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diff --git a/38488.txt b/38488.txt new file mode 100644 index 0000000..ca25210 --- /dev/null +++ b/38488.txt @@ -0,0 +1,7116 @@ +The Project Gutenberg EBook of Folk-Tales of Bengal, by Lal Behari Day + +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: Folk-Tales of Bengal + +Author: Lal Behari Day + +Illustrator: Warwick Goble + +Release Date: January 3, 2012 [EBook #38488] + +Language: English + +Character set encoding: ASCII + +*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK FOLK-TALES OF BENGAL *** + + + + +Produced by Jeroen Hellingman and the Online Distributed +Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net/ for Project +Gutenberg. (This file was produced from images generously +made available by The Internet Archive/American Libraries.) + + + + + + + + + FOLK-TALES OF BENGAL + + By the + Rev. LAL BEHARI DAY + + Author of 'Bengal Peasant Life,' etc. + + With 32 illustrations in colour + By Warwick Goble + + + + Macmillan and Co., Limited + St. Martin's Street, London + 1912 + + + + + + + + TO + RICHARD CARNAC TEMPLE + CAPTAIN, BENGAL STAFF CORPS + F.R.G.S., M.R.A.S., M.A.I., ETC. + WHO FIRST SUGGESTED TO THE WRITER + THE IDEA OF COLLECTING + THESE TALES + AND WHO IS DOING SO MUCH + IN THE CAUSE OF INDIAN FOLK-LORE + THIS LITTLE BOOK + IS INSCRIBED + + + + + + + +PREFACE + + +In my Peasant Life in Bengal I make the peasant boy Govinda spend +some hours every evening in listening to stories told by an old woman, +who was called Sambhu's mother, and who was the best story-teller in +the village. On reading that passage, Captain R. C. Temple, of the +Bengal Staff Corps, son of the distinguished Indian administrator +Sir Richard Temple, wrote to me to say how interesting it would be to +get a collection of those unwritten stories which old women in India +recite to little children in the evenings, and to ask whether I could +not make such a collection. As I was no stranger to the Maehrchen of +the Brothers Grimm, to the Norse Tales so admirably told by Dasent, +to Arnason's Icelandic Stories translated by Powell, to the Highland +Stories done into English by Campbell, and to the fairy stories +collected by other writers, and as I believed that the collection +suggested would be a contribution, however slight, to that daily +increasing literature of folk-lore and comparative mythology which, +like comparative philosophy, proves that the swarthy and half-naked +peasant on the banks of the Ganges is a cousin, albeit of the +hundredth remove, to the fair-skinned and well-dressed Englishman +on the banks of the Thames, I readily caught up the idea and cast +about for materials. But where was an old story-telling woman to +be got? I had myself, when a little boy, heard hundreds--it would +be no exaggeration to say thousands--of fairy tales from that same +old woman, Sambhu's mother--for she was no fictitious person; she +actually lived in the flesh and bore that name; but I had nearly +forgotten those stories, at any rate they had all got confused in +my head, the tail of one story being joined to the head of another, +and the head of a third to the tail of a fourth. How I wished that +poor Sambhu's mother had been alive! But she had gone long, long ago, +to that bourne from which no traveller returns, and her son Sambhu, +too, had followed her thither. After a great deal of search I found +my Gammer Grethel--though not half so old as the Frau Viehmaennin of +Hesse-Cassel--in the person of a Bengali Christian woman, who, when +a little girl and living in her heathen home, had heard many stories +from her old grandmother. She was a good story-teller, but her stock +was not large; and after I had heard ten from her I had to look about +for fresh sources. An old Brahman told me two stories; an old barber, +three; an old servant of mine told me two; and the rest I heard from +another old Brahman. None of my authorities knew English; they all +told the stories in Bengali, and I translated them into English when +I came home. I heard many more stories than those contained in the +following pages; but I rejected a great many, as they appeared to me +to contain spurious additions to the original stories which I had +heard when a boy. I have reason to believe that the stories given +in this book are a genuine sample of the old old stories told by old +Bengali women from age to age through a hundred generations. + +Sambhu's mother used always to end every one of her stories--and +every orthodox Bengali story-teller does the same--with repeating +the following formula:-- + + + Thus my story endeth, + The Natiya-thorn withereth. + "Why, O Natiya-thorn, dost wither?" + "Why does thy cow on me browse?" + "Why, O cow, dost thou browse?" + "Why does thy neat-herd not tend me?" + "Why, O neat-herd, dost not tend the cow?" + "Why does thy daughter-in-law not give me rice?" + "Why, O daughter-in-law, dost not give rice?" + "Why does my child cry?" + "Why, O child, dost thou cry?" + "Why does the ant bite me?" + "Why, O ant, dost thou bite?" + Koot! koot! koot! + + +What these lines mean, why they are repeated at the end of every +story, and what the connection is of the several parts to one another, +I do not know. Perhaps the whole is a string of nonsense purposely +put together to amuse little children. + + +Lal Behari Day. + +Hooghly College, + +February 27, 1883. + + + + + + + +CONTENTS + + + PAGE + 1. Life's Secret 1 + 2. Phakir Chand 16 + 3. The Indigent Brahman 51 + 4. The Story of the Rakshasas 61 + 5. The Story of Swet-Basanta 89 + 6. The Evil Eye of Sani 104 + 7. The Boy whom Seven Mothers suckled 113 + 8. The Story of Prince Sobur 119 + 9. The Origin of Opium 132 + 10. Strike but Hear 140 + 11. The Adventures of Two Thieves and of their Sons 152 + 12. The Ghost-Brahman 173 + 13. The Man who wished to be Perfect 178 + 14. A Ghostly Wife 188 + 15. The Story of a Brahmadaitya 192 + 16. The Story of a Hiraman 200 + 17. The Origin of Rubies 211 + 18. The Match-making Jackal 217 + 19. The Boy with the Moon on his Forehead 227 + 20. The Ghost who was Afraid of being Bagged 247 + 21. The Field of Bones 251 + 22. The Bald Wife 269 + + + + + + + +ILLUSTRATIONS + + + Facing page + + "She rushed out of the palace ... and came to the + upper world" (p. 26) Frontispiece + "The Suo queen went to the door with a handful + of rice" 1 + "The prince revived, and, walking about, saw a human + figure near the gate" 9 + "She took up the jewel in her hand, left the palace, + and successfully reached the upper world" 22 + "He rushed out of his hiding-place and killed the + serpent" 43 + "Instead of sweetmeats about a score of demons" 56 + "At the door of which stood a lady of exquisite + beauty" 62 + "In a trice she woke up, sat up in her bed, and + eyeing the stranger, inquired who he was" 77 + The Girl of the Wall-Almirah 90 + "On a sudden an elephant gorgeously caparisoned shot + across his path" 95 + "They then set out on their journey" 106 + "A monstrous bird comes out apparently from the + palace" 117 + "Hundreds of peacocks of gorgeous plumes came to the + embankments to eat the khai" 123 + "'You would adorn the palace of the mightiest + sovereign'" 138 + "He saw a beautiful woman coming out of the palace" 141 + "'Husband, take up all this large quantity of gold + and these precious stones'" 145 + "They ran away in great fear, leaving behind them + the money and jewels" 162 + "The camel-driver alighted, tied the camel to a + tree on the spot, and began smoking" 170 + "'How is it that you have returned so soon?'" 174 + "At dawn he used to cull flowers in the forest" 181 + "The Brahman's wife had occasion to go to the tank, + and as she went she brushed by a Sankchinni" 188 + "The moment the first stroke was given, a great many + ghosts rushed towards the Brahman" 194 + "The lady, king, and hiraman all reached the king's + capital safe and sound" 210 + "'What princess ever puts only one ruby in her + hair?'" 214 + "Coming up to the surface they climbed into the + boat" 216 + "The jackal ... opened his bundle of betel-leaves, + put some into his mouth, and began chewing them" 218 + "A bright light, like that of the moon, was seen + shining on his forehead" 237 + "The six queens tried to comfort him" 238 + "'Now, barber, I am going to destroy you. Who will + protect you?'" 248 + "They approached a magnificent pile of buildings" 259 + "Thus the princess was deserted" 266 + "When she got out of the water, what a change was + seen in her!" 271 + + + + + + + +I + +LIFE'S SECRET + + +There was a king who had two queens, Duo and Suo. [1] Both of them +were childless. One day a Faquir (mendicant) came to the palace-gate +to ask for alms. The Suo queen went to the door with a handful of +rice. The mendicant asked whether she had any children. On being +answered in the negative, the holy mendicant refused to take alms, as +the hands of a woman unblessed with child are regarded as ceremonially +unclean. He offered her a drug for removing her barrenness, and she +expressing her willingness to receive it, he gave it to her with the +following directions:--"Take this nostrum, swallow it with the juice +of the pomegranate flower; if you do this, you will have a son in due +time. The son will be exceedingly handsome, and his complexion will +be of the colour of the pomegranate flower; and you shall call him +Dalim Kumar. [2] As enemies will try to take away the life of your +son, I may as well tell you that the life of the boy will be bound up +in the life of a big boal fish which is in your tank, in front of the +palace. In the heart of the fish is a small box of wood, in the box is +a necklace of gold, that necklace is the life of your son. Farewell." + +In the course of a month or so it was whispered in the palace +that the Suo queen had hopes of an heir. Great was the joy of +the king. Visions of an heir to the throne, and of a never-ending +succession of powerful monarchs perpetuating his dynasty to the +latest generations, floated before his mind, and made him glad as he +had never been in his life. The usual ceremonies performed on such +occasions were celebrated with great pomp; and the subjects made loud +demonstrations of their joy at the anticipation of so auspicious an +event as the birth of a prince. In the fulness of time the Suo queen +gave birth to a son of uncommon beauty. When the king the first time +saw the face of the infant, his heart leaped with joy. The ceremony +of the child's first rice was celebrated with extraordinary pomp, +and the whole kingdom was filled with gladness. + +In course of time Dalim Kumar grew up a fine boy. Of all sports he was +most addicted to playing with pigeons. This brought him into frequent +contact with his stepmother, the Duo queen, into whose apartments +Dalim's pigeons had a trick of always flying. The first time the +pigeons flew into her rooms, she readily gave them up to the owner; +but the second time she gave them up with some reluctance. The fact +is that the Duo queen, perceiving that Dalim's pigeons had this happy +knack of flying into her apartments, wished to take advantage of it +for the furtherance of her own selfish views. She naturally hated the +child, as the king, since his birth, neglected her more than ever, +and idolised the fortunate mother of Dalim. She had heard, it is not +known how, that the holy mendicant that had given the famous pill +to the Suo queen had also told her of a secret connected with the +child's life. She had heard that the child's life was bound up with +something--she did not know with what. She determined to extort that +secret from the boy. Accordingly, the next time the pigeons flew +into her rooms, she refused to give them up, addressing the child +thus:--"I won't give the pigeons up unless you tell me one thing." + +Dalim. What thing, mamma? + +Duo. Nothing particular, my darling; I only want to know in what your +life is. + +Dalim. What is that, mamma? Where can my life be except in me? + +Duo. No, child; that is not what I mean. A holy mendicant told your +mother that your life is bound up with something. I wish to know what +that thing is. + +Dalim. I never heard of any such thing, mamma. + +Duo. If you promise to inquire of your mother in what thing your +life is, and if you tell me what your mother says, then I will let +you have the pigeons, otherwise not. + +Dalim. Very well, I'll inquire, and let you know. Now, please, give +me my pigeons. + +Duo. I'll give them on one condition more. Promise to me that you +will not tell your mother that I want the information. + +Dalim. I promise. + +The Duo queen let go the pigeons, and Dalim, overjoyed to find again +his beloved birds, forgot every syllable of the conversation he had +had with his stepmother. The next day, however, the pigeons again flew +into the Duo queen's rooms. Dalim went to his stepmother, who asked +him for the required information. The boy promised to ask his mother +that very day, and begged hard for the release of the pigeons. The +pigeons were at last delivered. After play, Dalim went to his mother +and said--"Mamma, please tell me in what my life is contained." "What +do you mean, child?" asked the mother, astonished beyond measure at +the child's extraordinary question. "Yes, mamma," rejoined the child, +"I have heard that a holy mendicant told you that my life is contained +in something. Tell me what that thing is." "My pet, my darling, my +treasure, my golden moon, do not ask such an inauspicious question. Let +the mouth of my enemies be covered with ashes, and let my Dalim live +for ever," said the mother, earnestly. But the child insisted on being +informed of the secret. He said he would not eat or drink anything +unless the information were given him. The Suo queen, pressed by the +importunity of her son, in an evil hour told the child the secret of +his life. The next day the pigeons again, as fate would have it, flew +into the Duo queen's rooms. Dalim went for them; the stepmother plied +the boy with sugared words, and obtained the knowledge of the secret. + +The Duo queen, on learning the secret of Dalim Kumar's life, lost +no time in using it for the prosecution of her malicious design. She +told her maid-servants to get for her some dried stalks of the hemp +plant, which are very brittle, and which, when pressed upon, make +a peculiar noise, not unlike the cracking of joints of bones in the +human body. These hemp stalks she put under her bed, upon which she +laid herself down and gave out that she was dangerously ill. The +king, though he did not love her so well as his other queen, was +in duty bound to visit her in her illness. The queen pretended that +her bones were all cracking; and sure enough, when she tossed from +one side of her bed to the other, the hemp stalks made the noise +wanted. The king, believing that the Duo queen was seriously ill, +ordered his best physician to attend her. With that physician the +Duo queen was in collusion. The physician said to the king that for +the queen's complaint there was but one remedy, which consisted in +the outward application of something to be found inside a large boal +fish which was in the tank before the palace. The king's fisherman was +accordingly called and ordered to catch the boal in question. On the +first throw of the net the fish was caught. It so happened that Dalim +Kumar, along with other boys, was playing not far from the tank. The +moment the boal fish was caught in the net, that moment Dalim felt +unwell; and when the fish was brought up to land, Dalim fell down on +the ground, and made as if he was about to breathe his last. He was +immediately taken into his mother's room, and the king was astonished +on hearing of the sudden illness of his son and heir. The fish was +by the order of the physician taken into the room of the Duo queen, +and as it lay on the floor striking its fins on the ground, Dalim +in his mother's room was given up for lost. When the fish was cut +open, a casket was found in it; and in the casket lay a necklace of +gold. The moment the necklace was worn by the queen, that very moment +Dalim died in his mother's room. + +When the news of the death of his son and heir reached the king he was +plunged into an ocean of grief, which was not lessened in any degree +by the intelligence of the recovery of the Duo queen. He wept over +his dead Dalim so bitterly that his courtiers were apprehensive of a +permanent derangement of his mental powers. The king would not allow +the dead body of his son to be either buried or burnt. He could not +realise the fact of his son's death; it was so entirely causeless +and so terribly sudden. He ordered the dead body to be removed to +one of his garden-houses in the suburbs of the city, and to be laid +there in state. He ordered that all sorts of provisions should be +stowed away in that house, as if the young prince needed them for his +refection. Orders were issued that the house should be kept locked +up day and night, and that no one should go into it except Dalim's +most intimate friend, the son of the king's prime minister, who was +intrusted with the key of the house, and who obtained the privilege +of entering it once in twenty-four hours. + +As, owing to her great loss, the Suo queen lived in retirement, +the king gave up his nights entirely to the Duo queen. The latter, +in order to allay suspicion, used to put aside the gold necklace at +night; and, as fate had ordained that Dalim should be in the state +of death only during the time that the necklace was round the neck +of the queen, he passed into the state of life whenever the necklace +was laid aside. Accordingly Dalim revived every night, as the Duo +queen every night put away the necklace, and died again the next +morning when the queen put it on. When Dalim became reanimated +at night he ate whatever food he liked, for of such there was a +plentiful stock in the garden-house, walked about on the premises, +and meditated on the singularity of his lot. Dalim's friend, who +visited him only during the day, found him always lying a lifeless +corpse; but what struck him after some days was the singular fact that +the body remained in the same state in which he saw it on the first +day of his visit. There was no sign of putrefaction. Except that it +was lifeless and pale, there were no symptoms of corruption--it was +apparently quite fresh. Unable to account for so strange a phenomenon, +he determined to watch the corpse more closely, and to visit it not +only during the day but sometimes also at night. The first night that +he paid his visit he was astounded to see his dead friend sauntering +about in the garden. At first he thought the figure might be only +the ghost of his friend, but on feeling him and otherwise examining +him, he found the apparition to be veritable flesh and blood. Dalim +related to his friend all the circumstances connected with his death; +and they both concluded that he revived at nights only because the +Duo queen put aside her necklace when the king visited her. As the +life of the prince depended on the necklace, the two friends laid +their heads together to devise if possible some plans by which they +might get possession of it. Night after night they consulted together, +but they could not think of any feasible scheme. At length the gods +brought about the deliverance of Dalim Kumar in a wonderful manner. + +Some years before the time of which we are speaking, the sister of +Bidhata-Purusha [3] was delivered of a daughter. The anxious mother +asked her brother what he had written on her child's forehead; +to which Bidhata-Purusha replied that she should get married to a +dead bridegroom. Maddened as she became with grief at the prospect of +such a dreary destiny for her daughter, she yet thought it useless to +remonstrate with her brother, for she well knew that he never changed +what he once wrote. As the child grew in years she became exceedingly +beautiful, but the mother could not look upon her with pleasure in +consequence of the portion allotted to her by her divine brother. When +the girl came to marriageable age, the mother resolved to flee from +the country with her, and thus avert her dreadful destiny. But the +decrees of fate cannot thus be overruled. In the course of their +wanderings the mother and daughter arrived at the gate of that very +garden-house in which Dalim Kumar lay. It was evening. The girl said +she was thirsty and wanted to drink water. The mother told her daughter +to sit at the gate, while she went to search for drinking water in some +neighbouring hut. In the meantime the girl through curiosity pushed +the door of the garden-house, which opened of itself. She then went +in and saw a beautiful palace, and was wishing to come out when the +door shut itself of its own accord, so that she could not get out. As +night came on the prince revived, and, walking about, saw a human +figure near the gate. He went up to it, and found it was a girl of +surpassing beauty. On being asked who she was, she told Dalim Kumar +all the details of her little history,--how her uncle, the divine +Bidhata-Purusha, wrote on her forehead at her birth that she should +get married to a dead bridegroom, how her mother had no pleasure in +her life at the prospect of so terrible a destiny, and how, therefore, +on the approach of her womanhood, with a view to avert so dreadful a +catastrophe, she had left her house with her and wandered in various +places, how they came to the gate of the garden-house, and how her +mother had now gone in search of drinking water for her. Dalim Kumar, +hearing her simple and pathetic story, said, "I am the dead bridegroom, +and you must get married to me, come with me to the house." "How +can you be said to be a dead bridegroom when you are standing and +speaking to me?" said the girl. "You will understand it afterwards," +rejoined the prince, "come now and follow me." The girl followed the +prince into the house. As she had been fasting the whole day the +prince hospitably entertained her. As for the mother of the girl, +the sister of the divine Bidhata-Purusha, she returned to the gate +of the garden-house after it was dark, cried out for her daughter, +and getting no answer, went away in search of her in the huts in the +neighbourhood. It is said that after this she was not seen anywhere. + +While the niece of the divine Bidhata-Purusha was partaking of the +hospitality of Dalim Kumar, his friend as usual made his appearance. He +was surprised not a little at the sight of the fair stranger; and his +surprise became greater when he heard the story of the young lady from +her own lips. It was forthwith resolved that very night to unite the +young couple in the bonds of matrimony. As priests were out of the +question, the hymeneal rites were performed a la Gandharva. [4] The +friend of the bridegroom took leave of the newly-married couple and +went away to his house. As the happy pair had spent the greater part +of the night in wakefulness, it was long after sunrise that they awoke +from their sleep;--I should have said that the young wife woke from her +sleep, for the prince had become a cold corpse, life having departed +from him. The feelings of the young wife may be easily imagined. She +shook her husband, imprinted warm kisses on his cold lips, but in +vain. He was as lifeless as a marble statue. Stricken with horror, she +smote her breast, struck her forehead with the palms of her hands, tore +her hair and went about in the house and in the garden as if she had +gone mad. Dalim's friend did not come into the house during the day, +as he deemed it improper to pay a visit to her while her husband was +lying dead. The day seemed to the poor girl as long as a year, but the +longest day has its end, and when the shades of evening were descending +upon the landscape, her dead husband was awakened into consciousness; +he rose up from his bed, embraced his disconsolate wife, ate, drank, +and became merry. His friend made his appearance as usual, and the +whole night was spent in gaiety and festivity. Amid this alternation +of life and death did the prince and his lady spend some seven or +eight years, during which time the princess presented her husband +with two lovely boys who were the exact image of their father. + +It is superfluous to remark that the king, the two queens, and other +members of the royal household did not know that Dalim Kumar was +living, at any rate, was living at night. They all thought that he +was long ago dead and his corpse burnt. But the heart of Dalim's wife +was yearning after her mother-in-law, whom she had never seen. She +conceived a plan by which she might be able not only to have a +sight of her mother-in-law, but also to get hold of the Duo queen's +necklace, on which her husband's life was dependent. With the consent +of her husband and of his friend she disguised herself as a female +barber. Like every female barber she took a bundle containing the +following articles:--an iron instrument for paring nails, another +iron instrument for scraping off the superfluous flesh of the soles +of the feet, a piece of jhama or burnt brick for rubbing the soles of +the feet with, and alakta [5] for painting the edges of the feet and +toes with. Taking this bundle in her hand she stood at the gate of the +king's palace with her two boys. She declared herself to be a barber, +and expressed a desire to see the Suo queen, who readily gave her an +interview. The queen was quite taken up with the two little boys, who, +she declared, strongly reminded her of her darling Dalim Kumar. Tears +fell profusely from her eyes at the recollection of her lost treasure; +but she of course had not the remotest idea that the two little boys +were the sons of her own dear Dalim. She told the supposed barber +that she did not require her services, as, since the death of her +son, she had given up all terrestrial vanities, and among others the +practice of dyeing her feet red; but she added that, nevertheless, +she would be glad now and then to see her and her two fine boys. The +female barber, for so we must now call her, then went to the quarters +of the Duo queen and offered her services. The queen allowed her to +pare her nails, to scrape off the superfluous flesh of her feet, +and to paint them with alakta and was so pleased with her skill, +and the sweetness of her disposition, that she ordered her to wait +upon her periodically. The female barber noticed with no little +concern the necklace round the queen's neck. The day of her second +visit came on, and she instructed the elder of her two sons to set +up a loud cry in the palace, and not to stop crying till he got into +his hands the Duo queen's necklace. The female barber, accordingly, +went again on the appointed day to the Duo queen's apartments. While +she was engaged in painting the queen's feet, the elder boy set up a +loud cry. On being asked the reason of the cry, the boy, as previously +instructed, said that he wanted the queen's necklace. The queen said +that it was impossible for her to part with that particular necklace, +for it was the best and most valuable of all her jewels. To gratify +the boy, however, she took it off her neck, and put it into the +boy's hand. The boy stopped crying and held the necklace tight in +his hand. As the female barber after she had done her work was about +to go away, the queen wanted the necklace back. But the boy would +not part with it. When his mother attempted to snatch it from him, +he wept bitterly, and showed as if his heart would break. On which +the female barber said--"Will your Majesty be gracious enough to let +the boy take the necklace home with him? When he falls asleep after +drinking his milk, which he is sure to do in the course of an hour, +I will carefully bring it back to you." The queen, seeing that the +boy would not allow it to be taken away from him, agreed to the +proposal of the female barber, especially reflecting that Dalim, +whose life depended on it, had long ago gone to the abodes of death. + +Thus possessed of the treasure on which the life of her husband +depended, the woman went with breathless haste to the garden-house and +presented the necklace to Dalim, who had been restored to life. Their +joy knew no bounds, and by the advice of their friend they determined +the next day to go to the palace in state, and present themselves to +the king and the Suo queen. Due preparations were made; an elephant, +richly caparisoned, was brought for the prince Dalim Kumar, a pair +of ponies for the two little boys, and a chaturdala [6] furnished +with curtains of gold lace for the princess. Word was sent to the +king and the Suo queen that the prince Dalim Kumar was not only +alive, but that he was coming to visit his royal parents with his +wife and sons. The king and Suo queen could hardly believe in the +report, but being assured of its truth they were entranced with joy; +while the Duo queen, anticipating the disclosure of all her wiles, +became overwhelmed with grief. The procession of Dalim Kumar, which +was attended by a band of musicians, approached the palace-gate; and +the king and Suo queen went out to receive their long-lost son. It is +needless to say that their joy was intense. They fell on each other's +neck and wept. Dalim then related all the circumstances connected +with his death. The king, inflamed with rage, ordered the Duo queen +into his presence. A large hole, as deep as the height of a man, +was dug in the ground. The Duo queen was put into it in a standing +posture. Prickly thorn was heaped around her up to the crown of her +head; and in this manner she was buried alive. + + + Thus my story endeth, + The Natiya-thorn withereth; + "Why, O Natiya-thorn, dost wither?" + "Why does thy cow on me browse?" + "Why, O cow, dost thou browse?" + "Why does thy neat-herd not tend me?" + "Why, O neat-herd, dost not tend the cow?" + "Why does thy daughter-in-law not give me rice?" + "Why, O daughter-in-law, dost not give rice?" + "Why does my child cry?" + "Why, O child, dost thou cry?" + "Why does the ant bite me?" + "Why, O ant, dost thou bite?" + Koot! koot! koot! + + + + + + + +II + +PHAKIR CHAND + + +There was a king's son, and there was a minister's son. They loved +each other dearly; they sat together, they stood up together, they +walked together, they ate together, they slept together, they got up +together. In this way they spent many years in each other's company, +till they both felt a desire to see foreign lands. So one day they +set out on their journey. Though very rich, the one being the son of +a king and the other the son of his chief minister, they did not take +any servants with them; they went by themselves on horseback. The +horses were beautiful to look at; they were pakshirajes, or kings +of birds. The king's son and the minister's son rode together many +days. They passed through extensive plains covered with paddy; through +cities, towns, and villages; through waterless, treeless deserts; +through dense forests which were the abode of the tiger and the +bear. One evening they were overtaken by night in a region where human +habitations were not seen; and as it was getting darker and darker, +they dismounted beneath a lofty tree, tied their horses to its trunk, +and, climbing up, sat on its branches covered with thick foliage. The +tree grew near a large tank, the water of which was as clear as the +eye of a crow. The king's son and the minister's son made themselves +as comfortable as they could on the tree, being determined to spend +on its branches the livelong night. They sometimes chatted together in +whispers on account of the lonely terrors of the region; they sometimes +sat demurely silent for some minutes; and anon they were falling into +a doze, when their attention was arrested by a terrible sight. + +A sound like the rush of many waters was heard from the middle of the +tank. A huge serpent was seen leaping up from under the water with its +hood of enormous size. It "lay floating many a rood"; then it swam +ashore, and went about hissing. But what most of all attracted the +attention of the king's son and the minister's son was a brilliant +manikya (jewel) on the crested hood of the serpent. It shone like +a thousand diamonds. It lit up the tank, its embankments, and the +objects round about. The serpent doffed the jewel from its crest and +threw it on the ground, and then it went about hissing in search of +food. The two friends sitting on the tree greatly admired the wonderful +brilliant, shedding ineffable lustre on everything around. They had +never before seen anything like it; they had only heard of it as +equalling the treasures of seven kings. Their admiration, however, +was soon changed into sorrow and fear; for the serpent came hissing +to the foot of the tree on the branches of which they were seated, +and swallowed up, one by one, the horses tied to the trunk. They +feared that they themselves would be the next victims, when, to their +infinite relief, the gigantic cobra turned away from the tree, and went +about roaming to a great distance. The minister's son, seeing this, +bethought himself of taking possession of the lustrous stone. He had +heard that the only way to hide the brilliant light of the jewel was +to cover it with cow-dung or horse-dung, a quantity of which latter +article he perceived lying at the foot of the tree. He came down from +the tree softly, picked up the horse-dung, threw it upon the precious +stone, and again climbed into the tree. The serpent, not perceiving +the light of its head-jewel, rushed with great fury to the spot +where it had been left. Its hissings, groans, and convulsions were +terrible. It went round and round the jewel covered with horse-dung, +and then breathed its last. Early next morning the king's son and the +minister's son alighted from the tree, and went to the spot where the +crest-jewel was. The mighty serpent lay there perfectly lifeless. The +minister's son took up in his hand the jewel covered with horse-dung; +and both of them went to the tank to wash it. When all the horse-dung +had been washed off, the jewel shone as brilliantly as before. It +lit up the entire bed of the tank, and exposed to their view the +innumerable fishes swimming about in the waters. But what was their +astonishment when they saw, by the light of the jewel, in the bottom +of the tank, the lofty walls of what seemed a magnificent palace. The +venturesome son of the minister proposed to the prince that they should +dive into the waters and get at the palace below. They both dived into +the waters--the jewel being in the hand of the minister's son--and +in a moment stood at the gate of the palace. The gate was open. They +saw no being, human or superhuman. They went inside the gate, and +saw a beautiful garden laid out on the ample grounds round about the +house which was in the centre. The king's son and the minister's son +had never seen such a profusion of flowers. The rose with its many +varieties, the jessamine, the bel, the mallika, the king of smells, +the lily of the valley, the Champaka, and a thousand other sorts +of sweet-scented flowers were there. And of each of these flowers +there seemed to be a large number. Here were a hundred rose-bushes, +there many acres covered with the delicious jessamine, while yonder +were extensive plantations of all sorts of flowers. As all the +plants were begemmed with flowers, and as the flowers were in full +bloom, the air was loaded with rich perfume. It was a wilderness of +sweets. Through this paradise of perfumery they proceeded towards +the house, which was surrounded by banks of lofty trees. They stood +at the door of the house. It was a fairy palace. The walls were of +burnished gold, and here and there shone diamonds of dazzling hue +which were stuck into the walls. They did not meet with any beings, +human or other. They went inside, which was richly furnished. They +went from room to room, but they did not see any one. It seemed to be +a deserted house. At last, however, they found in one room a young lady +lying down, apparently in sleep, on a bed of golden framework. She was +of exquisite beauty; her complexion was a mixture of red and white; +and her age was apparently about sixteen. The king's son and the +minister's son gazed upon her with rapture; but they had not stood +long when this young lady of superb beauty opened her eyes, which +seemed like those of a gazelle. On seeing the strangers she said: +"How have you come here, ye unfortunate men? Begone, begone! This +is the abode of a mighty serpent, which has devoured my father, +my mother, my brothers, and all my relatives; I am the only one +of my family that he has spared. Flee for your lives, or else the +serpent will put you both in its capacious maw." The minister's son +told the princess how the serpent had breathed its last; how he and +his friend had got possession of its head-jewel, and by its light +had come to her palace. She thanked the strangers for delivering her +from the infernal serpent, and begged of them to live in the house, +and never to desert her. The king's son and the minister's son gladly +accepted the invitation. The king's son, smitten with the charms of +the peerless princess, married her after a short time; and as there +was no priest there, the hymeneal knot was tied by a simple exchange +of garlands of flowers. + +The king's son became inexpressibly happy in the company of the +princess, who was as amiable in her disposition as she was beautiful +in her person; and though the wife of the minister's son was living in +the upper world, he too participated in his friend's happiness. Time +thus passed merrily, when the king's son bethought himself of returning +to his native country; and as it was fit that he should go with his +princess in due pomp, it was determined that the minister's son +should first ascend from the subaqueous regions, go to the king, +and bring with him attendants, horses, and elephants for the happy +pair. The snake-jewel was therefore had in requisition. The prince, +with the jewel in hand, accompanied the minister's son to the upper +world, and bidding adieu to his friend returned to his lovely wife in +the enchanted palace. Before leaving, the minister's son appointed +the day and the hour when he would stand on the high embankments of +the tank with horses, elephants, and attendants, and wait upon the +prince and the princess, who were to join him in the upper world by +means of the jewel. + +Leaving the minister's son to wend his way to his country and to make +preparations for the return of his king's son, let us see how the happy +couple in the subterranean palace were passing their time. One day, +while the prince was sleeping after his noonday meal, the princess, +who had never seen the upper regions, felt the desire of visiting them, +and the rather as the snake-jewel, which alone could give her safe +conduct through the waters, was at that moment shedding its bright +effulgence in the room. She took up the jewel in her hand, left the +palace, and successfully reached the upper world. No mortal caught +her sight. She sat on the flight of steps with which the tank was +furnished for the convenience of bathers, scrubbed her body, washed +her hair, disported in the waters, walked about on the water's edge, +admired all the scenery around, and returned to her palace, where +she found her husband still locked in the embrace of sleep. When the +prince woke up, she did not tell him a word about her adventure. The +following day at the same hour, when her husband was asleep, she paid +a second visit to the upper world, and went back unnoticed by mortal +man. As success made her bold, she repeated her adventure a third +time. It so chanced that on that day the son of the Rajah, in whose +territories the tank was situated, was out on a hunting excursion, +and had pitched his tent not far from the place. While his attendants +were engaged in cooking their noon-day meal, the Rajah's son sauntered +about on the embankments of the tank, near which an old woman was +gathering sticks and dried branches of trees for purposes of fuel. It +was while the Rajah's son and the old woman were near the tank that +the princess paid her third visit to the upper world. She rose up +from the waters, gazed around, and seeing a man and a woman on the +banks again went down. The Rajah's son caught a momentary glimpse of +the princess, and so did the old woman gathering sticks. The Rajah's +son stood gazing on the waters. He had never seen such a beauty. She +seemed to him to be one of those deva-kanyas, heavenly goddesses, +of whom he had read in old books, and who are said now and then to +favour the lower world with their visits, which, like angel visits, +are "few and far between." The unearthly beauty of the princess, +though he had seen her only for a moment, made a deep impression on +his heart, and distracted his mind. He stood there like a statue, for +hours, gazing on the waters, in the hope of seeing the lovely figure +again. But in vain. The princess did not appear again. The Rajah's +son became mad with love. He kept muttering--"Now here, now gone! Now +here, now gone!" He would not leave the place till he was forcibly +removed by the attendants who had now come to him. He was taken to his +father's palace in a state of hopeless insanity. He spoke to nobody; +he always sobbed heavily; and the only words which proceeded out of +his mouth--and he was muttering them every minute--were, "Now here, now +gone! Now here, now gone!" The Rajah's grief may well be conceived. He +could not imagine what should have deranged his son's mind. The words, +"Now here, now gone," which ever and anon issued from his son's +lips, were a mystery to him; he could not unravel their meaning; +neither could the attendants throw any light on the subject. The best +physicians of the country were consulted, but to no effect. The sons +of AEsculapius could not ascertain the cause of the madness, far less +could they cure it. To the many inquiries of the physicians, the only +reply made by the Rajah's son was the stereotyped words--"Now here, +now gone! Now here, now gone!" + +The Rajah, distracted with grief on account of the obscuration of +his son's intellects, caused a proclamation to be made in the capital +by beat of drum, to the effect that, if any person could explain the +cause of his son's madness and cure it, such a person would be rewarded +with the hand of the Rajah's daughter, and with the possession of half +his kingdom. The drum was beaten round most parts of the city, but no +one touched it, as no one knew the cause of the madness of the Rajah's +son. At last an old woman touched the drum, and declared that she would +not only discover the cause of the madness, but cure it. This woman, +who was the identical woman that was gathering sticks near the tank +at the time the Rajah's son lost his reason, had a crack-brained son +of the name of Phakir Chand, and was in consequence called Phakir's +mother, or more familiarly Phakre's mother. When the woman was brought +before the Rajah, the following conversation took place:-- + +Rajah. You are the woman that touched the drum.--You know the cause +of my son's madness? + +Phakir's Mother. Yes, O incarnation of justice! I know the cause, +but I will not mention it till I have cured your son. + +Rajah. How can I believe that you are able to cure my son, when the +best physicians of the land have failed? + +Phakir's Mother. You need not now believe, my lord, till I have +performed the cure. Many an old woman knows secrets with which wise +men are unacquainted. + +Rajah. Very well, let me see what you can do. In what time will you +perform the cure? + +Phakir's Mother. It is impossible to fix the time at present; but I +will begin work immediately with your lordship's assistance. + +Rajah. What help do you require from me? + +Phakir's Mother. Your lordship will please order a hut to be raised on +the embankment of the tank where your son first caught the disease. I +mean to live in that hut for a few days. And your lordship will also +please order some of your servants to be in attendance at a distance of +about a hundred yards from the hut, so that they might be within call. + +Rajah. Very well; I will order that to be immediately done. Do you +want anything else? + +Phakir's Mother. Nothing else, my lord, in the way of preparations. But +it is as well to remind your lordship of the conditions on which I +undertake the cure. Your lordship has promised to give to the performer +of the cure the hand of your daughter and half your kingdom. As I +am a woman and cannot marry your daughter, I beg that, in case I +perform the cure, my son Phakir Chand may marry your daughter and +take possession of half your kingdom. + +Rajah. Agreed, agreed. + +A temporary hut was in a few hours erected on the embankment of the +tank, and Phakir's mother took up her abode in it. An outpost was +also erected at some distance for servants in attendance who might +be required to give help to the woman. Strict orders were given by +Phakir's mother that no human being should go near the tank excepting +herself. Let us leave Phakir's mother keeping watch at the tank, and +hasten down into the subterranean palace to see what the prince and +the princess are about. After the mishap which had occurred on her +last visit to the upper world, the princess had given up the idea of +a fourth visit. But women generally have greater curiosity than men; +and the princess of the underground palace was no exception to the +general rule. One day, while her husband was asleep as usual after +his noonday meal, she rushed out of the palace with the snake-jewel in +her hand, and came to the upper world. The moment the upheaval of the +waters in the middle of the tank took place, Phakir's mother, who was +on the alert, concealed herself in the hut and began looking through +the chinks of the matted wall. The princess, seeing no mortal near, +came to the bank, and sitting there began to scrub her body. Phakir's +mother showed herself outside the hut, and addressing the princess, +said in a winning tone--"Come, my child, thou queen of beauty, come +to me, and I will help you to bathe." So saying, she approached the +princess, who, seeing that it was only a woman, made no resistance. The +old woman, while in the act of washing the hair of the princess, +noticed the bright jewel in her hand, and said--"Put the jewel here +till you are bathed." In a moment the jewel was in the possession +of Phakir's mother, who wrapped it up in the cloth that was round +her waist. Knowing the princess to be unable to escape, she gave the +signal to the attendants in waiting, who rushed to the tank and made +the princess a captive. + +Great were the rejoicings of the people when the tidings reached the +city that Phakir's mother had captured a water-nymph from the nether +regions. The whole city came to see the "daughter of the immortals," +as they called the princess. When she was brought to the palace and +confronted with the Rajah's son of obscured intellect, the latter +said with a shout of exultation--"I have found! I have found!" The +cloud which had settled on his brain was dissipated in a moment. The +eyes, erewhile vacant and lustreless, now glowed with the fire of +intelligence; his tongue, of which he had almost lost the use--the +only words which he used to utter being, "Now here, now gone!"--was +now relaxed: in a word, he was restored to his senses. The joy of the +Rajah knew no bounds. There was great festivity in the city; and the +people who showered benedictions on the head of Phakir Chand's mother, +expected the speedy celebration of the marriage of the Rajah's son +with the beauty of the nether world. The princess, however, told the +Rajah, through Phakir's mother, that she had made a vow to the effect +that she would not, for one whole year, look at the face of another +man than that of her husband who was dwelling beneath the waters, +and that therefore the marriage could not be performed during that +period. Though the Rajah's son was somewhat disappointed, he readily +agreed to the delay, believing, agreeably to the proverb, that delay +would greatly enhance the sweetness of those pleasures which were in +store for him. + +It is scarcely necessary to say that the princess spent her days and +her nights in sorrowing and sighing. She lamented that idle curiosity +which had led her to come to the upper world, leaving her husband +below. When she recollected that her husband was all alone below the +waters she wept bitter tears. She wished she could run away. But that +was impossible, as she was immured within walls, and there were walls +within walls. Besides, if she could get out of the palace and of the +city, of what avail would it be? She could not gain her husband, +as the serpent jewel was not in her possession. The ladies of the +palace and Phakir's mother tried to divert her mind, but in vain. She +took pleasure in nothing; she would hardly speak to any one; she wept +day and night. The year of her vow was drawing to a close, and yet +she was disconsolate. The marriage, however, must be celebrated. The +Rajah consulted the astrologers, and the day and the hour in which +the nuptial knot was to be tied were fixed. Great preparations were +made. The confectioners of the city busied themselves day and night +in preparing sweetmeats; milkmen took contracts for supplying the +palace with tanks of curds; gunpowder was being manufactured for a +grand display of fireworks; bands of musicians were placed on sheds +erected over the palace gate, who ever and anon sent forth many +"a bout of linked sweetness"; and the whole city assumed an air of +mirth and festivity. + +It is time we should think of the minister's son, who, leaving his +friend in the subterranean palace, had gone to his country to bring +horses, elephants, and attendants for the return of the king's son +and his lovely princess with due pomp. The preparations took him +many months; and when everything was ready he started on his journey, +accompanied by a long train of elephants, horses, and attendants. He +reached the tank two or three days before the appointed day. Tents were +pitched in the mango-topes adjoining the tank for the accommodation of +men and cattle; and the minister's son always kept his eyes fixed on +the tank. The sun of the appointed day sank below the horizon; but the +prince and the princess dwelling beneath the waters made no sign. He +waited two or three days longer; still the prince did not make his +appearance. What could have happened to his friend and his beautiful +wife? Were they dead? Had another serpent, possibly the mate of the one +that had died, beaten the prince and the princess to death? Had they +somehow lost the serpent-jewel? Or had they been captured when they +were once on a visit to the upper world? Such were the reflections of +the minister's son. He was overwhelmed with grief. Ever since he had +come to the tank he had heard at regular intervals the sound of music +coming from the city which was not distant. He inquired of passers-by +what that music meant. He was told that the Rajah's son was about +to be married to some wonderful young lady, who had come out of the +waters of that very tank on the bank of which he was now seated, and +that the marriage ceremony was to be performed on the day following +the next. The minister's son immediately concluded that the wonderful +young lady of the lake that was to be married was none other than the +wife of his friend, the king's son. He resolved therefore to go into +the city to learn the details of the affair, and try if possible to +rescue the princess. He told the attendants to go home, taking with +them the elephants and the horses; and he himself went to the city, +and took up his abode in the house of a Brahman. + +After he had rested and taken his dinner, the minister's son asked +the Brahman what the meaning was of the music that was heard in the +city at regular intervals. The Brahman asked, "From what part of +the world have you come that you have not heard of the wonderful +circumstance that a young lady of heavenly beauty rose out of the +waters of a tank in the suburbs, and that she is going to be married +the day after to-morrow to the son of our Rajah?" + +Minister's Son. No, I have heard nothing. I have come from a distant +country whither the story has not reached. Will you kindly tell me +the particulars? + +Brahman. The Rajah's son went out a-hunting about this time last +year. He pitched his tents close to a tank in the suburbs. One day, +while the Rajah's son was walking near the tank, he saw a young +woman, or rather goddess, of uncommon beauty rise from the waters of +the tank. She gazed about for a minute or two and disappeared. The +Rajah's son, however, who had seen her, was so struck with her heavenly +beauty that he became desperately enamoured of her. Indeed, so intense +was his passion, that his reason gave way; and he was carried home +hopelessly mad. The only words he uttered day and night were--"Now +here, now gone!" The Rajah sent for all the best physicians of the +country for restoring his son to his reason; but the physicians were +powerless. At last he caused a proclamation to be made by beat of drum +to the effect that if any one could cure the Rajah's son, he should +be the Rajah's son-in-law and the owner of half his kingdom. An old +woman, who went by the name of Phakir's mother, took hold of the drum, +and declared her ability to cure the Rajah's son. On the tank where +the princess had appeared was raised for Phakir's mother a hut in +which she took up her abode; and not far from her hut another hut was +erected for the accommodation of attendants who might be required to +help her. It seems the goddess rose from the waters; Phakir's mother +seized her with the help of the attendants, and carried her in a palki +to the palace. At the sight of her the Rajah's son was restored to +his senses; and the marriage would have been celebrated at that time +but for a vow which the goddess had made that she would not look at +the face of any male person till the lapse of a year. The year of the +vow is now over; and the music which you have heard is from the gate +of the Rajah's palace. This, in brief, is the story. + +Minister's Son. A truly wonderful story! And has Phakir's mother, +or rather Phakir Chand himself, been rewarded with the hand of the +Rajah's daughter and with the possession of half the kingdom? + +Brahman. No, not yet. Phakir has not been got hold of. He is a +half-witted lad, or rather quite mad. He has been away for more +than a year from his home, and no one knows where he is. That is his +manner; he stays away for a long time, suddenly comes home, and again +disappears. I believe his mother expects him soon. + +Minister's Son. What like is he? and what does he do when he returns +home? + +Brahman. Why, he is about your height, though he is somewhat younger +than you. He puts on a small piece of cloth round his waist, rubs +his body with ashes, takes the branch of a tree in his hand, and, +at the door of the hut in which his mother lives, dances to the tune +of dhoop! dhoop! dhoop! His articulation is very indistinct; and when +his mother says--"Phakir! stay with me for some days," he invariably +answers in his usual unintelligible manner, "No, I won't remain, +I won't remain." And when he wishes to give an affirmative answer, +he says, "Hoom," which means "Yes." + +The above conversation with the Brahman poured a flood of light into +the mind of the minister's son. He saw how matters stood. He perceived +that the princess of the subterranean palace must have alone ventured +out into the tank by means of the snake-jewel; that she must have +been captured alone without the king's son; that the snake-jewel +must be in the possession of Phakir's mother; and that his friend, +the king's son, must be alone below the waters without any means of +escape. The desolate and apparently hopeless state of his friend +filled him with unutterable grief. He was in deep musings during +most part of the night. Is it impossible, thought he, to rescue the +king's son from the nether regions? What if, by some means or other, +I contrive to get the jewel from the old woman? And can I not do it +by personating Phakir Chand himself, who is expected by his mother +shortly? And possibly by the same means I may be able to rescue the +princess from the Rajah's palace. He resolved to act the role of Phakir +Chand the following day. In the morning he left the Brahman's house, +went to the outskirts of the city, divested himself of his usual +clothing, put round his waist a short and narrow piece of cloth which +scarcely reached his knee-joints, rubbed his body well with ashes, +took in his hand a twig which he broke off a tree, and thus accoutred, +presented himself before the door of the hut of Phakir's mother. He +commenced operations by dancing, in a most violent manner, to the +tune of dhoop! dhoop! dhoop! The dancing attracted the notice of the +old woman, who, supposing that her son had come, said--"My son Phakir, +are you come? Come, my darling; the gods have at last become propitious +to us." The supposed Phakir Chand uttered the monosyllable "hoom," and +went on dancing in a still more violent manner than before, waving the +twig in his hand. "This time you must not go away," said the old woman, +"you must remain with me." "No, I won't remain, I won't remain," said +the minister's son. "Remain with me, and I'll get you married to the +Rajah's daughter. Will you marry, Phakir Chand?" The minister's son +replied--"Hoom, hoom," and danced on like a madman. "Will you come +with me to the Rajah's house? I'll show you a princess of uncommon +beauty who has risen from the waters." "Hoom, hoom," was the answer +that issued from his lips, while his feet tripped it violently to +the sound of dhoop! dhoop! "Do you wish to see a manik, Phakir, the +crest jewel of the serpent, the treasure of seven kings?" "Hoom, +hoom," was the reply. The old woman brought out of the hut the +snake-jewel, and put it into the hand of her supposed son. The +minister's son took it, and carefully wrapped it up in the piece +of cloth round his waist. Phakir's mother, delighted beyond measure +at the opportune appearance of her son, went to the Rajah's house, +partly to announce to the Rajah the news of Phakir's appearance, +and partly to show Phakir the princess of the waters. The supposed +Phakir and his mother found ready access to the Rajah's palace, for +the old woman had, since the capture of the princess, become the most +important person in the kingdom. She took him into the room where the +princess was, and introduced him to her. It is superfluous to remark +that the princess was by no means pleased with the company of a madcap, +who was in a state of semi-nudity, whose body was rubbed with ashes, +and who was ever and anon dancing in a wild manner. At sunset the old +woman proposed to her son that they should leave the palace and go +to their own house. But the supposed Phakir Chand refused to comply +with the request; he said he would stay there that night. His mother +tried to persuade him to return with her, but he persisted in his +determination. He said he would remain with the princess. Phakir's +mother therefore went away, after giving instructions to the guards +and attendants to take care of her son. + +When all in the palace had retired to rest, the supposed Phakir, coming +towards the princess, said in his own usual voice--"Princess! do you +not recognise me? I am the minister's son, the friend of your princely +husband." The princess, astonished at the announcement, said--"Who? The +minister's son? Oh, my husband's best friend, do rescue me from this +terrible captivity, from this worse than death. O fate! it is by my +own fault that I am reduced to this wretched state. Oh, rescue me, +rescue me, thou best of friends!" She then burst into tears. The +minister's son said, "Do not be disconsolate. I will try my best +to rescue you this very night; only you must do whatever I tell +you." "I will do anything you tell me, minister's son; anything you +tell me." After this the supposed Phakir left the room, and passed +through the courtyard of the palace. Some of the guards challenged +him, to whom he replied, "Hoom, hoom; I will just go out for a +minute and again come in presently." They understood that it was +the madcap Phakir. True to his word he did come back shortly, and +went to the princess. An hour afterwards he again went out and was +again challenged, on which he made the same reply as at the first +time. The guards who challenged him began to mutter between their +teeth--"This madcap of a Phakir will, we suppose, go out and come in +all night. Let the fellow alone; let him do what he likes. Who can +be sitting up all night for him?" The minister's son was going out +and coming in with the view of accustoming the guards to his constant +egress and ingress, and also of watching for a favourable opportunity +to escape with the princess. About three o'clock in the morning the +minister's son again passed through the courtyard, but this time no +one challenged him, as all the guards had fallen asleep. Overjoyed at +the auspicious circumstance, he went to the princess. "Now, princess, +is the time for escape. The guards are all asleep. Mount on my back, +and tie the locks of your hair round my neck, and keep tight hold +of me." The princess did as she was told. He passed unchallenged +through the courtyard with the lovely burden on his back, passed out +of the gate of the palace--no one challenging him, passed on to the +outskirts of the city, and reached the tank from which the princess +had risen. The princess stood on her legs, rejoicing at her escape, and +at the same time trembling. The minister's son untied the snake-jewel +from his waist-cloth, and descending into the waters, both he and she +found their way to the subterranean palace. The reception which the +prince in the subaqueous palace gave to his wife and his friend may be +easily imagined. He had nearly died of grief; but now he suffered a +resurrection. The three were now mad with joy. During the three days +that they remained in the palace they again and again told the story +of the egress of the princess into the upper world, of her seizure, +of her captivity in the palace, of the preparations for marriage, of +the old woman, of the minister's son personating Phakir Chand, and of +the successful deliverance. It is unnecessary to add that the prince +and the princess expressed their gratitude to the minister's son in +the warmest terms, declared him to be their best and greatest friend, +and vowed to abide always, till the day of their death, by his advice, +and to follow his counsel. + +Being resolved to return to their native country, the king's son, +the minister's son, and the princess left the subterranean palace, +and, lighted in the passage by the snake-jewel, made their way good to +the upper world. As they had neither elephants nor horses, they were +under the necessity of travelling on foot; and though this mode of +travelling was troublesome to both the king's son and the minister's +son, as they were bred in the lap of luxury, it was infinitely more +troublesome to the princess, as the stones of the rough road + + + "Wounded the invisible + Palms of her tender feet where'er they fell." + + +When her feet became very sore, the king's son sometimes took her +up on his broad shoulders, on which she sat astride; but the load, +however lovely, was too heavy to be carried any great distance. She +therefore, for the most part, travelled on foot. + +One evening they bivouacked beneath a tree, as no human habitations +were visible. The minister's son said to the prince and princess, +"Both of you go to sleep, and I will keep watch in order to prevent any +danger." The royal couple were soon locked in the arms of sleep. The +faithful son of the minister did not sleep, but sat up watching. It so +happened that on that tree swung the nest of the two immortal birds, +Bihangama and Bihangami, who were not only endowed with the power +of human speech, but who could see into the future. To the no little +astonishment of the minister's son the two prophetical birds joined +in the following conversation:-- + +Bihangama. The minister's son has already risked his own life for the +safety of his friend, the king's son; but he will find it difficult +to save the prince at last. + +Bihangami. Why so? + +Bihangama. Many dangers await the king's son. The prince's father, when +he hears of the approach of his son, will send for him an elephant, +some horses, and attendants. When the king's son rides on the elephant +he will fall down and die. + +Bihangami. But suppose some one prevents the king's son from riding +on the elephant, and makes him ride on horseback, will he not in that +case be saved? + +Bihangama. Yes, he will in that case escape that danger, but a fresh +danger awaits him. When the king's son is in sight of his father's +palace, and when he is in the act of passing through its lion-gate, +the lion-gate will fall upon him and crush him to death. + +Bihangami. But suppose some one destroys the lion-gate before the +king's son goes up to it; will not the king's son in that case +be saved? + +Bihangama. Yes, in that case he will escape that particular danger; +but a fresh danger awaits him. When the king's son reaches the palace +and sits at a feast prepared for him, and when he takes into his +mouth the head of a fish cooked for him, the head of the fish will +stick in his throat and choke him to death. + +Bihangami. But suppose some one sitting at the feast snatches the head +of the fish from the prince's plate, and thus prevents him from putting +it into his mouth, will not the king's son in that case be saved? + +Bihangama. Yes, in that case he will escape that particular danger; +but a fresh danger awaits him. When the prince and princess after +dinner retire into their sleeping apartment, and they lie together +in bed, a terrible cobra will come into the room and bite the king's +son to death. + +Bihangami. But suppose some one lying in wait in the room cut the +snake into pieces, will not the king's son in that case be saved? + +Bihangama. Yes, in that case the life of the king's son will be +saved; but if the man who kills the snake repeats to the king's son +the conversation between you and me, that man will be turned into a +marble statue. + +Bihangami. But is there no means of restoring the marble statue +to life? + +Bihangama. Yes, the marble statue may be restored to life if it is +washed with the life-blood of the infant which the princess will give +birth to, immediately after it is ushered into the world. + +The conversation of the prophetical birds had extended thus far +when the crows began to caw, the east put on a reddish hue, and the +travellers beneath the tree bestirred themselves. The conversation +stopped, but the minister's son had heard it all. + +The prince, the princess, and the minister's son pursued their journey +in the morning; but they had not walked many hours when they met a +procession consisting of an elephant, a horse, a palki, and a large +number of attendants. These animals and men had been sent by the king, +who had heard that his son, together with his newly married wife and +his friend the minister's son, were not far from the capital on their +journey homewards. The elephant, which was richly caparisoned, was +intended for the prince; the palki the framework of which was silver +and was gaudily adorned, was meant for the princess; and the horse for +the minister's son. As the prince was about to mount on the elephant, +the minister's son went up to him and said--"Allow me to ride on +the elephant, and you please ride on horseback." The prince was not +a little surprised at the coolness of the proposal. He thought his +friend was presuming too much on the services he had rendered; he was +therefore nettled, but remembering that his friend had saved both him +and his wife, he said nothing, but quietly mounted the horse, though +his mind became somewhat alienated from him. The procession started, +and after some time came in sight of the palace, the lion-gate of +which had been gaily adorned for the reception of the prince and +the princess. The minister's son told the prince that the lion-gate +should be broken down before the prince could enter the palace. The +prince was astounded at the proposal, especially as the minister's +son gave no reasons for so extraordinary a request. His mind became +still more estranged from him; but in consideration of the services +the minister's son had rendered, his request was complied with, +and the beautiful lion-gate, with its gay decorations, was broken down. + +The party now went into the palace, where the king gave a warm +reception to his son, to his daughter-in-law, and to the minister's +son. When the story of their adventures was related, the king and his +courtiers expressed great astonishment, and they all with one voice +extolled the sagacity, prudence, and devotedness of the minister's +son. The ladies of the palace were struck with the extraordinary +beauty of the new-comer; her complexion was milk and vermilion mixed +together; her neck was like that of a swan; her eyes were like those +of a gazelle; her lips were as red as the berry bimba; her cheeks were +lovely; her nose was straight and high; her hair reached her ankles; +her walk was as graceful as that of a young elephant--such were the +terms in which the connoisseurs of beauty praised the princess whom +destiny had brought into the midst of them. They sat around her and +put her a thousand questions regarding her parents, regarding the +subterranean palace in which she formerly lived, and the serpent +which had killed all her relatives. It was now time that the new +arrivals should have their dinner. The dinner was served up in dishes +of gold. All sorts of delicacies were there, amongst which the most +conspicuous was the large head of a rohita fish placed in a golden +cup near the prince's plate. While they were eating, the minister's +son suddenly snatched the head of the fish from the prince's plate, +and said, "Let me, prince, eat this rohita's head." The king's son was +quite indignant. He said nothing, however. The minister's son perceived +that his friend was in a terrible rage; but he could not help it, +as his conduct, however strange, was necessary to the safety of his +friend's life; neither could he clear himself by stating the reason of +his behaviour, as in that case he himself would be transformed into +a marble statue. The dinner over, the minister's son expressed his +desire to go to his own house. At other times the king's son would +not allow his friend to go away in that fashion; but being shocked at +his strange conduct, he readily agreed to the proposal. The minister's +son, however, had not the slightest notion of going to his own house; +he was resolved to avert the last peril that was to threaten the life +of his friend. Accordingly, with a sword in his hand, he stealthily +entered the room in which the prince and the princess were to sleep +that night, and ensconced himself under the bedstead, which was +furnished with mattresses of down and canopied with mosquito curtains +of the richest silk and gold lace. Soon after dinner the prince and +princess came into the bedroom, and undressing themselves went to +bed. At midnight, while the royal couple were asleep, the minister's +son perceived a snake of gigantic size enter the room through one of +the water-passages, and climb up the tester-frame of the bed. He rushed +out of his hiding-place, killed the serpent, cut it up in pieces, and +put the pieces in the dish for holding betel-leaves and spices. It so +happened, however, that as the minister's son was cutting the serpent +into pieces, a drop of blood fell on the breast of the princess, and +the rather as the mosquito curtains had not been let down. Thinking +that the drop of blood might injure the fair princess, he resolved +to lick it up. But as he regarded it as a great sin to look upon a +young woman lying asleep half naked, he blindfolded himself with +seven-fold cloth, and licked up the drop of blood. But while he +was in the act of licking it, the princess awoke and screamed, and +her scream roused her husband lying beside her. The prince seeing +the minister's son, who he thought had gone away to his own house, +bending over the body of his wife, fell into a great rage, and would +have got up and killed him, had not the minister's son besought him +to restrain his anger, adding--"Friend, I have done this only in +order to save your life." "I do not understand what you mean," said +the prince; "ever since we came out of the subterranean palace you +have been behaving in a most extraordinary way. In the first place, +you prevented me from getting upon the richly caparisoned elephant, +though my father, the king, had purposely sent it for me. I thought, +however, that a sense of the services you had rendered to me had made +you exceedingly vain; I therefore let the matter pass, and mounted +the horse. In the second place, you insisted on the destruction of the +fine lion-gate, which my father had adorned with gay decorations; and +I let that matter also pass. Then, again, at dinner you snatched away, +in a most shameful manner, the rohita's head which was on my plate, +and devoured it yourself, thinking, no doubt, that you were entitled +to higher honours than I. You then pretended that you were going +home, for which I was not at all sorry, as you had made yourself +very disagreeable to me. And now you are actually in my bedroom, +bending over the naked bosom of my wife. You must have had some evil +design; and you pretend that you have done this to save my life. I +fancy it was not for saving my life, but for destroying my wife's +chastity." "Oh, do not harbour such thoughts in your mind against +me. The gods know that I have done all this for the preservation of +your life. You would see the reasonableness of my conduct throughout +if I had the liberty of stating my reasons." "And why are you not +at liberty?" asked the prince; "who has shut up your mouth?" "It is +destiny that has shut up my mouth," answered the minister's son; +"if I were to tell it all, I should be transformed into a marble +statue." "You would be transformed into a marble statue!" exclaimed +the prince; "you must take me to be a simpleton to believe this +nonsense." "Do you wish me then, friend," said the minister's son, +"to tell you all? You must then make up your mind to see your friend +turned into stone." "Come, out with it," said the prince, "or else you +are a dead man." The minister's son, in order to clear himself of the +foul accusation brought against him, deemed it his duty to reveal the +secret at the risk of his life. He again and again warned the prince +not to press him. But the prince remained inexorable. The minister's +son then went on to say that, while bivouacking under a lofty tree +one night, he had overheard a conversation between Bihangama and +Bihangami, in which the former predicted all the dangers that were to +threaten the life of the prince. When the minister's son had related +the prediction concerning the mounting upon the elephant, his lower +parts were turned into stone. He then, turning to the prince, said, +"See, friend, my lower parts have already turned into stone." "Go on, +go on," said the prince, "with your story." The minister's son then +related the prophecy regarding the destruction of the lion-gate, +when half of his body was converted into stone. He then related +the prediction regarding the eating of the head of the fish, when +his body up to his neck was petrified. "Now, friend," said the +minister's son, "the whole of my body, excepting my neck and head, +is petrified; if I tell the rest, I shall assuredly become a man of +stone. Do you wish me still to go on?" "Go on," answered the prince, +"go on." "Very well, I will go on to the end," said the minister's +son; "but in case you repent after I have become turned into stone, +and wish me to be restored to life, I will tell you of the manner +in which it may be effected. The princess after a few months will be +delivered of a child; if immediately after the birth of the infant you +kill it and besmear my marble body with its blood, I shall be restored +to life." He then related the prediction regarding the serpent in the +bedroom; and when the last word was on his lips the rest of his body +was turned into stone, and he dropped on the floor a marble image. The +princess jumped out of bed, opened the vessel for betel-leaves and +spices, and saw there pieces of a serpent. Both the prince and the +princess now became convinced of the good faith and benevolence of +their departed friend. They went to the marble figure, but it was +lifeless. They set up a loud lamentation; but it was to no purpose, +for the marble moved not. They then resolved to keep the marble figure +concealed in a safe place, and to besmear it with the blood of their +first-born child when it should be ushered into existence. + +In process of time the hour of the princess's travail came on, +and she was delivered of a beautiful boy, the perfect image of his +mother. Both father and mother were struck with the beauty of their +child, and would fain have spared its life; but recollecting the vows +they had made on behalf of their best friend, now lying in a corner of +the room a lifeless stone, and the inestimable services he had rendered +to both of them, they cut the child into two, and besmeared the marble +figure of the minister's son with its blood. The marble became animated +in a moment. The minister's son stood before the prince and princess, +who became exceedingly glad to see their old friend again in life. But +the minister's son, who saw the lovely new-born babe lying in a pool +of blood, was overwhelmed with grief. He took up the dead infant, +carefully wrapped it up in a towel, and resolved to get it restored +to life. + +The minister's son, intent on the reanimation of his friend's child, +consulted all the physicians of the country; but they said that +they would undertake to cure any person of any disease so long as +life was in him, but when life was extinct, the case was beyond +their jurisdiction. The minister's son at last bethought himself +of his own wife, who was living in a distant town, and who was a +devoted worshipper of the goddess Kali, who, through his wife's +intercession, might be prevailed upon to give life to the dead +child. He, accordingly, set out on a journey to the town in which +his wife was living in her father's house. Adjoining that house there +was a garden where upon a tree he hung the dead child wrapped up in +a towel. His wife was overjoyed to see her husband after so long a +time; but to her surprise she found that he was very melancholy, that +he spoke very little, and that he was brooding over something in his +mind. She asked the reason of his melancholy, but he kept quiet. One +night while they were lying together in bed, the wife got up and +opening the door went out. The husband, who had little sleep any night +in consequence of the weight of anxiety regarding the reanimation of +his friend's child, perceiving his wife go out at that dead hour of +night, determined to follow her without being noticed. She went to a +temple of the goddess Kali, which was at no great distance from her +house. She worshipped the goddess with flowers and sandal-wood perfume, +and said, "O mother Kali! have mercy upon me, and deliver me out of +all my troubles." The goddess replied, "Why, what further grievance +have you? You long prayed for the return of your husband, and he has +returned; what aileth thee now?" The woman answered, "True, O Mother, +my husband has come to me, but he is very moody and melancholy, +hardly speaks to me, takes no delight in me, only sits moping in a +corner." To which the goddess rejoined, "Ask your husband what the +reason of his melancholy is, and let me know it." The minister's son +overheard the conversation between the goddess and his wife, but he +did not make his appearance; he quietly slunk away before his wife +and went to bed. The following day the wife asked her husband of the +cause of his melancholy; and he related all the particulars regarding +the killing of the infant child of the prince. Next night at the same +dead hour the wife proceeded to Kali's temple and mentioned to the +goddess the reason of her husband's melancholy; on which the goddess +said, "Bring the child here and I will restore it to life." On the +succeeding night the child was produced before the goddess Kali, +and she called it back to life. Entranced with joy, the minister's +son took up the reanimated child, went as fast as his legs could +carry him to the prince and princess, and presented to them their +child alive and well. They all rejoiced with exceeding great joy, +and lived together happily till the day of their death. + + + Thus my story endeth, + The Natiya-thorn withereth, etc. + + + + + + + +III + +THE INDIGENT BRAHMAN + + +There was a Brahman who had a wife and four children. He was +very poor. With no resources in the world, he lived chiefly on the +benefactions of the rich. His gains were considerable when marriages +were celebrated or funeral ceremonies were performed; but as his +parishioners did not marry every day, neither did they die every +day, he found it difficult to make the two ends meet. His wife +often rebuked him for his inability to give her adequate support, +and his children often went about naked and hungry. But though poor +he was a good man. He was diligent in his devotions; and there was +not a single day in his life in which he did not say his prayers at +stated hours. His tutelary deity was the goddess Durga, the consort +of Siva, the creative Energy of the Universe. On no day did he either +drink water or taste food till he had written in red ink the name +of Durga at least one hundred and eight times; while throughout the +day he incessantly uttered the ejaculation, "O Durga! O Durga! have +mercy upon me." Whenever he felt anxious on account of his poverty +and his inability to support his wife and children, he groaned +out--"Durga! Durga! Durga!" + +One day, being very sad, he went to a forest many miles distant +from the village in which he lived, and indulging his grief wept +bitter tears. He prayed in the following manner:--"O Durga! O Mother +Bhagavati! wilt thou not make an end of my misery? Were I alone in +the world, I should not have been sad on account of poverty; but thou +hast given me a wife and children. Give me, O Mother, the means to +support them." It so happened that on that day and on that very spot +the god Siva and his wife Durga were taking their morning walk. The +goddess Durga, on seeing the Brahman at a distance, said to her divine +husband--"O Lord of Kailas! do you see that Brahman? He is always +taking my name on his lips and offering the prayer that I should +deliver him out of his troubles. Can we not, my lord, do something +for the poor Brahman, oppressed as he is with the cares of a growing +family? We should give him enough to make him comfortable. As the +poor man and his family have never enough to eat, I propose that you +give him a handi [7] which should yield him an inexhaustible supply +of mudki." [8] The lord of Kailas readily agreed to the proposal of +his divine consort, and by his decree created on the spot a handi +possessing the required quality. Durga then, calling the Brahman +to her, said,--"O Brahman! I have often thought of your pitiable +case. Your repeated prayers have at last moved my compassion. Here is +a handi for you. When you turn it upside down and shake it, it will +pour down a never-ceasing shower of the finest mudki, which will not +end till you restore the handi to its proper position. Yourself, +your wife, and your children can eat as much mudki as you like, +and you can also sell as much as you like." The Brahman, delighted +beyond measure at obtaining so inestimable a treasure, made obeisance +to the goddess, and, taking the handi in his hand, proceeded towards +his house as fast as his legs could carry him. But he had not gone +many yards when he thought of testing the efficacy of the wonderful +vessel. Accordingly he turned the handi upside down and shook it, when, +lo, and behold! a quantity of the finest mudki he had ever seen fell +to the ground. He tied the sweetmeat in his sheet and walked on. It +was now noon, and the Brahman was hungry; but he could not eat without +his ablutions and his prayers. As he saw in the way an inn, and not +far from it a tank, he purposed to halt there that he might bathe, +say his prayers, and then eat the much-desired mudki. The Brahman +sat at the innkeeper's shop, put the handi near him, smoked tobacco, +besmeared his body with mustard oil, and before proceeding to bathe +in the adjacent tank gave the handi in charge to the innkeeper, +begging him again and again to take especial care of it. + +When the Brahman went to his bath and his devotions, the innkeeper +thought it strange that he should be so careful as to the safety of +his earthen vessel. There must be something valuable in the handi, +he thought, otherwise why should the Brahman take so much thought +about it? His curiosity being excited he opened the handi, and to his +surprise found that it contained nothing. What can be the meaning of +this? thought the innkeeper within himself. Why should the Brahman +care so much for an empty handi? He took up the vessel, and began +to examine it carefully; and when, in the course of examination, he +turned the handi upside down, a quantity of the finest mudki fell +from it, and went on falling without intermission. The innkeeper +called his wife and children to witness this unexpected stroke of good +fortune. The showers of the sugared fried paddy were so copious that +they filled all the vessels and jars of the innkeeper. He resolved +to appropriate to himself this precious handi, and accordingly put in +its place another handi of the same size and make. The ablutions and +devotions of the Brahman being now over, he came to the shop in wet +clothes reciting holy texts of the Vedas. Putting on dry clothes, +he wrote on a sheet of paper the name of Durga one hundred and +eight times in red ink; after which he broke his fast on the mudki +his handi had already given him. Thus refreshed, and being about +to resume his journey homewards, he called for his handi, which the +innkeeper delivered to him, adding--"There, sir, is your handi; it is +just where you put it; no one has touched it." The Brahman, without +suspecting anything, took up the handi and proceeded on his journey; +and as he walked on, he congratulated himself on his singular good +fortune. "How agreeably," he thought within himself, "will my poor +wife be surprised! How greedily the children will devour the mudki +of heaven's own manufacture! I shall soon become rich, and lift up +my head with the best of them all." The pains of travelling were +considerably alleviated by these joyful anticipations. He reached his +house, and calling his wife and children, said--"Look now at what I +have brought. This handi that you see is an unfailing source of wealth +and contentment. You will see what a stream of the finest mudki will +flow from it when I turn it upside down." The Brahman's good wife, +hearing of mudki falling from the handi unceasingly, thought that her +husband must have gone mad; and she was confirmed in her opinion when +she found that nothing fell from the vessel though it was turned upside +down again and again. Overwhelmed with grief, the Brahman concluded +that the innkeeper must have played a trick with him; he must have +stolen the handi Durga had given him, and put a common one in its +stead. He went back the next day to the innkeeper, and charged him +with having changed his handi. The innkeeper put on a fit of anger, +expressed surprise at the Brahman's impudence in charging him with +theft, and drove him away from his shop. + +The Brahman then bethought himself of an interview with the goddess +Durga who had given him the handi, and accordingly went to the forest +where he had met her. Siva and Durga again favoured the Brahman +with an interview. Durga said--"So, you have lost the handi I gave +you. Here is another, take it and make good use of it." The Brahman, +elated with joy, made obeisance to the divine couple, took up the +vessel, and went on his way. He had not gone far when he turned it +upside down, and shook it in order to see whether any mudki would +fall from it. Horror of horrors! instead of sweetmeats about a score +of demons, of gigantic size and grim visage, jumped out of the handi, +and began to belabour the astonished Brahman with blows, fisticuffs and +kicks. He had the presence of mind to turn up the handi and to cover +it, when the demons forthwith disappeared. He concluded that this new +handi had been given him only for the punishment of the innkeeper. He +accordingly went to the innkeeper, gave him the new handi in charge, +begged of him carefully to keep it till he returned from his ablutions +and prayers. The innkeeper, delighted with this second godsend, called +his wife and children, and said--"This is another handi brought here by +the same Brahman who brought the handi of mudki. This time, I hope, it +is not mudki but sandesa. [9] Come, be ready with baskets and vessels, +and I'll turn the handi upside down and shake it." This was no sooner +done than scores of fierce demons started up, who caught hold of the +innkeeper and his family and belaboured them mercilessly. They also +began upsetting the shop, and would have completely destroyed it, +if the victims had not besought the Brahman, who had by this time +returned from his ablutions, to show mercy to them and send away +the terrible demons. The Brahman acceded to the innkeeper's request, +he dismissed the demons by shutting up the vessel; he got the former +handi, and with the two handis went to his native village. + +On reaching home the Brahman shut the door of his house, turned the +mudki-handi upside down, and shook it; the result was an unceasing +stream of the finest mudki that any confectioner in the country +could produce. The man, his wife, and their children devoured the +sweetmeat to their hearts' content; all the available earthen pots +and pans of the house were filled with it; and the Brahman resolved +the next day to turn confectioner, to open a shop in his house, and +sell mudki. On the very day the shop was opened, the whole village +came to the Brahman's house to buy the wonderful mudki. They had never +seen such mudki in their life, it was so sweet, so white, so large, so +luscious; no confectioner in the village or any town in the country had +ever manufactured anything like it. The reputation of the Brahman's +mudki extended, in a few days, beyond the bounds of the village, +and people came from remote parts to purchase it. Cartloads of the +sweetmeat were sold every day, and the Brahman in a short time became +very rich. He built a large brick house, and lived like a nobleman +of the land. Once, however, his property was about to go to wreck +and ruin. His children one day by mistake shook the wrong handi, +when a large number of demons dropped down and caught hold of the +Brahman's wife and children and were striking them mercilessly, when +happily the Brahman came into the house and turned up the handi. In +order to prevent a similar catastrophe in future, the Brahman shut up +the demon-handi in a private room to which his children had no access. + +Pure and uninterrupted prosperity, however, is not the lot of mortals; +and though the demon-handi was put aside, what security was there +that an accident might not befall the mudki-handi? One day, during +the absence of the Brahman and his wife from the house, the children +decided upon shaking the handi; but as each of them wished to enjoy +the pleasure of shaking it there was a general struggle to get it, and +in the melee the handi fell to the ground and broke. It is needless to +say that the Brahman, when on reaching home he heard of the disaster, +became inexpressibly sad. The children were of course well cudgelled, +but no flogging of children could replace the magical handi. After some +days he again went to the forest, and offered many a prayer for Durga's +favour. At last Siva and Durga again appeared to him, and heard how +the handi had been broken. Durga gave him another handi, accompanied +with the following caution--"Brahman, take care of this handi; if you +again break it or lose it, I'll not give you another." The Brahman +made obeisance, and went away to his house at one stretch without +halting anywhere. On reaching home he shut the door of his house, +called his wife to him, turned the handi upside down, and began to +shake it. They were only expecting mudki to drop from it, but instead +of mudki a perennial stream of beautiful sandesa issued from it. And +such sandesa! No confectioner of Burra Bazar ever made its like. It +was more the food of gods than of men. The Brahman forthwith set up +a shop for selling sandesa, the fame of which soon drew crowds of +customers from all parts of the country. At all festivals, at all +marriage feasts, at all funeral celebrations, at all Pujas, no one +bought any other sandesa than the Brahman's. Every day, and every +hour, many jars of gigantic size, filled with the delicious sweetmeat, +were sent to all parts of the country. + +The wealth of the Brahman excited the envy of the Zemindar of the +village, who, having heard that the sandesa was not manufactured but +dropped from a handi, devised a plan for getting possession of the +miraculous vessel. At the celebration of his son's marriage he held +a great feast, to which were invited hundreds of people. As many +mountain-loads of sandesa would be required for the purpose, the +Zemindar proposed that the Brahman should bring the magical handi to +the house in which the feast was held. The Brahman at first refused +to take it there; but as the Zemindar insisted on its being carried +to his own house, he reluctantly consented to take it there. After +many Himalayas of sandesa had been shaken out, the handi was taken +possession of by the Zemindar, and the Brahman was insulted and driven +out of the house. The Brahman, without giving vent to anger in the +least, quietly went to his house, and taking the demon-handi in his +hand, came back to the door of the Zemindar's house. He turned the +handi upside down and shook it, on which a hundred demons started up +as from the vasty deep and enacted a scene which it is impossible to +describe. The hundreds of guests that had been bidden to the feast +were caught hold of by the unearthly visitants and beaten; the women +were dragged by their hair from the Zenana and dashed about amongst +the men; while the big and burly Zemindar was driven about from room +to room like a bale of cotton. If the demons had been allowed to do +their will only for a few minutes longer, all the men would have been +killed, and the very house razed to the ground. The Zemindar fell +prostrate at the feet of the Brahman and begged for mercy. Mercy was +shown him, and the demons were removed. After that the Brahman was +no more disturbed by the Zemindar or by any one else; and he lived +many years in great happiness and enjoyment. + + + Thus my story endeth, + The Natiya-thorn withereth, etc. + + + + + + + +IV + +THE STORY OF THE RAKSHASAS + + +There was a poor half-witted Brahman who had a wife but no children. It +was only with difficulty he could supply the wants of himself and his +wife. And the worst of it was that he was rather lazily inclined. He +was averse to taking long journeys, otherwise he might always have +had enough, in the shape of presents from rich men, to enable him +and his wife to live comfortably. There was at that time a king in a +neighbouring country who was celebrating the funeral obsequies of his +mother with great pomp. Brahmans and beggars were going from different +parts with the expectation of receiving rich presents. Our Brahman was +requested by his wife to seize this opportunity and get a little money; +but his constitutional indolence stood in the way. The woman, however, +gave her husband no rest till she extorted from him the promise that +he would go. The good woman, accordingly, cut down a plantain tree +and burnt it to ashes, with which ashes she cleaned the clothes of +her husband, and made them as white as any fuller could make them. She +did this because her husband was going to the palace of a great king, +who could not be approached by men clothed in dirty rags; besides, +as a Brahman, he was bound to appear neat and clean. The Brahman at +last one morning left his house for the palace of the great king. As +he was somewhat imbecile, he did not inquire of any one which road +he should take; but he went on and on, and proceeded whithersoever +his two eyes directed him. He was of course not on the right road, +indeed he had reached a region where he did not meet with a single +human being for many miles, and where he saw sights which he had +never seen in his life. He saw hillocks of cowries (shells used as +money) on the roadside: he had not proceeded far from them when he +saw hillocks of pice, then successively hillocks of four-anna pieces, +hillocks of eight-anna pieces, and hillocks of rupees. To the infinite +surprise of the poor Brahman, these hillocks of shining silver coins +were succeeded by a large hill of burnished gold-mohurs, which were +all as bright as if they had been just issued from the mint. Close +to this hill of gold-mohurs was a large house which seemed to be +the palace of a powerful and rich king, at the door of which stood +a lady of exquisite beauty. The lady, seeing the Brahman, said, +"Come, my beloved husband; you married me when I was young, and +you never came once after our marriage, though I have been daily +expecting you. Blessed be this day which has made me see the face of +my husband. Come, my sweet, come in, wash your feet and rest after the +fatigues of your journey; eat and drink, and after that we shall make +ourselves merry." The Brahman was astonished beyond measure. He had +no recollection of having been married in early youth to any other +woman than the woman who was now keeping house with him. But being +a Kulin Brahman, he thought it was quite possible that his father +had got him married when he was a little child, though the fact had +made no impression on his mind. But whether he remembered it or not, +the fact was certain, for the woman declared that she was his wedded +wife,--and such a wife! as beautiful as the goddesses of Indra's +heaven, and no doubt as wealthy as she was beautiful. While these +thoughts were passing through the Brahman's mind, the lady said again, +"Are you doubting in your mind whether I am your wife? Is it possible +that all recollection of that happy event has been effaced from your +mind--all the pomp and circumstance of our nuptials? Come in, beloved; +this is your own house, for whatever is mine is thine." The Brahman +succumbed to the loving entreaties of the fair lady, and went into the +house. The house was not an ordinary one--it was a magnificent palace, +all the apartments being large and lofty and richly furnished. But one +thing surprised the Brahman very much, and that was that there was +no other person in the house besides the lady herself. He could not +account for so singular a phenomenon; neither could he explain how +it was that he did not meet with any human being in his morning and +evening walks. The fact was that the lady was not a human being. She +was a Rakshasi. [10] She had eaten up the king, the queen, and all +the members of the royal family, and gradually all his subjects. This +was the reason why human beings were not seen in those parts. + +The Rakshasi and the Brahman lived together for about a week, when +the former said to the latter, "I am very anxious to see my sister, +your other wife. You must go and fetch her, and we shall all live +together happily in this large and beautiful house. You must go early +to-morrow, and I will give you clothes and jewels for her." Next +morning the Brahman, furnished with fine clothes and costly ornaments, +set out for his home. The poor woman was in great distress; all the +Brahmans and Pandits that had been to the funeral ceremony of the +king's mother had returned home loaded with largesses; but her husband +had not returned,--and no one could give any news of him, for no one +had seen him there. The woman therefore concluded that he must have +been murdered on the road by highwaymen. She was in this terrible +suspense, when one day she heard a rumour in the village that her +husband was seen coming home with fine clothes and costly jewels for +his wife. And sure enough the Brahman soon appeared with his valuable +load. On seeing his wife the Brahman thus accosted her:--"Come with +me, my dearest wife; I have found my first wife. She lives in a +stately palace, near which are hillocks of rupees and a large hill +of gold-mohurs. Why should you pine away in wretchedness and misery +in this horrible place? Come with me to the house of my first wife, +and we shall all live together happily." When the woman heard her +husband speak of his first wife, of hillocks of rupees and of a hill +of gold-mohurs, she thought in her mind that her half-witted good man +had become quite mad; but when she saw the exquisitely beautiful silks +and satins and the ornaments set with diamonds and precious stones, +which only queens and princesses were in the habit of putting on, +she concluded in her mind that her poor husband had fallen into the +meshes of a Rakshasi. The Brahman, however, insisted on his wife's +going with him, and declared that if she did not come she was at +liberty to pine away in poverty, but that for himself he meant to +return forthwith to his first and rich wife. The good woman, after a +great deal of altercation with her husband, resolved to go with him +and judge for herself how matters stood. They set out accordingly +the next morning, and went by the same road on which the Brahman had +travelled. The woman was not a little surprised to see hillocks of +cowries, of pice, of eight-anna pieces, of rupees, and last of all a +lofty hill of gold-mohurs. She saw also an exceedingly beautiful lady +coming out of the palace hard by, and hastening towards her. The lady +fell on the neck of the Brahman woman, wept tears of joy, and said, +"Welcome, beloved sister! this is the happiest day of my life! I have +seen the face of my dearest sister!" The party then entered the palace. + +What with the stately mansion in which he was lodged, with the most +delectable provisions which seemed to rise as if by enchantment, what +with the caresses and endearments of his two wives, the one human and +the other demoniac, who vied with each other in making him happy and +comfortable, the Brahman had a jolly time of it. He was steeped as +it were in an ocean of enjoyment. Some fifteen or sixteen years were +spent by the Brahman in this state of Elysian pleasure, during which +period his two wives presented him with two sons. The Rakshasi's son, +who was the elder, and who looked more like a god than a human being, +was named Sahasra Dal, literally the Thousand-Branched; and the son +of the Brahman woman, who was a year younger, was named Champa Dal, +that is, branch of a champaka tree. The two boys loved each other +dearly. They were both sent to a school which was several miles +distant, to which they used every day to go riding on two little +ponies of extraordinary fleetness. + +The Brahman woman had all along suspected from a thousand little +circumstances that her sister-in-law was not a human being but a +Rakshasi; but her suspicion had not yet ripened into certainty, for +the Rakshasi exercised great self-restraint on herself, and never +did anything which human beings did not do. But the demoniac nature, +like murder, will out. The Brahman having nothing to do, in order +to pass his time had recourse to hunting. The first day he returned +from the hunt, he had bagged an antelope. The antelope was laid in the +courtyard of the palace. At the sight of the antelope the mouth of the +raw-eating Rakshasi began to water. Before the animal was dressed for +the kitchen, she took it away into a room, and began devouring it. The +Brahman woman, who was watching the whole scene from a secret place, +saw her Rakshasi sister tear off a leg of the antelope, and opening her +tremendous jaws, which seemed to her imagination to extend from earth +to heaven, swallow it up. In this manner the body and other limbs of +the antelope were devoured, till only a little bit of the meat was +kept for the kitchen. The second day another antelope was bagged, +and the third day another; and the Rakshasi, unable to restrain her +appetite for raw flesh, devoured these two as she had devoured the +first. On the third day the Brahman woman expressed to the Rakshasi her +surprise at the disappearance of nearly the whole of the antelope with +the exception of a little bit. The Rakshasi looked fierce and said, +"Do I eat raw flesh?" To which the Brahman woman replied, "Perhaps you +do, for aught I know to the contrary." The Rakshasi, knowing herself +to be discovered, looked fiercer than before, and vowed revenge. The +Brahman woman concluded in her mind that the doom of herself, of +her husband, and of her son was sealed. She spent a miserable night, +believing that next day she would be killed and eaten up, and that her +husband and son would share the same fate. Early next morning, before +her son Champa Dal went to school, she gave him in a small golden +vessel a little quantity of her own breast milk, and told him to be +constantly watching its colour. "Should you," she said, "see the milk +get a little red, then conclude that your father has been killed; and +should you see it grow still redder, then conclude that I am killed: +when you see this, gallop away for your life as fast as your horse +can carry you, for if you do not, you also will be devoured." + +The Rakshasi on getting up from bed--and she had prevented the Brahman +overnight from having any communication with his wife--proposed that +she and the Brahman should go to bathe in the river, which was at +some distance. She would take no denial; the Brahman had therefore +to follow her as meekly as a lamb. The Brahman woman at once saw from +the proposal that ruin was impending; but it was beyond her power to +avert the catastrophe. The Rakshasi, on the river-side, assuming her +own proper gigantic dimensions, took hold of the ill-fated Brahman, +tore him limb by limb, and devoured him up. She then ran to her house, +and seized the Brahman woman, and put her into her capacious stomach, +clothes, hair and all. Young Champa Dal, who, agreeably to his mother's +instructions, was diligently watching the milk in the small golden +vessel, was horror-struck to find the milk redden a little. He set +up a cry and said that his father was killed; a few minutes after, +finding the milk become completely red, he cried yet louder, and +rushing to his pony, mounted it. His half-brother, Sahasra Dal, +surprised at Champa Dal's conduct, said, "Where are you going, +Champa? Why are you crying? Let me accompany you." "Oh! do not come +to me. Your mother has devoured my father and mother; don't you come +and devour me." "I will not devour you; I'll save you." Scarcely +had he uttered these words and galloped away after Champa Dal, when +he saw his mother in her own Rakshasi form appearing at a distance, +and demanding that Champa Dal should come to her. He said, "I will +come to you, not Champa." So saying, he went to his mother, and with +his sword, which he always wore as a young prince, cut off her head. + +Champa Dal had, in the meantime, galloped off a good distance, as +he was running for his life; but Sahasra Dal, by pricking his horse +repeatedly, soon overtook him, and told him that his mother was no +more. This was small consolation to Champa Dal, as the Rakshasi, +before being killed, had devoured both his father and mother; still +he could not but feel that Sahasra Dal's friendship was sincere. They +both rode fast, and as their horses were of the breed of pakshirajes +(literally, kings of birds), they travelled over hundreds of miles. An +hour or two before sundown they descried a village, to which they made +up, and became guests in the house of one of its most respectable +inhabitants. The two friends found the members of that respectable +family in deep gloom. Evidently there was something agitating them +very much. Some of them held private consultations, and others were +weeping. The eldest lady of the house, the mother of its head, said +aloud, "Let me go, as I am the eldest. I have lived long enough; +at the utmost my life would be cut short only by a year or two." The +youngest member of the house, who was a little girl, said, "Let me +go, as I am young and useless to the family; if I die I shall not be +missed." The head of the house, the son of the old lady, said, "I am +the head and representative of the family; it is but reasonable that +I should give up my life." His younger brother said, "You are the main +prop and pillar of the family; if you go the whole family is ruined. It +is not reasonable that you should go; let me go, as I shall not be +much missed." The two strangers listened to all this conversation +with no little curiosity. They wondered what it all meant. Sahasra +Dal at last, at the risk of being thought meddlesome, ventured to +ask the head of the house the subject of their consultations, and +the reason of the deep misery but too visible in their countenances +and words. The head of the house gave the following answer: "Know +then, worthy guests, that this part of the country is infested by a +terrible Rakshasi, who has depopulated all the regions round. This +town, too, would have been depopulated, but that our king became a +suppliant before the Rakshasi, and begged her to show mercy to us his +subjects. The Rakshasi replied, 'I will consent to show mercy to you +and to your subjects only on this condition, that you every night put +a human being, either male or female, in a certain temple for me to +feast upon. If I get a human being every night I will rest satisfied, +and not commit any further depredations on your subjects.' Our king +had no other alternative than to agree to this condition, for what +human beings can ever hope to contend against a Rakshasi? From that +day the king made it a rule that every family in the town should in +its turn send one of its members to the temple as a victim to appease +the wrath and to satisfy the hunger of the terrible Rakshasi. All the +families in this neighbourhood have had their turn, and this night +it is the turn for one of us to devote himself to destruction. We are +therefore discussing who should go. You must now perceive the cause of +our distress." The two friends consulted together for a few minutes, +and at the conclusion of their consultations, Sahasra Dal, who was the +spokesman of the party, said, "Most worthy host, do not any longer be +sad: as you have been very kind to us, we have resolved to requite +your hospitality by ourselves going to the temple and becoming the +food of the Rakshasi. We go as your representatives." The whole +family protested against the proposal. They declared that guests +were like gods, and that it was the duty of the host to endure all +sorts of privation for the comfort of the guest, and not the duty of +the guest to suffer for the host. But the two strangers insisted on +standing proxy to the family, who, after a great deal of yea and nay, +at last consented to the arrangement. + +Immediately after candle-light, Sahasra Dal and Champa Dal, with +their two horses, installed themselves in the temple, and shut the +door. Sahasra told his brother to go to sleep, as he himself was +determined to sit up the whole night and watch against the coming of +the terrible Rakshasi. Champa was soon in a fine sleep, while Sahasra +lay awake. Nothing happened during the early hours of the night, but +no sooner had the gong of the king's palace announced the dead hour +of midnight than Sahasra heard the sound as of a rushing tempest, +and immediately concluded, from his knowledge of Rakshasas, that +the Rakshasi was nigh. A thundering knock was heard at the door, +accompanied with the following words:-- + + + "How, mow, khow! + A human being I smell; + Who watches inside?" + + +To this question Sahasra Dal made the following reply:-- + + + "Sahasra Dal watcheth, + Champa Dal watcheth, + Two winged horses watch." + + +On hearing this answer the Rakshasi turned away with a groan, knowing +that Sahasra Dal had Rakshasa blood in his veins. An hour after, +the Rakshasi returned, thundered at the door, and called out-- + + + "How, mow, khow! + A human being I smell; + Who watcheth inside?" + + +Sahasra Dal again replied-- + + + "Sahasra Dal watcheth, + Champa Dal watcheth, + Two winged horses watch." + + +The Rakshasi again groaned and went away. At two o'clock and at three +o'clock the Rakshasi again and again made her appearance, and made +the usual inquiry, and obtaining the same answer, went away with a +groan. After three o'clock, however, Sahasra Dal felt very sleepy: +he could not any longer keep awake. He therefore roused Champa, +told him to watch, and strictly enjoined upon him, in reply to the +query of the Rakshasi, to mention Sahasra's name first. With these +instructions he went to sleep. At four o'clock the Rakshasi again +made her appearance, thundered at the door, and said-- + + + "How, mow, khow! + A human being I smell; + Who watches inside?" + + +As Champa Dal was in a terrible fright, he forgot the instructions +of his brother for the moment, and answered-- + + + "Champa Dal watcheth, + Sahasra Dal watcheth, + Two winged horses watch." + + +On hearing this reply the Rakshasi uttered a shout of exultation, +laughed such a laugh as only demons can, and with a dreadful noise +broke open the door. The noise roused Sahasra, who in a moment +sprung to his feet, and with his sword, which was as supple as a +palm-leaf, cut off the head of the Rakshasi. The huge mountain of a +body fell to the ground, making a great noise, and lay covering many +an acre. Sahasra Dal kept the severed head of the Rakshasi near him, +and went to sleep. Early in the morning some wood-cutters, who were +passing near the temple, saw the huge body on the ground. They could +not from a distance make out what it was, but on coming near they +knew that it was the carcase of the terrible Rakshasi, who had by +her voracity nearly depopulated the country. Remembering the promise +made by the king that the killer of the Rakshasi should be rewarded +by the hand of his daughter and with a share of the kingdom, each of +the wood-cutters, seeing no claimant at hand, thought of obtaining +the reward. Accordingly each of them cut off a part of a limb of the +huge carcase, went to the king, and represented himself to be the +destroyer of the great raw-eater, and claimed the reward. The king, +in order to find out the real hero and deliverer, inquired of his +minister the name of the family whose turn it was on the preceding +night to offer a victim to the Rakshasi. The head of that family, on +being brought before the king, related how two youthful travellers, +who were guests in his house, volunteered to go into the temple +in the room of a member of his family. The door of the temple was +broken open; Sahasra Dal and Champa Dal and their horses were found +all safe; and the head of the Rakshasi, which was with them, proved +beyond the shadow of a doubt that they had killed the monster. The +king kept his word. He gave his daughter in marriage to Sahasra Dal +and the sovereignty of half his dominions. Champa Dal remained with +his friend in the king's palace, and rejoiced in his prosperity. + +Sahasra Dal and Champa Dal lived together happily for some time, when +a misunderstanding arose between them in this wise. There was in the +service of the queen-mother a certain maid-servant who was the most +useful domestic in the palace. There was nothing which she could not +put her hands to and perform. She had uncommon strength for a woman; +neither was her intelligence of a mean order. She was a woman of +immense activity and energy; and if she were absent one day from the +palace, the affairs of the zenana would be in perfect disorder. Hence +her services were highly valued by the queen-mother and all the ladies +of the palace. But this woman was not a woman; she was a Rakshasi, who +had put on the appearance of a woman to serve some purposes of her own, +and then taken service in the royal household. At night, when every +one in the palace was asleep, she used to assume her own real form, and +go about in quest of food, for the quantity of food that is sufficient +for either man or woman was not sufficient for a Rakshasi. Now Champa +Dal, having no wife, was in the habit of sleeping outside the zenana, +and not far from the outer gate of the palace. He had noticed her going +about on the premises and devouring sundry goats and sheep, horses and +elephants. The maid-servant, finding that Champa Dal was in the way of +her supper, determined to get rid of him. She accordingly went one day +to the queen-mother, and said, "Queen-mother! I am unable any longer +to work in the palace." "Why? what is the matter, Dasi? [11] How can +I get on without you? Tell me your reasons. What ails you?" "Why," +said the woman, "nowadays it is impossible for a poor woman like +me to preserve my honour in the palace. There is that Champa Dal, +the friend of your son-in-law; he always cracks indecent jokes with +me. It is better for me to beg for my rice than to lose my honour. If +Champa Dal remains in the palace I must go away." As the maid-servant +was an absolute necessity in the palace, the queen-mother resolved +to sacrifice Champa Dal to her. She therefore told Sahasra Dal that +Champa Dal was a bad man, that his character was loose, and that +therefore he must leave the palace. Sahasra Dal earnestly pleaded on +behalf of his friend, but in vain; the queen-mother had made up her +mind to drive him out of the palace. Sahasra Dal had not the courage +to speak personally to his friend on the subject; he therefore wrote +a letter to him, in which he simply said that for certain reasons +Champa must leave the palace immediately. The letter was put in his +room after he had gone to bathe. On reading the letter Champa Dal, +exceedingly grieved, mounted his fleet horse and left the palace. + +As Champa's horse was uncommonly fleet, in a few hours he traversed +thousands of miles, and at last found himself at the gateway of what +seemed a magnificent palace. Dismounting from his horse, he entered +the house, where he did not meet with a single creature. He went from +apartment to apartment, but though they were all richly furnished he +did not see a single human being. At last, in one of the side rooms, +he found a young lady of heavenly beauty lying down on a splendid +bedstead. She was asleep. Champa Dal looked upon the sleeping beauty +with rapture--he had not seen any woman so beautiful. Upon the bed, +near the head of the young lady, were two sticks, one of silver and the +other of gold. Champa took the silver stick into his hand, and touched +with it the body of the lady; but no change was perceptible. He then +took up the gold stick and laid it upon the lady, when in a trice +she woke up, sat in her bed, and eyeing the stranger, inquired who +he was. Champa Dal briefly told his story. The young lady, or rather +princess--for she was nothing less--said, "Unhappy man! why have you +come here? This is the country of Rakshasas, and in this house and +round about there live no less than seven hundred Rakshasas. They +all go away to the other side of the ocean every morning in search of +provisions; and they all return every evening before dusk. My father +was formerly king in these regions, and had millions of subjects, who +lived in flourishing towns and cities. But some years ago the invasion +of the Rakshasas took place, and they devoured all his subjects, +and himself and my mother, and my brothers and sisters. They devoured +also all the cattle of the country. There is no living human being in +these regions excepting myself; and I too should long ago have been +devoured had not an old Rakshasi, conceiving strange affection for +me, prevented the other Rakshasas from eating me up. You see those +sticks of silver and gold; the old Rakshasi, when she goes away in +the morning, kills me with the silver stick, and on her return in +the evening re-animates me with the gold stick. I do not know how +to advise you; if the Rakshasas see you, you are a dead man." Then +they both talked to each other in a very affectionate manner, and +laid their heads together to devise if possible some means of escape +from the hands of the Rakshasas. The hour of the return of the seven +hundred raw-eaters was fast approaching; and Keshavati--for that +was the name of the princess, so called from the abundance of her +hair--told Champa to hide himself in the heaps of the sacred trefoil +which were lying in the temple of Siva in the central part of the +palace. Before Champa went to his place of concealment, he touched +Keshavati with the silver stick, on which she instantly died. + +Shortly after sunset Champa Dal heard from beneath the heaps of the +sacred trefoil the sound as of a mighty rushing wind. Presently he +heard terrible noises in the palace. The Rakshasas had come home +from cruising, after having filled their stomachs, each one, with +sundry goats, sheep, cows, horses, buffaloes, and elephants. The old +Rakshasi, of whom we have already spoken, came to Keshavati's room, +roused her by touching her body with the gold stick, and said-- + + + "Hye, mye, khye! + A human being I smell." + + +On which Keshavati said, "I am the only human being here; eat me if you +like." To which the raw-eater replied, "Let me eat up your enemies; +why should I eat you?" She laid herself down on the ground, as long +and as high as the Vindhya Hills, and presently fell asleep. The other +Rakshasas and Rakshasis also soon fell asleep, being all tired out on +account of their gigantic labours in the day. Keshavati also composed +herself to sleep; while Champa, not daring to come out of the heaps +of leaves, tried his best to court the god of repose. At daybreak all +the raw-eaters, seven hundred in number, got up and went as usual to +their hunting and predatory excursions, and along with them went the +old Rakshasi, after touching Keshavati with the silver stick. When +Champa Dal saw that the coast was clear, he came out of the temple, +walked into Keshavati's room, and touched her with the gold stick, +on which she woke up. They sauntered about in the gardens, enjoying +the cool breeze of the morning; they bathed in a lucid tank which +was in the grounds; they ate and drank, and spent the day in sweet +converse. They concocted a plan for their deliverance. They settled +that Keshavati should ask the old Rakshasi on what the life of a +Rakshasa depended, and when the secret should be made known they would +adopt measures accordingly. As on the preceding evening, Champa, after +touching his fair friend with the silver stick, took refuge in the +temple beneath the heaps of the sacred trefoil. At dusk the Rakshasas +as usual came home; and the old Rakshasi, rousing her pet, said-- + + + "Hye, mye, khye! + A human being I smell." + + +Keshavati answered, "What other human being is here excepting +myself? Eat me up, if you like." "Why should I eat you, my darling? Let +me eat up all your enemies." Then she laid down on the ground her huge +body, which looked like a part of the Himalaya mountains. Keshavati, +with a phial of heated mustard oil, went towards the feet of the +Rakshasi, and said, "Mother, your feet are sore with walking; let me +rub them with oil." So saying, she began to rub with oil the Rakshasi's +feet; and while she was in the act of doing so, a few tear-drops from +her eyes fell on the monster's leg. The Rakshasi smacked the tear-drops +with her lips, and finding the taste briny, said, "Why are you weeping, +darling? What aileth thee?" To which the princess replied, "Mother, +I am weeping because you are old, and when you die I shall certainly +be devoured by one of the Rakshasas." "When I die! Know, foolish girl, +that we Rakshasas never die. We are not naturally immortal, but our +life depends on a secret which no human being can unravel. Let me +tell you what it is that you may be comforted. You know yonder tank; +there is in the middle of it a Sphatikasthambha, [12] on the top of +which in deep waters are two bees. If any human being can dive into +the waters, and bring up to land the two bees from the pillar in one +breath, and destroy them so that not a drop of their blood falls to +the ground, then we Rakshasas shall certainly die; but if a single +drop of blood falls to the ground, then from it will start up a +thousand Rakshasas. But what human being will find out this secret, +or, finding it, will be able to achieve the feat? You need not, +therefore, darling, be sad; I am practically immortal." Keshavati +treasured up the secret in her memory, and went to sleep. + +Early next morning the Rakshasas as usual went away; Champa came +out of his hiding-place, roused Keshavati, and fell a-talking. The +princess told him the secret she had learnt from the Rakshasi. Champa +immediately made preparations for accomplishing the mighty deed. He +brought to the side of the tank a knife and a quantity of ashes. He +disrobed himself, put a drop or two of mustard oil into each of his +ears to prevent water from entering in, and dived into the waters. In +a moment he got to the top of the crystal pillar in the middle of the +tank, caught hold of the two bees he found there, and came up in one +breath. Taking the knife, he cut up the bees over the ashes, a drop +or two of the blood fell, not on the ground, but on the ashes. When +Champa caught hold of the bees, a terrible scream was heard at a +distance. This was the wailing of the Rakshasas, who were all running +home to prevent the bees from being killed; but before they could reach +the palace, the bees had perished. The moment the bees were killed, +all the Rakshasas died, and their carcases fell on the very spot on +which they were standing. Champa and the princess afterwards found +that the gateway of the palace was blocked up by the huge carcases +of the Rakshasas--some of them having nearly succeeded in getting to +the palace. In this manner was effected the destruction of the seven +hundred Rakshasas. + +After the destruction of the seven hundred raw-eating monsters, Champa +Dal and Keshavati got married together by the exchange of garlands of +flowers. The princess, who had never been out of the house, naturally +expressed a desire to see the outer world. They used every day to +take long walks both morning and evening, and as a large river was +hard by Keshavati wished to bathe in it. The first day they went to +bathe, one of Keshavati's hairs came off, and as it is the custom +with women never to throw away a hair unaccompanied with something +else, she tied the hair to a shell which was floating on the water; +after which they returned home. In the meantime the shell with the hair +tied to it floated down the stream, and in course of time reached that +ghat [13] at which Sahasra Dal and his companions were in the habit +of performing their ablutions. The shell passed by when Sahasra Dal +and his friends were bathing; and he, seeing it at some distance, +said to them, "Whoever succeeds in catching hold of yonder shell +shall be rewarded with a hundred rupees." They all swam towards it, +and Sahasra Dal, being the fleetest swimmer, got it. On examining +it he found a hair tied to it. But such hair! He had never seen so +long a hair. It was exactly seven cubits long. "The owner of this +hair must be a remarkable woman, and I must see her"--such was the +resolution of Sahasra Dal. He went home from the river in a pensive +mood, and instead of proceeding to the zenana for breakfast, remained +in the outer part of the palace. The queen-mother, on hearing that +Sahasra Dal was looking melancholy and had not come to breakfast, +went to him and asked the reason. He showed her the hair, and said +he must see the woman whose head it had adorned. The queen-mother +said, "Very well, you shall have that lady in the palace as soon as +possible. I promise you to bring her here." The queen-mother told her +favourite maid-servant, whom she knew to be full of resources--the same +who was a Rakshasi in disguise--that she must, as soon as possible, +bring to the palace that lady who was the owner of the hair seven +cubits long. The maid-servant said she would be quite able to fetch +her. By her directions a boat was built of Hajol wood, the oars of +which were of Mon Paban wood. The boat was launched on the stream, +and she went on board of it with some baskets of wicker-work of +curious workmanship; she also took with her some sweetmeats into +which some poison had been mixed. She snapped her fingers thrice, +and uttered the following charm:-- + + + "Boat of Hajol! + Oars of Mon Paban! + Take me to the Ghat, + In which Keshavati bathes." + + +No sooner had the words been uttered than the boat flew like lightning +over the waters. It went on and on, leaving behind many a town and +city. At last it stopped at a bathing-place, which the Rakshasi +maid-servant concluded was the bathing ghat of Keshavati. She landed +with the sweetmeats in her hand. She went to the gate of the palace, +and cried aloud, "O Keshavati! Keshavati! I am your aunt, your mother's +sister. I am come to see you, my darling, after so many years. Are you +in, Keshavati?" The princess, on hearing these words, came out of her +room, and making no doubt that she was her aunt, embraced and kissed +her. They both wept rivers of joy--at least the Rakshasi maid-servant +did, and Keshavati followed suit through sympathy. Champa Dal also +thought that she was the aunt of his newly married wife. They all +ate and drank and took rest in the middle of the day. Champa Dal, +as was his habit, went to sleep after breakfast. Towards afternoon, +the supposed aunt said to Keshavati, "Let us both go to the river and +wash ourselves." Keshavati replied, "How can we go now? my husband +is sleeping." "Never mind," said the aunt, "let him sleep on; let me +put these sweetmeats, that I have brought, near his bedside, that he +may eat them when he gets up." They then went to the river-side close +to the spot where the boat was. Keshavati, when she saw from some +distance the baskets of wicker-work in the boat, said, "Aunt, what +beautiful things are those! I wish I could get some of them." "Come, +my child, come and look at them; and you can have as many as you +like." Keshavati at first refused to go into the boat, but on being +pressed by her aunt, she went. The moment they two were on board, +the aunt snapped her fingers thrice and said:-- + + + "Boat of Hajol! + Oars of Mon Paban! + Take me to the Ghat, + In which Sahasra Dal bathes." + + +As soon as these magical words were uttered the boat moved and flew +like an arrow over the waters. Keshavati was frightened and began to +cry, but the boat went on and on, leaving behind many towns and cities, +and in a trice reached the ghat where Sahasra Dal was in the habit of +bathing. Keshavati was taken to the palace; Sahasra Dal admired her +beauty and the length of her hair; and the ladies of the palace tried +their best to comfort her. But she set up a loud cry, and wanted to be +taken back to her husband. At last when she saw that she was a captive, +she told the ladies of the palace that she had taken a vow that she +would not see the face of any strange man for six months. She was +then lodged apart from the rest in a small house, the window of which +overlooked the road; there she spent the livelong day and also the +livelong night--for she had very little sleep--in sighing and weeping. + +In the meantime when Champa Dal awoke from sleep, he was distracted +with grief at not finding his wife. He now thought that the woman, +who pretended to be his wife's aunt, was a cheat and an impostor, +and that she must have carried away Keshavati. He did not eat the +sweetmeats, suspecting they might be poisoned. He threw one of +them to a crow which, the moment it ate it, dropped down dead. He +was now the more confirmed in his unfavourable opinion of the +pretended aunt. Maddened with grief, he rushed out of the house, +and determined to go whithersoever his eyes might lead him. Like a +madman, always blubbering "O Keshavati! O Keshavati!" he travelled +on foot day after day, not knowing whither he went. Six months were +spent in this wearisome travelling when, at the end of that period, he +reached the capital of Sahasra Dal. He was passing by the palace-gate +when the sighs and wailings of a woman sitting at the window of +a house, on the road-side, attracted his attention. One moment's +look, and they recognised each other. They continued to hold secret +communications. Champa Dal heard everything, including the story of +her vow, the period of which was to terminate the following day. It +is customary, on the fulfilment of a vow, for some learned Brahman +to make public recitations of events connected with the vow and +the person who makes it. It was settled that Champa Dal should take +upon himself the functions of the reciter. Accordingly, next morning, +when it was proclaimed by beat of drum that the king wanted a learned +Brahman who could recite the story of Keshavati on the fulfilment +of her vow, Champa Dal touched the drum and said that he would make +the recitation. Next morning a gorgeous assembly was held in the +courtyard of the palace under a huge canopy of silk. The old king, +Sahasra Dal, all the courtiers and the learned Brahmans of the country, +were present there. Keshavati was also there behind a screen that she +might not be exposed to the rude gaze of the people. Champa Dal, the +reciter, sitting on a dais, began the story of Keshavati, as we have +related it, from the beginning, commencing with the words--"There +was a poor and half-witted Brahman, etc." As he was going on with +the story, the reciter every now and then asked Keshavati behind the +screen whether the story was correct; to which question she as often +replied, "Quite correct; go on, Brahman." During the recitation of +the story the Rakshasi maid-servant grew pale, as she perceived that +her real character was discovered; and Sahasra Dal was astonished +at the knowledge of the reciter regarding the history of his own +life. The moment the story was finished, Sahasra Dal jumped up from +his seat, and embracing the reciter, said, "You can be none other +than my brother Champa Dal." Then the prince, inflamed with rage, +ordered the maid-servant into his presence. A large hole, as deep +as the height of a man, was dug in the ground; the maid-servant was +put into it in a standing posture; prickly thorn was heaped around +her up to the crown of her head: in this wise was the maid-servant +buried alive. After this Sahasra Dal and his princess, and Champa +Dal and Keshavati, lived happily together many years. + + + Thus my story endeth, + The Natiya-thorn withereth, etc. + + + + + + + +V + +THE STORY OF SWET-BASANTA + + +There was a rich merchant who had an only son whom he loved +passionately. He gave to his son whatever he wanted. His son wanted +a beautiful house in the midst of a large garden. The house was built +for him, and the grounds were laid out into a fine garden. One day as +the merchant's son was walking in his garden, he put his hand into +the nest of a small bird called toontooni, and found in it an egg, +which he took and put in an almirah which was dug into the wall of +his house. He closed the door of the almirah, and thought no more of +the egg. + +Though the merchant's son had a house of his own, he had no separate +establishment; at any rate he kept no cook, for his mother used to +send him regularly his breakfast and dinner every day. The egg which +he deposited in the wall-almirah one day burst, and out of it came a +beautiful infant, a girl. But the merchant's son knew nothing about +it. He had forgotten everything about the egg, and the door of the +wall-almirah had been kept closed, though not locked, ever since the +day the egg was put there. The child grew up within the wall-almirah +without the knowledge of the merchant's son or of any one else. When +the child could walk, it had the curiosity one day to open the door; +and seeing some food on the floor (the breakfast of the merchant's son +sent by his mother), it came out, and ate a little of it, and returned +to its cell in the wall-almirah. As the mother of the merchant's +son sent him always more than he could himself eat, he perceived no +diminution in the quantity. The girl of the wall-almirah used every +day to come out and eat a part of the food, and after eating used +to return to her place in the almirah. But as the girl got older and +older, she began to eat more and more; hence the merchant's son began +to perceive a diminution in the quantity of his food. Not dreaming of +the existence of the wall-almirah girl, he wondered that his mother +should send him such a small quantity of food. He sent word to his +mother, complaining of the insufficiency of his meals, and of the +slovenly manner in which the food was served up in the dish; for the +girl of the wall-almirah used to finger the rice, curry, and other +articles of food, and as she always went in a hurry back into the +almirah that she might not be perceived by any one, she had no time +to put the rice and the other things into proper order after she had +eaten part of them. The mother was astonished at her son's complaint, +for she gave always a much larger quantity than she knew her son could +consume, and the food was served up on a silver plate neatly by her +own hand. But as her son repeated the same complaint day after day, +she began to suspect foul play. She told her son to watch and see +whether any one ate part of it unperceived. Accordingly, one day when +the servant brought the breakfast and laid it in a clean place on the +floor, the merchant's son, instead of going to bathe as it had hitherto +been his custom, hid himself in a secret place and began to watch. In +a few minutes he saw the door of the wall-almirah open; a beautiful +damsel of sweet sixteen stepped out of it, sat on the carpet spread +before the breakfast, and began to eat. The merchant's son came out +of his hiding-place, and the damsel could not escape. "Who are you, +beautiful creature? You do not seem to be earth-born. Are you one +of the daughters of the gods?" asked the merchant's son. The girl +replied, "I do not know who I am. This I know, that one day I found +myself in yonder almirah, and have been ever since living in it." The +merchant's son thought it strange. He now remembered that sixteen years +before he had put in the almirah an egg he had found in the nest of +a toontooni bird. The uncommon beauty of the wall-almirah girl made +a deep impression on the mind of the merchant's son, and he resolved +in his mind to marry her. The girl no more went into the almirah, but +lived in one of the rooms of the spacious house of the merchant's son. + +The next day the merchant's son sent word to his mother to the effect +that he would like to get married. His mother reproached herself +for not having long before thought of her son's marriage, and sent +a message to her son to the effect that she and his father would +the next day send ghataks [14] to different countries to seek for a +suitable bride. The merchant's son sent word that he had secured for +himself a most lovable young lady, and that if his parents had no +objections he would produce her before them. Accordingly the young +lady of the wall-almirah was taken to the merchant's house; and the +merchant and his wife were so struck with the matchless beauty, grace, +and loveliness of the stranger, that, without asking any questions +as to her birth, the nuptials were celebrated. + +In course of time the merchant's son had two sons; the elder he +named Swet and the younger Basanta. The old merchant died and so +did his wife. Swet and Basanta grew up fine lads, and the elder was +in due time married. Some time after Swet's marriage his mother, +the wall-almirah lady, also died, and the widower lost no time in +marrying a young and beautiful wife. As Swet's wife was older than +his stepmother, she became the mistress of the house. The stepmother, +like all stepmothers, hated Swet and Basanta with a perfect hatred; +and the two ladies were naturally often at loggerheads with each other. + +It so happened one day that a fisherman brought to the merchant (we +shall no longer call him the merchant's son, as his father had died) +a fish of singular beauty. It was unlike any other fish that had +been seen. The fish had marvellous qualities ascribed to it by the +fisherman. If any one eats it, said he, when he laughs maniks [15] +will drop from his mouth, and when he weeps pearls will drop from his +eyes. The merchant, hearing of the wonderful properties of the fish, +bought it at one thousand rupees, and put it into the hands of Swet's +wife, who was the mistress of the house, strictly enjoining on her +to cook it well and to give it to him alone to eat. The mistress, +or house-mother, who had overheard the conversation between her +father-in-law and the fisherman, secretly resolved in her mind to +give the cooked fish to her husband and to his brother to eat, and to +give to her father-in-law instead a frog daintily cooked. When she had +finished cooking both the fish and the frog, she heard the noise of a +squabble between her stepmother-in-law and her husband's brother. It +appears that Basanta, who was but a lad yet, was passionately fond +of pigeons, which he tamed. One of these pigeons had flown into the +room of his stepmother, who had secreted it in her clothes. Basanta +rushed into the room, and loudly demanded the pigeon. His stepmother +denied any knowledge of the pigeon, on which the elder brother, +Swet, forcibly took out the bird from her clothes and gave it to +his brother. The stepmother cursed and swore, and added, "Wait, +when the head of the house comes home I will make him shed the blood +of you both before I give him water to drink." Swet's wife called +her husband and said to him, "My dearest lord, that woman is a most +wicked woman, and has boundless influence over my father-in-law. She +will make him do what she has threatened. Our life is in imminent +danger. Let us first eat a little, and let us all three run away +from this place." Swet forthwith called Basanta to him, and told him +what he had heard from his wife. They resolved to run away before +nightfall. The woman placed before her husband and her brother-in-law +the fish of wonderful properties, and they ate of it heartily. The +woman packed up all her jewels in a box. As there was only one horse, +and it was of uncommon fleetness, the three sat upon it; Swet held +the reins, the woman sat in the middle with the jewel-box in her lap, +and Basanta brought up the rear. + +The horse galloped with the utmost swiftness. They passed through +many a plain and many a noted town, till after midnight they found +themselves in a forest not far from the bank of a river. Here +the most untoward event took place. Swet's wife began to feel the +pains of child-birth. They dismounted, and in an hour or two Swet's +wife gave birth to a son. What were the two brothers to do in this +forest? A fire must be kindled to give heat both to the mother and +the new-born baby. But where was the fire to be got? There were no +human habitations visible. Still fire must be procured--and it was +the month of December--or else both the mother and the baby would +certainly perish. Swet told Basanta to sit beside his wife, while he +set out in the darkness of the night in search of fire. + +Swet walked many a mile in darkness. Still he saw no human +habitations. At last the genial light of Sukra [16] somewhat illumined +his path, and he saw at a distance what seemed a large city. He was +congratulating himself on his journey's end and on his being able to +obtain fire for the benefit of his poor wife lying cold in the forest +with the new-born babe, when on a sudden an elephant, gorgeously +caparisoned, shot across his path, and gently taking him up by his +trunk, placed him on the rich howdah [17] on its back. It then walked +rapidly towards the city. Swet was quite taken aback. He did not +understand the meaning of the elephant's action, and wondered what +was in store for him. A crown was in store for him. In that kingdom, +the chief city of which he was approaching, every morning a king was +elected, for the king of the previous day was always found dead in +the morning in the room of the queen. What caused the death of the +king no one knew; neither did the queen herself (for every successive +king took her to wife) know the cause. And the elephant who took +hold of Swet was the king-maker. Early in the morning it went about, +sometimes to distant places, and whosoever was brought on its back was +acknowledged king by the people. The elephant majestically marched +through the crowded streets of the city, amid the acclamations of +the people, the meaning of which Swet did not understand, entered +the palace, and placed him on the throne. He was proclaimed king +amid the rejoicings of some and the lamentations of others. In the +course of the day he heard of the strange fatality which overtook +every night the elected king of those realms, but being possessed of +great discretion and courage, he took every precaution to avert the +dreadful catastrophe. Yet he hardly knew what expedients to adopt, +as he was unacquainted with the nature of the danger. He resolved, +however, upon two things, and these were, to go armed into the +queen's bedchamber, and to sit up awake the whole night. The queen +was young and of exquisite beauty, and so guileless and benevolent +was the expression of her face that it was impossible from looking +at her to suppose that she could use any foul means of taking away +the life of her nightly consort. In the queen's chamber Swet spent a +very agreeable evening; as the night advanced the queen fell asleep, +but Swet kept awake, and was on the alert, looking at every creek +and corner of the room, and expecting every minute to be murdered. In +the dead of night he perceived something like a thread coming out of +the left nostril of the queen. The thread was so thin that it was +almost invisible. As he watched it he found it several yards long, +and yet it was coming out. When the whole of it had come out, it +began to grow thick, and in a few minutes it assumed the form of a +huge serpent. In a moment Swet cut off the head of the serpent, the +body of which wriggled violently. He sat quiet in the room, expecting +other adventures. But nothing else happened. The queen slept longer +than usual as she had been relieved of the huge snake which had made +her stomach its den. Early next morning the ministers came expecting +as usual to hear of the king's death; but when the ladies of the +bedchamber knocked at the door of the queen they were astonished +to see Swet come out. It was then known to all the people how that +every night a terrible snake issued from the queen's nostrils, how +it devoured the king every night, and how it had at last been killed +by the fortunate Swet. The whole country rejoiced in the prospect +of a permanent king. It is a strange thing, nevertheless it is true, +that Swet did not remember his poor wife with the new-born babe lying +in the forest, nor his brother attending on her. With the possession +of the throne he seemed to forget the whole of his past history. + +Basanta, to whom his brother had entrusted his wife and child, sat +watching for many a weary hour, expecting every moment to see Swet +return with fire. The whole night passed away without his return. At +sunrise he went to the bank of the river which was close by, and +anxiously looked about for his brother, but in vain. Distressed beyond +measure, he sat on the river side and wept. A boat was passing by in +which a merchant was returning to his country. As the boat was not +far from the shore the merchant saw Basanta weeping; and what struck +the attention of the merchant was the heap of what looked like pearls +near the weeping man. At the request of the merchant the boatman took +his vessel towards the bank; the merchant went to the weeping man, +and found that the heap was a heap of real pearls of the finest +lustre: and what astonished him most of all was that the heap was +increasing every second, for the tear-drops that were falling from +his eyes fell to the ground not as tears but as pearls. The merchant +stowed away the heap of pearls into his boat, and with the help of his +servants caught hold of Basanta himself, put him on board the vessel, +and tied him to a post. Basanta, of course, resisted; but what could +he do against so many? Thinking of his brother, his brother's wife +and baby, and his own captivity, Basanta wept more bitterly than +before, which mightily pleased the merchant, as the more tears his +captive shed the richer he himself became. When the merchant reached +his native town he confined Basanta in a room, and at stated hours +every day scourged him in order to make him shed tears, every one of +which was converted into a bright pearl. The merchant one day said +to his servants, "As the fellow is making me rich by his weeping, +let us see what he gives me by laughing." Accordingly he began to +tickle his captive, on which Basanta laughed, and as he laughed a +great many maniks dropped from his mouth. After this poor Basanta +was alternately whipped and tickled all the day and far into the +night; and the merchant, in consequence, became the wealthiest man +in the land. Leaving Basanta subjected to the alternate processes +of castigation and titillation, let us attend to the fortunes of the +poor wife of Swet, alone in the forest, with a child just born. + +Swet's wife, apparently deserted by her husband and her brother-in-law, +was overwhelmed with grief. A woman, but a few hours since delivered +of a child--and her first child, alone, and in a forest, far from the +habitations of men,--her case was indeed pitiable. She wept rivers of +tears. Excessive grief, however, brought her relief. She fell asleep +with the new-born baby in her arms. It so happened that at that +hour the Kotwal (prefect of the police) of the country was passing +that way. He had been very unfortunate with regard to his offspring; +every child his wife presented him with died shortly after birth, and +he was now going to bury the last infant on the banks of the river. As +he was going, he saw in the forest a woman sleeping with a baby in her +arms. It was a lively and beautiful boy. The Kotwal coveted the lovely +infant. He quietly took it up, put in its place his own dead child, +and returning home, told his wife that the child had not really died +and had revived. Swet's wife, unconscious of the deceit practised +upon her by the Kotwal, on waking found her child dead. The distress +of her mind may be imagined. The whole world became dark to her. She +was distracted with grief, and in her distraction she formed the +resolution of committing suicide. The river was not far from the spot, +and she determined to drown herself in it. She took in her hand the +bundle of jewels and proceeded to the river-side. An old Brahman was +at no great distance, performing his morning ablutions. He noticed +the woman going into the water, and naturally thought that she was +going to bathe; but when he saw her going far into deep waters, some +suspicion arose in his mind. Discontinuing his devotions, he bawled +out and ordered the woman to come to him. Swet's wife seeing that it +was an old man that was calling her, retraced her steps and came to +him. On being asked what she was about to do, she said that she was +going to make an end of herself, and that as she had some jewels with +her she would be obliged if he would accept them as a present. At the +request of the old Brahman she related to him her whole story. The +upshot was, that she was prevented from drowning herself, and that +she was received into the Brahman's family, where she was treated by +the Brahman's wife as her own daughter. + +Years passed on. The reputed son of the Kotwal grew up a vigorous, +robust lad. As the house of the old Brahman was not far from the +Kotwal's, the Kotwal's son used accidentally to meet the handsome +strange woman who passed for the Brahman's daughter. The lad liked +the woman, and wanted to marry her. He spoke to his father about +the woman, and the father spoke to the Brahman. The Brahman's rage +knew no bounds. What! the infidel Kotwal's son aspiring to the hand +of a Brahman's daughter! A dwarf may as well aspire to catch hold of +the moon! But the Kotwal's son determined to have her by force. With +this wicked object he one day scaled the wall that encompassed the +Brahman's house, and got upon the thatched roof of the Brahman's +cow-house. While he was reconnoitering from that lofty position, he +heard the following conversation between two calves in the cow-house:-- + +First Calf. Men accuse us of brutish ignorance and immorality; but +in my opinion men are fifty times worse. + +Second Calf. What makes you say so, brother? Have you witnessed to-day +any instance of human depravity? + +First Calf. Who can be a greater monster of crime than the same lad +who is at this moment standing on the thatched roof of this hut over +our head? + +Second Calf. Why, I thought it was only the son of our Kotwal; and +I never heard that he was exceptionally vicious. + +First Calf. You never heard, but now you hear from me. This wicked +lad is now wishing to get married to his own mother! + +The First Calf then related to the inquisitive Second Calf in full +the story of Swet and Basanta; how they and Swet's wife fled from +the vengeance of their stepmother; how Swet's wife was delivered of a +child in the forest by the river-side; how Swet was made king by the +elephant, and how he succeeded in killing the serpent which issued out +of the queen's nostrils; how Basanta was carried away by the merchant, +confined in a dungeon, and alternately flogged and tickled for pearls +and maniks; how the Kotwal exchanged his dead child for the living +one of Swet; how Swet's wife was prevented from drowning herself in +the river by the Brahman; how she was received into the Brahman's +family and treated as his daughter; how the Kotwal's son grew up a +hardy, lusty youth, and fell in love with her; and how at that very +moment he was intent on accomplishing his brutal object. All this +story the Kotwal's son heard from the thatched roof of the cow-house, +and was struck with horror. He forthwith got down from the thatch, +and went home and told his father that he must have an interview +with the king. Notwithstanding his reputed father's protestations +to the contrary, he had an interview with the king, to whom he +repeated the whole story as he had overheard it from the thatch of +the cow-house. The king now remembered his poor wife's case. She +was brought from the house of the Brahman, whom he richly rewarded, +and put her in her proper position as the queen of the kingdom; +the reputed son of the Kotwal was acknowledged as his own son, and +proclaimed the heir-apparent to the throne; Basanta was brought out +of the dungeon, and the wicked merchant who had maltreated him was +buried alive in the earth surrounded with thorns. After this, Swet, +his wife and son, and Basanta, lived together happily for many years. + + + Now my story endeth, + The Natiya-thorn withereth, etc. + + + + + + + +VI + +THE EVIL EYE OF SANI + + +Once upon a time Sani, or Saturn, the god of bad luck, and Lakshmi, +the goddess of good luck, fell out with each other in heaven. Sani said +he was higher in rank than Lakshmi, and Lakshmi said she was higher in +rank than Sani. As all the gods and goddesses of heaven were equally +ranged on either side, the contending deities agreed to refer the +matter to some human being who had a name for wisdom and justice. Now, +there lived at that time upon earth a man of the name of Sribatsa, +[18] who was as wise and just as he was rich. Him, therefore, both the +god and the goddess chose as the settler of their dispute. One day, +accordingly, Sribatsa was told that Sani and Lakshmi were wishing to +pay him a visit to get their dispute settled. Sribatsa was in a fix. If +he said Sani was higher in rank than Lakshmi, she would be angry with +him and forsake him. If he said Lakshmi was higher in rank than Sani, +Sani would cast his evil eye upon him. Hence he made up his mind not to +say anything directly, but to leave the god and the goddess to gather +his opinion from his action. He got two stools made, the one of gold +and the other of silver, and placed them beside him. When Sani and +Lakshmi came to Sribatsa, he told Sani to sit upon the silver stool, +and Lakshmi upon the gold stool. Sani became mad with rage, and said +in an angry tone to Sribatsa, "Well, as you consider me lower in rank +than Lakshmi, I will cast my eye on you for three years; and I should +like to see how you fare at the end of that period." The god then went +away in high dudgeon. Lakshmi, before going away, said to Sribatsa, +"My child, do not fear. I'll befriend you." The god and the goddess +then went away. + +Sribatsa said to his wife, whose name was Chintamani, "Dearest, as the +evil eye of Sani will be upon me at once, I had better go away from the +house; for if I remain in the house with you, evil will befall you and +me; but if I go away, it will overtake me only." Chintamani said, "That +cannot be; wherever you go, I will go, your lot shall be my lot." The +husband tried hard to persuade his wife to remain at home; but it was +of no use. She would go with her husband. Sribatsa accordingly told +his wife to make an opening in their mattress, and to stow away in +it all the money and jewels they had. On the eve of leaving their +house, Sribatsa invoked Lakshmi, who forthwith appeared. He then +said to her, "Mother Lakshmi! as the evil eye of Sani is upon us, +we are going away into exile; but do thou befriend us, and take +care of our house and property." The goddess of good luck answered, +"Do not fear; I'll befriend you; all will be right at last." They +then set out on their journey. Sribatsa rolled up the mattress and +put it on his head. They had not gone many miles when they saw a +river before them. It was not fordable; but there was a canoe there +with a man sitting in it. The travellers requested the ferryman to +take them across. The ferryman said, "I can take only one at a time; +but you are three--yourself, your wife, and the mattress." Sribatsa +proposed that first his wife and the mattress should be taken across, +and then he; but the ferryman would not hear of it. "Only one at a +time," repeated he; "first let me take across the mattress." When the +canoe with the mattress was in the middle of the stream, a fierce gale +arose, and carried away the mattress, the canoe, and the ferryman, +no one knows whither. And it was strange the stream also disappeared, +for the place, where they saw a few minutes since the rush of waters, +had now become firm ground. Sribatsa then knew that this was nothing +but the evil eye of Sani. + +Sribatsa and his wife, without a pice in their pocket, went to a +village which was hard by. It was dwelt in for the most part by +wood-cutters, who used to go at sunrise to the forest to cut wood, +which they sold in a town not far from the village. Sribatsa proposed +to the wood-cutters that he should go along with them to cut wood. They +agreed. So he began to fell trees as well as the best of them; but +there was this difference between Sribatsa and the other wood-cutters, +that whereas the latter cut any and every sort of wood, the former cut +only precious wood like sandal-wood. The wood-cutters used to bring +to market large loads of common wood, and Sribatsa only a few pieces +of sandal-wood, for which he got a great deal more money than the +others. As this was going on day after day, the wood-cutters through +envy plotted together, and drove away from the village Sribatsa and +his wife. + +The next place they went to was a village of weavers, or rather +cotton-spinners. Here Chintamani, the wife of Sribatsa, made herself +useful by spinning cotton. And as she was an intelligent and skilful +woman, she spun finer thread than the other women; and she got more +money. This roused the envy of the native women of the village. But +this was not all. Sribatsa, in order to gain the good grace of +the weavers, asked them to a feast, the dishes of which were all +cooked by his wife. As Chintamani excelled in cooking, the barbarous +weavers of the village were quite charmed by the delicacies set +before them. When the men went to their homes, they reproached their +wives for not being able to cook so well as the wife of Sribatsa, +and called them good-for-nothing women. This thing made the women of +the village hate Chintamani the more. One day Chintamani went to the +river-side to bathe along with the other women of the village. A boat +had been lying on the bank stranded on the sand for many days; they +had tried to move it, but in vain. It so happened that as Chintamani +by accident touched the boat, it moved off to the river. The boatmen, +astonished at the event, thought that the woman had uncommon power, +and might be useful on similar occasions in future. They therefore +caught hold of her, put her in the boat, and rowed off. The women of +the village, who were present, did not offer any resistance as they +hated Chintamani. When Sribatsa heard how his wife had been carried +away by boatmen, he became mad with grief. He left the village, went to +the river-side, and resolved to follow the course of the stream till +he should meet the boat where his wife was a prisoner. He travelled +on and on, along the side of the river, till it became dark. As there +were no huts to be seen, he climbed into a tree for the night. Next +morning as he got down from the tree he saw at the foot of it a cow +called a Kapila-cow, which never calves, but which gives milk at all +hours of the day whenever it is milked. Sribatsa milked the cow, and +drank its milk to his heart's content. He was astonished to find that +the cow-dung which lay on the ground was of a bright yellow colour; +indeed, he found it was pure gold. While it was in a soft state he +wrote his own name upon it, and when in the course of the day it +became hardened, it looked like a brick of gold--and so it was. As +the tree grew on the river-side, and as the Kapila-cow came morning +and evening to supply him with milk, Sribatsa resolved to stay there +till he should meet the boat. In the meantime the gold-bricks were +increasing in number every day, for the cow both morning and evening +deposited there the precious article. He put the gold-bricks, upon +all of which his name was engraved, one upon another in rows, so that +from a distance they looked like a hillock of gold. + +Leaving Sribatsa to arrange his gold-bricks under the tree on the +river-side we must follow the fortunes of his wife. Chintamani was a +woman of great beauty; and thinking that her beauty might be her ruin, +she, when seized by the boatmen, offered to Lakshmi the following +prayer----"O Mother Lakshmi! have pity upon me. Thou hast made me +beautiful, but now my beauty will undoubtedly prove my ruin by the loss +of honour and chastity. I therefore beseech thee, gracious Mother, to +make me ugly, and to cover my body with some loathsome disease, that +the boatmen may not touch me." Lakshmi heard Chintamani's prayer; and +in the twinkling of an eye, while she was in the arms of the boatmen, +her naturally beautiful form was turned into a vile carcase. The +boatmen, on putting her down in the boat, found her body covered +with loathsome sores which were giving out a disgusting stench. They +therefore threw her into the hold of the boat amongst the cargo, +where they used morning and evening to send her a little boiled rice +and some water. In that hold Chintamani had a miserable life of it; +but she greatly preferred that misery to the loss of chastity. The +boatmen went to some port, sold the cargo, and were returning to their +country when the sight of what seemed a hillock of gold, not far from +the river-side, attracted their attention. Sribatsa, whose eyes were +ever directed towards the river, was delighted when he saw a boat turn +towards the bank, as he fondly imagined his wife might be in it. The +boatmen went to the hillock of gold, when Sribatsa said that the gold +was his. They put all the gold-bricks on board their vessel, took +Sribatsa prisoner, and put him into the hold not far from the woman +covered with sores. They of course immediately recognised each other, +in spite of the change Chintamani had undergone, but thought it prudent +not to speak to each other. They communicated their ideas, therefore, +by signs and gestures. Now, the boatmen were fond of playing at dice, +and as Sribatsa appeared to them from his looks to be a respectable +man, they always asked him to join in the game. As he was an expert +player, he almost always won the game, on which the boatmen, envying +his superior skill, threw him overboard. Chintamani had the presence +of mind, at that moment, to throw into the water a pillow which she +had for resting her head upon. Sribatsa took hold of the pillow, +by means of which he floated down the stream till he was carried +at nightfall to what seemed a garden on the water's edge. There he +stuck among the trees, where he remained the whole night, wet and +shivering. Now, the garden belonged to an old widow who was in former +years the chief flower-supplier to the king of that country. Through +some cause or other a blight seemed to have come over her garden, as +almost all the trees and plants ceased flowering; she had therefore +given up her place as the flower-supplier of the royal household. On +the morning following the night on which Sribatsa had stuck among +the trees, however, the old woman on getting up from her bed could +scarcely believe her eyes when she saw the whole garden ablaze with +flowers. There was not a single tree or plant which was not begemmed +with flowers. Not understanding the cause of such a miraculous sight, +she took a walk through the garden, and found on the river's brink, +stuck among the trees, a man shivering and almost dying with cold. She +brought him to her cottage, lighted a fire to give him warmth, and +showed him every attention, as she ascribed the wonderful flowering +of her trees to his presence. After making him as comfortable as +she could, she ran to the king's palace, and told his chief servants +that she was again in a position to supply the palace with flowers; +so she was restored to her former office as the flower-woman of the +royal household. Sribatsa, who stopped a few days with the woman, +requested her to recommend him to one of the king's ministers for a +berth. He was accordingly sent for to the palace, and as he was at +once found to be a man of intelligence, the king's minister asked +him what post he would like to have. Agreeably to his wish he was +appointed collector of tolls on the river. While discharging his +duties as river toll-gatherer, in the course of a few days he saw the +very boat in which his wife was a prisoner. He detained the boat, and +charged the boatmen with the theft of gold-bricks which he claimed as +his own. At the mention of gold-bricks the king himself came to the +river-side, and was astonished beyond measure to see bricks made of +gold, every one of which had the inscription--Sribatsa. At the same +time Sribatsa rescued from the boatmen his wife, who, the moment she +came out of the vessel, became as lovely as before. The king heard +the story of Sribatsa's misfortunes from his lips, entertained him +in a princely style for many days, and at last sent him and his wife +to their own country with presents of horses and elephants. The evil +eye of Sani was now turned away from Sribatsa, and he again became +what he formerly was, the Child of Fortune. + + + Thus my story endeth, + The Natiya-thorn withereth, etc. + + + + + + + +VII + +THE BOY WHOM SEVEN MOTHERS SUCKLED + + +Once on a time there reigned a king who had seven queens. He was +very sad, for the seven queens were all barren. A holy mendicant, +however, one day told the king that in a certain forest there grew +a tree, on a branch of which hung seven mangoes; if the king himself +plucked those mangoes and gave one to each of the queens they would +all become mothers. So the king went to the forest, plucked the seven +mangoes that grew upon one branch, and gave a mango to each of the +queens to eat. In a short time the king's heart was filled with joy, +as he heard that the seven queens were all with child. + +One day the king was out hunting, when he saw a young lady of peerless +beauty cross his path. He fell in love with her, brought her to his +palace, and married her. This lady was, however, not a human being, +but a Rakshasi; but the king of course did not know it. The king became +dotingly fond of her; he did whatever she told him. She said one day +to the king, "You say that you love me more than any one else. Let +me see whether you really love me so. If you love me, make your seven +other queens blind, and let them be killed." The king became very sad +at the request of his best-beloved queen, the more so as the seven +queens were all with child. But there was nothing for it but to comply +with the Rakshasi-queen's request. The eyes of the seven queens were +plucked out of their sockets, and the queens themselves were delivered +up to the chief minister to be destroyed. But the chief minister was +a merciful man. Instead of killing the seven queens he hid them in a +cave which was on the side of a hill. In course of time the eldest +of the seven queens gave birth to a child. "What shall I do with +the child," said she, "now that we are blind and are dying for want +of food? Let me kill the child, and let us all eat of its flesh." So +saying she killed the infant, and gave to each of her sister-queens a +part of the child to eat. The six ate their portion, but the seventh +or youngest queen did not eat her share, but laid it beside her. In a +few days the second queen also was delivered of a child, and she did +with it as her eldest sister had done with hers. So did the third, +the fourth, the fifth, and the sixth queen. At last the seventh +queen gave birth to a son; but she, instead of following the example +of her sister-queens, resolved to nurse the child. The other queens +demanded their portions of the newly-born babe. She gave each of them +the portion she had got of the six children which had been killed, +and which she had not eaten but laid aside. The other queens at once +perceived that their portions were dry, and could not therefore be +the parts of the child just born. The seventh queen told them that she +had made up her mind not to kill the child but to nurse it. The others +were glad to hear this, and they all said that they would help her in +nursing the child. So the child was suckled by seven mothers, and it +became after some years the hardiest and strongest boy that ever lived. + +In the meantime the Rakshasi-wife of the king was doing infinite +mischief to the royal household and to the capital. What she ate at +the royal table did not fill her capacious stomach. She therefore, +in the darkness of night, gradually ate up all the members of the +royal family, all the king's servants and attendants, all his horses, +elephants, and cattle; till none remained in the palace except she +herself and her royal consort. After that she used to go out in +the evenings into the city and eat up a stray human being here and +there. The king was left unattended by servants; there was no person +left to cook for him, for no one would take his service. At last the +boy who had been suckled by seven mothers, and who had now grown up to +a stalwart youth, volunteered his services. He attended on the king, +and took every care to prevent the queen from swallowing him up, for +he went away home long before nightfall; and the Rakshasi-queen never +seized her victims except at night. Hence the queen determined in +some other way to get rid of the boy. As the boy always boasted that +he was equal to any work, however hard, the queen told him that she +was suffering from some disease which could be cured only by eating a +certain species of melon, which was twelve cubits long, but the stone +of which was thirteen cubits long, and that that fruit could be had +only from her mother, who lived on the other side of the ocean. She +gave him a letter of introduction to her mother, in which she requested +her to devour the boy the moment he put the letter into her hands. The +boy, suspecting foul play, tore up the letter and proceeded on his +journey. The dauntless youth passed through many lands, and at last +stood on the shore of the ocean, on the other side of which was the +country of the Rakshasis. He then bawled as loud as he could, and +said, "Granny! granny! come and save your daughter; she is dangerously +ill." An old Rakshasi on the other side of the ocean heard the words, +crossed the ocean, came to the boy, and on hearing the message took the +boy on her back and re-crossed the ocean. So the boy was in the country +of the Rakshasis. The twelve-cubit melon with its thirteen-cubit stone +was given to the boy at once, and he was told to perform the journey +back. But the boy pleaded fatigue, and begged to be allowed to rest +one day. To this the old Rakshasi consented. Observing a stout club +and a rope hanging in the Rakshasi's room, the boy inquired what +they were there for. She replied, "Child, by that club and rope I +cross the ocean. If any one takes the club and the rope in his hands, +and addresses them in the following magical words-- + + + "O stout club! O strong rope! + Take me at once to the other side," + + +then immediately the club and rope will take him to the other side +of the ocean." Observing a bird in a cage hanging in one corner of +the room, the boy inquired what it was. The old Rakshasi replied, +"It contains a secret, child, which must not be disclosed to mortals, +and yet how can I hide it from my own grandchild? That bird, child, +contains the life of your mother. If the bird is killed, your mother +will at once die." Armed with these secrets, the boy went to bed that +night. Next morning the old Rakshasi, together with all the other +Rakshasis, went to distant countries for forage. The boy took down +the cage from the ceiling, as well as the club and rope. Having well +secured the bird, he addressed the club and rope thus-- + + + "O stout club! O strong rope! + Take me at once to the other side." + + +In the twinkling of an eye the boy was put on this side of the +ocean. He then retraced his steps, came to the queen, and gave her, +to her astonishment, the twelve-cubit melon with its thirteen-cubit +stone; but the cage with the bird in it he kept carefully concealed. + +In the course of time the people of the city came to the king and said, +"A monstrous bird comes out apparently from the palace every evening, +and seizes the passengers in the streets and swallows them up. This +has been going on for so long a time that the city has become almost +desolate." The king could not make out what this monstrous bird +was. The king's servant, the boy, replied that he knew the monstrous +bird, and that he would kill it provided the queen stood beside +the king. By royal command the queen was made to stand beside the +king. The boy then took the bird from the cage which he had brought +from the other side of the ocean, on seeing which she fell into a +fainting fit. Turning to the king the boy said, "Sire, you will soon +perceive who the monstrous bird is that devours your subjects every +evening. As I tear off each limb of this bird, the corresponding limb +of the man-devourer will fall off." The boy then tore off one leg of +the bird in his hand; immediately, to the astonishment of the whole +assembly, for the citizens were all present, one of the legs of the +queen fell off. And when the boy squeezed the throat of the bird, +the queen gave up the ghost. The boy then related his own history +and that of his mother and his stepmothers. The seven queens, whose +eyesight was miraculously restored, were brought back to the palace; +and the boy that was suckled by seven mothers was recognised by the +king as his rightful heir. So they lived together happily. + + + Thus my story endeth, + The Natiya-thorn withereth, &c. + + + + + + + +VIII + +THE STORY OF PRINCE SOBUR + + +Once upon a time there lived a certain merchant who had seven +daughters. One day the merchant put to his daughters the question: +"By whose fortune do you get your living?" The eldest daughter +answered--"Papa, I get my living by your fortune." The same answer +was given by the second daughter, the third, the fourth, the fifth, +and the sixth; but his youngest daughter said--"I get my living by my +own fortune." The merchant got very angry with the youngest daughter, +and said to her--"As you are so ungrateful as to say that you get +your living by your own fortune, let me see how you fare alone. This +very day you shall leave my house without a pice in your pocket." He +forthwith called his palki-bearers, and ordered them to take away the +girl and leave her in the midst of a forest. The girl begged hard to +be allowed to take with her her work-box containing her needles and +threads. She was allowed to do so. She then got into the palki, which +the bearers lifted on their shoulders. The bearers had not gone many +hundred yards to the tune of "Hoon! hoon! hoon! hoon! hoon! hoon!" when +an old woman bawled out to them and bid them stop. On coming up to +the palki, she said, "Where are you taking away my daughter?" for she +was the nurse of the merchant's youngest child. The bearers replied, +"The merchant has ordered us to take her away and leave her in the +midst of a forest; and we are going to do his bidding." "I must go with +her," said the old woman. "How will you be able to keep pace with us, +as we must needs run?" said the bearers. "Anyhow I must go where my +daughter goes," rejoined the old woman. The upshot was that, at the +entreaty of the merchant's youngest daughter, the old woman was put +inside the palki along with her. In the afternoon the palki-bearers +reached a dense forest. They went far into it; and towards sunset +they put down the girl and the old woman at the foot of a large tree, +and retraced their steps homewards. + +The case of the merchant's youngest daughter was truly pitiable. She +was scarcely fourteen years old; she had been bred in the lap of +luxury; and she was now here at sundown in the heart of what seemed +an interminable forest, with not a penny in her pocket, and with no +other protection than what could be given her by an old, decrepit, +imbecile woman. The very trees of the forest looked upon her with +pity. The gigantic tree, at whose foot she was mingling her tears +with those of the old woman, said to her (for trees could speak in +those days)--"Unhappy girl! I much pity you. In a short time the wild +beasts of the forest will come out of their lairs and roam about for +their prey; and they are sure to devour you and your companion. But +I can help you; I will make an opening for you in my trunk. When you +see the opening go into it; I will then close it up; and you will +remain safe inside; nor can the wild beasts touch you." In a moment +the trunk of the tree was split into two. The merchant's daughter +and the old woman went inside the hollow, on which the tree resumed +its natural shape. When the shades of night darkened the forest the +wild beasts came out of their lairs. The fierce tiger was there; the +wild bear was there; the hard-skinned rhinoceros was there; the bushy +bear was there; the musty elephant was there; and the horned buffalo +was there. They all growled round about the tree, for they got the +scent of human blood. The merchant's daughter and the old woman heard +from within the tree the growl of the beasts. The beasts came dashing +against the tree; they broke its branches; they pierced its trunk with +their horns; they scratched its bark with their claws: but in vain. The +merchant's daughter and her old nurse were safe within. Towards dawn +the wild beasts went away. After sunrise the good tree said to her two +inmates, "Unhappy women, the wild beasts have gone into their lairs +after greatly tormenting me. The sun is up; you can now come out." So +saying the tree split itself into two, and the merchant's daughter +and the old woman came out. They saw the extent of the mischief done +by the wild beasts to the tree. Many of its branches had been broken +down; in many places the trunk had been pierced; and in other places +the bark had been stripped off. The merchant's daughter said to the +tree, "Good mother, you are truly good to give us shelter at such +a fearful cost. You must be in great pain from the torture to which +the wild beasts subjected you last night." So saying she went to the +tank which was near the tree, and bringing thence a quantity of mud, +she besmeared the trunk with it, especially those parts which had +been pierced and scratched. After she had done this, the tree said, +"Thank you, my good girl, I am now greatly relieved of my pain. I am, +however, concerned not so much about myself as about you both. You +must be hungry, not having eaten the whole of yesterday. And what can I +give you? I have no fruit of my own to give you. Give to the old woman +whatever money you have, and let her go into the city hard by and +buy some food." They said they had no money. On searching, however, +in the work-box she found five cowries. [19] The tree then told the +old woman to go with the cowries to the city and buy some khai. [20] +The old woman went to the city, which was not far, and said to one +confectioner, "Please give me five cowries' worth of khai." The +confectioner laughed at her and said, "Be off, you old hag, do you +think khai can be had for five cowries?" She tried another shop, +and the shopkeeper, thinking the woman to be in great distress, +compassionately gave her a large quantity of khai for the five cowries. + +When the old woman returned with the khai, the tree said to the +merchant's daughter, "Each of you eat a little of the khai, lay by +more than half, and strew the rest on the embankments of the tank all +round." They did as they were bidden, though they did not understand +the reason why they were told to scatter the khai on the sides of the +tank. They spent the day in bewailing their fate, and at night they +were housed inside the trunk of the tree as on the previous night. The +wild beasts came as before, further mutilated the tree, and tortured +it as in the preceding night. But during the night a scene was being +enacted on the embankments of the tank of which the two women saw the +outcome only on the following morning. Hundreds of peacocks of gorgeous +plumes came to the embankments to eat the khai which had been strewed +on them; and as they strove with each other for the tempting food +many of their plumes fell off their bodies. Early in the morning the +tree told the two women to gather the plumes together, out of which +the merchant's daughter made a beautiful fan. This fan was taken into +the city to the palace, where the son of the king admired it greatly +and paid for it a large sum of money. As each morning a quantity of +plumes was collected, every day one fan was made and sold. So that +in a short time the two women got rich. The tree then advised them +to employ men in building a house for them to live in. Accordingly +bricks were burnt, trees were cut down for beams and rafters, bricks +were reduced to powder, lime was manufactured, and in a few months +a stately, palace-like house was built for the merchant's daughter +and her old nurse. It was thought advisable to lay out the adjoining +grounds as a garden, and to dig a tank for supplying them with water. + +In the meantime the merchant himself with his wife and six daughters +had been frowned upon by the goddess of wealth. By a sudden stroke of +misfortune he lost all his money, his house and property were sold, +and he, his wife, and six daughters, were turned adrift penniless into +the world. It so happened that they lived in a village not far from the +place where the two strange women had built a palace and were digging +a tank. As the once rich merchant was now supporting his family by +the pittance which he obtained every day for his manual labour, he +bethought himself of employing himself as a day labourer in digging +the tank of the strange lady on the skirts of the forest. His wife +said she would also go to dig the tank with him. So one day while +the strange lady was amusing herself from the window of her palace +with looking at the labourers digging her tank, to her utter surprise +she saw her father and mother coming towards the palace, apparently +to engage themselves as day labourers. Tears ran down her cheeks as +she looked at them, for they were clothed in rags. She immediately +sent servants to bring them inside the house. The poor man and woman +were frightened beyond measure. They saw that the tank was all ready; +and as it was customary in those days to offer a human sacrifice when +the digging was over, they thought that they were called inside in +order to be sacrificed. Their fears increased when they were told to +throw away their rags and to put on fine clothes which were given to +them. The strange lady of the palace, however, soon dispelled their +fears; for she told them that she was their daughter, fell on their +necks and wept. The rich daughter related her adventures, and the +father felt she was right when she said that she lived upon her own +fortune and not on that of her father. She gave her father a large +fortune, which enabled him to go to the city in which he formerly +lived, and to set himself up again as a merchant. + +The merchant now bethought himself of going in his ship to distant +countries for purposes of trade. All was ready. He got on board, +ready to start, but, strange to say, the ship would not move. The +merchant was at a loss what to make of this. At last the idea occurred +to him that he had asked each of his six daughters, who were living +with him, what thing she wished he should bring for her; but he had +not asked that question of his seventh daughter who had made him +rich. He therefore immediately despatched a messenger to his youngest +daughter, asking her what she wished her father to bring for her on +his return from his mercantile travels. When the messenger arrived +she was engaged in her devotions, and hearing that a messenger had +arrived from her father she said to him "Sobur," meaning "wait." The +messenger understood that she wanted her father to bring for her +something called Sobur. He returned to the merchant and told him that +she wanted him to bring for her Sobur. The ship now moved of itself, +and the merchant started on his travels. He visited many ports, +and by selling his goods obtained immense profit. The things his +six daughters wanted him to bring for them he easily got, but Sobur, +the thing which he understood his youngest daughter wished to have, +he could get nowhere. He asked at every port whether Sobur could be +had there, but the merchants all told him that they had never heard +of such an article of commerce. At the last port he went through the +streets bawling out--"Wanted Sobur! wanted Sobur!" The cry attracted +the notice of the son of the king of that country whose name was +Sobur. The prince, hearing from the merchant that his daughter wanted +Sobur, said that he had the article in question, and bringing out a +small box of wood containing a magical fan with a looking-glass in +it, said--"This is Sobur which your daughter wishes to have." The +merchant having obtained the long-wished-for Sobur weighed anchor, +and sailed for his native land. On his arrival he sent to his youngest +daughter the said wonderful box. The daughter, thinking it to be a +common wooden box, laid it aside. Some days after when she was at +leisure she bethought herself of opening the box which her father +had sent her. When she opened it she saw in it a beautiful fan, +and in it a looking-glass. As she shook the fan, in a moment the +Prince Sobur stood before her, and said--"You called me, here I +am. What's your wish?" The merchant's daughter, astonished at the +sudden appearance of a prince of such exquisite beauty, asked who he +was, and how he had made his appearance there. The prince told her +of the circumstances under which he gave the box to her father, and +informed her of the secret that whenever the fan would be shaken he +would make his appearance. The prince lived for a day or two in the +house of the merchant's daughter, who entertained him hospitably. The +upshot was, that they fell in love with each other, and vowed to +each other to be husband and wife. The prince returned to his royal +father and told him that he had selected a wife for himself. The +day for the wedding was fixed. The merchant and his six daughters +were invited. The nuptial knot was tied. But there was death in the +marriage-bed. The six daughters of the merchant, envying the happy +lot of their youngest sister, had determined to put an end to the +life of her newly-wedded husband. They broke several bottles, reduced +the broken pieces into fine powder, and scattered it profusely on the +bed. The prince, suspecting no danger, laid himself down in the bed; +but he had scarcely been there two minutes when he felt acute pain +through his whole system, for the fine bottle-powder had gone through +every pore of his body. As the prince became restless through pain, +and was shrieking aloud, his attendants hastily took him away to his +own country. + +The king and queen, the parents of Prince Sobur, consulted all the +physicians and surgeons of the kingdom; but in vain. The young prince +was day and night screaming with pain, and no one could ascertain +the disease, far less give him relief. The grief of the merchant's +daughter may be imagined. The marriage knot had been scarcely tied +when her husband was attacked, as she thought, by a terrible disease +and carried away many hundreds of miles off. Though she had never seen +her husband's country she determined to go there and nurse him. She +put on the garb of a Sannyasi, and with a dagger in her hand set +out on her journey. Of tender years, and unaccustomed to make long +journeys on foot, she soon got weary and sat under a tree to rest. On +the top of the tree was the nest of the divine bird Bihangama and +his mate Bihangami. They were not in their nest at the time, but two +of their young ones were in it. Suddenly the young ones on the top +of the tree gave a scream which roused the half-drowsy merchant's +daughter whom we shall now call the young Sannyasi. He saw near +him a huge serpent raising its hood and about to climb into the +tree. In a moment he cut the serpent into two, on which the young +birds left off screaming. Shortly after the Bihangama and Bihangami +came sailing through the air; and the latter said to the former--"I +suppose our offspring as usual have been devoured by our great enemy +the serpent. Ah me! I do not hear the cries of my young ones." On +nearing the nest, however, they were agreeably surprised to find +their offspring alive. The young ones told their dams how the young +Sannyasi under the tree had destroyed the serpent. And sure enough +the snake was lying there cut into two. + +The Bihangami then said to her mate--"The young Sannyasi has saved +our offspring from death, I wish we could do him some service in +return." The Bihangama replied, "We shall presently do her service, +for the person under the tree is not a man but a woman. She got married +only last night to Prince Sobur, who, a few hours after, when jumping +into his bed, had every pore of his body pierced with fine particles +of ground bottles which had been spread over his bed by his envious +sisters-in-law. He is still suffering pain in his native land, and, +indeed, is at the point of death. And his heroic bride taking the garb +of a Sannyasi is going to nurse him." "But," asked the Bihangami, "is +there no cure for the prince?" "Yes, there is," replied the Bihangama: +"if our dung which is lying on the ground round about, and which is +hardened, be reduced to powder, and applied by means of a brush to +the body of the prince after bathing him seven times with seven jars +of water and seven jars of milk, Prince Sobur will undoubtedly get +well." "But," asked the Bihangami, "how can the poor daughter of the +merchant walk such a distance? It must take her many days, by which +time the poor prince will have died." "I can," replied the Bihangama, +"take the young lady on my back, and put her in the capital of Prince +Sobur, and bring her back, provided she does not take any presents +there." The merchant's daughter, in the garb of a Sannyasi, heard +this conversation between the two birds, and begged the Bihangama +to take her on his back. To this the bird readily consented. Before +mounting on her aerial car she gathered a quantity of birds' dung +and reduced it to fine powder. Armed with this potent drug she got +up on the back of the kind bird, and sailing through the air with the +rapidity of lightning, soon reached the capital of Prince Sobur. The +young Sannyasi went up to the gate of the palace, and sent word to +the king that he was acquainted with potent drugs and would cure the +prince in a few hours. The king, who had tried all the best doctors +in the kingdom without success, looked upon the Sannyasi as a mere +pretender, but on the advice of his councillors agreed to give him +a trial. The Sannyasi ordered seven jars of water and seven jars of +milk to be brought to him. He poured the contents of all the jars on +the body of the prince. He then applied, by means of a feather, the +dung-powder he had already prepared to every pore of the prince's +body. Thereafter seven jars of water and seven jars of milk were +again six times poured upon him. When the prince's body was wiped, +he felt perfectly well. The king ordered that the richest treasures +he had should be presented to the wonderful doctor; but the Sannyasi +refused to take any. He only wanted a ring from the prince's finger to +preserve as a memorial. The ring was readily given him. The merchant's +daughter hastened to the sea-shore where the Bihangama was awaiting +her. In a moment they reached the tree of the divine birds. Hence +the young bride walked to her house on the skirts of the forest. The +following day she shook the magical fan, and forthwith Prince Sobur +appeared before her. When the lady showed him the ring, he learnt with +infinite surprise that his own wife was the doctor that cured him. The +prince took away his bride to his palace in his far-off kingdom, +forgave his sisters-in-law, lived happily for scores of years, and +was blessed with children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren. + + + Thus my story endeth, + The Natiya-thorn withereth, etc. + + + + + + + +IX + +THE ORIGIN OF OPIUM [21] + + +Once on a time there lived on the banks of the holy Ganga a Rishi, +[22] who spent his days and nights in the performance of religious +rites and in meditation upon God. From sunrise to sunset he sat on the +river bank engaged in devotion, and at night he took shelter in a hut +of palm-leaves which his own hand had raised in a bush hard by. There +were no men and women for miles round. In the hut, however, there was a +mouse, which used to live upon the leavings of the Rishi's supper. As +it was not in the nature of the sage to hurt any living thing, our +mouse never ran away from him, but, on the contrary, went to him, +touched his feet, and played with him. The Rishi, partly in kindness to +the little brute, and partly to have some one by to talk to at times, +gave the mouse the power of speech. One night the mouse, standing on +its hind-legs and joining together its fore-legs reverently, said to +the Rishi, "Holy sage, you have been so kind as to give me the power +to speak like men. If it will not displease your reverence, I have one +more boon to ask." "What is it?" said the Rishi. "What is it, little +mousie? Say what you want." The mouse answered--"When your reverence +goes in the day to the river-side for devotion, a cat comes to the +hut to catch me. And had it not been for fear of your reverence, the +cat would have eaten me up long ago; and I fear it will eat me some +day. My prayer is that I may be changed into a cat that I may prove a +match for my foe." The Rishi became propitious to the mouse, and threw +some holy water on its body, and it was at once changed into a cat. + +Some nights after, the Rishi asked his pet, "Well, little puss, +how do you like your present life?" "Not much, your reverence," +answered the cat. "Why not?" demanded the sage. "Are you not strong +enough to hold your own against all the cats in the world?" "Yes," +rejoined the cat. "Your reverence has made me a strong cat, able to +cope with all the cats in the world. But I do not now fear cats; I +have got a new foe. Whenever your reverence goes to the river-side, +a pack of dogs comes to the hut, and sets up such a loud barking +that I am frightened out of my life. If your reverence will not be +displeased with me, I beg you to change me into a dog." The Rishi said, +"Be turned into a dog," and the cat forthwith became a dog. + +Some days passed, when one night the dog said thus to the Rishi: +"I cannot thank your reverence enough for your kindness to me. I was +but a poor mouse, and you not only gave me speech but turned me into a +cat; and again you were kind enough to change me into a dog. As a dog, +however, I suffer a great deal of trouble, I do not get enough food: +my only food is the leavings of your supper, but that is not sufficient +to fill the maw of such a large beast as you have made me. O how I +envy those apes who jump about from tree to tree, and eat all sorts +of delicious fruits! If your reverence will not get angry with me, +I pray that I be changed into an ape." The kind-hearted sage readily +granted his pet's wish, and the dog became an ape. + +Our ape was at first wild with joy. He leaped from one tree to +another, and sucked every luscious fruit he could find. But his +joy was short-lived. Summer came on with its drought. As a monkey +he found it hard to drink water out of a river or of a pool; and +he saw the wild boars splashing in the water all the day long. He +envied their lot, and exclaimed, "O how happy those boars are! All +day their bodies are cooled and refreshed by water. I wish I were a +boar." Accordingly at night he recounted to the Rishi the troubles of +the life of an ape and the pleasures of that of a boar, and begged +of him to change him into a boar. The sage, whose kindness knew no +bounds, complied with his pet's request, and turned him into a wild +boar. For two whole days our boar kept his body soaking wet, and on +the third day, as he was splashing about in his favourite element, +whom should he see but the king of the country riding on a richly +caparisoned elephant. The king was out hunting, and it was only by a +lucky chance that our boar escaped being bagged. He dwelt in his own +mind on the dangers attending the life of a wild boar, and envied the +lot of the stately elephant who was so fortunate as to carry about +the king of the country on his back. He longed to be an elephant, +and at night besought the Rishi to make him one. + +Our elephant was roaming about in the wilderness, when he saw the king +out hunting. The elephant went towards the king's suite with the view +of being caught. The king, seeing the elephant at a distance, admired +it on account of its beauty, and gave orders that it should be caught +and tamed. Our elephant was easily caught, and taken into the royal +stables, and was soon tamed. It so chanced that the queen expressed +a wish to bathe in the waters of the holy Ganga. The king, who wished +to accompany his royal consort, ordered that the newly-caught elephant +should be brought to him. The king and queen mounted on his back. One +would suppose that the elephant had now got his wishes, as the king +had mounted on his back. But no. There was a fly in the ointment. The +elephant, who looked upon himself as a lordly beast, could not brook +the idea that a woman, though a queen, should ride on his back. He +thought himself degraded. He jumped up so violently that both the +king and queen fell to the ground. The king carefully picked up the +queen, took her in his arms, asked her whether she had been much +hurt, wiped off the dust from her clothes with his handkerchief, and +tenderly kissed her a hundred times. Our elephant, after witnessing +the king's caresses, scampered off to the woods as fast as his legs +could carry him. As he ran he thought within himself thus: "After +all, I see that a queen is the happiest of all creatures. Of what +infinite regard is she the object! The king lifted her up, took her +in his arms, made many tender inquiries, wiped off the dust from her +clothes with his own royal hands, and kissed her a hundred times! O +the happiness of being a queen! I must tell the Rishi to make me a +queen!" So saying the elephant, after traversing the woods, went at +sunset to the Rishi's hut, and fell prostrate on the ground at the feet +of the holy sage. The Rishi said, "Well, what's the news? Why have +you left the king's stud?" "What shall I say to your reverence? You +have been very kind to me; you have granted every wish of mine. I +have one more boon to ask, and it will be the last. By becoming an +elephant I have got only my bulk increased, but not my happiness. I +see that of all creatures a queen is the happiest in the world. Do, +holy father, make me a queen." "Silly child," answered the Rishi, +"how can I make you a queen? Where can I get a kingdom for you, +and a royal husband to boot? All I can do is to change you into an +exquisitely beautiful girl, possessed of charms to captivate the +heart of a prince, if ever the gods grant you an interview with some +great prince! "Our elephant agreed to the change; and in a moment the +sagacious beast was transformed into a beautiful young lady, to whom +the holy sage gave the name of Postomani, or the poppy-seed lady. + +Postomani lived in the Rishi's hut, and spent her time in tending +the flowers and watering the plants. One day, as she was sitting at +the door of the hut during the Rishi's absence, she saw a man dressed +in a very rich garb come towards the cottage. She stood up and asked +the stranger who he was, and what he had come there for. The stranger +answered that he had come a-hunting in those parts, that he had been +chasing in vain a deer, that he felt thirsty, and that he came to +the hut of the hermit for refreshment. + +Postomani. Stranger, look upon this cot as your own house. I'll do +everything I can to make you comfortable; I am only sorry we are too +poor suitably to entertain, a man of your rank, for if I mistake not +you are the king of this country. + +The king smiled. Postomani then brought out a water-pot, and made +as if she would wash the feet of her royal guest with her own hands, +when the king said, "Holy maid, do not touch my feet, for I am only +a Kshatriya, and you are the daughter of a holy sage." + +Postomani. Noble sir, I am not the daughter of the Rishi, neither +am I a Brahmani girl; so there can be no harm in my touching your +feet. Besides, you are my guest, and I am bound to wash your feet. + +King. Forgive my impertinence. What caste do you belong to? + +Postomani. I have heard from the sage that my parents were Kshatriyas. + +King. May I ask you whether your father was a king, for your uncommon +beauty and your stately demeanour show that you are a born princess. + +Postomani, without answering the question, went inside the hut, +brought out a tray of the most delicious fruits, and set it before the +king. The king, however, would not touch the fruits till the maid had +answered his questions. When pressed hard Postomani gave the following +answer: "The holy sage says that my father was a king. Having been +overcome in battle, he, along with my mother, fled into the woods. My +poor father was eaten up by a tiger, and my mother at that time was +brought to bed of me, and she closed her eyes as I opened mine. Strange +to say, there was a bee-hive on the tree at the foot of which I lay; +drops of honey fell into my mouth and kept alive the spark of life +till the kind Rishi found me and brought me into his hut. This is +the simple story of the wretched girl who now stands before the king." + +King. Call not yourself wretched. You are the loveliest and most +beautiful of women. You would adorn the palace of the mightiest +sovereign. + +The upshot was, that the king made love to the girl and they were +joined in marriage by the Rishi. Postomani was treated as the favourite +queen, and the former queen was in disgrace. Postomani's happiness, +however, was short-lived. One day as she was standing by a well, +she became giddy, fell into the water, and died. The Rishi then +appeared before the king and said: "O king, grieve not over the +past. What is fixed by fate must come to pass. The queen, who has +just been drowned, was not of royal blood. She was born a mouse; I +then changed her successively, according to her own wish, into a cat, +a dog, an ape, a boar, an elephant, and a beautiful girl. Now that +she is gone, do you again take into favour your former queen. As +for my reputed daughter, through the favour of the gods I'll make +her name immortal. Let her body remain in the well; fill the well up +with earth. Out of her flesh and bones will grow a tree which shall +be called after her Posto, that is, the Poppy tree. From this tree +will be obtained a drug called opium, which will be celebrated as a +powerful medicine through all ages, and which will always be either +swallowed or smoked as a wonderful narcotic to the end of time. The +opium swallower or smoker will have one quality of each of the animals +to which Postomani was transformed. He will be mischievous like a +mouse, fond of milk like a cat, quarrelsome like a dog, filthy like +an ape, savage like a boar, and high-tempered like a queen." + + + Thus my story endeth, + The Natiya-thorn withereth, etc. + + + + + + + +X + +STRIKE BUT HEAR + + +Once upon a time there reigned a king who had three sons. His subjects +one day came to him and said, "O incarnation of justice! the kingdom +is infested with thieves and robbers. Our property is not safe. We +pray your majesty to catch hold of these thieves and punish them." The +king said to his sons, "O my sons, I am old, but you are all in the +prime of manhood. How is it that my kingdom is full of thieves? I +look to you to catch hold of these thieves." The three princes then +made up their minds to patrol the city every night. With this view +they set up a station in the outskirts of the city, where they kept +their horses. In the early part of the night the eldest prince rode +upon his horse and went through the whole city, but did not see a +single thief. He came back to the station. About midnight the second +prince got upon his horse and rode through every part of the city, +but he did not see or hear of a single thief. He came also back to +the station. Some hours after midnight the youngest prince went the +rounds, and when he came near the gate of the palace where his father +lived, he saw a beautiful woman coming out of the palace. The prince +accosted the woman, and asked who she was and where she was going +at that hour of the night. The woman answered, "I am Rajlakshmi, +[23] the guardian deity of this palace. The king will be killed this +night. I am therefore not needed here. I am going away." The prince +did not know what to make of this message. After a moment's reflection +he said to the goddess, "But suppose the king is not killed to-night, +then have you any objection to return to the palace and stay there?" "I +have no objection," replied the goddess. The prince then begged the +goddess to go in, promising to do his best to prevent the king from +being killed. Then the goddess entered the palace again, and in a +moment went the prince knew not whither. + +The prince went straight into the bedroom of his royal father. There he +lay immersed in deep sleep. His second and young wife, the stepmother +of our prince, was sleeping in another bed in the room. A light +was burning dimly. What was his surprise when the prince saw a huge +cobra going round and round the golden bedstead on which his father +was sleeping. The prince with his sword cut the serpent in two. Not +satisfied with killing the cobra, he cut it up into a hundred pieces, +and put them inside the pan dish [24] which was in the room. While the +prince was cutting up the serpent a drop of blood fell on the breast +of his stepmother who was sleeping hard by. The prince was in great +distress. He said to himself, "I have saved my father but killed my +mother." How was the drop of blood to be taken out of his mother's +breast? He wrapped round his tongue a piece of cloth sevenfold, and +with it licked up the drop of blood. But while he was in the act of +doing this, his stepmother woke up, and opening her eyes saw that +it was her stepson, the youngest prince. The young prince rushed +out of the room. The queen, intending to ruin the youngest prince, +whom she hated, called out to her husband, "My lord, my lord, are +you awake? are you awake? Rouse yourself up. Here is a nice piece of +business." The king on awaking inquired what the matter was. "The +matter, my lord? Your worthy son, the youngest prince, of whom you +speak so highly, was just here. I caught him in the act of touching +my breast. Doubtless he came with a wicked intent. And this is your +worthy son!" The king was horror-struck. The prince went to the +station to his brothers, but told them nothing. + +Early in the morning the king called his eldest son to him and said, +"If a man to whom I intrust my honour and my life prove faithless, +how should he be punished?" The eldest prince replied, "Doubtless such +a man's head should be cut off; but before you kill, you should see +whether the man is really faithless." "What do you mean?" inquired +the king. "Let your majesty be pleased to listen," answered the prince. + +"Once on a time there lived a goldsmith who had a grown-up son. And +this son had a wife who had the rare faculty of understanding the +language of beasts; but neither her husband nor any one else knew +that she had this uncommon gift. One night she was lying in bed +beside her husband in their house, which was close to a river, when +she heard a jackal howl out, 'There goes a carcase floating on the +river; is there any one who will take off the diamond ring from the +finger of the dead man and give me the corpse to eat?' The woman +understood the jackal's language, got up from bed and went to the +river-side. The husband, who was not asleep, followed his wife at +some distance so as not to be observed by her. The woman went into +the water, tugged the floating corpse towards the shore, and saw the +diamond ring on the finger. Unable to loosen it with her hand, as the +fingers of the dead body had swelled, she bit it off with her teeth, +and put the dead body upon land. She then went to her bed, whither +she had been preceded by her husband. The young goldsmith lay beside +his wife almost petrified with fear, for he concluded after what he +saw that his wife was not a human being but a Rakshasi. He spent the +rest of the night in tossing in his bed, and early in the morning +spoke to his father in the following manner: 'Father, the woman whom +thou hast given me to wife is not a real woman but a Rakshasi. Last +night as I was lying in bed with her, I heard outside the house, +towards the river-side, a jackal set up a fearful howl. On this she, +thinking that I was asleep, got up from bed, opened the door, and +went out to the river-side. Surprised to see her go out alone at +the dead hour of night, I suspected evil and followed her, but so +that she could not see me. What did she do, do you think? O horror of +horrors! She went into the stream, dragged towards the shore the dead +body of a man which was floating by, and began to eat it! I saw this +with mine own eyes. I then returned home while she was feasting upon +the carcase, and jumped into bed. In a few minutes she also returned, +bolted the door, and lay beside me. O my father, how can I live with +a Rakshasi? She will certainly kill me and eat me up one night.' The +old goldsmith was not a little shocked to hear this account. Both +father and son agreed that the woman should be taken into the forest +and there left to be devoured by wild beasts. Accordingly the young +goldsmith spoke to his wife thus: 'My dear love, you had better not +cook much this morning; only boil rice and burn a brinjal, for I must +take you to-day to see your father and mother, who are dying to see +you.' At the mention of her father's house she became full of joy, +and finished the cooking in no time. The husband and wife snatched a +hasty breakfast and started on their journey. The way lay through a +dense jungle, in which the goldsmith bethought himself of leaving his +wife alone to be eaten up by wild beasts. But while they were passing +through this jungle the woman heard a serpent hiss, the meaning of +which hissing, as understood by her, was as follows: 'O passer-by, how +thankful should I be to you if you would catch hold of that croaking +frog in yonder hole, which is full of gold and precious stones, +and give me the frog to swallow, and you take the gold and precious +stones.' The woman forthwith made for the frog, and began digging +the hole with a stick. The young goldsmith was now quaking with fear, +thinking his Rakshasi-wife was about to kill him. She called out to +him and said, 'Husband, take up all this large quantity of gold and +these precious stones.' The goldsmith, not knowing what to make of it, +timidly went to the place, and to his infinite surprise saw the gold +and the precious stones. They took up as much as they could. On the +husband's asking his wife how she came to know of the existence of all +this riches, she said that she understood the language of animals, +and that the snake coiled up hard by had informed her of it. The +goldsmith, on finding out what an accomplished wife he was blessed +with, said to her, 'My love, it has got very late to-day; it would be +impossible to reach your father's house before nightfall, and we may +be devoured by wild beasts in the jungle; I propose therefore that +we both return home.' It took them a long time to reach home, for +they were laden with a large quantity of gold and precious stones. On +coming near the house, the goldsmith said to his wife, 'My dear, you +go by the back door, while I go by the front door and see my father +in his shop and show him all this gold and these precious stones.' So +she entered the house by the back door, and the moment she entered +she was met by the old goldsmith, who had come that minute into the +house for some purpose with a hammer in his hand. The old goldsmith, +when he saw his Rakshasi daughter-in-law, concluded in his mind that +she had killed and swallowed up his son. He therefore struck her on +the head with the hammer, and she immediately died. That moment the +son came into the house, but it was too late. Hence it is that I told +your majesty that before you cut off a man's head you should inquire +whether the man is really guilty." + +The king then called his second son to him, and said, "If a man to +whom I intrust my honour and my life prove faithless, how should he +be punished?" The second prince replied, "Doubtless such a man's head +should be cut off, but before you kill you should see whether the +man is really faithless." "What do you mean?" inquired the king. "Let +your majesty be pleased to listen," answered the prince. + +"Once on a time there reigned a king who was very fond of going out +a-hunting. Once while he was out hunting his horse took him into +a dense forest far from his followers. He rode on and on, and did +not see either villages or towns. He became very thirsty, but he +could see neither pond, lake, nor stream. At last he found something +dripping from the top of a tree. Concluding it to be rain-water which +had rested in some cavity of the tree, he stood on horseback under +the tree and caught the dripping contents in a small cup. It was, +however, no rain-water. A huge cobra, which was on the top of the +tree, was dashing in rage its fangs against the tree; and its poison +was coming out and was falling in drops. The king, however, thought +it was rain-water; though his horse knew better. When the cup was +nearly filled with the liquid snake-poison, and the king was about +to drink it off, the horse, to save the life of his royal master, +so moved about that the cup fell from the king's hand and all the +liquid spilled about. The king became very angry with his horse, +and with his sword gave a cut to the horse's neck, and the horse died +immediately. Hence it is that I told your majesty that before you cut +off a man's head you should inquire whether the man is really guilty." + +The king then called to him his third and youngest son, and said, +"If a man to whom I intrust my honour and my life prove faithless, +how should he be punished?" The youngest prince replied, "Doubtless +such a man's head should be cut off, but before you kill you should +see whether the man is really faithless." "What do you mean?" inquired +the king. "Let your majesty be pleased to listen," answered the prince. + +"Once on a time there reigned a king who had in his palace a remarkable +bird of the Suka species. One day as the Suka went out to the fields +for an airing, he saw his dad and dam, who pressed him to come and +spend some days with them in their nest in some far-off land. The +Suka answered he would be very happy to come, but he could not go +without the king's leave; he added that he would speak to the king +that very day, and would be ready to go the following morning if his +dad and dam would come to that very spot. The Suka spoke to the king, +and the king gave leave with reluctance as he was very fond of the +bird. So the next morning the Suka met his dad and dam at the place +appointed, and went with them to his paternal nest on the top of some +high tree in a far-off land. The three birds lived happily together +for a fortnight, at the end of which period the Suka said to his +dad and dam, 'My beloved parents, the king granted me leave only +for a fortnight, and to-day the fortnight is over: to-morrow I must +start for the city of the king.' His dad and dam readily agreed to the +reasonable proposal, and told him to take a present to the king. After +laying their heads together for some time they agreed that the present +should be a fruit of the tree of Immortality. So early next morning +the Suka plucked a fruit off the tree of Immortality, and carefully +catching it in his beak, started on his aerial journey. As he had a +heavy weight to carry, the Suka was not able to reach the city of +the king that day, and was benighted on the road. He took shelter +in a tree, and was at a loss to know where to keep the fruit. If +he kept it in his beak it was sure, he thought, to fall out when he +fell asleep. Fortunately he saw a hole in the trunk of the tree in +which he had taken shelter, and accordingly put the fruit in it. It +so happened that in that hole there was a snake; in the course of the +night the snake darted its fangs on the fruit, and thus besmeared it +with its poison. Early before crow-cawing the Suka, suspecting nothing, +took up the fruit of Immortality in its beak, and began his aerial +voyage. The Suka reached the palace while the king was sitting with +his ministers. The king was delighted to see his pet bird come again, +and greatly admired the beautiful fruit which the Suka had brought as +a present. The fruit was very fair to look at; it was the loveliest +fruit in all the earth; and as its name implies it makes the eater +of it immortal. The king was going to eat it, but his courtiers said +that it was not advisable for the king to eat it, as it might be a +poisonous fruit. He accordingly threw it to a crow which was perched +on the wall; the crow ate a part of it; but in a moment the crow fell +down and died. The king, imagining that the Suka had intended to take +away his life, took hold of the bird and killed it. The king ordered +the stone of the deadly fruit, as it was thought to be, to be planted +in a garden outside the city. The stone in course of time became +a large tree bearing lovely fruit. The king ordered a fence to be +put round the tree, and placed a guard lest people should eat of the +fruit and die. There lived in that city an old Brahman and his wife, +who used to live upon charity. The Brahman one day mourned his hard +lot, and told his wife that instead of leading the wretched life of +a beggar he would eat the fruit of the poisonous tree in the king's +garden and thus end his days. So that very night he got up from his +bed in order to get into the king's garden. His wife, suspecting her +husband's intention, followed him, resolved also to eat of the fruit +and die with her husband. As at that dead hour of night the guard +was asleep, the old Brahman plucked a fruit and ate it. The woman +said to her husband, 'If you die what is the use of my life? I'll +also eat and die.' So saying she plucked a fruit and ate it. Thinking +that the poison would take some time to produce its due effect, they +both went home and lay in bed, supposing that they would never rise +again. To their infinite surprise next morning they found themselves +to be not only alive, but young and vigorous. Their neighbours could +scarcely recognise them--they had become so changed. The old Brahman +had become handsome and vigorous, no grey hairs, no wrinkles on his +cheeks; and as for his wife, she had become as beautiful as any lady +in the king's household. The king, hearing of this wonderful change, +sent for the old Brahman, who told him all the circumstances. The +king then greatly lamented the sad fate of his pet bird, and blamed +himself for having killed it without fully inquiring into the case. + +"Hence it is," continued the youngest prince, "that I told your majesty +that before you cut off a man's head you should inquire whether the +man is really guilty. I know your majesty thinks that last night +I entered your chamber with wicked intent. Be pleased to hear me +before you strike. Last night as I was on my rounds I saw a female +figure come out of the palace. On challenging her she said that she +was Rajlakshmi, the guardian deity of the palace; and that she was +leaving the palace as the king would be killed that night. I told her +to come in, and that I would prevent the king from being killed. I +went straight into your bedroom, and saw a large cobra going round +and round your golden bedstead. I killed the cobra, cut it up into a +hundred pieces, and put them in the pan dish. But while I was cutting +up the snake, a drop of its blood fell on the breast of my mother; +and then I thought that while I had saved my father I had killed +my mother. I wrapped round my tongue a piece of cloth sevenfold +and licked up the drop of blood. While I was licking up the blood, +my mother opened her eyes and noticed me. This is what I have done; +now cut off my head if your majesty wishes it." + +The king filled with joy and gratitude embraced his son, and from +that time loved him more even than he had loved him before. + + + Thus my story endeth, + The Natiya-thorn withereth, etc. + + + + + + + +XI + +THE ADVENTURES OF TWO THIEVES AND OF THEIR SONS + + +PART I + +Once on a time there lived two thieves in a village who earned their +livelihood by stealing. As they were well-known thieves, every act +of theft in the village was ascribed to them whether they committed +it or not; they therefore left the village, and, being resolved to +support themselves by honest labour, went to a neighbouring town for +service. Both of them were engaged by a householder; the one had to +tend a cow, and the other to water a champaka plant. The elder thief +began watering the plant early in the morning, and as he had been +told to go on pouring water till some of it collected itself round +the foot of the plant he went on pouring bucketful after bucketful: +but to no purpose. No sooner was the water poured on the foot of the +plant than it was forthwith sucked up by the thirsty earth; and it +was late in the afternoon when the thief, tired with drawing water, +laid himself down on the ground, and fell asleep. The younger thief +fared no better. The cow which he had to tend was the most vicious +in the whole country. When taken out of the village for pasturage it +galloped away to a great distance with its tail erect; it ran from one +paddy-field to another, and ate the corn and trod upon it; it entered +into sugar-cane plantations and destroyed the sweet cane;--for all +which damage and acts of trespass the neat-herd was soundly rated by +the owners of the fields. What with running after the cow from field +to field, from pool to pool; what with the abusive language poured +not only upon him, but upon his forefathers up to the fourteenth +generation, by the owners of the fields in which the corn had been +destroyed,--the younger thief had a miserable day of it. After a +world of trouble he succeeded about sunset in catching hold of the +cow, which he brought back to the house of his master. The elder +thief had just roused himself from sleep when he saw the younger one +bringing in the cow. Then the elder said to the younger--"Brother, +why are you so late in coming from the fields?" + +Younger. What shall I say, brother? I took the cow to that part of the +meadow where there is a tank, near which there is a large tree. I let +the cow loose, and it began to graze about without giving the least +trouble. I spread my gamchha [25] upon the grass under the tree; +and there was such a delicious breeze that I soon fell asleep, and +I did not wake till after sunset; and when I awoke I saw my good cow +grazing contentedly at the distance of a few paces. But how did you +fare, brother? + +Elder. Oh, as for me, I had a jolly time of it. I had poured only +one bucketful of water on the plant, when a large quantity rested +round it. So my work was done, and I had the whole day to myself. I +laid myself down on the ground; I meditated on the joys of this new +mode of life; I whistled; I sang; and at last fell asleep. And I am +up only this moment. + +When this talk was ended, the elder thief, believing that what the +younger thief had said was true, thought that tending the cow was more +comfortable than watering the plant; and the younger thief, for the +same reason, thought that watering the plant was more comfortable +than tending the cow: each therefore resolved to exchange his own +work for that of the other. + +Elder. Well, brother, I have a wish to tend the cow. Suppose to-morrow +you take my work, and I yours. Have you any objection? + +Younger. Not the slightest, brother. I shall be glad to take up your +work, and you are quite welcome to take up mine. Only let me give +you a bit of advice. I felt it rather uncomfortable to sleep nearly +the whole of the day on the bare ground. If you take a charpoy [26] +with you, you will have a merry time of it. + +Early the following morning the elder thief went out with the cow to +the fields, not forgetting to take with him a charpoy for his ease and +comfort; and the younger thief began watering the plant. The latter +had thought that one bucketful, or at the outside two bucketfuls, +of water would be enough. But what was his surprise when he found +that even a hundred bucketfuls were not sufficient to saturate the +ground around the roots of the plant. He was dead tired with drawing +water. The sun was almost going down, and yet his work was not over. At +last he gave it up through sheer weariness. + +The elder thief in the fields was in no better case. He took the +cow beside the tank which the younger thief had spoken of, put his +charpoy under the large tree hard by, and then let the cow loose. As +soon as the cow was let loose it went scampering about in the meadow, +jumping over hedges and ditches, running through paddy-fields, and +injuring sugar-cane plantations. The elder thief was not a little +put about. He had to run about the whole day, and to be insulted by +the people whose fields had been trespassed upon. But the worst of +it was, that our thief had to run about the meadow with the charpoy +on his head, for he could not put it anywhere for fear it should be +taken away. When the other neat-herds who were in the meadow saw the +elder thief running about in breathless haste after the cow with the +charpoy on his head, they clapped their hands and raised shouts of +derision. The poor fellow, hungry and angry, bitterly repented of +the exchange he had made. After infinite trouble, and with the help +of the other neat-herds, he at last caught hold of the precious cow, +and brought it home long after the village lamps had been lit. + +When the two thieves met in the house of their master, they merely +laughed at each other without speaking a word. Their dinner over, +they laid themselves to rest, when there took place the following +conversation:-- + +Younger. Well, how did you fare, brother? + +Elder. Just as you fared, and perhaps some degrees better. + +Younger. I am of opinion that our former trade of thieving was +infinitely preferable to this sort of honest labour, as people call it. + +Elder. What doubt is there of that? But, by the gods, I have never +seen a cow which can be compared to this. It has no second in the +world in point of viciousness. + +Younger. A vicious cow is not a rare thing. I have seen some cows +as vicious. But have you ever seen a plant like this champaka plant +which you were told to water? I wonder what becomes of all the water +that is poured round about it. Is there a tank below its roots? + +Elder. I have a good mind to dig round it and see what is beneath it. + +Younger. We had better do so this night when the good man of the +house and his wife are asleep. + +At about midnight the two thieves took spades and shovels and began +digging round the plant. After digging a good deal the younger thief +lighted upon some hard thing against which the shovel struck. The +curiosity of both was excited. The younger thief saw that it was +a large jar; he thrust his hand into it and found that it was full +of gold mohurs. But he said to the elder thief--"Oh, it is nothing; +it is only a large stone." The elder thief, however, suspected that +it was something else; but he took care not to give vent to his +suspicion. Both agreed to give up digging as they had found nothing; +and they went to sleep. An hour or two after, when the elder thief +saw that the younger thief was asleep, he quietly got up and went +to the spot which had been digged. He saw the jar filled with gold +mohurs. Digging a little near it, he found another jar also filled +with gold mohurs. Overjoyed to find the treasure, he resolved to secure +it. He took up both the jars, went to the tank which was near, and from +which water used to be drawn for the plant, and buried them in the mud +of its bank. He then returned to the house, and quietly laid himself +down beside the younger thief, who was then fast asleep. The younger +thief, who had first found the jar of gold mohurs, now woke, and softly +stealing out of bed, went to secure the treasure he had seen. On going +to the spot he did not see any jar; he therefore naturally thought +that his companion the elder thief had secreted it somewhere. He went +to his sleeping partner, with a view to discover if possible by any +marks on his body the place where the treasure had been hidden. He +examined the person of his friend with the eye of a detective, and +saw mud on his feet and near the ankles. He immediately concluded +the treasure must have been concealed somewhere in the tank. But in +what part of the tank? on which bank? His ingenuity did not forsake +him here. He walked round all the four banks of the tank. When he +walked round three sides, the frogs on them jumped into the water; +but no frogs jumped from the fourth bank. He therefore concluded that +the treasure must have been buried on the fourth bank. In a little +he found the two jars filled with gold mohurs; he took them up, and +going into the cow-house brought out the vicious cow he had tended, +and put the two jars on its back. He left the house and started for +his native village. + +When the elder thief at crow-cawing got up from sleep, he was surprised +not to find his companion beside him. He hastened to the tank and +found that the jars were not there. He went to the cow-house, and did +not see the vicious cow. He immediately concluded the younger thief +must have run away with the treasure on the back of the cow. And where +could he think of going? He must be going to his native village. No +sooner did this process of reasoning pass through his mind than he +resolved forthwith to set out and overtake the younger thief. As +he passed through the town, he invested all the money he had in a +costly pair of shoes covered with gold lace. He walked very fast, +avoiding the public road and making short cuts. He descried the +younger thief trudging on slowly with his cow. He went before him +in the highway about a distance of 200 yards, and threw down on the +road one shoe. He walked on another 200 yards and threw the other +shoe at a place near which was a large tree; amid the thick leaves of +that tree he hid himself. The younger thief coming along the public +road saw the first shoe and said to himself--"What a beautiful shoe +that is! It is of gold lace. It would have suited me in my present +circumstances now that I have got rich. But what shall I do with one +shoe?" So he passed on. In a short time he came to the place where +the other shoe was lying. The younger thief said within himself--"Ah, +here is the other shoe! What a fool I was, that I did not pick up +the one I first saw! However it is not too late. I'll tie the cow to +yonder tree and go for the other shoe." He tied the cow to the tree, +and taking up the second shoe went for the first, lying at a distance +of about 200 yards. In the meantime the elder thief got down from +the tree, loosened the cow, and drove it towards his native village, +avoiding the king's highway. The younger thief on returning to the +tree found that the cow was gone. He of course concluded that it +could have been done only by the elder thief. He walked as fast as +his legs could carry him, and reached his native village long before +the elder thief with the cow. He hid himself near the door of the +elder thief's house. The moment the elder thief arrived with the +cow, the younger thief accosted him, saying--"So you are come safe, +brother. Let us go in and divide the money." To this proposal the +elder thief readily agreed. In the inner yard of the house the two +jars were taken down from the back of the cow; they went to a room, +bolted the door, and began dividing. Two mohurs were taken up by +the hand, one was put in one place, and the other in another; and +they went on doing that till the jars became empty. But last of all +one gold mohur remained. The question was--Who was to take it? Both +agreed that it should be changed the next morning, and the silver cash +equally divided. But with whom was the single mohur to remain? There +was not a little wrangling about the matter. After a great deal of yea +and nay, it was settled that it should remain with the elder thief, +and that next morning it should be changed and equally divided. + +At night the elder thief said to his wife and the other women of +the house, "Look here, ladies, the younger thief will come to-morrow +morning to demand the share of the remaining gold mohur; but I don't +mean to give it to him. You do one thing to-morrow. Spread a cloth on +the ground in the yard. I will lay myself on the cloth pretending to +be dead; and to convince people that I am dead, put a tulasi [27] +plant near my head. And when you see the younger thief coming to +the door, you set up a loud cry and lamentation. Then he will of +course go away, and I shall not have to pay his share of the gold +mohur." To this proposal the women readily agreed. Accordingly the +next day, about noon, the elder thief laid himself down in the yard +like a corpse with the sacred basil near his head. When the younger +thief was seen coming near the house, the women set up a loud cry, +and when he came nearer and nearer, wondering what it all meant, +they said, "Oh, where did you both go? What did you bring? What +did you do to him? Look, he is dead!" So saying they rent the air +with their cries. The younger thief, seeing through the whole, said, +"Well, I am sorry my friend and brother is gone. I must now attend to +his funeral. You all go away from this place, you are but women. I'll +see to it that the remains are well burnt." He brought a quantity of +straw and twisted it into a rope, which he fastened to the legs of the +deceased man, and began tugging him, saying that he was going to take +him to the place of burning. While the elder thief was being dragged +through the streets, his body was getting dreadfully scratched and +bruised, but he held his peace, being resolved to act his part out, +and thus escape giving the share of the gold mohur. The sun had +gone down when the younger thief with the corpse reached the place +of burning. But as he was making preparations for a funeral pile, +he remembered that he had not brought fire with him. If he went +for fire leaving the elder thief behind, he would undoubtedly run +away. What then was to be done? At last he tied the straw rope to the +branch of a tree, and kept the pretended corpse hanging in the air, +and he himself climbed into the tree and sat on that branch, keeping +tight hold of the rope lest it should break, and the elder thief run +away. While they were in this state, a gang of robbers passed by. On +seeing the corpse hanging, the head of the gang said, "This raid of +ours has begun very auspiciously. Brahmans and Pandits say that if +on starting on a journey one sees a corpse, it is a good omen. Well, +we have seen a corpse, it is therefore likely that we shall meet with +success this night. If we do, I propose one thing: on our return let +us first burn this dead body and then return home." All the robbers +agreed to this proposal. The robbers then entered into the house of +a rich man in the village, put its inmates to the sword, robbed it of +all its treasures, and withal managed it so cleverly that not a mouse +stirred in the village. As they were successful beyond measure, they +resolved on their return to burn the dead body they had seen. When they +came to the place of burning they found the corpse hanging as before, +for the elder thief had not yet opened his mouth lest he should be +obliged to give half of the gold mohur. The thieves dug a hollow +in the ground, brought fuel, and laid it upon the hollow. They took +down the corpse from the tree, and laid it upon the pile; and as they +were going to set it on fire, the corpse gave out an unearthly scream +and jumped up. That very moment the younger thief jumped down from +the tree with a similar scream. The robbers were frightened beyond +measure. They thought that a Dana (evil spirit) had possessed the +corpse, and that a ghost jumped down from the tree. They ran away in +great fear, leaving behind them the money and the jewels which they had +obtained by robbery. The two thieves laughed heartily, took up all the +riches of the robbers, went home, and lived merrily for a long time. + + + + +PART II + +The elder thief and the younger thief had one son each. As they had +been so far successful in life by practising the art of thieving, they +resolved to train up their sons to the same profession. There was in +the village a Professor of the Science of Roguery, who took pupils, +and gave them lessons in that difficult science. The two thieves +put their sons under this renowned Professor. The son of the elder +thief distinguished himself very much, and bade fair to surpass his +father in the art of stealing. The lad's cleverness was tested in the +following manner. Not far from the Professor's house there lived a +poor man in a hut, upon the thatch of which climbed a creeper of the +gourd kind. In the middle of the thatch, which was also its topmost +part, there was a splendid gourd, which the man and his wife watched +day and night. They certainly slept at night, but then the thatch was +so old and rickety that if even a mouse went up to it bits of straw +and particles of earth used to fall inside the hut, and the man and +his wife slept right below the spot where the gourd was; so that it +was next to impossible to steal the gourd without the knowledge of +its owners. The Professor said to his pupils--for he had many--that +any one who stole the gourd without being caught would be pronounced +the dux of the school. Our elder thief's son at once accepted the +offer. He said he would steal away the gourd if he were allowed the use +of three things, namely, a string, a cat, and a knife. The Professor +allowed him the use of these three things. Two or three hours after +nightfall, the lad, furnished with the three things mentioned above, +sat behind the thatch under the eaves, listening to the conversation +carried on by the man and his wife lying in bed inside the hut. In +a short time the conversation ceased. The lad then concluded that +they must both have fallen asleep. He waited half an hour longer, +and hearing no sound inside, gently climbed up on the thatch. Chips of +straw and particles of earth fell upon the couple sleeping inside. The +woman woke up, and rousing her husband said, "Look there, some one is +stealing the gourd!" That moment the lad squeezed the throat of the +cat, and puss immediately gave out her usual "Mew! mew! mew!" The +husband said, "Don't you hear the cat mewing? There is no thief; +it is only a cat." The lad in the meantime cut the gourd from the +plant with his knife, and tied the string which he had with him to +its stalk. But how was he to get down without being discovered and +caught, especially as the man and the woman were now awake? The woman +was not convinced that it was only a cat; the shaking of the thatch, +and the constant falling of bits of straw and particles of dust, made +her think that it was a human being that was upon the thatch. She was +telling her husband to go out and see whether a man was not there; +but he maintained that it was only a cat. While the man and woman +were thus disputing with each other, the lad with great force threw +down the cat upon the ground, on which the poor animal purred most +vociferously; and the man said aloud to his wife, "There it is; you +are now convinced that it was only a cat." In the meantime, during +the confusion created by the clamour of the cat and the loud talk +of the man, the lad quietly came down from the thatch with the gourd +tied to the string. Next morning the lad produced the gourd before his +teacher, and described to him and to his admiring comrades the manner +in which he had committed the theft. The Professor was in ecstasy, +and remarked, "The worthy son of a worthy father." But the elder +thief, the father of our hopeful genius, was by no means satisfied +that his son was as yet fit to enter the world. He wanted to prove +him still further. Addressing his son he said, "My son, if you can +do what I tell you, I'll think you fit to enter the world. If you +can steal the gold chain of the queen of this country from her neck, +and bring it to me, I'll think you fit to enter the world." The gifted +son readily agreed to do the daring deed. + +The young thief--for so we shall now call the son of the elder +thief--made a reconnaissance of the palace in which the king and queen +lived. He reconnoitred all the four gates, and all the outer and inner +walls as far as he could; and gathered incidentally a good deal of +information, from people living in the neighbourhood, regarding the +habits of the king and queen, in what part of the palace they slept, +what guards there were near the bedchamber, and who, if any, slept +in the antechamber. Armed with all this knowledge the young thief +fixed upon one dark night for doing the daring deed. He took with +him a sword, a hammer and some large nails, and put on very dark +clothes. Thus accoutred he went prowling about the Lion gate of the +palace. Before the zenana [28] could be got at, four doors, including +the Lion gate, had to be passed; and each of these doors had a guard +of sixteen stalwart men. The same men, however, did not remain all +night at their post. As the king had an infinite number of soldiers +at his command, the guards at the doors were relieved every hour; so +that once every hour at each door there were thirty-two men present, +consisting of the relieving party and of the relieved. The young thief +chose that particular moment of time for entering each of the four +doors. At the time of relief when he saw the Lion gate crowded with +thirty-two men, he joined the crowd without being taken notice of; he +then spent the hour preceding the next relief in the large open space +and garden between two doors; and he could not be taken notice of, as +the night as well as his clothes was pitch dark. In a similar manner +he passed the second door, the third door, and the fourth door. And +now the queen's bedchamber stared him in the face. It was in the third +loft; there was a bright light in it; and a low voice was heard as +that of a woman saying something in a humdrum manner. The young thief +thought that the voice must be the voice of a maid-servant reciting +a story, as he had learnt was the custom in the palace every night, +for composing the king and queen to sleep. But how to get up into the +third loft? The inner doors were all closed, and there were guards +everywhere. But the young thief had with him nails and a hammer: why +not drive the nails into the wall and climb up by them? True; but the +driving of nails into the wall would make a great noise which would +rouse the guards, and possibly the king and queen,--at any rate the +maid-servant reciting stories would give the alarm. Our erratic genius +had considered that matter well before engaging in the work. There is +a water-clock in the palace which shows the hours; and at the end of +every hour a very large Chinese gong is struck, the sound of which +is so loud that it is not only heard all over the palace, but over +most part of the city; and the peculiarity of the gong, as of every +Chinese gong, was that nearly one minute must elapse after the first +stroke before the second stroke could be made, to allow the gong to +give out the whole of its sound. The thief fixed upon the minutes +when the gong was struck at the end of every hour for driving nails +into the wall. At ten o'clock when the gong was struck ten times, the +thief found it easy to drive ten nails into the wall. When the gong +stopped, the thief also stopped, and either sat or stood quiet on the +ninth nail catching hold of the tenth which was above the other. At +eleven o'clock he drove into the wall in a similar manner eleven nails, +and got a little higher than the second story; and by twelve o'clock +he was in the loft where the royal bedchamber was. Peeping in he saw +a drowsy maid-servant drowsily reciting a story, and the king and +queen apparently asleep. He went stealthily behind the story-telling +maid-servant and took his seat. The queen was lying down on a richly +furnished bedstead of gold beside the king. The massive chain of gold +round the neck of the queen was gleaming in candle-light. The thief +quietly listened to the story of the drowsy maid-servant. She was +becoming more and more sleepy. She stopped for a second, nodded her +head, and again resumed the story. It was plain she was under the +influence of sleep. In a moment the thief cut off the head of the +maid-servant with his sword, and himself went on reciting for some +minutes the story which the woman was telling. The king and queen were +unconscious of any change as to the person of the story-teller, for +they were both in deep sleep. He stripped the murdered woman of her +clothes, put them on himself, tied up his own clothes in a bundle, +and walking softly, gently took off the chain from the neck of the +queen. He then went through the rooms down stairs, ordered the inner +guard to open the door, as she was obliged to go out of the palace +for purposes of necessity. The guards, seeing that it was the queen's +maid-servant, readily allowed her to go out. In the same manner, and +with the same pretext, he got through the other doors, and at last +out into the street. That very night, or rather morning, the young +thief put into his father's hand the gold chain of the queen. The +elder thief could scarcely believe his own eyes. It was so like a +dream. His joy knew no bounds. Addressing his son he said--"Well done, +my son; you are not only as clever as your father, but you have beaten +me hollow. The gods give you long life, my son." + +Next morning when the king and queen got up from bed, they were +shocked to see the maid-servant lying in a pool of blood. The queen +also found that her gold chain was not round her neck. They could not +make out how all this could have taken place. How could any thief +manage to elude the vigilance of so many guards? How could he get +into the queen's bedchamber? And how could he again escape? The king +found from the reports of the guards that a person calling herself +the royal maid-servant had gone out of the palace some hours before +dawn. All sorts of inquiries were made, but in vain. Proclamation +was made in the city; a large reward was offered to any one who +would give information tending to the apprehension of the thief and +murderer. But no one responded to the call. At last the king ordered +a camel to be brought to him. On the back of the animal was placed +two large bags filled with gold mohurs. The man taking charge of the +bags upon the camel was ordered to go through every part of the city +making the following challenge:--"As the thief was daring enough to +steal away a gold chain from the neck of the queen, let him further +show his daring by stealing the gold mohurs from the back of this +camel." Two days and nights the camel paraded through the city, but +nothing happened. On the third night as the camel-driver was going +his rounds he was accosted by a sannyasi, [29] who sat on a tiger's +skin before a fire, and near whom was a monstrous pair of tongs. This +sannyasi was no other than the young thief in disguise. The sannyasi +said to the camel-driver--"Brother, why are you going through the city +in this manner? Who is there so daring as to steal from the back of the +king's camel? Come down, friend, and smoke with me." The camel-driver +alighted, tied the camel to a tree on the spot, and began smoking. The +mendicant supplied him not only with tobacco, but with ganja and other +intoxicating drugs, so that in a short time the camel-driver became +quite intoxicated and fell asleep. The young thief led away the camel +with the treasure on its back in the dead of night, through narrow +lanes and bye-paths to his own house. That very night the camel was +killed, and its carcase buried in deep pits in the earth, and the +thing was so managed that no one could discover any trace of it. + +The next morning when the king heard that the camel-driver was +lying drunk in the street, and that the camel had been made away +with together with the treasure, he was almost beside himself with +anger. Proclamation was made in the city to the effect that whoever +caught the thief would get the reward of a lakh of rupees. The son of +the younger thief--who, by the way, was in the same school of roguery +with the son of the elder thief, though he did not distinguish himself +so much--now came to the front and said that he would apprehend the +thief. He of course suspected that the son of the elder thief must +have done it--for who so daring and clever as he? In the evening of +the following day the son of the younger thief disguised himself as a +woman, and coming to that part of the town where the young thief lived, +began to weep very much, and went from door to door saying--"O sirs, +can any of you give me a bit of camel's flesh, for my son is dying, +and the doctors say nothing but eating camel's meat can save his +life. O for pity's sake, do give me a bit of camel's flesh." At last +he went to the house of the young thief, and begged of the wife--for +the young thief himself was out--to tell him where he could get hold +of camel's flesh, as his son would assuredly perish if it could not +be got. Saying this he rent the air with his cries, and fell down at +the feet of the young thief's wife. Woman as she was, though the wife +of a thief, she felt pity for the supposed woman, and said--"Wait, +and I will try and get some camel's flesh for your son." So saying, +she secretly went to the spot where the dead camel had been buried, +brought a small quantity of flesh, and gave it to the party. The son +of the younger thief was now entranced with joy. He went and told the +king that he had succeeded in tracing the thief, and would be ready to +deliver him up at night if the king would send some constables with +him. At night the elder thief and his son were captured, the body +of the camel dug out, and all the treasures in the house seized. The +following morning the king sat in judgment. The son of the elder thief +confessed that he had stolen the queen's gold chain, and killed the +maid-servant, and had taken away the camel; but he added that the +person who had detected him and his father--the younger thief--were +also thieves and murderers, of which fact he gave undoubted proofs. As +the king had promised to give a lakh of rupees to the detective, that +sum was placed before the son of the younger thief. But soon after he +ordered four pits to be dug in the earth in which were buried alive, +with all sorts of thorns and thistles, the elder thief and the younger +thief, and their two sons. + + + Here my story endeth, + The Natiya-thorn withereth, etc. + + + + + + + +XII + +THE GHOST-BRAHMAN + + +Once on a time there lived a poor Brahman, who not being a Kulin, +found it the hardest thing in the world to get married. He went to +rich people and begged of them to give him money that he might marry a +wife. And a large sum of money was needed, not so much for the expenses +of the wedding, as for giving to the parents of the bride. He begged +from door to door, flattered many rich folk, and at last succeeded in +scraping together the sum needed. The wedding took place in due time; +and he brought home his wife to his mother. After a short time he said +to his mother--"Mother, I have no means to support you and my wife; I +must therefore go to distant countries to get money somehow or other. I +may be away for years, for I won't return till I get a good sum. In +the meantime I'll give you what I have; you make the best of it, and +take care of my wife." The Brahman receiving his mother's blessing set +out on his travels. In the evening of that very day, a ghost assuming +the exact appearance of the Brahman came into the house. The newly +married woman, thinking it was her husband, said to him--"How is it +that you have returned so soon? You said you might be away for years; +why have you changed your mind?" The ghost said--"To-day is not a +lucky day, I have therefore returned home; besides, I have already +got some money." The mother did not doubt but that it was her son. So +the ghost lived in the house as if he was its owner, and as if he was +the son of the old woman and the husband of the young woman. As the +ghost and the Brahman were exactly like each other in everything, like +two peas, the people in the neighbourhood all thought that the ghost +was the real Brahman. After some years the Brahman returned from his +travels; and what was his surprise when he found another like him in +the house. The ghost said to the Brahman--"Who are you? what business +have you to come to my house?" "Who am I?" replied the Brahman, "let +me ask who you are. This is my house; that is my mother, and this +is my wife." The ghost said--"Why herein is a strange thing. Every +one knows that this is my house, that is my wife, and yonder is +my mother; and I have lived here for years. And you pretend this +is your house, and that woman is your wife. Your head must have got +turned, Brahman." So saying the ghost drove away the Brahman from his +house. The Brahman became mute with wonder. He did not know what to +do. At last he bethought himself of going to the king and of laying +his case before him. The king saw the ghost-Brahman as well as the +Brahman, and the one was the picture of the other; so he was in a +fix, and did not know how to decide the quarrel. Day after day the +Brahman went to the king and besought him to give him back his house, +his wife, and his mother; and the king, not knowing what to say every +time, put him off to the following day. Every day the king tells him +to--"Come to-morrow"; and every day the Brahman goes away from the +palace weeping and striking his forehead with the palm of his hand, +and saying--"What a wicked world this is! I am driven from my own +house, and another fellow has taken possession of my house and of my +wife! And what a king this is! He does not do justice." + +Now, it came to pass that as the Brahman went away every day from +the court outside the town, he passed a spot at which a great +many cowboys used to play. They let the cows graze on the meadow, +while they themselves met together under a large tree to play. And +they played at royalty. One cowboy was elected king; another, prime +minister or vizier; another, kotwal, or prefect of the police; and +others, constables. Every day for several days together they saw +the Brahman passing by weeping. One day the cowboy king asked his +vizier whether he knew why the Brahman wept every day. On the vizier +not being able to answer the question, the cowboy king ordered one of +his constables to bring the Brahman to him. One of them went and said +to the Brahman--"The king requires your immediate attendance." The +Brahman replied--"What for? I have just come from the king, and he +put me off till to-morrow. Why does he want me again?" "It is our king +that wants you--our neat-herd king," rejoined the constable. "Who is +neat-herd king?" asked the Brahman. "Come and see," was the reply. The +neat-herd king then asked the Brahman why he every day went away +weeping. The Brahman then told him his sad story. The neat-herd king, +after hearing the whole, said, "I understand your case; I will give +you again all your rights. Only go to the king and ask his permission +for me to decide your case." The Brahman went back to the king of the +country, and begged his Majesty to send his case to the neat-herd king, +who had offered to decide it. The king, whom the case had greatly +puzzled, granted the permission sought. The following morning was +fixed for the trial. The neat-herd king, who saw through the whole, +brought with him next day a phial with a narrow neck. The Brahman +and the ghost-Brahman both appeared at the bar. After a great deal +of examination of witnesses and of speech-making, the neat-herd king +said--"Well, I have heard enough. I'll decide the case at once. Here +is this phial. Whichever of you will enter into it shall be declared +by the court to be the rightful owner of the house the title of +which is in dispute. Now, let me see, which of you will enter." The +Brahman said--"You are a neat-herd, and your intellect is that of +a neat-herd. What man can enter into such a small phial?" "If you +cannot enter," said the neat-herd king, "then you are not the rightful +owner. What do you say, sir, to this?" turning to the ghost-Brahman +and addressing him. "If you can enter into the phial, then the +house and the wife and the mother become yours." "Of course I will +enter," said the ghost. And true to his word, to the wonder of all, +he made himself into a small creature like an insect, and entered +into the phial. The neat-herd king forthwith corked up the phial, +and the ghost could not get out. Then, addressing the Brahman, the +neat-herd king said, "Throw this phial into the bottom of the sea, +and take possession of your house, wife, and mother." The Brahman +did so, and lived happily for many years and begat sons and daughters. + + + Here my story endeth, + The Natiya-thorn withereth, etc. + + + + + + + +XIII + +THE MAN WHO WISHED TO BE PERFECT + + +Once on a time a religious mendicant came to a king who had no issue, +and said to him, "As you are anxious to have a son, I can give to the +queen a drug, by swallowing which she will give birth to twin sons; +but I will give the medicine on this condition, that of those twins you +will give one to me, and keep the other yourself." The king thought +the condition somewhat hard, but as he was anxious to have a son to +bear his name, and inherit his wealth and kingdom, he at last agreed +to the terms. Accordingly the queen swallowed the drug, and in due +time gave birth to two sons. The twin brothers became one year old, +two years old, three years old, four years old, five years old, and +still the mendicant did not appear to claim his share; the king and +queen therefore thought that the mendicant, who was old, was dead, and +dismissed all fears from their minds. But the mendicant was not dead, +but living; he was counting the years carefully. The young princes +were put under tutors, and made rapid progress in learning, as well +as in the arts of riding and shooting with the bow; and as they were +uncommonly handsome, they were admired by all the people. When the +princes were sixteen years old the mendicant made his appearance at the +palace gate, and demanded the fulfilment of the king's promise. The +hearts of the king and of the queen were dried up within them. They +had thought that the mendicant was no more in the land of the living; +but what was their surprise when they saw him standing at the gate +in flesh and blood, and demanding one of the young princes for +himself? The king and queen were plunged into a sea of grief. There +was nothing for it, however, but to part with one of the princes; +for the mendicant might by his curse turn into ashes not only both +the princes, but also the king, queen, palace, and the whole of the +kingdom to boot. But which one was to be given away? The one was as +dear as the other. A fearful struggle arose in the hearts of the king +and queen. As for the young princes, each of them said, "I'll go," +"I'll go." The younger one said to the elder, "You are older, if +only by a few minutes; you are the pride of my father; you remain +at home, I'll go with the mendicant." The elder said to the younger, +"You are younger than I am; you are the joy of my mother; you remain +at home, I'll go with the mendicant." After a great deal of yea and +nay, after a great deal of mourning and lamentation, after the queen +had wetted her clothes with her tears, the elder prince was let go +with the mendicant. But before the prince left his father's roof he +planted with his own hands a tree in the courtyard of the palace, and +said to his parents and brother, "This tree is my life. When you see +the tree green and fresh, then know that it is well with me; when you +see the tree fade in some parts, then know that I am in an ill case; +and when you see the whole tree fade, then know that I am dead and +gone." Then kissing and embracing the king and queen and his brother, +he followed the mendicant. + +As the mendicant and the prince were wending their way towards the +forest they saw some dog's whelps on the roadside. One of the whelps +said to its dam, "Mother, I wish to go with that handsome young man, +who must be a prince." The dam said, "Go"; and the prince gladly +took the puppy as his companion. They had not gone far when upon +a tree on the roadside they saw a hawk and its young ones. One of +the young ones said to its dam, "Mother, I wish to go with that +handsome young man, who must be the son of a king." The hawk said, +"Go"; and the prince gladly took the young hawk as his companion. So +the mendicant, the prince, with the puppy and the young hawk, went +on their journey. At last they went into the depth of the forest far +away from the houses of men, where they stopped before a hut thatched +with leaves. That was the mendicant's cell. The mendicant said to +the prince, "You are to live in this hut with me. Your chief work +will be to cull flowers from the forest for my devotions. You can +go on every side except the north. If you go towards the north evil +will betide you. You can eat whatever fruit or root you like; and +for your drink, you will get it from the brook." The prince disliked +neither the place nor his work. At dawn he used to cull flowers in +the forest and give them to the mendicant; after which the mendicant +went away somewhere the whole day and did not return till sundown; +so the prince had the whole day to himself. He used to walk about in +the forest with his two companions--the puppy and the young hawk. He +used to shoot arrows at the deer, of which there was a great number; +and thus made the best of his time. One day as he pierced a stag with +an arrow, the wounded stag ran towards the north, and the prince, not +thinking of the mendicant's behest, followed the stag, which entered +into a fine-looking house that stood close by. The prince entered, +but instead of finding the deer he saw a young woman of matchless +beauty sitting near the door with a dice-table set before her. The +prince was rooted to the spot while he admired the heaven-born +beauty of the lady. "Come in, stranger," said the lady; "chance has +brought you here, but don't go away without having with me a game of +dice." The prince gladly agreed to the proposal. As it was a game of +risk they agreed that if the prince lost the game he should give his +young hawk to the lady; and that if the lady lost it, she should give +to the prince a young hawk just like that of the prince. The lady won +the game; she therefore took the prince's young hawk and kept it in a +hole covered with a plank. The prince offered to play a second time, +and the lady agreeing to it, they fell to it again, on the condition +that if the lady won the game she should take the prince's puppy, +and if she lost it she should give to the prince a puppy just like +that of the prince. The lady won again, and stowed away the puppy in +another hole with a plank upon it. The prince offered to play a third +time, and the wager was that, if the prince lost the game, he should +give himself up to the lady to be done to by her anything she pleased; +and that if he won, the lady should give him a young man exactly like +himself. The lady won the game a third time; she therefore caught hold +of the prince and put him in a hole covered over with a plank. Now, +the beautiful lady was not a woman at all; she was a Rakshasi who +lived upon human flesh, and her mouth watered at the sight of the +tender body of the young prince. But as she had had her food that +day she reserved the prince for the meal of the following day. + +Meantime there was great weeping in the house of the prince's +father. His brother used every day to look at the tree planted in +the courtyard by his own hand. Hitherto he had found the leaves of +a living green colour; but suddenly he found some leaves fading. He +gave the alarm to the king and queen, and told them how the leaves +were fading. They concluded that the life of the elder prince must +be in great danger. The younger prince therefore resolved to go to +the help of his brother, but before going he planted a tree in the +courtyard of the palace, similar to the one his brother had planted, +and which was to be the index of the manner of his life. He chose +the swiftest steed in the king's stables, and galloped towards the +forest. In the way he saw a dog with a puppy, and the puppy thinking +that the rider was the same that had taken away his fellow-cub--for +the two princes were exactly like each other--said, "As you have +taken away my brother, take me also with you." The younger prince +understanding that his brother had taken away a puppy, he took up +that cub as a companion. Further on, a young hawk, which was perched +on a tree on the roadside, said to the prince, "You have taken away +my brother; take me also, I beseech you"; on which the younger prince +readily took it up. With these companions he went into the heart of the +forest, where he saw a hut which he supposed to be the mendicant's. But +neither the mendicant nor his brother was there. Not knowing what to +do or where to go, he dismounted from his horse, allowed it to graze, +while he himself sat inside the house. At sunset the mendicant returned +to his hut, and seeing the younger prince, said, "I am glad to see +you. I told your brother never to go towards the north, for evil in +that case would betide him; but it seems that, disobeying my orders, +he has gone to the north and has fallen into the toils of a Rakshasi +who lives there. There is no hope of rescuing him; perhaps he has +already been devoured." The younger prince forthwith went towards +the north, where he saw a stag which he pierced with an arrow. The +stag ran into a house which stood by, and the younger prince followed +it. He was not a little astonished when, instead of seeing a stag, +he saw a woman of exquisite beauty. He immediately concluded, from +what he had heard from the mendicant, that the pretended woman was none +other than the Rakshasi in whose power his brother was. The lady asked +him to play a game of dice with her. He complied with the request, +and on the same conditions on which the elder prince had played. The +younger prince won; on which the lady produced the young hawk from the +hole and gave it to the prince. The joy of the two hawks on meeting +each other was great. The lady and the prince played a second time, +and the prince won again. The lady therefore brought to the prince +the young puppy lying in the hole. They played a third time, and the +prince won a third time. The lady demurred to producing a young man +exactly like the prince, pretending that it was impossible to get one; +but on the prince insisting upon the fulfilment of the condition, +his brother was produced. The joy of the two brothers on meeting each +other was great. The Rakshasi said to the princes, "Don't kill me, +and I will tell you a secret which will save the life of the elder +prince." She then told them that the mendicant was a worshipper of the +goddess Kali, who had a temple not far off; that he belonged to that +sect of Hindus who seek perfection from intercourse with the spirits of +departed men; that he had already sacrificed at the altar of Kali six +human victims whose skulls could be seen in niches inside her temple; +that he would become perfect when the seventh victim was sacrificed; +and that the elder prince was intended for the seventh victim. The +Rakshasi then told the prince to go immediately to the temple to find +out the truth of what she had said. To the temple they accordingly +went. When the elder prince went inside the temple, the skulls in the +niches laughed a ghastly laugh. Horror-struck at the sight and sound, +he inquired the cause of the laughter; and the skulls told him that +they were glad because they were about to get another added to their +number. One of the skulls, as spokesman of the rest, said, "Young +prince, in a few days the mendicant's devotions will be completed, and +you will be brought into this temple and your head will be cut off, and +you will keep company with us. But there is one way by which you can +escape that fate and do us good." "Oh, do tell me," said the prince, +"what that way is, and I promise to do you all the good I can." The +skull replied, "When the mendicant brings you into this temple to offer +you up as a sacrifice, before cutting off your head he will tell you +to prostrate yourself before Mother Kali, and while you prostrate +yourself he will cut off your head. But take our advice, when he +tells you to bow down before Kali, you tell him that as a prince you +never bowed down to any one, that you never knew what bowing down was, +and that the mendicant should show it to you by himself doing it in +your presence. And when he bows down to show you how it is done, you +take up your sword and separate his head from his body. And when you +do that we shall all be restored to life, as the mendicant's vows will +be unfulfilled." The elder prince thanked the skulls for their advice, +and went into the hut of the mendicant along with his younger brother. + +In the course of a few days the mendicant's devotions were +completed. On the following day he told the prince to go along with +him to the temple of Kali, for what reason he did not mention; but the +prince knew it was to offer him up as a victim to the goddess. The +younger prince also went with them, but he was not allowed to go +inside the temple. The mendicant then stood in the presence of Kali +and said to the prince, "Bow down to the goddess." The prince replied, +"I have not, as a prince, bowed to any one; I do not know how to +perform the act of prostration. Please show me the way first, and +I'll gladly do it." The mendicant then prostrated himself before the +goddess; and while he was doing so the prince at one stroke of his +sword separated his head from his body. Immediately the skulls in the +niches of the temple laughed aloud, and the goddess herself became +propitious to the prince and gave him that virtue of perfection which +the mendicant had sought to obtain. The skulls were again united to +their respective bodies and became living men, and the two princes +returned to their country. + + + Here my story endeth, + The Natiya-thorn withereth, etc. + + + + + + + +XIV + +A GHOSTLY WIFE + + +Once on a time there lived a Brahman who had married a wife, and who +lived in the same house with his mother. Near his house was a tank, +on the embankment of which stood a tree, on the boughs of which lived +a ghost of the kind called Sankchinni. [30] One night the Brahman's +wife had occasion to go to the tank, and as she went she brushed by a +Sankchinni who stood near; on which the she-ghost got very angry with +the woman, seized her by the throat, climbed into her tree, and thrust +her into a hole in the trunk. There the woman lay almost dead with +fear. The ghost put on the clothes of the woman and went into the house +of the Brahman. Neither the Brahman nor his mother had any inkling +of the change. The Brahman thought his wife returned from the tank, +and the mother thought that it was her daughter-in-law. Next morning +the mother-in-law discovered some change in her daughter-in-law. Her +daughter-in-law, she knew, was constitutionally weak and languid, and +took a long time to do the work of the house. But she had apparently +become quite a different person. All of a sudden she had become very +active. She now did the work of the house in an incredibly short +time. Suspecting nothing, the old woman said nothing either to her +son or to her daughter-in-law; on the contrary, she inly rejoiced +that her daughter-in-law had turned over a new leaf. But her surprise +became every day greater and greater. The cooking of the household +was done in much less time than before. When the mother-in-law +wanted the daughter-in-law to bring anything from the next room, it +was brought in much less time than was required in walking from one +room to the other. The ghost, instead of going inside the next room, +would stretch a long arm--for ghosts can lengthen or shorten any +limb of their bodies--from the door and get the thing. One day the +old woman observed the ghost doing this. She ordered her to bring a +vessel from some distance, and the ghost unconsciously stretched her +hand to several yards' distance, and brought it in a trice. The old +woman was struck with wonder at the sight. She said nothing to her, +but spoke to her son. Both mother and son began to watch the ghost +more narrowly. One day the old woman knew that there was no fire in +the house, and she knew also that her daughter-in-law had not gone +out of doors to get it; and yet, strange to say, the hearth in the +kitchen-room was quite in a blaze. She went in, and, to her infinite +surprise, found that her daughter-in-law was not using any fuel for +cooking, but had thrust into the oven her foot, which was blazing +brightly. The old mother told her son what she had seen, and they both +concluded that the young woman in the house was not his real wife but +a she-ghost. The son witnessed those very acts of the ghost which his +mother had seen. An Ojha [31] was therefore sent for. The exorcist +came, and wanted in the first instance to ascertain whether the woman +was a real woman or a ghost. For this purpose he lighted a piece of +turmeric and set it below the nose of the supposed woman. Now this +was an infallible test, as no ghost, whether male or female, can put +up with the smell of burnt turmeric. The moment the lighted turmeric +was taken near her, she screamed aloud and ran away from the room. It +was now plain that she was either a ghost or a woman possessed by a +ghost. The woman was caught hold of by main force and asked who she +was. At first she refused to make any disclosures, on which the Ojha +took up his slippers and began belabouring her with them. Then the +ghost said with a strong nasal accent--for all ghosts speak through +the nose--that she was a Sankchinni, that she lived on a tree by the +side of the tank, that she had seized the young Brahmani and put her +in the hollow of her tree because one night she had touched her, and +that if any person went to the hole the woman would be found. The +woman was brought from the tree almost dead; the ghost was again +shoebeaten, after which process, on her declaring solemnly that she +would not again do any harm to the Brahman and his family, she was +released from the spell of the Ojha and sent away; and the wife of +the Brahman recovered slowly. After which the Brahman and his wife +lived many years happily together and begat many sons and daughters. + + + Here my story endeth, + The Natiya-thorn withereth, etc. + + + + + + + +XV + +THE STORY OF A BRAHMADAITYA [32] + + +Once on a time there lived a poor Brahman who had a wife. As he had +no means of livelihood, he used every day to beg from door to door, +and thus got some rice which they boiled and ate, together with some +greens which they gleaned from the fields. After some time it chanced +that the village changed its owner, and the Brahman bethought himself +of asking some boon of the new laird. So one morning the Brahman +went to the laird's house to pay him court. It so happened that at +that time the laird was making inquiries of his servants about the +village and its various parts. The laird was told that a certain +banyan-tree in the outskirts of the village was haunted by a number +of ghosts; and that no man had ever the boldness to go to that tree +at night. In bygone days some rash fellows went to the tree at night, +but the necks of them all were wrung, and they all died. Since that +time no man had ventured to go to the tree at night, though in the +day some neat-herds took their cows to the spot. The new laird on +hearing this said, that if any one would go at night to the tree, cut +one of its branches and bring it to him, he would make him a present +of a hundred bighas [33] of rent-free land. None of the servants of +the laird accepted the challenge, as they were sure they would be +throttled by the ghosts. The Brahman, who was sitting there, thought +within himself thus--"I am almost starved to death now, as I never get +my bellyful. If I go to the tree at night and succeed in cutting off +one of its branches I shall get one hundred bighas of rent-free land, +and become independent for life. If the ghosts kill me, my case will +not be worse, for to die of hunger is no better than to be killed by +ghosts." He then offered to go to the tree and cut off a branch that +night. The laird renewed his promise, and said to the Brahman that if +he succeeded in bringing one of the branches of that haunted tree at +night he would certainly give him one hundred bighas of rent-free land. + +In the course of the day when the people of the village heard of the +laird's promise and of the Brahman's offer, they all pitied the poor +man. They blamed him for his foolhardiness, as they were sure the +ghosts would kill him, as they had killed so many before. His wife +tried to dissuade him from the rash undertaking; but in vain. He said +he would die in any case; but there was some chance of his escaping, +and of thus becoming independent for life. Accordingly, one hour after +sundown, the Brahman set out. He went to the outskirts of the village +without the slightest fear as far as a certain vakula-tree (Mimusops +Elengi), from which the haunted tree was about one rope distant. But +under the vakula-tree the Brahman's heart misgave him. He began to +quake with fear, and the heaving of his heart was like the upward and +downward motion of the paddy-husking pedal. The vakula-tree was the +haunt of a Brahmadaitya, who, seeing the Brahman stop under the tree, +spoke to him, and said, "Are you afraid, Brahman? Tell me what you wish +to do, and I'll help you. I am a Brahmadaitya." The Brahman replied, +"O blessed spirit, I wish to go to yonder banyan-tree, and cut off +one of its branches for the zemindar, who has promised to give me one +hundred bighas of rent-free land for it. But my courage is failing +me. I shall thank you very much for helping me." The Brahmadaitya +answered, "Certainly I'll help you, Brahman. Go on towards the tree, +and I'll come with you." The Brahman, relying on the supernatural +strength of his invisible patron, who is the object of the fear and +reverence of common ghosts, fearlessly walked towards the haunted tree, +on reaching which he began to cut a branch with the bill which was +in his hand. But the moment the first stroke was given, a great many +ghosts rushed towards the Brahman, who would have been torn to pieces +but for the interference of the Brahmadaitya. The Brahmadaitya said in +a commanding tone, "Ghosts, listen. This is a poor Brahman. He wishes +to get a branch of this tree which will be of great use to him. It is +my will that you let him cut a branch." The ghosts, hearing the voice +of the Brahmadaitya, replied, "Be it according to thy will, lord. At +thy bidding we are ready to do anything. Let not the Brahman take +the trouble of cutting; we ourselves will cut a branch for him." So +saying, in the twinkling of an eye, the ghosts put into the hands of +the Brahman a branch of the tree, with which he went as fast as his +legs could carry him to the house of the zemindar. The zemindar and +his people were not a little surprised to see the branch; but he said, +"Well, I must see to-morrow whether this branch is a branch of the +haunted tree or not; if it be, you will get the promised reward." + +Next morning the zemindar himself went along with his servants to the +haunted tree, and found to their infinite surprise that the branch in +their hands was really a branch of that tree, as they saw the part +from which it had been cut off. Being thus satisfied, the zemindar +ordered a deed to be drawn up, by which he gave to the Brahman for +ever one hundred bighas of rent-free land. Thus in one night the +Brahman became a rich man. + +It so happened that the fields, of which the Brahman became the owner, +were covered with ripe paddy, ready for the sickle. But the Brahman +had not the means to reap the golden harvest. He had not a pice in +his pocket for paying the wages of the reapers. What was the Brahman +to do? He went to his spirit-friend the Brahmadaitya, and said, +"Oh, Brahmadaitya, I am in great distress. Through your kindness I +got the rent-free land all covered with ripe paddy. But I have not +the means of cutting the paddy, as I am a poor man. What shall I +do?" The kind Brahmadaitya answered, "Oh, Brahman, don't be troubled +in your mind about the matter. I'll see to it that the paddy is not +only cut, but that the corn is threshed and stored up in granaries, +and the straw piled up in ricks. Only you do one thing. Borrow from +men in the village one hundred sickles, and put them all at the foot +of this tree at night. Prepare also the exact spot on which the grain +and the straw are to be stored up." + +The joy of the Brahman knew no bounds. He easily got a hundred sickles, +as the husbandmen of the village, knowing that he had become rich, +readily lent him what he wanted. At sunset he took the hundred sickles +and put them beneath the vakula-tree. He also selected a spot of ground +near his hut for his magazine of paddy and for his ricks of straw; +and washed the spot with a solution of cow-dung and water. After +making these preparations he went to sleep. + +In the meantime, soon after nightfall, when the villagers had all +retired to their houses, the Brahmadaitya called to him the ghosts +of the haunted tree, who were one hundred in number, and said to +them, "You must to-night do some work for the poor Brahman whom I +am befriending. The hundred bighas of land which he has got from the +zemindar are all covered with standing ripe corn. He has not the means +to reap it. This night you all must do the work for him. Here are, +you see, a hundred sickles; let each of you take a sickle in hand and +come to the field I shall show him. There are a hundred of you. Let +each ghost cut the paddy of one bigha, bring the sheaves on his back +to the Brahman's house, thresh the corn, put the corn in one large +granary, and pile up the straw in separate ricks. Now, don't lose +time. You must do it all this very night." The hundred ghosts at once +said to the Brahmadaitya, "We are ready to do whatever your lordship +commands us." The Brahmadaitya showed the ghosts the Brahman's house, +and the spot prepared for receiving the grain and the straw, and +then took them to the Brahman's fields, all waving with the golden +harvest. The ghosts at once fell to it. A ghost harvest-reaper is +different from a human harvest-reaper. What a man cuts in a whole day, +a ghost cuts in a minute. Mash, mash, mash, the sickles went round, +and the long stalks of paddy fell to the ground. The reaping over, +the ghosts took up the sheaves on their huge backs and carried them +all to the Brahman's house. The ghosts then separated the grain from +the straw, stored up the grain in one huge store-house, and piled +up the straw in many a fantastic rick. It was full two hours before +sunrise when the ghosts finished their work and retired to rest on +their tree. No words can tell either the joy of the Brahman and his +wife when early next morning they opened the door of their hut, or +the surprise of the villagers, when they saw the huge granary and the +fantastic ricks of straw. The villagers did not understand it. They +at once ascribed it to the gods. + +A few days after this the Brahman went to the vakula-tree and +said to the Brahmadaitya, "I have one more favour to ask of you, +Brahmadaitya. As the gods have been very gracious to me, I wish to feed +one thousand Brahmans; and I shall thank you for providing me with the +materials of the feast." "With the greatest pleasure," said the polite +Brahmadaitya; "I'll supply you with the requirements of a feast for +a thousand Brahmans; only show me the cellars in which the provisions +are to be stored away." The Brahman improvised a store-room. The day +before the feast the store-room was overflowing with provisions. There +were one hundred jars of ghi (clarified butter), one hill of flour, one +hundred jars of sugar, one hundred jars of milk, curds, and congealed +milk, and the other thousand and one things required in a great +Brahmanical feast. The next morning one hundred Brahman pastrycooks +were employed; the thousand Brahmans ate their fill; but the host, +the Brahman of the story, did not eat. He thought he would eat with +the Brahmadaitya. But the Brahmadaitya, who was present there though +unseen, told him that he could not gratify him on that point, as by +befriending the Brahman the Brahmadaitya's allotted period had come +to an end, and the pushpaka [34] chariot had been sent to him from +heaven. The Brahmadaitya, being released from his ghostly life, was +taken up into heaven; and the Brahman lived happily for many years, +begetting sons and grandsons. + + + Here my story endeth, + The Natiya-thorn withereth, etc. + + + + + + + +XVI + +THE STORY OF A HIRAMAN [35] + + +There was a fowler who had a wife. The fowler's wife said to her +husband one day, "My dear, I'll tell you the reason why we are always +in want. It is because you sell every bird you catch by your rods, +whereas if we sometimes eat some of the birds you catch, we are sure +to have better luck. I propose therefore that whatever bird or birds +you bag to-day we do not sell, but dress and eat." The fowler agreed +to his wife's proposal, and went out a-bird-catching. He went about +from wood to wood with his limed rods, accompanied by his wife, but in +vain. Somehow or other they did not succeed in catching any bird till +near sundown. But just as they were returning homewards they caught +a beautiful hiraman. The fowler's wife, taking the bird in her hand +and feeling it all over, said, "What a small bird this is! how much +meat can it have? There is no use in killing it." The hiraman said, +"Mother, do not kill me, but take me to the king, and you will +get a large sum of money by selling me." The fowler and his wife +were greatly taken aback on hearing the bird speak, and they asked +the bird what price they should set upon it. The hiraman answered, +"Leave that to me; take me to the king and offer me for sale; and when +the king asks my price, say, 'The bird will tell its own price,' and +then I'll mention a large sum." The fowler accordingly went the next +day to the king's palace, and offered the bird for sale. The king, +delighted with the beauty of the bird, asked the fowler what he would +take for it. The fowler said, "O great king, the bird will tell its +own price." "What! can the bird speak?" asked the king. "Yes, my lord; +be pleased to ask the bird its price," replied the fowler. The king, +half in jest and half in seriousness, said, "Well, hiraman, what is +your price?" The hiraman answered, "Please your majesty, my price is +ten thousand rupees. Do not think that the price is too high. Count +out the money for the fowler, for I'll be of the greatest service to +your majesty." "What service can you be of to me, hiraman?" asked +the king. "Your majesty will see that in due time," replied the +hiraman. The king, surprised beyond measure at hearing the hiraman +talk, and talk so sensibly, took the bird, and ordered his treasurer +to tell down the sum of ten thousand rupees to the fowler. + +The king had six queens, but he was so taken up with the bird that +he almost forgot that they lived; at any rate, his days and nights +were spent in the company, not of the queens, but of the bird. The +hiraman not only replied intelligently to every question the king +put, but it recited to him the names of the three hundred and thirty +millions of the gods of the Hindu pantheon, the hearing of which is +always regarded as an act of piety. The queens felt that they were +neglected by the king, became jealous of the bird, and determined to +kill it. It was long before they got an opportunity, as the bird was +the king's inseparable companion. One day the king went out a-hunting, +and he was to be away from the palace for two days. The six queens +determined to avail themselves of the opportunity and put an end to +the life of the bird. They said to one another, "Let us go and ask +the bird which of us is the ugliest in his estimation, and she whom +he pronounces the ugliest shall strangle the bird." Thus resolved, +they all went into the room where the bird was; but before the queens +could put any questions the bird so sweetly and so piously recited +the names of the gods and goddesses, that the hearts of them all +were melted into tenderness, and they came away without accomplishing +their purpose. The following day, however, their evil genius returned, +and they called themselves a thousand fools for having been diverted +from their purpose. They therefore determined to steel their hearts +against all pity, and to kill the bird without delay. They all went +into the room, and said to the bird, "O hiraman, you are a very wise +bird, we hear, and your judgments are all right; will you please tell +us which of us is the handsomest and which the ugliest?" The bird, +knowing the evil design of the queens, said to them, "How can I +answer your questions remaining in this cage? In order to pronounce +a correct judgment I must look minutely on every limb of you all, +both in front and behind. If you wish to know my opinion you must +set me free." The women were at first afraid of setting the bird +free lest it should fly away; but on second thoughts they set it +free after shutting all the doors and windows of the room. The bird, +on examining the room, saw that it had a water-passage through which +it was possible to escape. When the question was repeated several +times by the queens, the bird said, "The beauty of not one of you +can be compared to the beauty of the little toe of the lady that +lives beyond the seven oceans and the thirteen rivers." The queens, +on hearing their beauty spoken of in such slighting terms, became +exceedingly furious, and rushed towards the bird to tear it in pieces; +but before they could get at it, it escaped through the water-passage, +and took shelter in a wood-cutter's hut which was hard by. + +The next day the king returned home from hunting, and not finding +the hiraman on its perch became mad with grief. He asked the queens, +and they told him that they knew nothing about it. The king wept day +and night for the bird, as he loved it much. His ministers became +afraid lest his reason should give way, for he used every hour of +the day to weep, saying, "O my hiraman! O my hiraman! where art thou +gone?" Proclamation was made by beat of drum throughout the kingdom +to the effect that if any person could produce before the king his pet +hiraman he would be rewarded with ten thousand rupees. The wood-cutter, +rejoiced at the idea of becoming independent for life, produced the +precious bird and obtained the reward. The king, on hearing from +the parrot that the queens had attempted to kill it, became mad with +rage. He ordered them to be driven away from the palace and put in +a desert place without food. The king's order was obeyed, and it was +rumoured after a few days that the poor queens were all devoured by +wild beasts. + +After some time the king said to the parrot, "Hiraman, you said to +the queens that the beauty of none of them could be compared to the +beauty of even the little toe of the lady who lives on the other side +of the seven oceans and thirteen rivers. Do you know of any means by +which I can get at that lady?" + +Hiraman. Of course I do. I can take your majesty to the door of +the palace in which that lady of peerless beauty lives; and if your +majesty will abide by my counsel, I will undertake to put that lady +into your arms. + +King. I will do whatever you tell me. What do you wish me to do? + +Hiraman. What is required is a pakshiraj. [36] If you can procure a +horse of that species, you can ride upon it, and in no time we shall +cross the seven oceans and thirteen rivers, and stand at the door of +the lady's palace. + +King. I have, as you know, a large stud of horses; we can now go and +see if there are any pakshirajes amongst them. + +The king and the hiraman went to the royal stables and examined all +the horses. The hiraman passed by all the fine-looking horses and +those of high mettle, and alighted upon a wretched-looking lean pony, +and said, "Here is the horse I want. It is a horse of the genuine +pakshiraj breed, but it must be fed full six months with the finest +grain before it can answer our purpose." The king accordingly put +that pony in a stable by itself and himself saw every day that it +was fed with the finest grain that could be got in the kingdom. The +pony rapidly improved in appearance, and at the end of six months the +hiraman pronounced it fit for service. The parrot then told the king +to order the royal silversmith to make some khais [37] of silver. A +large quantity of silver khais was made in a short time. When about +to start on their aerial journey the hiraman said to the king, +"I have one request to make. Please whip the horse only once at +starting. If you whip him more than once, we shall not be able to +reach the palace, but stick mid-way. And when we return homewards +after capturing the lady, you are also to whip the horse only once; +if you whip him more than once, we shall come only half the way and +remain there." The king then got upon the pakshiraj with the hiraman +and the silver khais and gently whipped the animal once. The horse +shot through the air with the speed of lightning, passed over many +countries, kingdoms, and empires, crossed the oceans and thirteen +rivers, and alighted in the evening at the gate of a beautiful palace. + +Now, near the palace-gate there stood a lofty tree. The hiraman told +the king to put the horse in the stable hard by, and then to climb +into the tree and remain there concealed. The hiraman took the silver +khais, and with its beak began dropping khai after khai from the foot +of the tree, all through the corridors and passages, up to the door +of the bedchamber of the lady of peerless beauty. After doing this, +the hiraman perched upon the tree where the king was concealed. Some +hours after midnight, the maid-servant of the lady, who slept in +the same room with her, wishing to come out, opened the door and +noticed the silver khais lying there. She took up a few of them, +and not knowing what they were, showed them to her lady. The lady, +admiring the little silver bullets, and wondering how they could have +got there, came out of her room and began picking them up. She saw a +regular stream of them apparently issuing from near the door of her +room, and proceeding she knew not how far. She went on picking up +in a basket the bright, shining khais all through the corridors and +passages, till she came to the foot of the tree. No sooner did the +lady of peerless beauty come to the foot of the tree than the king, +agreeably to instructions previously given to him by the hiraman, +alighted from the tree and caught hold of the lady. In a moment +she was put upon the horse along with himself. At that moment the +hiraman sat upon the shoulder of the king, the king gently whipped +the horse once, and they all were whirled through the air with the +speed of lightning. The king, wishing to reach home soon with the +precious prize, and forgetful of the instructions of the hiraman, +whipped the horse again; on which the horse at once alighted on +the outskirts of what seemed a dense forest. "What have you done, +O king?" shouted out the hiraman. "Did I not tell you not to whip +the horse more than once? You have whipped him twice, and we are +done for. We may meet with our death here." But the thing was done, +and it could not be helped. The pakshiraj became powerless; and the +party could not proceed homewards. They dismounted; but they could not +see anywhere the habitations of men. They ate some fruits and roots, +and slept that night there upon the ground. + +Next morning it so chanced that the king of that country came to that +forest to hunt. As he was pursuing a stag, whom he had pierced with an +arrow, he came across the king and the lady of peerless beauty. Struck +with the matchless beauty of the lady, he wished to seize her. He +whistled, and in a moment his attendants flocked around him. The lady +was made a captive, and her lover, who had brought her from her house +on the other side of the seven oceans and thirteen rivers, was not +put to death, but his eyes were put out, and he was left alone in the +forest--alone, and yet not alone, for the good hiraman was with him. + +The lady of peerless beauty was taken into the king's palace, +as well as the pony of her lover. The lady said to the king that +he must not come near her for six months, in consequence of a vow +which she had taken, and which would be completed in that period of +time. She mentioned six months, as that period would be necessary for +recruiting the constitution of the pakshiraj. As the lady professed to +engage every day in religious ceremonies, in consequence of her vow, +a separate house was assigned to her, where she took the pakshiraj and +fed him with the choicest grain. But everything would be fruitless +if the lady did not meet the hiraman. But how is she to get a sight +of that bird? She adopted the following expedient. She ordered her +servants to scatter on the roof of her house heaps of paddy, grain, +and all sorts of pulse for the refreshment of birds. The consequence +was, that thousands of the feathery race came to the roof to partake +of the abundant feast. The lady was every day on the look out for +her hiraman. The hiraman, meanwhile, was in great distress in the +forest. He had to take care not only of himself, but of the now +blinded king. He plucked some ripe fruits in the forest, and gave +them to the king to eat, and he ate of them himself. This was the +manner of hiraman's life. The other birds of the forest spoke thus +to the parrot--"O hiraman, you have a miserable life of it in this +forest. Why don't you come with us to an abundant feast provided for us +by a pious lady, who scatters many maunds of pulse on the roof of her +house for the benefit of our race? We go there early in the morning +and return in the evening, eating our fill along with thousands of +other birds." The hiraman resolved to accompany them next morning, +shrewdly suspecting more in the lady's charity to birds than the +other birds thought there was in it. The hiraman saw the lady, +and had a long chat with her about the health of the blinded king, +the means of curing his blindness, and about her escape. The plan +adopted was as follows: The pony would be ready for aerial flight in +a short time--for a great part of the six months had already elapsed; +and the king's blindness could be cured if the hiraman could procure +from the chicks of the bihangama and bihangami birds, who had their +nest on the tree at the gate of the lady's palace beyond the seven +oceans and thirteen rivers, a quantity of their ordure, fresh and hot, +and apply it to the eyeballs of the blinded king. The following morning +the hiraman started on his errand of mercy, remained at night on the +tree at the gate of the palace beyond the seven oceans and thirteen +rivers, and early the next morning waited below the nest of the +birds with a leaf on his beak, into which dropped the ordure of the +chicks. That moment the hiraman flew across the oceans and rivers, +came to the forest, and applied the precious balm to the sightless +sockets of the king. The king opened his eyes and saw. In a few days +the pakshiraj was in proper trim. The lady escaped to the forest +and took the king up; and the lady, king, and hiraman all reached +the king's capital safe and sound. The king and the lady were united +together in wedlock. They lived many years together happily, and begat +sons and daughters; and the beautiful hiraman was always with them +reciting the names of the three hundred and thirty millions of gods. + + + Here my story endeth, + The Natiya-thorn withereth, etc. + + + + + + + +XVII + +THE ORIGIN OF RUBIES + + +There was a certain king who died leaving four sons behind him with +his queen. The queen was passionately fond of the youngest of the +princes. She gave him the best robes, the best horses, the best food, +and the best furniture. The other three princes became exceedingly +jealous of their youngest brother, and conspiring against him and their +mother, made them live in a separate house, and took possession of +the estate. Owing to overindulgence, the youngest prince had become +very wilful. He never listened to any one, not even to his mother, +but had his own way in everything. One day he went with his mother to +bathe in the river. A large boat was riding there at anchor. None of +the boatmen were in it. The prince went into the boat, and told his +mother to come into it. His mother besought him to get down from the +boat, as it did not belong to him. But the prince said, "No, mother, +I am not coming down; I mean to go on a voyage, and if you wish to +come with me, then delay not but come up at once, or I shall be off +in a trice." The queen besought the prince to do no such thing, but to +come down instantly. But the prince gave no heed to what she said, and +began to take up the anchor. The queen went up into the boat in great +haste; and the moment she was on board the boat started, and falling +into the current passed on swiftly like an arrow. The boat went on +and on till it reached the sea. After it had gone many furlongs into +the open sea, the boat came near a whirlpool, where the prince saw a +great many rubies of monstrous size floating on the waters. Such large +rubies no one had ever seen, each being in value equal to the wealth of +seven kings. The prince caught hold of half a dozen of those rubies, +and put them on board. His mother said, "Darling, don't take up those +red balls; they must belong to somebody who has been shipwrecked, +and we may be taken up as thieves." At the repeated entreaties of +his mother the prince threw them into the sea, keeping only one tied +up in his clothes. The boat then drifted towards the coast, and the +queen and the prince arrived at a certain port where they landed. + +The port where they landed was not a small place; it was a large city, +the capital of a great king. Not far from the place, the queen and +her son hired a hut where they lived. As the prince was yet a boy, +he was fond of playing at marbles. When the children of the king +came out to play on a lawn before the palace, our young prince joined +them. He had no marbles, but he played with the ruby which he had in +his possession. The ruby was so hard that it broke every taw against +which it struck. The daughter of the king, who used to watch the games +from a balcony of the palace, was astonished to see a brilliant red +ball in the hand of the strange lad, and wanted to take possession +of it. She told her father that a boy of the street had an uncommonly +bright stone in his possession which she must have, or else she would +starve herself to death. The king ordered his servants to bring to him +the lad with the precious stone. When the boy was brought, the king +wondered at the largeness and brilliancy of the ruby. He had never +seen anything like it. He doubted whether any king of any country +in the world possessed so great a treasure. He asked the lad where +he had got it. The lad replied that he got it from the sea. The king +offered a thousand rupees for the ruby, and the lad not knowing its +value readily parted with it for that sum. He went with the money to +his mother, who was not a little frightened, thinking that her son +had stolen the money from some rich man's house. She became quiet, +however, on being assured that the money was given to him by the king +in exchange for the red ball which he had picked up in the sea. + +The king's daughter, on getting the ruby, put it in her hair, +and, standing before her pet parrot, said to the bird, "Oh, my +darling parrot, don't I look very beautiful with this ruby in my +hair?" The parrot replied, "Beautiful! you look quite hideous with +it! What princess ever puts only one ruby in her hair? It would be +somewhat feasible if you had two at least." Stung with shame at the +reproach cast in her teeth by the parrot, the princess went into the +grief-chamber of the palace, and would neither eat nor drink. The +king was not a little concerned when he heard that his daughter +had gone into the grief-chamber. He went to her, and asked her the +cause of her grief. The princess told the king what her pet parrot +had said, and added, "Father, if you do not procure for me another +ruby like this, I'll put an end to my life by mine own hands." The +king was overwhelmed with grief. Where was he to get another ruby +like it? He doubted whether another like it could be found in the +whole world. He ordered the lad who had sold the ruby to be brought +into his presence. "Have you, young man," asked the king, "another +ruby like the one you sold me?" The lad replied, "No, I have not got +one. Why, do you want another? I can give you lots, if you wish to have +them. They are to be found in a whirlpool in the sea, far, far away. I +can go and fetch some for you." Amazed at the lad's reply, the king +offered rich rewards for procuring only another ruby of the same sort. + +The lad went home and said to his mother that he must go to sea again +to fetch some rubies for the king. The woman was quite frightened +at the idea, and begged him not to go. But the lad was resolved on +going, and nothing could prevent him from carrying out his purpose. He +accordingly went alone on board that same vessel which had brought +him and his mother, and set sail. He reached the whirlpool, from +near which he had formerly picked up the rubies. This time, however, +he determined to go to the exact spot whence the rubies were coming +out. He went to the centre of the whirlpool, where he saw a gap +reaching to the bottom of the ocean. He dived into it, leaving his +boat to wheel round the whirlpool. When he reached the bottom of the +ocean he saw there a beautiful palace. He went inside. In the central +room of the palace there was the god Siva, with his eyes closed, +and absorbed apparently in intense meditation. A few feet above +Siva's head was a platform, on which lay a young lady of exquisite +beauty. The prince went to the platform and saw that the head of the +lady was separated from her body. Horrified at the sight, he did not +know what to make of it. He saw a stream of blood trickling from the +severed head, falling upon the matted head of Siva, and running into +the ocean in the form of rubies. After a little two small rods, one of +silver and one of gold, which were lying near the head of the lady, +attracted his eyes. As he took up the rods in his hands, the golden +rod accidentally fell upon the head, on which the head immediately +joined itself to the body, and the lady got up. Astonished at the +sight of a human being, the lady asked the prince who he was and how +he had got there. After hearing the story of the prince's adventures, +the lady said, "Unhappy young man, depart instantly from this place; +for when Siva finishes his meditations he will turn you to ashes +by a single glance of his eyes." The young man, however, would not +go except in her company, as he was over head and ears in love with +the beautiful lady. At last they both contrived to run away from the +palace, and coming up to the surface of the ocean they climbed into +the boat near the centre of the whirlpool, and sailed away towards +land, having previously laden the vessel with a cargo of rubies. The +wonder of the prince's mother at seeing the beautiful damsel may be +well imagined. Early next morning the prince sent a basin full of big +rubies, through a servant. The king was astonished beyond measure. His +daughter, on getting the rubies, resolved on marrying the wonderful lad +who had made a present of them to her. Though the prince had a wife, +whom he had brought up from the depths of the ocean, he consented to +have a second wife. They were accordingly married, and lived happily +for years, begetting sons and daughters. + + + Here my story endeth, + The Natiya-thorn withereth, etc. + + + + + + + +XVIII + +THE MATCH-MAKING JACKAL + + +Once on a time there lived a weaver, whose ancestors were very rich, +but whose father had wasted the property which he had inherited +in riotous living. He was born in a palace-like house, but he now +lived in a miserable hut. He had no one in the world, his parents +and all his relatives having died. Hard by the hut was the lair of a +jackal. The jackal, remembering the wealth and grandeur of the weaver's +forefathers, had compassion on him, and one day coming to him, said, +"Friend weaver, I see what a wretched life you are leading. I have +a good mind to improve your condition. I'll try and marry you to +the daughter of the king of this country." "I become the king's +son-in-law!" replied the weaver; "that will take place only when the +sun rises in the west." "You doubt my power?" rejoined the jackal; +"you will see, I'll bring it about." + +The next morning the jackal started for the king's city, which +was many miles off. On the way he entered a plantation of the +Piper betel plant, and plucked a large quantity of its leaves. He +reached the capital, and contrived to get inside the palace. On the +premises of the palace was a tank in which the ladies of the king's +household performed their morning and afternoon ablutions. At the +entrance of that tank the jackal laid himself down. The daughter of +the king happened to come just at the time to bathe, accompanied +by her maids. The princess was not a little struck at seeing the +jackal lying down at the entrance. She told her maids to drive +the jackal away. The jackal rose as if from sleep, and instead +of running away, opened his bundle of betel-leaves, put some into +his mouth, and began chewing them. The princess and her maids were +not a little astonished at the sight. They said among themselves, +"What an uncommon jackal is this! From what country can he have +come? A jackal chewing betel-leaves! why thousands of men and women +of this city cannot indulge in that luxury. He must have come from +a wealthy land." The princess asked the jackal, "Sivalu! [38] from +what country do you come? It must be a very prosperous country where +the jackals chew betel-leaves. Do other animals in your country chew +betel-leaves?" "Dearest princess," replied the jackal, "I come from a +land flowing with milk and honey. Betel-leaves are as plentiful in my +country as the grass in your fields. All animals in my country--cows, +sheep, dogs--chew betel-leaves. We want no good thing." "Happy is the +country," said the princess, "where there is such plenty, and thrice +happy the king who rules in it!" "As for our king," said the jackal, +"he is the richest king in the world. His palace is like the heaven +of Indra. I have seen your palace here; it is a miserable hut compared +to the palace of our king." The princess, whose curiosity was excited +to the utmost pitch, hastily went through her bath, and going to the +apartments of the queen-mother, told her of the wonderful jackal lying +at the entrance of the tank. Her curiosity being excited, the jackal +was sent for. When the jackal stood in the presence of the queen, he +began munching the betel-leaves. "You come," said the queen, "from +a very rich country. Is your king married?" "Please your majesty, +our king is not married. Princesses from distant parts of the world +tried to get married to him, but he rejected them all. Happy will +that princess be whom our king condescends to marry!" "Don't you +think, Sivalu," asked the queen, "that my daughter is as beautiful +as a Peri, and that she is fit to be the wife of the proudest king +in the world?" "I quite think," said the jackal, "that the princess +is exceedingly handsome; indeed, she is the handsomest princess I +have ever seen; but I don't know whether our king will have a liking +for her." "Liking for my daughter!" said the queen, "you have only to +paint her to him as she is, and he is sure to turn mad with love. To be +serious, Sivalu, I am anxious to get my daughter married. Many princes +have sought her hand, but I am unwilling to give her to any of them, +as they are not the sons of great kings. But your king seems to be a +great king. I can have no objection to making him my son-in-law." The +queen sent word to the king, requesting him to come and see the +jackal. The king came and saw the jackal, heard him describe the +wealth and pomp of the king of his country, and expressed himself +not unwilling to give away his daughter in marriage to him. + +The jackal after this returned to the weaver and said to him, "O lord +of the loom, you are the luckiest man in the world; it is all settled; +you are to become the son-in-law of a great king. I have told them that +you are yourself a great king, and you must behave yourself as one. You +must do just as I instruct you, otherwise your fortune will not only +not be made, but both you and I will be put to death." "I'll do just as +you bid me," said the weaver. The shrewd jackal drew in his own mind a +plan of the method of procedure he should adopt, and after a few days +went back to the palace of the king in the same manner in which he had +gone before, that is to say, chewing betel-leaves and lying down at +the entrance of the tank on the premises of the palace. The king and +queen were glad to see him, and eagerly asked him as to the success of +his mission. The jackal said, "In order to relieve your minds I may +tell you at once that my mission has been so far successful. If you +only knew the infinite trouble I have had in persuading his Majesty, +my sovereign, to make up his mind to marry your daughter, you would +give me no end of thanks. For a long time he would not hear of it, but +gradually I brought him round. You have now only to fix an auspicious +day for the celebration of the solemn rite. There is one bit of advice, +however, which I, as your friend, would give you. It is this. My master +is so great a king that if he were to come to you in state, attended +by all his followers, his horses and his elephants, you would find it +impossible to accommodate them all in your palace or in your city. I +would therefore propose that our king should come to your city, not +in state, but in a private manner; and that you send to the outskirts +of your city your own elephants, horses, and conveyances, to bring +him and only a few of his followers to your palace." "Many thanks, +wise Sivalu, for this advice. I could not possibly make accommodation +in my city for the followers of so great a king as your master is. I +should be very glad if he did not come in state; and trust you will +use your influence to persuade him to come in a private manner; for I +should be ruined if he came in state." The jackal then gravely said, "I +will do my best in the matter," and then returned to his own village, +after the royal astrologer had fixed an auspicious day for the wedding. + +On his return the jackal busied himself with making preparations for +the great ceremony. As the weaver was clad in tatters, he told him +to go to the washermen of the village and borrow from them a suit +of clothes. As for himself, he went to the king of his race, and +told him that on a certain day he would like one thousand jackals to +accompany him to a certain place. He went to the king of crows, and +begged that his corvine majesty would be pleased to allow one thousand +of his black subjects to accompany him on a certain day to a certain +place. He preferred a similar petition to the king of paddy-birds. + +At last the great day arrived. The weaver arrayed himself in the +clothes which he had borrowed from the village washermen. The jackal +made his appearance, accompanied by a train of a thousand jackals, +a thousand crows, and a thousand paddy-birds. The nuptial procession +started on their journey, and towards sundown arrived within two +miles of the king's palace. There the jackal told his friends, +the thousand jackals, to set up a loud howl; at his bidding the +thousand crows cawed their loudest; while the hoarse screechings of +the thousand paddy-birds furnished a suitable accompaniment. The +effect may be imagined. They all together made a noise the like +of which had never been heard since the world began. While this +unearthly noise was going on, the jackal himself hastened to the +palace, and asked the king whether he thought he would be able to +accommodate the wedding-party, which was about two miles distant, and +whose noise was at that moment sounding in his ears. The king said +"Impossible, Sivalu; from the sound of the procession I infer there +must be at least one hundred thousand souls. How is it possible to +accommodate so many guests? Please, so arrange that the bridegroom +only will come to my house." "Very well," said the jackal; "I told +you at the beginning that you would not be able to accommodate all +the attendants of my august master. I'll do as you wish. My master +will alone come in undress. Send a horse for the purpose." The jackal, +accompanied by a horse and groom, came to the place where his friend +the weaver was, thanked the thousand jackals, the thousand crows, +and the thousand paddy-birds, for their valuable services, and told +them all to go away, while he himself, and the weaver on horseback, +wended their way to the king's palace. The bridal party, waiting in +the palace, were greatly disappointed at the personal appearance of +the weaver; but the jackal told them that his master had purposely +put on a mean dress, as his would-be father-in-law declared himself +unable to accommodate the bridegroom and his attendants coming in +state. The royal priests now began the interesting ceremony, and the +nuptial knot was tied for ever. The bridegroom seldom opened his lips, +agreeably to the instructions of the jackal, who was afraid lest +his speech should betray him. At night when he was lying in bed he +began to count the beams and rafters of the room, and said audibly, +"This beam will make a first-rate loom, that other a capital beam, +and that yonder an excellent sley." The princess, his bride, was not +a little astonished. She began to think in her mind, "Is the man, +to whom they have tied me, a king or a weaver? I am afraid he is +the latter; otherwise why should he be talking of weaver's loom, +beam, and sley? Ah, me! is this what the fates keep in store for +me?" In the morning the princess related to the queen-mother the +weaver's soliloquy. The king and queen, not a little surprised at +this recital, took the jackal to task about it. The ready-witted +jackal at once said, "Your Majesty need not be surprised at my august +master's soliloquy. His palace is surrounded by a population of seven +hundred families of the best weavers in the world, to whom he has given +rent-free lands, and whose welfare he continually seeks. It must have +been in one of his philanthropic moods that he uttered the soliloquy +which has taken your Majesty by surprise." The jackal, however, +now felt that it was high time for himself and the weaver to decamp +with the princess, since the proverbial simplicity of his friend of +the loom might any moment involve him in danger. The jackal therefore +represented to the king, that weighty affairs of state would not permit +his august master to spend another day in the palace; that he should +start for his kingdom that very day with his bride; and his master was +resolved to travel incognito on foot, only the princess, now the queen, +should leave the city in a palki. After a great deal of yea and nay, +the king and queen at last consented to the proposal. The party came +to the outskirts of the weaver's village; the palki bearers were sent +away; and the princess, who asked where her husband's palace was, +was made to walk on foot. The weaver's hut was soon reached, and the +jackal, addressing the princess, said, "This, madam, is your husband's +palace." The princess began to beat her forehead with the palms of her +hands in sheer despair. "Ah, me! is this the husband whom Prajapati +[39] intended for me? Death would have been a thousand times better." + +As there was nothing for it, the princess soon got reconciled to her +fate. She, however, determined to make her husband rich, especially as +she knew the secret of becoming rich. One day she told her husband to +get for her a pice-worth of flour. She put a little water in the flour, +and smeared her body with the paste. When the paste dried on her body, +she began wiping the paste with her fingers; and as the paste fell in +small balls from her body, it got turned into gold. She repeated this +process every day for some time, and thus got an immense quantity of +gold. She soon became mistress of more gold than is to be found in +the coffers of any king. With this gold she employed a whole army of +masons, carpenters and architects, who in no time built one of the +finest palaces in the world. Seven hundred families of weavers were +sought for and settled round about the palace. After this she wrote +a letter to her father to say that she was sorry he had not favoured +her with a visit since the day of her marriage, and that she would be +delighted if he now came to see her and her husband. The king agreed +to come, and a day was fixed. The princess made great preparations +against the day of her father's arrival. Hospitals were established in +several parts of the town for diseased, sick, and infirm animals. The +beasts in thousands were made to chew betel-leaves on the wayside. The +streets were covered with Cashmere shawls for her father and his +attendants to walk on. There was no end of the display of wealth and +grandeur. The king and queen arrived in state, and were infinitely +delighted at the apparently boundless riches of their son-in-law. The +jackal now appeared on the scene, and saluting the king and queen, +said--"Did I not tell you?" + + + Here my story endeth, + The Natiya-thorn withereth, etc. + + + + + + + +XIX + +THE BOY WITH THE MOON ON HIS FOREHEAD + + +There was a certain king who had six queens, none of whom bore +children. Physicians, holy sages, mendicants, were consulted, +countless drugs were had recourse to, but all to no purpose. The king +was disconsolate. His ministers told him to marry a seventh wife; +and he was accordingly on the look out. + +In the royal city there lived a poor old woman who used to pick up +cow-dung from the fields, make it into cakes, dry them in the sun, +and sell them in the market for fuel. This was her only means of +subsistence. This old woman had a daughter exquisitely beautiful. Her +beauty excited the admiration of every one that saw her; and it was +solely in consequence of her surpassing beauty that three young +ladies, far above her in rank and station, contracted friendship +with her. Those three young ladies were the daughter of the king's +minister, the daughter of a wealthy merchant, and the daughter of the +royal priest. These three young ladies, together with the daughter of +the poor old woman, were one day bathing in a tank not far from the +palace. As they were performing their ablutions, each dwelt on her +own good qualities. "Look here, sister," said the minister's daughter, +addressing the merchant's daughter, "the man that marries me will be a +happy man, for he will not have to buy clothes for me. The cloth which +I once put on never gets soiled, never gets old, never tears." The +merchant's daughter said, "And my husband too will be a happy man, for +the fuel which I use in cooking never gets turned into ashes. The same +fuel serves from day to day, from year to year." "And my husband will +also become a happy man," said the daughter of the royal chaplain, +"for the rice which I cook one day never gets finished, and when +we have all eaten, the same quantity which was first cooked remains +always in the pot." The daughter of the poor old woman said in her +turn, "And the man that marries me will also be happy, for I shall +give birth to twin children, a son and a daughter. The daughter will +be divinely fair, and the son will have the moon on his forehead and +stars on the palms of his hands." + +The above conversation was overheard by the king, who, as he was on +the look out for a seventh queen, used to skulk about in places where +women met together. The king thus thought in his mind--"I don't care +a straw for the girl whose clothes never tear and never get old; +neither do I care for the other girl whose fuel is never consumed; +nor for the third girl whose rice never fails in the pot. But the +fourth girl is quite charming! She will give birth to twin children, +a son and a daughter; the daughter will be divinely fair, and the +son will have the moon on his forehead and stars on the palms of his +hands. That is the girl I want. I'll make her my wife." + +On making inquiries on the same day, the king found that the fourth +girl was the daughter of a poor old woman who picked up cow-dung from +the fields; but though there was thus an infinite disparity in rank, +he determined to marry her. On the very same day he sent for the +poor old woman. She, poor thing, was quite frightened when she saw +a messenger of the king standing at the door of her hut. She thought +that the king had sent for her to punish her, because, perhaps, she had +some day unwittingly picked up the dung of the king's cattle. She went +to the palace, and was admitted into the king's private chamber. The +king asked her whether she had a very fair daughter, and whether +that daughter was the friend of his own minister's and priest's +daughters. When the woman answered in the affirmative, he said to +her, "I will marry your daughter, and make her my queen." The woman +hardly believed her own ears--the thing was so strange. He, however, +solemnly declared to her that he had made up his mind, and was +determined to marry her daughter. It was soon known in the capital +that the king was going to marry the daughter of the old woman who +picked up cow-dung in the fields. When the six queens heard the news, +they would not believe it, till the king himself told them that the +news was true. They thought that the king had somehow got mad. They +reasoned with him thus--"What folly, what madness, to marry a girl +who is not fit to be our maid-servant! And you expect us to treat +her as our equal--a girl whose mother goes about picking up cow-dung +in the fields! Surely, my lord, you are beside yourself!" The king's +purpose, however, remained unshaken. The royal astrologer was called, +and an auspicious day was fixed for the celebration of the king's +marriage. On the appointed day the royal priest tied the marital knot, +and the daughter of the poor old picker-up of cow-dung in the fields +became the seventh and best beloved queen. + +Some time after the celebration of the marriage, the king went for six +months to another part of his dominions. Before setting out he called +to him the seventh queen, and said to her, "I am going away to another +part of my dominions for six months. Before the expiration of that +period I expect you to be confined. But I should like to be present +with you at the time, as your enemies may do mischief. Take this golden +bell and hang it in your room. When the pains of childbirth come upon +you, ring this bell, and I will be with you in a moment in whatever +part of my dominions I may be at the time. Remember, you are to ring +the bell only when you feel the pains of childbirth." After saying this +the king started on his journey. The six queens, who had overheard the +king, went on the next day to the apartments of the seventh queen, +and said, "What a nice bell of gold you have got, sister! Where did +you get it, and why have you hung it up?" The seventh queen, in her +simplicity, said, "The king has given it to me, and if I were to ring +it, the king would immediately come to me wherever he might be at the +time." "Impossible!" said the six queens, "you must have misunderstood +the king. Who can believe that this bell can be heard at the distance +of hundreds of miles? Besides, if it could be heard, how would the king +be able to travel a great distance in the twinkling of an eye? This +must be a hoax. If you ring the bell, you will find that what the +king said was pure nonsense." The six queens then told her to make a +trial. At first she was unwilling, remembering what the king had told +her; but at last she was prevailed upon to ring the bell. The king was +at the moment half-way to the capital of his other dominions, but at +the ringing of the bell he stopped short in his journey, turned back, +and in no time stood in the queen's apartments. Finding the queen +going about in her rooms, he asked why she had rung the bell though +her hour had not come. She, without informing the king of the entreaty +of the six queens, replied that she rang the bell only to see whether +what he had said was true. The king was somewhat indignant, told her +distinctly not to ring the bell again till the moment of the coming +upon her of the pains of childbirth, and then went away. After the +lapse of some weeks the six queens again begged of the seventh queen +to make a second trial of the bell. They said to her, "The first time +when you rang the bell, the king was only at a short distance from you, +it was therefore easy for him to hear the bell and to come to you; +but now he has long ago settled in his other capital, let us see if +he will now hear the bell and come to you." She resisted for a long +time, but was at last prevailed upon by them to ring the bell. When +the sound of the bell reached the king he was in court dispensing +justice, but when he heard the sound of the bell (and no one else +heard it) he closed the court and in no time stood in the queen's +apartments. Finding that the queen was not about to be confined, +he asked her why she had again rung the bell before her hour. She, +without saying anything of the importunities of the six queens, replied +that she merely made a second trial of the bell. The king became very +angry, and said to her, "Now listen, since you have called me twice for +nothing, let it be known to you that when the throes of childbirth do +really come upon you, and you ring the bell ever so lustily, I will not +come to you. You must be left to your fate." The king then went away. + +At last the day of the seventh queen's deliverance arrived. On first +feeling the pains she rang the golden bell. She waited, but the +king did not make his appearance. She rang again with all her might, +still the king did not make his appearance. The king certainly did +hear the sound of the bell; but he did not come as he was displeased +with the queen. When the six queens saw that the king did not come, +they went to the seventh queen and told her that it was not customary +with the ladies of the palace to be confined in the king's apartments; +she must go to a hut near the stables. They then sent for the midwife +of the palace, and heavily bribed her to make away with the infant +the moment it should be born into the world. The seventh queen gave +birth to a son who had the moon on his forehead and stars on the +palms of his hands, and also to an uncommonly beautiful girl. The +midwife had come provided with a couple of newly born pups. She put +the pups before the mother, saying--"You have given birth to these," +and took away the twin-children in an earthen vessel. The queen was +quite insensible at the time, and did not notice the twins at the +time they were carried away. The king, though he was angry with the +seventh queen, yet remembering that she was destined to give birth to +the heir of his throne, changed his mind, and came to see her the next +morning. The pups were produced before the king as the offspring of +the queen. The king's anger and vexation knew no bounds. He ordered +that the seventh queen should be expelled from the palace, that she +should be clothed in leather, and that she should be employed in +the market-place to drive away crows and to keep off dogs. Though +scarcely able to move she was driven away from the palace, stripped +of her fine robes, clothed in leather, and set to drive away the +crows of the market-place. + +The midwife, when she put the twins in the earthen vessel, bethought +herself of the best way to destroy them. She did not think it proper +to throw them into a tank, lest they should be discovered the next +day. Neither did she think of burying them in the ground, lest they +should be dug up by a jackal and exposed to the gaze of people. The +best way to make an end of them, she thought, would be to burn them, +and reduce them to ashes, that no trace might be left of them. But +how could she, at that dead hour of night, burn them without some +other person helping her? A happy thought struck her. There was a +potter on the outskirts of the city, who used during the day to mould +vessels of clay on his wheel, and burn them during the latter part +of the night. The midwife thought that the best plan would be to put +the vessel with the twins along with the unburnt clay vessels which +the potter had arranged in order and gone to sleep expecting to get up +late at night and set them on fire; in this way, she thought, the twins +would be reduced to ashes. She, accordingly, put the vessel with the +twins along with the unburnt clay vessels of the potter, and went away. + +Somehow or other, that night the potter and his wife overslept +themselves. It was near the break of day when the potter's wife, +awaking out of sleep, roused her husband, and said, "Oh, my good man, +we have overslept ourselves; it is now near morning and I much fear it +is now too late to set the pots on fire." Hastily unbolting the door +of her cottage, she rushed out to the place where the pots were ranged +in rows. She could scarcely believe her eyes when she saw that all the +pots had been baked and were looking bright red, though neither she nor +her husband had applied any fire to them. Wondering at her good luck, +and not knowing what to make of it, she ran to her husband and said, +"Just come and see!" The potter came, saw, and wondered. The pots had +never before been so well baked. Who could have done this? This could +have proceeded only from some god or goddess. Fumbling about the pots, +he accidentally upturned one in which, lo and behold, were seen huddled +up together two newly born infants of unearthly beauty. The potter +said to his wife, "My dear, you must pretend to have given birth to +these beautiful children." Accordingly all arrangements were made, +and in due time it was given out that the twins had been born to +her. And such lovely twins they were! On the same day many women +of the neighbourhood came to see the potter's wife and the twins to +which she had given birth, and to offer their congratulations on this +unexpected good fortune. As for the potter's wife, she could not be +too proud of her pretended children, and said to her admiring friends, +"I had hardly hoped to have children at all. But now that the gods +have given me these twins, may they receive the blessings of you all, +and live for ever!" + +The twins grew and were strengthened. The brother and sister, when +they played about in the fields and lanes, were the admiration of +every one who saw them; and all wondered at the uncommonly good luck +of the potter in being blessed with such angelic children. They were +about twelve years old when the potter, their reputed father, became +dangerously ill. It was evident to all that his sickness would end +in death. The potter, perceiving his last end approaching, said to +his wife, "My dear, I am going the way of all the earth; but I am +leaving to you enough to live upon; live on and take care of these +children." The woman said to her husband, "I am not going to survive +you. Like all good and faithful wives, I am determined to die along +with you. You and I will burn together on the same funeral pyre. As +for the children, they are old enough to take care of themselves, +and you are leaving them enough money." Her friends tried to dissuade +her from her purpose, but in vain. The potter died; and as his remains +were being burnt, his wife, now a widow, threw herself on the pyre, +and burnt herself to death. + +The boy with the moon on his forehead--by the way, he always kept his +head covered with a turban lest the halo should attract notice--and +his sister, now broke up the potter's establishment, sold the wheel +and the pots and pans, and went to the bazaar in the king's city. The +moment they entered, the bazaar was lit up on a sudden. The shopkeepers +of the bazaar were greatly surprised. They thought some divine beings +must have entered the place. They looked upon the beautiful boy and his +sister with wonder. They begged of them to stay in the bazaar. They +built a house for them. When they used to ramble about, they were +always followed at a distance by the woman clothed in leather, who +was appointed by the king to drive away the crows of the bazaar. By +some unaccountable impulse she used also to hang about the house in +which they lived. The boy in a short time bought a horse, and went +a-hunting in the neighbouring forests. One day while he was hunting, +the king was also hunting in the same forest, and seeing a brother +huntsman the king drew near to him. The king was struck with the beauty +of the lad and a yearning for him the moment he saw him. As a deer +went past, the youth shot an arrow, and the reaction of the force +necessary to shoot the arrow made the turban of his head fall off, +on which a bright light, like that of the moon, was seen shining on +his forehead. The king saw, and immediately thought of the son with +the moon on his forehead and stars on the palms of his hands who was +to have been born of his seventh queen. The youth on letting fly the +arrow galloped off, in spite of the earnest entreaty of the king to +wait and speak to him. The king went home a sadder man than he came +out of it. He became very moody and melancholy. The six queens asked +him why he was looking so sad. He told them that he had seen in the +woods a lad with the moon on his forehead, which reminded him of the +son who was to be born of the seventh queen. The six queens tried +to comfort him in the best way they could; but they wondered who the +youth could be. Was it possible that the twins were living? Did not +the midwife say that she had burnt both the son and the daughter to +ashes? Who, then, could this lad be? The midwife was sent for by the +six queens and questioned. She swore that she had seen the twins +burnt. As for the lad whom the king had met with, she would soon +find out who he was. On making inquiries, the midwife soon found out +that two strangers were living in the bazaar in a house which the +shopkeepers had built for them. She entered the house and saw the +girl only, as the lad had again gone out a-shooting. She pretended +to be their aunt, who had gone away to another part of the country +shortly after their birth; she had been searching after them for a +long time, and was now glad to find them in the king's city near the +palace. She greatly admired the beauty of the girl, and said to her, +"My dear child, you are so beautiful, you require the kataki [40] +flower properly to set off your beauty. You should tell your brother to +plant a row of that flower in this courtyard." "What flower is that, +auntie? I never saw it." "How could you have seen it, my child? It +is not found here; it grows on the other side of the ocean, guarded +by seven hundred Rakshasas." "How, then," said the girl, "will my +brother get it?" "He may try to get it, if you speak to him," replied +the woman. The woman made this proposal in the hope that the boy with +the moon on his forehead would perish in the attempt to get the flower. + +When the youth with the moon on his forehead returned from hunting, +his sister told him of the visit paid to her by their aunt, and +requested him, if possible, to get for her the kataki flower. He was +sceptical about the existence of any aunt of theirs in the world, +but he was resolved that, to please his beloved sister, he would get +the flower on which she had set her heart. Next morning, accordingly, +he started on his journey, after bidding his sister not to stir +out of the house till his return. He rode on his fleet steed, which +was of the pakshiraj [41] tribe, and soon reached the outskirts of +what seemed to him dense forests of interminable length. He descried +some Rakshasas prowling about. He went to some distance, shot with +his arrows some deer and rhinoceroses in the neighbouring thickets, +and, approaching the place where the Rakshasas were prowling about, +called out, "O auntie dear, O auntie dear, your nephew is here." A +huge Rakshasi came towards him and said, "O, you are the youth with +the moon on your forehead and stars on the palms of your hands. We +were all expecting you, but as you have called me aunt, I will +not eat you up. What is it you want? Have you brought any eatables +for me?" The youth gave her the deer and rhinoceroses which he had +killed. Her mouth watered at the sight of the dead animals, and she +began eating them. After swallowing down all the carcases, she said, +"Well, what do you want?" The youth said, "I want some kataki flowers +for my sister." She then told him that it would be difficult for +him to get the flower, as it was guarded by seven hundred Rakshasas; +however, he might make the attempt, but in the first instance he must +go to his uncle on the north side of that forest. While the youth +was going to his uncle of the north, on the way he killed some deer +and rhinoceroses, and seeing a gigantic Rakshasa at some distance, +cried out, "Uncle dear, uncle dear, your nephew is here. Auntie has +sent me to you." The Rakshasa came near and said, "You are the youth +with the moon on your forehead and stars on the palms of your hands; +I would have swallowed you outright, had you not called me uncle, and +had you not said that your aunt had sent you to me. Now, what is it you +want?" The savoury deer and rhinoceroses were then presented to him; +he ate them all, and then listened to the petition of the youth. The +youth wanted the kataki flower. The Rakshasa said, "You want the kataki +flower! Very well, try and get it if you can. After passing through +this forest, you will come to an impenetrable forest of kachiri. [42] +You will say to that forest, 'O mother kachiri! please make way for +me, or else I die.' On that the forest will open up a passage for +you. You will next come to the ocean. You will say to the ocean, +'O mother ocean! please make way for me, or else I die,' and the +ocean will make way for you. After crossing the ocean, you enter the +gardens where the kataki blooms. Good-bye; do as I have told you." The +youth thanked his Rakshasa-uncle, and went on his way. After he had +passed through the forest, he saw before him an impenetrable forest +of kachiri. It was so close and thick, and withal so bristling with +thorns, that not a mouse could go through it. Remembering the advice +of his uncle, he stood before the forest with folded hands, and said, +"O mother kachiri! please make way for me, or else I die." On a sudden +a clean path was opened up in the forest, and the youth gladly passed +through it. The ocean now lay before him. He said to the ocean, "O +mother ocean! make way for me, or else I die." Forthwith the waters +of the ocean stood up on two sides like two walls, leaving an open +passage between them, and the youth passed through dryshod. + +Now, right before him were the gardens of the kataki flower. He entered +the inclosure, and found himself in a spacious palace which seemed to +be unoccupied. On going from apartment to apartment he found a young +lady of more than earthly beauty sleeping on a bedstead of gold. He +went near, and noticed two little sticks, one of gold and the other of +silver, lying in the bedstead. The silver stick lay near the feet of +the sleeping beauty, and the golden one near the head. He took up the +sticks in his hands, and as he was examining them, the golden stick +accidentally fell upon the feet of the lady. In a moment the lady +woke and sat up, and said to the youth, "Stranger, how have you come +to this dismal place? I know who you are, and I know your history. You +are the youth with the moon on your forehead and stars on the palms of +your hands. Flee, flee from this place! This is the residence of seven +hundred Rakshasas who guard the gardens of the kataki flower. They +have all gone a-hunting; they will return by sundown; and if they +find you here you will be eaten up. One Rakshasi brought me from the +earth where my father is king. She loves me very dearly, and will not +let me go away. By means of these gold and silver sticks she kills +me when she goes away in the morning, and by means of those sticks +she revives me when she returns in the evening. Flee, flee hence, or +you die!" The youth told the young lady how his sister wished very +much to have the kataki flower, how he passed through the forest +of kachiri, and how he crossed the ocean. He said also that he was +determined not to go alone, he must take the young lady along with +him. The remaining part of the day they spent together in rambling +about the gardens. As the time was drawing near when the Rakshasas +should return, the youth buried himself amid an enormous heap of +kataki flower which lay in an adjoining apartment, after killing the +young lady by touching her head with the golden stick. Just after +sunset the youth heard the sound as of a mighty tempest: it was the +return of the seven hundred Rakshasas into the gardens. One of them +entered the apartment of the young lady, revived her, and said, "I +smell a human being, I smell a human being." The young lady replied, +"How can a human being come to this place? I am the only human being +here." The Rakshasi then stretched herself on the floor, and told the +young lady to shampoo her legs. As she was going on shampooing, she +let fall a tear-drop on the Rakshasi's leg. "Why are you weeping, +my dear child?" asked the raw-eater; "why are you weeping? Is +anything troubling you?" "No, mamma," answered the young lady, +"nothing is troubling me. What can trouble me, when you have made +me so comfortable? I was only thinking what will become of me when +you die." "When I die, child?" said the Rakshasi; "shall I die? Yes, +of course all creatures die; but the death of a Rakshasa or Rakshasi +will never happen. You know, child, that deep tank in the middle part +of these gardens. Well, at the bottom of that tank there is a wooden +box, in which there are a male and a female bee. It is ordained by +fate that if a human being who has the moon on his forehead and stars +on the palms of his hands were to come here and dive into that tank, +and get hold of the same wooden box, and crush to death the male and +female bees without letting a drop of their blood fall to the ground, +then we should die. But the accomplishment of this decree of fate is, +I think, impossible. For, in the first place, there can be no such +human being who will have the moon on his forehead and stars on the +palms of his hands; and, in the second place, if there be such a man, +he will find it impossible to come to this place, guarded as it is +by seven hundred of us, encompassed by a deep ocean, and barricaded +by an impervious forest of kachiri--not to speak of the outposts and +sentinels that are stationed on the other side of the forest. And then, +even if he succeeds in coming here, he will perhaps not know the secret +of the wooden box; and even if he knows of the secret of the wooden +box, he may not succeed in killing the bees without letting a drop of +their blood fall on the ground. And woe be to him if a drop does fall +on the ground, for in that case he will be torn up into seven hundred +pieces by us. You see then, child, that we are almost immortal--not +actually, but virtually so. You may, therefore, dismiss your fears." + +On the next morning the Rakshasi got up, killed the young lady by +means of the sticks, and went away in search of food along with other +Rakshasas and Rakshasis. The lad, who had the moon on his forehead +and stars on the palms of his hands, came out of the heap of flowers +and revived the young lady. The young lady recited to the young man +the whole of the conversation she had had with the Rakshasi. It was a +perfect revelation to him. He, however, lost no time in beginning to +act. He shut the heavy gates of the gardens. He dived into the tank +and brought up the wooden box. He opened the wooden box, and caught +hold of the male and female bees as they were about to escape. He +crushed them on the palms of his hands, besmearing his body with every +drop of their blood. The moment this was done, loud cries and groans +were heard around about the inclosure of the gardens. Agreeably to +the decree of fate all the Rakshasas approached the gardens and fell +down dead. The youth with the moon on his forehead took as many kataki +flowers as he could, together with their seeds, and left the palace, +around which were lying in mountain heaps the carcases of the mighty +dead, in company with the young and beautiful lady. The waters of +the ocean retreated before the youth as before, and the forest of +kachiri also opened up a passage through it; and the happy couple +reached the house in the bazaar, where they were welcomed by the +sister of the youth who had the moon on his forehead. + +On the following morning the youth, as usual, went to hunt. The king +was also there. A deer passed by, and the youth shot an arrow. As +he shot, the turban as usual fell off his head, and a bright light +issued from it. The king saw and wondered. He told the youth to stop, +as he wished to contract friendship with him. The youth told him to +come to his house, and gave him his address. The king went to the +house of the youth in the middle of the day. Pushpavati--for that +was the name of the young lady that had been brought from beyond the +ocean--told the king--for she knew the whole history--how his seventh +queen had been persuaded by the other six queens to ring the bell +twice before her time, how she was delivered of a beautiful boy and +girl, how pups were substituted in their room, how the twins were +saved in a miraculous manner in the house of the potter, how they +were well treated in the bazaar, and how the youth with the moon on +his forehead rescued her from the clutches of the Rakshasas. The king, +mightily incensed with the six queens, had them, on the following day, +buried alive in the ground. The seventh queen was then brought from +the market-place and reinstated in her position; and the youth with +the moon on his forehead, and the lovely Pushpavati and their sister, +lived happily together. + + + Here my story endeth, + The Natiya-thorn withereth, etc. + + + + + + + +XX + +THE GHOST WHO WAS AFRAID OF BEING BAGGED + + +Once on a time there lived a barber who had a wife. They did not live +happily together, as the wife always complained that she had not enough +to eat. Many were the curtain lectures which were inflicted upon the +poor barber. The wife used often to say to her mate, "If you had not +the means to support a wife, why did you marry me? People who have not +means ought not to indulge in the luxury of a wife. When I was in my +father's house I had plenty to eat, but it seems that I have come to +your house to fast. Widows only fast; I have become a widow in your +life-time." She was not content with mere words; she got very angry +one day and struck her husband with the broomstick of the house. Stung +with shame, and abhorring himself on account of his wife's reproach +and beating, he left his house, with the implements of his craft, +and vowed never to return and see his wife's face again till he had +become rich. He went from village to village, and towards nightfall +came to the outskirts of a forest. He laid himself down at the foot +of a tree, and spent many a sad hour in bemoaning his hard lot. + +It so chanced that the tree, at the foot of which the barber was +lying down, was dwelt in by a ghost. The ghost seeing a human being +at the foot of the tree naturally thought of destroying him. With +this intention the ghost alighted from the tree, and, with outspread +arms and a gaping mouth, stood like a tall palmyra tree before the +barber, and said, "Now, barber, I am going to destroy you. Who will +protect you?" The barber, though quaking in every limb through fear, +and his hair standing erect, did not lose his presence of mind, but, +with that promptitude and shrewdness which are characteristic of his +fraternity, replied, "O spirit, you will destroy me! wait a bit and +I'll show you how many ghosts I have captured this very night and +put into my bag; and right glad am I to find you here, as I shall +have one more ghost in my bag." So saying the barber produced from +his bag a small looking-glass, which he always carried about with him +along with his razors, his whet-stone, his strop and other utensils, +to enable his customers to see whether their beards had been well +shaved or not. He stood up, placed the looking-glass right against +the face of the ghost, and said, "Here you see one ghost which I have +seized and bagged; I am going to put you also in the bag to keep this +ghost company." The ghost, seeing his own face in the looking-glass, +was convinced of the truth of what the barber had said, and was filled +with fear. He said to the barber, "O, sir barber, I'll do whatever +you bid me, only do not put me into your bag. I'll give you whatever +you want." The barber said, "You ghosts are a faithless set, there is +no trusting you. You will promise, and not give what you promise." "O, +sir," replied the ghost, "be merciful to me; I'll bring to you whatever +you order; and if I do not bring it, then put me into your bag." "Very +well," said the barber, "bring me just now one thousand gold mohurs; +and by to-morrow night you must raise a granary in my house, and fill +it with paddy. Go and get the gold mohurs immediately: and if you +fail to do my bidding you will certainly be put into my bag." The +ghost gladly consented to the conditions. He went away, and in the +course of a short time returned with a bag containing a thousand gold +mohurs. The barber was delighted beyond measure at the sight of the +gold mohurs. He then told the ghost to see to it that by the following +night a granary was erected in his house and filled with paddy. + +It was during the small hours of the morning that the barber, loaded +with the heavy treasure, knocked at the door of his house. His wife, +who reproached herself for having in a fit of rage struck her husband +with a broomstick, got out of bed and unbolted the door. Her surprise +was great when she saw her husband pour out of the bag a glittering +heap of gold mohurs. + +The next night the poor devil, through fear of being bagged, raised +a large granary in the barber's house, and spent the live-long night +in carrying on his back large packages of paddy till the granary was +filled up to the brim. The uncle of this terrified ghost, seeing his +worthy nephew carrying on his back loads of paddy, asked what the +matter was. The ghost related what had happened. The uncle-ghost then +said, "You fool, you think the barber can bag you! The barber is a +cunning fellow; he has cheated you, like a simpleton as you are." "You +doubt," said the nephew-ghost, "the power of the barber! come and +see." The uncle-ghost then went to the barber's house, and peeped +into it through a window. The barber, perceiving from the blast of +wind which the arrival of the ghost had produced that a ghost was at +the window, placed full before it the self-same looking-glass, saying, +"Come now, I'll put you also into the bag." The uncle-ghost, seeing his +own face in the looking-glass, got quite frightened, and promised that +very night to raise another granary and to fill it, not this time with +paddy, but with rice. So in two nights the barber became a rich man, +and lived happily with his wife begetting sons and daughters. + + + Here my story endeth, + The Natiya-thorn withereth, etc. + + + + + + + +XXI + +THE FIELD OF BONES + + +Once on a time there lived a king who had a son. The young prince had +three friends, the son of the prime minister, the son of the prefect +of the police, and the son of the richest merchant of the city. These +four friends had great love for one another. Once on a time they +bethought themselves of seeing distant lands. They accordingly set +out one day, each one riding on a horse. They rode on and on, till +about noon they came to the outskirts of what seemed to be a dense +forest. There they rested a while, tying to the trees their horses, +which began to browse. When they had refreshed themselves, they again +mounted their horses and resumed their journey. At sunset they saw in +the depths of the forest a temple, near which they dismounted, wishing +to lodge there that night. Inside the temple there was a sannyasi, +[43] apparently absorbed in meditation, as he did not notice the four +friends. When darkness covered the forest, a light was seen inside +the temple. The four friends resolved to pass the night on the balcony +of the temple; and as the forest was infested with many wild beasts, +they deemed it safe that each of them should watch one prahara [44] +of the night, while the rest should sleep. It fell to the lot of the +merchant's son to watch during the first prahara, that is to say, +from six in the evening to nine o'clock at night. Towards the end of +his watch the merchant's son saw a wonderful sight. The hermit took +up a bone with his hand, and repeated over it some words which the +merchant's son distinctly heard. The moment the words were uttered, +a clattering sound was heard in the precincts of the temple, and +the merchant's son saw many bones moving from different parts of the +forest. The bones collected themselves inside the temple, at the foot +of the hermit, and lay there in a heap. As soon as this took place, +the watch of the merchant's son came to an end; and, rousing the son +of the prefect of the police, he laid himself down to sleep. + +The prefect's son, when he began his watch, saw the hermit sitting +cross-legged, wrapped in meditation, near a heap of bones, the +history of which he, of course, did not know. For a long time nothing +happened. The dead stillness of the night was broken only by the howl +of the hyaena and the wolf, and the growl of the tiger. When his time +was nearly up he saw a wonderful sight. The hermit looked at the heap +of bones lying before him, and uttered some words which the prefect's +son distinctly heard. No sooner had the words been uttered than a +noise was heard among the bones, "and behold a shaking, and the bones +came together, bone to its bone"; and the bones which were erewhile +lying together in a heap now took the form of a skeleton. Struck with +wonder, the prefect's son would have watched longer, but his time +was over. He therefore laid himself down to sleep, after rousing the +minister's son, to whom, however, he told nothing of what he had seen, +as the merchant's son had not told him anything of what he had seen. + +The minister's son got up, rubbed his eyes, and began watching. It +was the dead hour of midnight, when ghosts, hobgoblins, and spirits of +every name and description, go roaming over the wide world, and when +all creation, both animate and inanimate, is in deep repose. Even +the howl of the wolf and the hyaena and the growl of the tiger had +ceased. The minister's son looked towards the temple, and saw the +hermit sitting wrapt up in meditation; and near him lying something +which seemed to be the skeleton of some animal. He looked towards +the dense forest and the darkness all around, and his hair stood +on end through terror. In this state of fear and trembling he spent +nearly three hours, when an uncommon sight in the temple attracted +his notice. The hermit, looking at the skeleton before him, uttered +some words which the minister's son distinctly heard. As soon as +the words were uttered, "lo, the sinews and the flesh came up upon +the bones, and the skin covered them above"; but there was no breath +in the skeleton. Astonished at the sight, the minister's son would +have sat up longer, but his time was up. He therefore laid himself +down to sleep, after having roused the king's son, to whom, however, +he said nothing of what he had seen and heard. + +The king's son, when he began his watch, saw the hermit sitting, +completely absorbed in devotion, near a figure which looked like +some animal, but he was not a little surprised to see the animal +lying apparently lifeless, without showing any of the symptoms of +life. The prince spent his hours agreeably enough, especially as he +had had a long sleep, and as he felt none of that depression which +the dead hour of midnight sheds on the spirits; and he amused himself +with marking how the shades of darkness were becoming thinner and +paler every moment. But just as he noticed a red streak in the east, +he heard a sound from inside the temple. He turned his eyes towards +the hermit. The hermit, looking towards the inanimate figure of the +animal lying before him, uttered some words which the prince distinctly +heard. The moment the words were spoken, "breath came into the animal; +it lived, it stood up upon its feet"; and quickly rushed out of the +temple into the forest. That moment the crows cawed; the watch of the +prince came to an end; his three companions were roused; and after +a short time they mounted their horses, and resumed their journey, +each one thinking of the strange sight seen in the temple. + +They rode on and on through the dense and interminable forest, and +hardly spoke to one another, till about mid-day they halted under a +tree near a pool for refreshment. After they had refreshed themselves +with eating some fruits of the forest and drinking water from the +pool, the prince said to his three companions, "Friends, did you not +see something in the temple of the devotee? I'll tell you what I saw, +but first let me hear what you all saw. Let the merchant's son first +tell us what he saw as he had the first watch; and the others will +follow in order." + +Merchant's son. I'll tell you what I saw. I saw the hermit take up +a bone in his hand, and repeat some words which I well remember. The +moment those words were uttered, a clattering sound was heard in the +precincts of the temple, and I saw many bones running into the temple +from different directions. The bones collected themselves together +inside the temple at the feet of the hermit, and lay there in a heap. I +would have gladly remained longer to see the end, but my time was up, +and I had to rouse my friend, the son of the prefect of the police. + +Prefect's son. Friends, this is what I saw. The hermit looked at +the heap of bones lying before him, and uttered some words which +I well remember. No sooner had the words been uttered than I heard +a noise among the bones, and, strange to say, the bones jumped up, +each bone joined itself to its fellow, and the heap became a perfect +skeleton. At that moment my watch came to an end, and I had to rouse +my respected friend the minister's son. + +Minister's son. Well, when I began my watch I saw the said skeleton +lying near the hermit. After three mortal hours, during which I was +in great fear, I saw the hermit lift his eyes towards the skeleton +and utter some words which I well remember. As soon as the words were +uttered the skeleton was covered with flesh and hair, but it did not +show any symptom of life, as it lay motionless. Just then my watch +ended, and I had to rouse my royal friend the prince. + +King's son. Friends, from what you yourselves saw, you can guess what +I saw. I saw the hermit turn towards the skeleton covered with skin and +hair, and repeat some words which I well remember. The moment the words +were uttered, the skeleton stood up on its feet, and it looked a fine +and lusty deer, and while I was admiring its beauty, it skipped out +of the temple, and ran into the forest. That moment the crows cawed. + +The four friends, after hearing one another's story, congratulated +themselves on the possession of supernatural power, and they did not +doubt but that if they pronounced the words which they had heard the +hermit utter, the utterance would be followed by the same results. But +they resolved to verify their power by an actual experiment. Near +the foot of the tree they found a bone lying on the ground, and they +accordingly resolved to experiment upon it. The merchant's son took +up the bone, and repeated over it the formula he had heard from +the hermit. Wonderful to relate, a hundred bones immediately came +rushing from different directions, and lay in a heap at the foot of +the tree. The son of the prefect of the police then looking upon the +heap of bones, repeated the formula which he had heard from the hermit, +and forthwith there was a shaking among the bones; the several bones +joined themselves together, and formed themselves into a skeleton, and +it was the skeleton of a quadruped. The minister's son then drew near +the skeleton, and, looking intently upon it, pronounced over it the +formula which he had heard from the hermit. The skeleton immediately +was covered with flesh, skin, and hair, and, horrible to relate, +the animal proved itself to be a royal tiger of the largest size. The +four friends were filled with consternation. If the king's son were, +by the repetition of the formula he had heard from the hermit, to make +the beast alive, it might prove fatal to them all. The three friends, +therefore, tried to dissuade the prince from giving life to the +tiger. But the prince would not comply with the request. He naturally +said, "The mantras [45] which you have learned have been proved true +and efficacious. But how shall I know that the mantra which I have +learned is equally efficacious? I must have my mantra verified. Nor +is it certain that we shall lose our lives by the experiment. Here +is this high tree. You can climb into its topmost branches, and +I shall also follow you thither after pronouncing the mantra." In +vain did the three friends dwell upon the extreme danger attending +the experiment: the prince remained inexorable. The minister's son, +the prefect's son, and the merchant's son climbed up into the topmost +branches of the tree, while the king's son went up to the middle of +the tree. From there, looking intently upon the lifeless tiger, he +pronounced the words which he had learned from the hermit, and quickly +ran up the tree. In the twinkling of an eye the tiger stood upright, +gave out a terrible growl, with a tremendous spring killed all the +four horses which were browsing at a little distance, and, dragging +one of them, rushed towards the densest part of the forest. The four +friends ensconced on the branches of the tree were almost petrified +with fear at the sight of the terrible tiger; but the danger was now +over. The tiger went off at a great distance from them, and from its +growl they judged that it must be at least two miles distance from +them. After a little they came down from the tree; and as they now had +no horses on which to ride, they walked on foot through the forest, +till, coming to its end, they reached the shore of the sea. They sat +on the sea-shore hoping to see some ship sailing by. They had not sat +long, when fortunately they descried a vessel in the offing. They +waved their handkerchiefs, and made all sorts of signs to attract +the notice of the people on board the ship. The captain and the crew +noticed the men on the shore. They came towards the shore, took the +men upon board, but added that as they were short of provisions they +could not have them a long time on board, but would put them ashore +at the first port they came to. After four or five days' voyage, they +saw not far from the shore high buildings and turrets, and supposing +the place to be a large city, the four friends landed there. + +The four friends, immediately after landing, walked along a long avenue +of stately trees, at the end of which was a bazaar. There were hundreds +of shops in the bazaar, but not a single human being in them. There +were sweetmeat shops in which there were heaps of confectioneries +ranged in regular rows, but no human beings to sell them. There was +the blacksmith's shop, there was the anvil, there were the bellows +and the other tools of the smithy, but there was no smith there. There +were stalls in which there were heaps of faded and dried vegetables, +but no men or women to sell them. The streets were all deserted, no +human beings, no cattle were to be seen there. There were carts, but no +bullocks; there were carriages, but no horses. The doors and windows +of the houses of the city on both sides of the streets were all open, +but no human being was visible in them. It seemed to be a deserted +city. It seemed to be a city of the dead--and all the dead taken out +and buried. The four friends were astonished--they were frightened +at the sight. As they went on, they approached a magnificent pile of +buildings, which seemed to be the palace of a king. They went to the +gate and to the porter's lodge. They saw shields, swords, spears, and +other weapons suspended in the lodge, but no porters. They entered the +premises, but saw no guards, no human beings. They went to the stables, +saw the troughs, grain, and grass lying about in profusion, but no +horses. They went inside the palace, passed the long corridors--still +no human being was visible. They went through six long courts--still +no human being. They entered the seventh court, and there and then, +for the first time, did they see living human beings. They saw +coming towards them four princesses of matchless beauty. Each of +these four princesses caught hold of the arm of each of the four +friends; and each princess called each man whom she had caught hold +of her husband. The princesses said that they had been long waiting +for the four friends, and expressed great joy at their arrival. The +princesses took the four friends into the innermost apartments, and +gave them a sumptuous feast. There were no servants attending them, +the princesses themselves bringing in the provisions and setting +them before the four friends. At the outset the four princesses +told the four friends that no questions were to be asked about the +depopulation of the city. After this, each princess went into her +private apartment along with her newly-found husband. Shortly after +the prince and princess had retired into their private apartment, +the princess began to shed tears. On the prince inquiring into the +cause, the princess said, "O prince! I pity you very much. You seem, +by your bearing, to be the son of a king, and you have, no doubt, +the heart of a king's son; I will therefore tell you my whole story, +and the story of my three companions who look like princesses. I am the +daughter of a king, whose palace this is, and those three creatures, +who are dressed like princesses, and who have called your three friends +their husbands, are Rakshasis. They came to this city some time ago; +they ate up my father, the king, my mother, the queen, my brothers, +my sisters, of whom I had a large number. They ate up the king's +ministers and servants. They ate up gradually all the people of the +city, all my father's horses and elephants, and all the cattle of the +city. You must have noticed, as you came to the palace, that there +are no human beings, no cattle, no living thing in this city. They +have all been eaten up by those three Rakshasis. They have spared me +alone--and that, I suppose, only for a time. When the Rakshasis saw +you and your friends from a distance, they were very glad, as they +mean to eat you all up after a short time." + +King's son. But if this is the case, how do I know that you are not +a Rakshasi yourself? Perhaps you mean to swallow me up by throwing +me off my guard. + +Princess. I'll mention one fact which proves that those three creatures +are Rakshasis, while I am not. Rakshasis, you know, eat food a hundred +times larger in quantity than men or women. What the Rakshasis eat at +table along with us is not sufficient to appease their hunger. They +therefore go out at night to distant lands in search of men or cattle, +as there are none in this city. If you ask your friends to watch and +see whether their wives remain all night in their beds, they will find +they go out and stay away a good part of the night, whereas you will +find me the whole night with you. But please see that the Rakshasis do +not get the slightest inkling of all this; for if they hear of it, they +will kill me in the first instance, and afterwards swallow you all up. + +The next day the king's son called together the minister's son, +the prefect's son, and the merchant's son, and held a consultation, +enjoining the strictest secrecy on all. He told them what he had heard +from the princess, and requested them to lie awake in their beds to +watch whether their pretended princesses went out at night or not. One +presumptive argument in favour of the assertion of the princess was +that all the pretended princesses were fast asleep during the whole of +the day in consequence of their nightly wanderings, whereas the female +friend of the king's son did not sleep at all during the day. The +three friends accordingly lay in their beds at night pretending to +be asleep and manifesting all the symptoms of deep sleep. Each one +observed that his female friend at a certain hour, thinking her mate +to be in deep sleep, left the room, stayed away the whole night, +and returned to her bed only at dawn. During the following day each +female friend slept out nearly the whole day, and woke up only in the +afternoon. For two nights and days the three friends observed this. The +king's son also remained awake at night pretending to be asleep, but +the princess was not observed for a single moment to leave the room, +nor was she observed to sleep in the day. From these circumstances +the friends of the king's son began to suspect that their partners +were really Rakshasis as the princess said they were. + +By way of confirmation the princess also told the king's son, that the +Rakshasis, after eating the flesh of men and animals, threw the bones +towards the north of the city, where there was an immense collection +of them. The king's son and his three friends went one day towards +that part of the city, and sure enough they saw there immense heaps +of the bones of men and animals piled up into hills. From this they +became more and more convinced that the three women were Rakshasis +in deed and truth. + +The question now was how to run away from these devourers of men +and animals? There was one circumstance greatly in favour of the +four friends, and that was, that the three Rakshasis slept during +nearly the whole day; they had therefore the greater part of the +day for the maturing of their plans. The princess advised them to go +towards the sea-shore, and watch if any ships sailed that way. The +four friends accordingly used to go to the sea-shore looking for +ships. They were always accompanied by the princess, who took the +precaution of carrying with her in a bundle her most valuable jewels, +pearls and precious stones. It happened one day that they saw a ship +passing at a great distance from the shore. They made signs which +attracted the notice of the captain and crew. The ship came towards +the land, and the four friends and princess were, after much entreaty, +taken up. The princess exhorted the crew to row with all their might, +for which she promised them a handsome reward; for she knew that the +Rakshasis would awake in the afternoon, and immediately come after the +ship; and they would assuredly catch hold of the vessel and destroy +all the crew and passengers if it stood short of eighty miles from +land, for the Rakshasis had the power of distending their bodies to +the length of ten Yojanas. [46] The four friends and the princess +cheered on the crew, and the oarsmen rowed with all their might; and +the ship, favoured by the wind, shot over the deep like lightning. It +was near sun-down when a terrible yell was heard on the shore. The +Rakshasis had wakened from their sleep, and not finding either the +four friends or the princess, naturally thought they had got hold +of a ship and were escaping. They therefore ran along the shore with +lightning rapidity, and seeing the ship afar off they distended their +bodies. But fortunately the vessel was more than eighty miles off +land, though only a trifle more: indeed, the ship was so dangerously +near that the heads of the Rakshasis with their widely-distended +jaws almost touched its stern. The words which the Rakshasis uttered +in the hearing of the crew and passengers were--"O sister, so you +are going to eat them all yourself alone." The minister's son, the +prefect's son, and the merchant's son had all along a suspicion that +the pretended princess, the prince's partner, might after all also +be a Rakshasi; that suspicion was now confirmed by what they heard +the three Rakshasis say. Those words, however, produced no effect in +the mind of the king's son, as from his intimate acquaintance with +the princess he could not possibly take her to be a Rakshasi. + +The captain told the four friends and princess that as he was bound +for distant regions in search of gold mines, he could not take +them along with him; he, therefore, proposed that on the next day +he should put them ashore near some port, especially as they were +now safe from the clutches of the Rakshasis. On the following day +no port was visible for a long time; towards the evening, however, +they came near a port where the four friends and the princess were +landed. After walking some distance, the princess, who had never been +accustomed to take long walks, complained of fatigue and hunger; they +all therefore sat under a tree, and the king's son sent the merchant's +son to buy some sweetmeats in the bazaar which they heard was not far +off. The merchant's son did not return, as he was fully persuaded in +his mind that the king's son's partner was as real a Rakshasi as the +three others from whose clutches he had escaped. Seeing the delay of +the merchant's son, the king's son sent the prefect's son after him; +but neither did he return, he being also convinced that the pretended +princess was a Rakshasi. The minister's son was next sent; but he also +joined the other two. The king's son then himself went to the shop +of the sweetmeat seller where he met his three friends, who made him +remain with them by main force, earnestly declaring that the woman +was no princess, but a real Rakshasi like the other three. Thus the +princess was deserted by the four friends who returned to their own +country, full of the adventures they had met with. + +In the meantime the princess walked to the bazaar and found shelter +for a few days in the house of a poor woman, after which she set +out for the city of the four friends, the name and whereabouts of +which city she had learnt from the king's son. On arriving at the +city, she sold some of her costly ornaments, pearls and precious +stones, and hired a stately house for her residence with a suitable +establishment. She caused herself to be proclaimed as a heaven-born +dice-player, and challenged all the players in the city to play, the +conditions of the game being that if she lost it she would give the +winner a lakh [47] of rupees, and if she won it she should get a lakh +from him who lost the game. She also got authority from the king of +the country to imprison in her own house any one who could not pay her +the stipulated sum of money. The merchant's son, the prefect's son, +and the minister's son, who all looked upon themselves as miraculous +players, played with the princess, paid her many lakhs, but being +unable to pay her all the sums they owed her, were imprisoned in her +house. At last the king's son offered to play with her. The princess +purposely allowed him to win the first game, which emboldened him to +play many times, in all of which he was the loser; and being unable to +pay the many lakhs owing her, the prince was about to be dragged into +the dungeon, when the princess told him who she was. The merchant's +son, the prefect's son, and the minister's son were brought out of +their cells; and the joy of the four friends knew no bounds. The +king and the queen received their daughter-in-law with open arms, +and with demonstrations of great festivity. + +Every one in the palace was glad except the princess. She could not +forget that her parents, her brothers and sisters had been devoured +by the Rakshasis, and that their bones, along with the bones of her +father's subjects, stood in mountain heaps on the north side of the +capital. The prince had told her that he and his three friends had +the power of giving life to bones. They could then reconstruct the +frames of her parents and other relatives; but the difficulty lay +in this--how to kill the three Rakshasis. Could not the hermit, who +taught them to give life, not teach also how to take away life? In all +likelihood he could. Reasoning in this manner, the four friends and +the princess went to the temple of the hermit in the forest, prayed +to him to give them the secret of destroying life from a distance by a +charm. The hermit became propitious, and granted the boon. A deer was +passing by at the moment. The hermit took a handful of water, repeated +over it some words which the king's son distinctly heard, and threw +it upon the deer. The deer died in a moment. He repeated other words +over the dead animal, the deer jumped up and ran away into the forest. + +Armed with this killing charm, the king's son, together with +the princess and the three friends, went to his father-in-law's +capital. As they approached the city of death, the three Rakshasis +ran furiously towards them with open jaws. The king's son spilled +charmed water upon them, and they died in an instant. They all then +went to the heaps of bones. The merchant's son brought together the +proper bones of the bodies, the prefect's son constructed them into +skeletons, the minister's son clothed them with sinews, flesh, and +skin, and the king's son gave them life. The princess was entranced +at the sight of the re-animation of her parents and other relatives, +and her eyes were filled with tears of joy. After a few days which +they spent in great festivity, they left the revivified city, went +to their own country, and lived many years in great happiness. + + + Here my story endeth, + The Natiya-thorn withereth, etc. + + + + + + + +XXII + +THE BALD WIFE + + +A certain man had two wives, the younger of whom he loved more than +the elder. The younger wife had two tufts of hair on her head, and +the elder only one. The man went to a distant town for merchandise; +so the two wives lived together in the house. But they hated each +other: the younger one, who was her husband's favourite, ill-treated +the other. She made her do all the menial work in the house; rebuked +her all day and night; and did not give her enough to eat. One day +the younger wife said to the elder, "Come and take away all the lice +from the hair of my head." While the elder wife was searching among the +younger one's hair for the vermin, one lock of hair by chance gave way; +on which the younger one, mightily incensed, tore off the single tuft +that was on the head of the elder wife, and drove her away from the +house. The elder wife, now become completely bald, determined to go +into the forest, and there either die of starvation or be devoured by +some wild beast. On her way she passed by a cotton plant. She stopped +near it, made for herself a broom with some sticks which lay about, +and swept clean the ground round about the plant. The plant was much +pleased, and gave her a blessing. She wended on her way, and now saw +a plantain tree. She swept the ground round about the plantain tree +which, being pleased with her, gave her a blessing. As she went on +she saw the shed of a Brahmani bull. As the shed was very dirty, +she swept the place clean, on which the bull, being much pleased, +blessed her. She next saw a tulasi plant, bowed herself down before +it, and cleaned the place round about, on which the plant gave her +a blessing. As she was going on in her journey she saw a hut made of +branches of trees and leaves, and near it a man sitting cross-legged, +apparently absorbed in meditation. She stood for a moment behind +the venerable muni. "Whoever you may be," he said, "come before me; +do not stand behind me; if you do, I will reduce you to ashes." The +woman, trembling with fear, stood before the muni. "What is your +petition?" asked the muni. "Father Muni," answered the woman, "thou +knowest how miserable I am, since thou art all-knowing. My husband +does not love me, and his other wife, having torn off the only tuft +of hair on my head, has driven me away from the house. Have pity +upon me, Father Muni!" The muni, continuing sitting, said, "Go into +the tank which you see yonder. Plunge into the water only once, and +then come to me again." The woman went to the tank, washed in it, +and plunged into the water only once, according to the bidding of +the muni. When she got out of the water, what a change was seen in +her! Her head was full of jet black hair, which was so long that it +touched her heels; her complexion had become perfectly fair; and she +looked young and beautiful. Filled with joy and gratitude, she went +to the muni, and bowed herself to the ground. The muni said to her, +"Rise, woman. Go inside the hut, and you will find a number of wicker +baskets, and bring out any you like." The woman went into the hut, +and selected a modest-looking basket. The muni said, "Open the +basket." She opened it, and found it filled with ingots of gold, +pearls and all sorts of precious stones. The muni said, "Woman, +take that basket with you. It will never get empty. When you take +away the present contents their room will be supplied by another set, +and that by another, and that by another, and the basket will never +become empty. Daughter, go in peace." The woman bowed herself down +to the ground in profound but silent gratitude, and went away. + +As she was returning homewards with the basket in her hand, she passed +by the tulasi plant whose bottom she had swept. The tulasi plant said +to her, "Go in peace, child! thy husband will love thee warmly." She +next came to the shed of the Brahmani bull, who gave her two shell +ornaments which were twined round its horns, saying, "Daughter, take +these shells, put them on your wrists, and whenever you shake either +of them you will get whatever ornaments you wish to obtain." She then +came to the plantain tree, which gave her one of its broad leaves, +saying, "Take, child, this leaf; and when you move it you will get +not only all sorts of delicious plantains, but all kinds of agreeable +food." She came last of all to the cotton plant, which gave her one +of its own branches, saying, "Daughter, take this branch; and when +you shake it you will get not only all sorts of cotton clothes, but +also of silk and purple. Shake it now in my presence." She shook the +branch, and a fabric of the finest glossy silk fell on her lap. She +put on that silk cloth, and wended on her way with the shells on her +wrists, and the basket and the branch and the leaf in her hands. + +The younger wife was standing at the door of her house, when she +saw a beautiful woman approach her. She could scarcely believe her +eyes. What a change! The old, bald hag turned into the very Queen +of Beauty herself! The elder wife, now grown rich and beautiful, +treated the younger wife with kindness. She gave her fine clothes, +costly ornaments, and the richest viands. But all to no purpose. The +younger wife envied the beauty and hair of her associate. Having heard +that she got it all from Father Muni in the forest, she determined to +go there. Accordingly she started on her journey. She saw the cotton +plant, but did nothing to it; she passed by the plantain tree, the +shed of the Brahmani bull, and the tulasi plant, without taking any +notice of them. She approached the muni. The muni told her to bathe in +the tank, and plunge only once into the water. She gave one plunge, +at which she got a glorious head of hair and a beautifully fair +complexion. She thought a second plunge would make her still more +beautiful. Accordingly she plunged into the water again, and came +out as bald and ugly as before. She came to the muni, and wept. The +sage drove her away, saying, "Be off, you disobedient woman. You will +get no boon from me." She went back to her house mad with grief. The +lord of the two women returned from his travels and was struck with +the long locks and beauty of his first wife. He loved her dearly; +and when he saw her secret and untold resources and her incredible +wealth, he almost adored her. They lived together happily for many +years, and had for their maid-servant the younger woman, who had been +formerly his best beloved. + + + + Here my story endeth, + The Natiya-thorn withereth; + "Why, O Natiya-thorn, dost wither?" + "Why does thy cow on me browse?" + "Why, O cow, dost thou browse?" + "Why does thy neat-herd not tend me?" + "Why, O neat-herd, dost not tend the cow?" + "Why does thy daughter-in-law not give me rice?" + "Why, O daughter-in-law, dost not give rice?" + "Why does my child cry?" + "Why, O child, dost thou cry?" + "Why does the ant bite me?" + "Why, O ant, dost thou bite?" + Koot! koot! koot! + + + + + + + +NOTES + + +[1] Kings, in Bengali folk-tales, have invariably two queens--the +elder is called duo, that is, not loved; and the younger is called suo, +that is, loved. + +[2] Dalim or dadimba means a pomegranate, and kumara son. + +[3] Bidhata-Purusha is the deity that predetermines all the events +of the life of man or woman, and writes on the forehead of the child, +on the sixth day of its birth, a brief precis of them. + +[4] There are eight forms of marriage spoken of in the Hindu Sastras, +of which the Gandharva is one, consisting in the exchange of garlands. + +[5] Alakta is leaves or flimsy paper saturated with lac. + +[6] A sort of open Palki, used generally for carrying the bridegroom +and bride in marriage processions. + +[7] Handi is an earthen pot, generally used in cooking food. + +[8] Mudki, fried paddy boiled dry in treacle or sugar. + +[9] A sort of sweetmeat made of curds and sugar. + +[10] Rakshasas and Rakshasis (male and female) are in Hindu mythology +huge giants and giantesses, or rather demons. The word means literally +raw-eaters; they were probably the chiefs of the aborigines whom the +Aryans overthrew on their first settlement in the country. + +[11] Dasi is a general name for all maid-servants. + +[12] Sphatika is crystal, and sthambha pillar. + +[13] Bathing-place, either in a tank or on the bank of a river, +generally furnished with flights of steps. + +[14] Professional match-makers. + +[15] Manik, or rather manikya, is a fabulous precious stone of +incredible value. It is found on the head of some species of snakes, +and is equal in value to the wealth of seven kings. + +[16] Venus, the Morning Star. + +[17] The seat on the back of an elephant. + +[18] Sri is another name of Lakshmi, and batsa means child; so that +Sribatsa is literally the "child of fortune." + +[19] Shells used as money, one hundred and sixty of which could have +been got a few years ago for one pice. + +[20] Fried paddy. + +[21] This story is not my own. It was recited to me by a story-teller +of the other sex who rejoices in the nom de plume "An Inmate of the +Calcutta Lunatic Asylum." + +[22] A holy sage. + +[23] The tutelary goddess of a king's household. + +[24] A vessel, made generally of brass, for keeping the pan leaf +together with betel-nut and other spices. + +[25] A towel used in bathing. + +[26] A sort of bed made of rope, supported by posts of wood. + +[27] The sacred basil. + +[28] Zenana is not the name of a province in India, as the good people +of Scotland the other day took it to be, but the innermost department +of a Hindu or Mohammedan house which the women occupy. + +[29] A religious mendicant. + +[30] Sankchinnis or Sankhachurnis are female ghosts of white +complexion. They usually stand at the dead of night at the foot of +trees, and look like sheets of white cloth. + +[31] An exorcist, one who drives away ghosts from possessed persons. + +[32] The ghost of a Brahman who dies unmarried. + +[33] A bigha is about the third part of an acre. + +[34] The chariot of Kuvera, the Hindu god of riches. + +[35] "Hiraman (from harit, green, and mani, a gem), the name of +a beautiful species of parrot, a native of the Molucca Islands +(Psittacus sinensis)."--Carey's Dictionary of the Bengalee Language, +vol. ii. part iii. p. 1537. + +[36] Winged horse, literally, the king of birds. + +[37] Khai is fried paddy. + +[38] A name for a jackal, not unlike Reynard in Europe. + +[39] The god who presides over marriages. + +[40] Calotropis gigantea. + +[41] Literally the king of birds, a fabulous species of horse +remarkable for their swiftness. + +[42] Arum fornicatum. + +[43] Religious devotee. + +[44] Eighth part of twenty-four hours, that is, three hours. + +[45] Charm or incantation. + +[46] A yojana is nearly eight miles. + +[47] Ten thousand pounds sterling. + + + + THE END + + + + + + +End of the Project Gutenberg EBook of Folk-Tales of Bengal, by Lal Behari Day + +*** END OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK FOLK-TALES OF BENGAL *** + +***** This file should be named 38488.txt or 38488.zip ***** +This and all associated files of various formats will be found in: + http://www.gutenberg.org/3/8/4/8/38488/ + +Produced by Jeroen Hellingman and the Online Distributed +Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net/ for Project +Gutenberg. 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