face, and said:--
+
+"My dearest husband, you must not lose courage. Get out of the
+Brahmarakshas all the work you can and then let me know. I'll give
+him something that will keep him engaged for a very very long time,
+and then he'll trouble us no more."
+
+But her husband only thought her words to be meaningless and followed
+the Brahmarakshas to see what he had done. Sure enough the thing was
+as complete as could be, so he asked him to plough all his lands,
+which extended over twenty villages! This was done in two ghatikas! He
+next made him dig and cultivate all his garden lands. This was done
+in the twinkling of an eye! The landlord now grew hopeless.
+
+"What more work have you for me?" roared the Brahmarakshas, as he
+found that his master had nothing for him to do, and that the time
+for his eating him up was approaching.
+
+"My dear friend," said he, "my wife says she has a little job to give
+you; do it please now. I think that that is the last thing I can give
+you to do, and after it in obedience to the conditions under which
+you took service with me, I must become your prey!"
+
+At this moment his wife came to them, holding in her left hand a long
+hair, which she had just pulled out from her head, and said:--
+
+"Well, Brahmarakshas, I have only a very light job for you. Take this
+hair, and when you have made it straight, bring it back to me."
+
+The Brahmarakshas calmly took it, and sat in a pipal tree to make it
+straight. He rolled it several times on his thigh and lifted it up to
+see if it became straight; but no, it would still bend! Just then it
+occurred to him that goldsmiths, when they want to make their metal
+wires straight, have them heated in fire; so he went to a fire and
+placed the hair over it, and of course it frizzled up with a nasty
+smell! He was horrified!
+
+"What will my master's wife say if I do not produce the hair she
+gave me?"
+
+So he became mightily afraid, and ran away.
+
+This story is told to explain the modern custom of nailing a handful
+of hair to a tree in which devils are supposed to dwell, to drive
+them away.
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+NOTES
+
+
+NOTES TO XIII.--FIRST PART.
+
+
+Few stories are more familiar and widely spread than that of the Lost
+Camel, which occurs in the opening of the romance. It was formerly, and
+perhaps is still, reproduced in English school reading-books. Voltaire,
+in chapter iii. of his "Zadig; ou, La Destinee" (the materials of which
+he is said to have derived from Geuelette's "Soirees Bretonnes,")
+has a version in which a lost palfrey and a she dog are described
+by the "sage" from the traces they had left on the path over which
+they passed. The great Arabian historian and traveller Mas'udi, in
+his "Meadows of Gold, and Mines of Gems," written A.D. 943, gives
+the story of the Lost Camel, and from Mas'udi it was probably taken
+into the MS. text of the "Thousand and One Nights," procured in the
+East (?Constantinople) by Wortley Montague, and now preserved in the
+Bodleian Library, Oxford. [101] In that MS. it forms an incident in
+the story of the Sultan of Yeman and his Three Sons: the princes,
+after their father's death, quarrel over the succession to the throne,
+and at length agree to lay their respective claims before one of the
+tributary princes. On the road one of them remarks, "A camel has lately
+passed this way loaded with grain on one side, and with sweetmeats
+on the other." The second observes, "and the camel is blind of one
+eye." The third adds, "and it has lost its tail." The owner comes up,
+and on hearing their description of his beast, forces them to go before
+the king of the country, to whom they explain how they discovered
+the defects of the camel and its lading. In a Persian work, entitled
+"Nigaristan," three brothers rightly conjecture in like manner that
+a camel which had passed, and which they had not seen, was blind
+of an eye, wanted a tooth, was lame, and laden with oil on the one
+side, and honey on the other. The story is also found in the Hebrew
+Talmud. Two slaves are overheard by their master conversing about a
+camel that had gone before them along the road. It was blind of an
+eye, and laden with two skin bottles, one of which contained wine,
+the other oil. In a Siberian version (Radloff), three youths are met
+by a man who asks them if they had seen his camel, to which they reply
+by describing the colour and defects of the animal so exactly that he
+accuses them to the Prince of having stolen it. "I have lost a camel,
+my lord," said he, "and when I met these three young men we saluted,
+and I told them that I had lost my camel. Quoth one of these youths,
+'Was thy camel of a light colour?' The second asked, 'was thy camel
+lame?' And the third, 'Was it not blind of an eye?' I answered
+Yes to their questions. Now decide, my lord. It is evident these
+young men have stolen my camel." Then the Prince asked the eldest,
+"How did you know that the camel was of a light colour?" He replied,
+"By some hairs which has fallen on the ground when it had rubbed
+itself against trees." The two others gave answers similar to those
+in our version. Then said the Prince to the man, "Thy camel is lost;
+go and look for it." So the stranger mounted his horse and departed.
+
+
+
+NOTES TO XIII.--THE SECOND PART.
+
+The Hunter and his Faithful Dog.--A variety of this story is cited
+from a Cawnpore newspaper, in the "Asiatic Journal," Vol. XV. (new
+series), Part II. October, 1834, p. 78, which is to the following
+effect:--A Bunjarrah named Dabee had a dog called Bhyro, the faithful
+companion of his travels, who guarded his goods from robbers while
+he slept. He wished to go to a distant part of the country to trade
+in grain, but had not sufficient funds for the purpose. After much
+cogitation, he at length resolved to pledge his dog for 1,000 rupees,
+and when he applied to several persons was laughed at for his folly;
+but a wealthy merchant named Dyaram gave the money, on condition that
+it should be paid back within twelve months, taking the dog Bhyro in
+pledge. When eleven months had passed, the merchant began to bewail
+the stupidity which had induced him to lend so large a sum on so
+precarious a security. His relentings were, however, premature. One
+dark and dreary night he was aroused from his slumbers by a great
+noise, occasioned by the clashing of swords and the barking of Bhyro. A
+band of armed men had entered the house with intent to plunder, but
+before they could effect their purpose they had been observed by the
+faithful Bhyro, who commenced an attack upon them. Before Dyaram could
+render any assistance, Bhyro had laid two of the robbers dead at his
+feet; a third, on the approach of Dyaram, aimed a blow at his head,
+which was prevented from taking effect by Bhyro seizing the ruffian
+by the throat and laying him prostrate on the ground. After peace
+was restored, Dyaram congratulated himself on having received Bhyro
+in pledge for the Bunjarrah, by which act he not only escaped being
+plundered, but in all probably murdered. Next morning Dyaram called
+Bhyro, and after caressing him, said:--"The service you rendered me
+last night is more than an equivalent for the 1,000 rupees I lent
+your master; go, faithful creature. I give you a free discharge from
+your obligation as security for him." Bhyro shook his head in token
+that it was impossible for him to go until his master returned; but
+Dyaram, comprehending his meaning, soon arranged matters by writing
+a statement of the circumstances, and giving a voucher for the 1,000
+rupees. This document he tied round Bhyro's neck, which done, Bhyro
+expressed his delight by leaping about in every direction, and, after
+licking the hands of Dyaram, darted out of the house and set off in
+quest of his master. While these scenes were transpiring in Dyaram's
+house, Dabee was not unmindful of the pledge he had left behind him,
+and, having succeeded in his speculation, was returning with all haste
+to redeem it. At his last stage homewards he was surprised to see
+Bhyro approaching him with every demonstration of joy, but at sight
+of him Dabee's rage was kindled, and repulsing Bhyro as he fawned
+upon him he thus addressed him:--"O, ungrateful wretch! is this the
+return you have made for my kindness to you? and is this the manner
+in which you have established my character for veracity? You remained
+faithful to your trust during eleven months--could you not have held
+out for thirty short days? You have, by your desertion from your
+post, entailed dishonour upon me, and for this you shall die." And,
+so saying, he drew his sword and slew him. After having committed this
+deed, he observed a paper tied round Bhyro's neck; having read it,
+his grief was indescribable. To atone in some measure for his rash
+act, caused poor Bhyro to be buried on the spot where he fell, and a
+superb monument to be erected over his remains. To the grave of Bhyro,
+even at the present day, resort natives who have been bitten by dogs,
+they believing that the dust collected there, when applied to the
+wounds, is an antidote for hydrophobia.
+
+
+
+NOTES TO XIII.--THE THIRD PART.
+
+The Brahman's Wife and the Mongoose.--We have, in this story,
+an Indian variety of the well-known Welsh legend of Llewellyn and
+his dog Gellert. A similar legend was current in France during the
+Middle Ages. But our story--mutatis mutandis--is as old as the third
+century B.C., since it is found in a Buddhist work of that period. It
+also occurs in two Sanskrit forms of the celebrated Fables of Pilpay,
+or Bidnaia namely the "Pancha Tantra" (five chapters), which is said
+to date as far back as the 5th century A.D., and the "Hitopadesa"
+(Friendly Counsels); also in the Arabian and other Eastern versions
+of the same work. It is found in all the texts of the Book of
+Sindibad--Greek, Syriac, Persian, Hebrew, Old Castilian, Arabic,
+&c., and in the several European versions, known generally under
+the title of "The History of the Seven Wise Masters," the earliest
+form of which being a Latin prose work entitled "Dolopathos." There
+are, of course, differences in the details of the numerous versions
+both Western and Eastern, but the fundamental outline is the same in
+all. In my work on the migrations of popular tales, I have reproduced
+all the known versions of this world-wide story, with the exception
+of that in the present romance, which is singular in representing the
+woman as killing herself after she had discovered her fatal mistake,
+and her husband as slaying his little son and himself. The author of
+the romance probably added these tragedies, in order to enable the
+supposed narrator to more forcibly impress the king with the grievous
+consequences of acting in affairs of moment with inconsiderateness
+and precipitation. In most versions it is the husband who kills the
+faithful animal. Among the Malays the story of the Snake and the
+Mongoose is current in this form:--A man left a tame bear in charge
+of his house, and of his sleeping child, while he was absent from
+home. On his return he missed his child, the house was in disorder,
+as if some great struggle had taken place, and the floor was covered
+with blood. Hastily concluding that the bear had killed and devoured
+the child, the enraged father slew the animal with his spear, but
+almost immediately afterwards found the carcase of a tiger, which the
+faithful bear had defeated and killed, and the child emerged unharmed
+from the jungle, where it had taken refuge.
+
+In a black-letter English edition of the "Seven Wise Masters,"
+the knight, having slain his hound and discovered his child safe in
+its cradle, exclaims (and here the hand of the misogynist monkish
+writer is very evident!)--"Woe be to me, that, for the words of my
+wife, I have slain my good and best greyhound, the which had saved
+my child's life, and hath slain the serpent; therefore I will put
+myself to penance." And so he brake his sword in three pieces, and
+travelled in the direction of the Holy Land, and abode there all the
+days of his life. The preceding story of the Hunter and his Dog, it
+will be observed, is closely allied to that of the Brahman's Wife and
+the Mongoose; and in conclusion, where the hunter erects a stately
+tomb over his dog's remains, it presents a striking resemblance to
+the Welsh legend of Llewellyn and the dog Gellert, which is probably
+not merely fortuitous.
+
+A very curious version is found in a black-letter chapter-book,
+entitled the "Seven Wise Mistresses," written in imitation of the
+"Seven Wise Masters," by one Thomas Howard, about the end of the
+seventeenth century, in which a knight and his lady are wrecked
+and cast ashore on a desert island, and the knight soon afterwards
+dies. His wife takes a thorn out of a lion's foot (Androcles in
+petticoats), and the grateful animal follows her about, and provides
+her with food, and this is how the story goes on:--
+
+"At last she began mourning to herself, deploring her condition
+in living in such obscurity in a foreign Country, and as her daily
+companion, a savage Beast, her mind yearning after her own habitation,
+she thus complained: 'Oh, how hath fortune frowned on me that I
+am driven out from all human knowledge, and am glad to take up my
+habitation with the Beast of the Field!'
+
+"As she thus complained to herself, the Devil chanced to appear to her,
+and demanded the cause of her complaint, and she related all to him as
+you have heard. Then said he to her: 'What wilt thou give and I will
+provide a ship which shall carry thee home to thy own country.' She
+answered: 'Half my Estates.'
+
+"'Nay,' said the Devil, 'If thou wilt give me thy Soul at the term of
+twelve years, I will set thee down in thy own country, and thou shalt
+live and flourish so long.' 'God forbid,' said the Lady. 'I would
+rather end my wretched life in this solitary island than that.' 'Why
+then,' said the Devil, 'I will make this bargain with you, that if you
+abstain from sleeping all the time of our voyage, which shall be but
+three days, I will have nothing to do with your Soul; if you sleep,
+I will have it as I have said.'
+
+"And upon this bargain the lady ventured, provided she might have her
+Lion with her. So 'twas concluded, and a brave Ship came and took the
+Lady and her Lion. When she lay down the Lion lay by her, and if she
+slumbered the Lion would touch her with his paw, by which means he
+kept her awake all the voyage, until she landed in her own country,
+and being come to her Father's house, she knocked at the gate. Then
+the Porter coming with all speed opened the gate and thought that it
+was a Beggar.
+
+"Frowningly he shut it again, saying, 'There's nothing here for
+you.' Then she bounced at the gate again, and asked the Porter if such
+a Knight lived there, meaning her Father, and he said 'Yes.' 'Then,'
+said she, 'Pray, deliver this piece of ring unto him.' Now this ring
+was it she brake betwixt her Father and she at her departure out of
+the land. Then the Porter delivered the Ring to his Master, saying:
+'The Beggar woman at the gate willed me to deliver the piece of ring
+unto you.'
+
+"When the Knight saw the ring he fell down in a swound but when he
+was revived he said, 'Call her in, for she is my only Daughter, whom
+I thought was dead.' 'Then,' said the Porter, 'I dare not call her in,
+for there is a mighty Lion with her.' 'Though it be,' said the Knight,
+'call her in.' Then said the Porter [to the Lady], 'You are to come
+in, but leave your Lion outside.' 'No,' said the Lady, 'my Lion goes
+whereever I go, and where he is not, there will I not be.'
+
+"And when she came to her Father she fell down on her knees and
+wept. Her Father took her up in his arms and kissed her, weeping as
+fast, and after he clothed her in purple, and placed her by him in a
+chair, and demanded an account of her travels, and she told him all
+that had happened, and how the Lion had saved her life, and was the
+greatest comfort she had in the Wilderness. It chanced afterwards
+that as the Knight was going into his Wood to look after his young
+Horses, he met with a wild Boar, with whom he fell in combat. The
+Lion loved the Old Knight, and by accident walking along he scented
+the Boar, and as the Lion ran toward the place where the Boar was,
+the Steward espied him, and he ran into the Palace, and cryed out,
+'the Lion is running after my Master to destroy him.'
+
+"Then the Lady sent after him ten of her servants, who met the Lion,
+his mouth all bloody, and they ran back and told the Lady the Lion
+had destroyed her aged Father. Then said the Lady, 'O woe is me
+that ever I was born, that have brought a Lion from far to destroy
+my own Father.' Therefore she commanded her servants to slay the
+Lion, which no sooner was done but her Father came in, and said;
+'O, I have met with a wild Boar, with whom I fought, and there came
+the Lion to my aid, and slew the Boar, and so saved my life, else I
+had died by the Boar.'
+
+"When the Lady heard this, O how she wept and wrung her hands, saying,
+'For the words of a wicked Steward, I have slain my good Lion, who
+hath saved my life and my Father's. Cursed be the time I was advised
+by him.'"
+
+
+
+The Faithless Wife and the Ungrateful Blind Man.--I do not remember
+having met with this story in any other collection, although there are
+there many tales in Asiatic story-books of women abandoning their blind
+or infirm husbands, and going off with strange men. A very considerable
+proportion, in fact of Eastern stories turn upon the alleged wickedness
+and profligacy and intrigues of women. This most unjust estimate of
+"the sex" seems to have been universal in Asiatic countries from
+every remote times and probably was introduced into Europe through
+the Crusades. Not a few of the mediaeval Monkish tales represent women
+in a very unfavourable light, and this is also the case in our early
+English jest-books, which were compiled soon after the invention of
+printing. In the oldest Indian literature, however, especially the
+two grand epics "Ramayana" and "Mahabharata," occur several notable
+tales of noble women, such as "Dushyanta and Sakuntala," and the
+charming romance of "Nala and Damayanti;" and in another work, the
+"Adventures of the Ten princes," ("Dasa Kumara Charita,") the fine
+story of Gomiui, who is held up as a pattern to her sex.
+
+
+
+NOTES TO XIII.--THE FOURTH PART.
+
+The Wonderful Mango-fruit.--A variety of this story occurs in the
+Persian "Tuti Nama" of Nakhshabi:--A Prince, who is very ill, sends
+a parrot of great sagacity to procure him some fruit of the Tree of
+Life. When at length the bird returns with the life-giving fruit,
+the Prince scruples to eat of it, upon which the parrot relates
+the legend of "Solomon and the Water of Immortality;" how that wise
+monarch declined to procure immunity from death, on consideration that
+he should thus survive all his friends and female favourites. The
+Prince, however, being suspicious regarding the fruit, sent some
+trusty messengers to "bring the first apple that fell from the Tree
+of Existence." But it happened that a black snake had poisoned it
+by seizing it in its mouth and then letting it drop again. When the
+messengers returned with the fruit, the Prince tried the effect on a
+holy man, who instantly falls down dead. Upon seeing this, the Prince
+dooms the parrot to death; but the sagacious bird suggests that, before
+the Prince should execute him for treason, he should himself go to the
+Tree of Life and make another experiment with its fruit. The Prince
+does so, and, returning home, gives part of the fruit to an old woman,
+"who, from age and infirmity, had not stirred abroad for many years;"
+and, no sooner had she tasted it, than she was changed into a charming
+girl of eighteen. But more closely resembling our story is a version
+in a Canarese collection, entitled "Katha Manjari":--A certain king
+had a magpie that flew one day to heaven with another magpie. From
+thence it took away some mango seed, and, having returned, gave it
+to the king, saying:--
+
+"If you cause this to be planted and grow, whoever eats of its fruit
+old age will forsake him and his youth be restored."
+
+The king was much pleased, and caused it to be planted in his favourite
+garden. After some years, buds appeared and became flowers, then
+young fruit, then full grown; and when the fruit was ripe the king
+ordered one to be plucked and brought to him, when he gave it to an
+old man. But on it had fallen poison from a serpent as it was carried
+through the air by a kite, so the old man immediately withered and
+died. The king, on seeing this, exclaimed in wrath:--
+
+"Is not this bird attempting to kill me?" And he seized the magpie and
+wrung off its head. Afterwards in the village the tree had the name
+of the poisonous mango. Now, it happened that a washerman, taking the
+part of his wife in a quarrel with his old mother, struck the latter,
+who was so angry at her son that she resolved to die, in order that
+the blame of her death should fall upon him; and having gone to the
+poisonous mango-tree in the garden, she cut off a fruit and ate it,
+when instantly she became more blooming than a girl of sixteen. This
+miracle she published everywhere and it came to the king's ears, who,
+having called her and seen her, caused the fruit to be given to other
+old people. Having seen what was thus done by the marvelous virtue
+of the mango-fruit, the king sorrowfully exclaimed:--
+
+"Alas, the faithful magpie is killed which gave me this divine
+tree! How guilty am I!" And he pierced himself with his sword and died.
+
+"Therefore," adds the story-teller, "those who act without thought
+are certain to be ruined." The old Brahman's generously presenting
+the king with the wonderful mango-fruit in our story, finds its
+parallel with a difference, in the Hindu romance entitled "Simhasana
+Dwatrinsatri," or Thirty-two Tales of a throne, where a Brahman having
+received from the gods, as a reward for his devotional austerities,
+the fruit of immortality, joyfully proceeds home and shows it to
+his wife, who advises him to give it to the Raja Bhartrihari, as the
+wealth he should receive in return were preferable to an endless life
+of poverty. He goes to the palace, and presenting the fruit to the
+Raja, acquaints him of its nature, and is rewarded with a lakh of
+rupees. The Raja gives the fruit to his wife, telling her that if
+she ate it her beauty would increase day by day, and she should be
+immortal. The Kani gives it to her paramour, the chief of police, who,
+in his turn, presents it as the choicest of gifts to a courtesan, who,
+after reflecting that it would only enable her to commit innumerable
+sins, resolves to offer it to the Raja, in hope of a reward in a future
+life. When Raja Bhartrihari receives the fruit again he is astonished,
+and, on learning from the haetera from whom she had obtained it, he
+knew that his queen was unfaithful, and, abandoning his throne and
+kingdom, departs into the jungle, where he became an ascetic.
+
+
+
+NOTES TO XIII.--THE FIFTH PART.
+
+The Poisoned Food.--This is a third instance of food or fruit
+being poisoned by serpents, and it occurs very frequently in Eastern
+stories. The oldest form of this tale is found in a Sanskrit collection
+entitled "Twenty-five Tales of a Vampyre" (Vetalapanchavimsati),
+which is probably of Buddhist extraction, and which also exists in
+many of the vernacular languages of India. The wife of a man named
+Harisvamin having been stolen from him one night by a Vidyadhara
+Prince, he gave away all his wealth to the Brahmans, and resolved to
+visit the sacred waters to wash away his sins, after which he hoped
+to recover his beloved wife; and the story thus proceeds:--Then
+he left the country, with his Brahman birth as his only fortune,
+and began to go round to all the sacred bathing-places in order to
+recover his beloved. And as he was roaming about there came upon him
+the terrible lion of the hot season, with the blazing sun for mouth
+and with a mane composed of his fiery rays. And the winds blew with
+excessive heat, as if warmed by the breath of sighs furnaced forth by
+travellers grieved at being separated from their wives. And the tanks,
+with their supply of water diminished by the heat and their drying
+white mud, appeared to be showing their broken hearts. And the trees
+by the roadside seemed to lament on account of the departure of the
+glory of spring, making their wailing heard in the shrill moaning of
+their bark, with leaves, as it were, lips, parched with heat.
+
+At that season Harisvamin, wearied out with the heat of the sun,
+with bereavement, hunger and thirst, and continual travelling,
+emaciated and dirty, and pining for food, reached in the course of his
+wanderings a certain village, and found in it the house of a Brahman
+named Padmanabha, who was engaged in a sacrifice. And, seeing that
+many Brahmans were eating in his house, he stood leaning against the
+door-post, silent and motionless. And the good wife of that Brahman
+named Padmanabha, seeing him in this position, felt pity for him,
+and reflected:--
+
+"Alas! mighty is hunger! Whom will it not bring down? For here stands
+a man at the door, who appears to be a householder, desiring food,
+with downcast countenance; evidently come from a long journey, and
+with all his faculties impaired by hunger. So is not he a man to whom
+food ought to be given?" Having gone through these reflections, that
+kind woman took up in her hand a vessel full of rice boiled in milk,
+with ghi and sugar, and brought it, and courteously presented it to
+him, and said:--
+
+"Go and eat this somewhere on the bank of the lake, for this place
+is unfit to eat in, as it is filled with feasting Brahmans." He said
+"I will do so," and took the vessel of rice and placed it at no great
+distance under a banyan-tree on the edge of the lake; and he washed
+his hands and feet in the lake, and rinsed his mouth, and then came
+back in high spirits to eat the rice. But while he was thus engaged
+a kite, holding a black cobra with its beak and claws, came and sat
+on that tree. And it so happened that poisonous saliva issued from
+the mouth of that dead snake, which the bird had captured and was
+carrying along. The saliva fell into the dish of rice which was placed
+under the tree, and Harisvamin, without observing it, came and ate up
+that rice. As soon as in his hunger he had devoured all that food, he
+began to suffer terrible agonies, caused by the poison. He exclaimed:--
+
+"When fate has turned against a man, everything in this world turns
+also; accordingly this rice has become poison to me." Thus speaking,
+Harisvamin, tortured with the poison, tottered to the house of that
+Brahman who was engaged in a sacrifice, and said to his wife:--
+
+"The rice which you gave me has poisoned me; so fetch me quickly a
+charmer who can counteract the operation of poison; otherwise you
+will be guilty of the death of a Brahman." When Harisvamin had said
+this to the good woman, who was beside herself to think what it could
+all mean, his eyes closed and he died.
+
+Then the Brahman who was engaged in a sacrifice drove his wife out
+of the house, though she was innocent and hospitable, being enraged
+with her for the supposed murder of her guest. The good woman, for
+her part, having incurred groundless blame from her charitable deed,
+and so become burdened with infamy, went to a holy bathing-place, to
+perform penance. Then there was a discussion before the superintendent
+of religion as to which of the four parties, the kite, the snake,
+and the couple who gave rice, was guilty of the murder of a Brahman;
+but the question was not decided.
+
+It will be seen that our story differs very considerably from the
+foregoing, which we must regard as the original. The same story occurs
+in all the Eastern versions of the Book of Sindibad, but in most of
+these it is not a traveller who is thus poisoned, but a wealthy man and
+his guests; having sent a domestic to the market to buy sour curds,
+which she carried back in an open vessel, poison from a serpent in
+a stork's mouth dropped into the curds, of which the master of the
+house and his guests partook and died. The story is probably more
+than 2,000 years old.
+
+"Eating up the Protector." Akin to this, but with a very different
+conclusion, is the well-known story of the traveller who released a
+tiger from a trap into which he had fallen. The Brahman's fidelity
+to his pact with the serpent reminds one of the Arabian story of
+the Merchant and the Genie. In a Tamil tale, a cow having given
+herself up to a tiger to redeem her owner (it is to be understood,
+of course, that both animals are human beings re-born in those forms)
+she obtains leave to go and suckle her calf, after which she returns
+when the tiger, moved by her fidelity, lets her go free.
+
+The serpent's emitting gems recalls Shakespeare's allusion to the
+popular notion of the "toad, ugly and venomous, which bears a precious
+jewel in its head." It is a very ancient and widespread belief that
+serpents are the guardians of hidden treasures. Preller, in his work
+on Grecian mythology, refers to a Servian story in which a shepherd,
+as in our tale, saves the life of a snake in a forest fire, and,
+in return for this service, the snake's father gives him endless
+treasures and teaches him the language of birds. There is a very
+similar story in Dozon's "Contes Albanais."
+
+In the charming tale of "Nala and Damayanti," which occurs in the third
+part ("Vana Parva") of the grand Indian epic "Mahabharata," the exiled
+king perceives a snake with a ray of jewels in its crest, writhing
+in a jungle fire, and lifting it out, carries it some distance, and
+is about to set it down, when the snake says to him, "Carry me ten
+steps farther, and count them aloud as you go." So Nala proceeds,
+counting the steps--one, two, three--and when he said "ten" (dasa,
+which means "ten" and also "bite") the snake took him at his word, and
+bit the king in the forehead, upon which he became black and deformed.
+
+An abstract of a considerably modified form of our romance orally
+current among the people of Bengal may be given in conclusion: A king
+appoints his three sons to patrol in turn the streets of his capital
+during the night. It happens that the youngest Prince in going his
+rounds one night sees a beautiful woman issuing from the royal palace,
+and accosting her, asks her business at such an hour. She replies:--
+
+"I am the guardian deity of this palace; the king will be killed this
+night, therefore I am going away."
+
+The Prince persuades the goddess to return into the palace and await
+the event. As in our story, he enters his father's sleeping chamber
+and discovers a huge cobra near the royal couch. He cuts the serpent
+into many pieces, which he puts inside a brass vessel that is in the
+room. Then seeing that some drops of the serpent's blood had fallen on
+his step-mother's breast, he wraps a piece of cloth round his tongue to
+protect it from the poison, and licks off the blood. The lady awakes,
+and recognises him as he is leaving the room. She accuses him to the
+king of having used an unpardonable freedom with her. In the morning
+the king sends for his eldest son, and asks him: "If a trusted servant
+should prove faithless how should he be punished?"
+
+Quoth the Prince: "Surely his head should be parted from his body;
+but before doing so you should ascertain whether the man is actually
+guilty."
+
+And then he proceeds to relate the following story:--"Once upon a
+time there was a goldsmith who had a grown-up son, whose wife was
+acquainted with the language of animals, but she kept secret from her
+husband and all others the fact of her being endowed with such a rare
+gift. It happened one night she heard a jackal exclaim: 'There is a
+dead body floating on the river; would that some one might give me
+that body to eat, and for his pains take the diamond ring from the
+finger of the dead man.'
+
+"The woman arose from her bed and went to the bank of the river, and
+her husband, who was not asleep, followed her unobserved. She went
+into the water, drew the corpse to land, and unable to loosen the
+ring from the dead man's finger, which had swelled, she bit off the
+finger, and leaving the corpse on the bank, returned home, whither
+she had been preceded by her husband. Almost petrified with fear,
+the young goldsmith concluded from what he had seen that his wife was
+not a human being, but a ghoul (rakshasi), and early in the morning
+he hastened to his father and related the whole affair to him--how
+the woman had got up during the night and gone to the river, out of
+which she dragged a dead body to the land, and was busy devouring it
+when he ran home in horror.
+
+"The old man was greatly shocked, and advised his son to take his wife
+on some pretext into the forest and leave her there to be destroyed by
+wild beasts. So the husband caused the woman to get herself ready to go
+on a visit to her father, and after a hasty breakfast they set out. In
+going through a dense jungle, where the goldsmith proposed abandoning
+his wife, she heard a serpent cry, 'O, passenger, I pray thee to seize
+and give me that croaking frog, and take for thy reward the gold and
+precious stones concealed in yonder hole.' The woman at once seized
+the frog and threw it towards the serpent, and then began digging into
+the ground with a stick. Her husband quaked with fear, thinking that
+his ghoul-wife was about to kill him, but she called to him, saying,
+'My dear husband, gather up all this gold and precious gems.'
+
+"Approaching the spot with hesitation he was surprised to perceive an
+immense treasure laid bare by his wife, who then explained to him how
+she had learned of it from the snake that lay coiled up near them,
+whose language she understood. Then he said to his wife--'It is now
+so late that we cannot reach your father's house before dark, and
+we might be slain by wild beasts. Let us therefore return home.' So
+they retraced their steps, and approaching the house the goldsmith
+said to his wife--'Do, you, my dear, go in by the back door, while
+I enter by the front and show my father all this treasure.'
+
+The woman went in by the back door and was met by her father-in-law,
+who, on seeing her, concluded that she had killed and devoured his
+son, and striking her on the head with a hammer which he happened to
+have in his hand, she instantly expired. Just then the son came into
+the room, but it was too late."
+
+"I have told your Majesty this story," adds the eldest Prince, "in
+order that before putting the man to death you should make sure that
+he is guilty."
+
+The king next calls his second son and asks him the same question,
+to which he replies by relating a story to caution his father against
+rash actions.
+
+"A king, separated from his attendants while engaged in the chase, saw
+what he conceived to be rain-water dropping from the top of a tree,
+and, being very thirst, held his drinking cup under it until it was
+nearly filled, and, just as he was about to put it to his lips, his
+horse purposely moved so as to cause the contents to be spilled on the
+ground, upon which the king in a rage drew his sword and killed the
+faithful animal; but afterwards discovering that what he had taken
+for rain-water was poison that dropped from a cobra in the tree,
+his grief knew no bounds."
+
+Calling lastly his third son, the king asks him what should be done
+to the man who proved false to his trust. The Prince tells the story
+of the wonderful tree, the fruit of which bestowed on him who ate of
+it perennial youth, with unimportant variations from the version in
+our romance.
+
+Then the Prince explained the occasion of his presence in the Royal
+bedchamber, and how he had saved the king and his consort from the
+cobra's deadly bite. And the king, overjoyed and full of gratitude,
+strained his faithful son to his heart, and ever after cherished and
+loved him with all a father's love.
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+NOTES
+
+
+[1] Soothsaying.
+
+[2] An Indian hour equal to twenty-four minutes.
+
+[3] It is the custom amongst widows to use betel leaves instead
+of plates.
+
+[4] In English, Benares.
+
+[5] The Deccan.
+
+[6] A small vessel.
+
+[7] Storey is here put for divisions in an Indian well. These
+divisions are little projecting ledges of stone made for natives to
+stand on so that they can get down close to the water if the well
+is not full. There are sometimes six or seven divisions, or ledges,
+of this sort.
+
+[8] The first serpent--the king of serpents.
+
+[9] Literally the stealer of gold--a practice very common in India
+among that class. There is a proverb to the effect that even from
+the gold given by their mothers to be turned into jewels, they will
+pilfer a little.
+
+[10] The distance of a kas being equal to 2000 Indian poles.
+
+[11] Dungeon.
+
+[12] A period of time equal to an hour and a half.
+
+[13] King of tigers.
+
+[14] A ghatika is equal to twenty-four minutes.
+
+[15] Siva.
+
+[16] The eldest son of Siva commonly known as the belly god.
+
+[17] Another name of Ganapati.
+
+[18] Worship.
+
+[19] Attendants of Ganesa.
+
+[20] Classical name of Karur, a small, but very ancient, town in the
+Koyambatur District of the Madras Presidency.
+
+[21] Naraka of Put--Naraka is hell, and Put is a certain kind of
+hell to which, according to Hindu mythology, son-less persons are
+hurled down.
+
+[22] Putra-son, so-called as he protects the father from the hell
+of Put.
+
+[23] Ficus religiosa.
+
+[24] The fair.
+
+[25] Voluntary cremation of widows with the dead bodies of their
+husbands on the funeral pile.
+
+[26] Karor is equal to ten lacs (lakhs); mohur is an old gold coin.
+
+[27] Spring.
+
+[28] The king's court.
+
+[29] Council chamber.
+
+[30] My darling prince.
+
+[31] The creator of the Hindu mythology.
+
+[32] A Hindu feast.
+
+[33] Fee.
+
+[34] Vedas--The sacred books of the Hindus.
+
+[35] Minister.
+
+[36] The chief officer of the realm next to the minister.
+
+[37] The image of the belly-god.
+
+[38] The world of Indra, the regent of the sky.
+
+[39] Names of divine damsels.
+
+[40] Cinnamon-stone.
+
+[41] Diamond.
+
+[42] A precious stone (cat's eye).
+
+[43] A sort of paint for the eye (Hindustani--Surma).
+
+[44] A mark on the forehead.
+
+[45] Serpent sacrifice.
+
+[46] Sacrifice.
+
+[47] Brahman woman.
+
+[48] Throne.
+
+[49] Tevai is the classical name of the modern town of Ramnad in the
+district of Madura.
+
+[50] Kodamundan.
+
+[51] Vidamundan.
+
+[52] Vayalvallan.
+
+[53] Kaiyalvallan.
+
+[54] There is no such word as kuta in Tamil. The Tamil and other
+Dravidian languages allow rhyming repetitions of word, like
+this--bhuta-kuta.
+
+[55] [Compare the tale of Fattu, the Valiant Weaver, Indian Antiquary,
+Vol. XI., p. 282 ff.--R. C. T.]
+
+[56] Which in Tamil are exclamations of lamentation, meaning, Ah! Alas!
+
+[57] A place of public feeding.
+
+[58] Among high caste Hindus, when girls leave one village and go to
+another, the old woman of the house--the mother or grandmother--always
+places in her bundles and on her head a few margosa leaves as a
+talisman against demons.
+
+[59] A ghatika is twenty-four minutes. The story being Hindu, the
+Hindu method of reckoning distance is used.
+
+[60] A "watch" is a yama, or three hours.
+
+[61] Tamil, to'sai.
+
+[62] A fragrant herb, held in great veneration by the Hindus; Ocymum
+sanctum. This herb is sacred alike to Siva and Vishnu. Those species
+specially sacred to Siva are--Vendulasi, Siru-tulasi, and Siva-tulasi;
+those to Vishnu are Sendulasi, Karundulasi and Vishnu-tulasi.
+
+[63] Compare the Singalese folktale given on p. 62, Vol I. of the
+Orientalist.--Ed.
+
+[64] Uparani or upavastra, an upper garment.
+
+[65] This kind of statement often occurs in stories in proof of the
+just reign of a monarch. The Hindu idea is that so long as justice
+and equity characterise a king's rule, even beasts naturally inimical
+are disposed to live in friendship. When timely rain fails or famine
+stalks through the land, turning his eyes from the natural causes,
+the orthodox Hindu will say that such a king is now reigning over
+them unjustly, and hence the calamity.--Translator.
+
+[66] "Distinguishing the peculiarities of an animal by its footsteps,
+&c., is often met with in Indian stories. Precisely the reverse of
+this is the tale of the four blind men who disputed about the form
+of an elephant. One of them had felt only the elephant's ears, and
+said it was like a winnow; another examined the breast and a foreleg,
+and said it was like a thick stump of wood; the third felt the trunk,
+and said it was like a heavy crook; while the fourth, having touched
+only the tail, declared it was like a sweeping rake."--W. A. Clouston.
+
+[67] The night-watch hearing the tutelary goddess of the village
+mourning, is a very ancient idea. It also occurs, for example,
+in the story of Viravara, in the Sanskrit book of fables entitled
+"Hitopadesa." Sambhavi and Mahamayi are different names of Kali--a
+fierce goddess, much worshipped as the presiding deity of cholera
+and smallpox.--T.
+
+[68] A ghatika = 24 minutes.--T.
+
+[69] Apparently the arrows were attached to some kind of mechanism
+which discharged them on the opening of the jar. There is "nothing
+new under the sun." Dynamite is perhaps a discovery of our own times,
+but "infernal machines," which served the purpose of king-killers,
+are of ancient date.
+
+[70] The Hindus, at their meals, squat on the ground, with leaves in
+place of earthenware dishes, on which their food is served.--T.
+
+[71] A sum of money varying in different localities of the South of
+India. In the Chola grants "pon" also occurs.
+
+[72] An Indian word meaning clumps of trees.
+
+[73] It is a very common practice to dupe the ordinary people in
+this manner in Hindu temples. Some impostor will proclaim to the
+crowd that the spirit of a god, or goddess, is upon him, and utters
+whatever comes uppermost in his mind. He occasionally contrives to
+accomplish his private ends by such "revelations." The ignorant are
+greatly misled by these impostors, and learned Hindus condemn the
+practice as gross superstition.--T.
+
+[74] Corresponding to the English proverb: "Quarrelling with one's
+bread and butter."
+
+[75] Full grown and ripe bamboo bears a kind of corn which when
+collected and shelled resembles wheat. Hunters cook a most excellent
+food of bamboo grain and honey.--T.
+
+[76] Compare the story of "The Rat's Wedding" from the Panjab, The
+Indian Antiquary, Vol. XI., pp, 226ff: where, however, a better moral
+from the tale is drawn.
+
+[77] A low caste man; Pariah.
+
+[78] In response to the sound of the tom-tom.
+
+[79] Traders have also certain secret symbols for marking their prices
+on their cloths.
+
+[80] This story, apart from its folklore value, is specially
+interesting as showing that the customs mentioned in the Indian
+Antiquary, Vol. XIV., pp. 155ff., as being prevalent at Delhi,
+regarding secret trade language are universal in India.
+
+[81] i.e., lover of his wife.
+
+[82] i.e., a shudder at sin.
+
+[83] Worship of the household gods or devotion.
+
+[84] The eleventh lunar day of every fortnight, on which a fast is
+observed by orthodox Hindus.
+
+[85] Bhusura, bhudeva; a generic name for a Brahmin.
+
+[86] Oil of sesamun; til and gingely oil are the ordinary names for
+this common product of India.
+
+[87] Dvadasi is the twelfth lunar day, on which early in the morning,
+before even the fifth ghatika is over, every orthodox Hindu is obliged
+by his religious codes to break the previous day's fast.
+
+[88] Lit. a "chombu-full;" the chombu is a small vessel.
+
+[89] A sacred hymn.
+
+[90] A panam is generally worth two anas.
+
+[91] See also the second tale in this series.
+
+[92] Learned woman.
+
+[93] There would of course be no real marriage between a dancing girl
+and a Brahmin. Hence the insult.
+
+[94] In stories of a master falling in love with the girl he has been
+teaching, he is usually himself made a soothsayer. In that capacity
+he asks the guardian (father or mother) to put the girl in a light
+box and to float her down a river. The girl in the box is taken by
+a young man, sometimes a prince, and becomes his wife. A tiger or a
+lion is then put into the box, and when the teacher, a great way down
+the river, takes the box and wishes to run away with the girl inside,
+he is torn to pieces, as a fit reward for his evil intentions, by
+the beast. But here the story takes a different turn.
+
+[95] From this point up to the end we shall find the story to be
+similar to "Ali Baba and the Forty Thieves" in the Arabian Nights,
+though the plot is different.
+
+[96] Ganga snana Tunga pana. The Ganges for bath and Tunga
+(Tungabhadra) for drink.
+
+[97] A Kanarese tale related by a risaldar.
+
+[98] Headman of the village.
+
+[99] Dakshinas (fees given in donation to Brahmins) are ordinarily
+given to priests.
+
+[100] A yellow grain, peculiar to India.
+
+[101] It is not generally known that the "Birnam Wood" incident in
+Shakespeare's "Macbeth" occurs in the same Arabian historical work.
+
+
+
+
+
+
+End of the Project Gutenberg EBook of Tales of the Sun, by
+Mrs. Howard Kingscote and Pandit Natesa Sastri
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