Hindoo Tales Part 14

"With this story the old cheat went again to the lady, who, believing her to be sincere, gladly accepted the offer, and she went on to say: 'The reason of your being childless is that a spell has been laid upon your husband, which can only be removed by the means which I will indicate to you. You must go at night to a clump of trees in the park.

I will come to you there, and will bring with me a man skilled in incantations. You have only to stand for a moment, putting your foot into his hand while he utters certain charms, then go home, and, as if in play, strike your husband on the breast. This will dissolve the spell, and by-and-by you will have children.' Anxious to have the spell removed from her husband, Nitambavati consented to this, and went at night to the appointed place. There she found Kalahakantaka waiting, and as the old woman had directed, put her foot into his hand while he knelt before her.

"No sooner had he got hold of it than he took off her anklet, and slipping his hand up her leg, inflicted a slight wound above the knee, and ran away.

"The poor lady, dreadfully frightened, blaming herself, and enraged with the old woman, who had so cruelly deceived her, got home as well as she could, washed and bound up the cut, and kept her bed for several days, having taken off the other anklet, that the loss might not be observed.

"Meanwhile the rascal took the anklet he had stolen to the husband, saying: 'I wish to dispose of this, will you buy it?'

"Recognising the ornament as having been his wife's, he asked: 'Where did you get this?'

"The man answered: 'I will not tell you now, but if you are not satisfied that it is honestly mine, take me before the magistrates, and I will then declare how I came by it.'

"Upon this the merchant went to his wife and said: 'Let me see your anklets.'

"With some confusion and alarm, she answered: 'I have only one of them, the other being, as I suppose, loosely fastened, dropped off a few days ago when I was walking in the evening in the garden, and I have not been able to find it.'

"Dissatisfied with this answer, the husband went before the magistrates with the man who had offered the anklet for sale, and he being there questioned, said: 'You know I was appointed not long ago to the care of the public cemetery, and as people come sometimes after dark to steal the clothes, or to lay a dead body on a pile prepared for another, and so cheat me of my fees, I have lately kept watch there at night.'

"'A short time ago I saw a woman in a dark dress dragging away part of a half-burnt body, and ran to seize her. In the struggle her anklet came off, and I gave her a slight wound on the leg, but she got away, and I could not overtake her; this is how the ornament came into my possession. I leave it to you to say whether I have done wrong or no.'

"Then the magistrates and citizens who were a.s.sembled were unanimously of opinion that the woman was a Sakini.[10]

"She was therefore divorced from her husband, and condemned to be tied to a stake in the cemetery, and left there.

"In this state she was found by Kalahakantaka, who cut the cords which fastened her, and, falling at her feet, confessed all that he had done, alleging his great love for her as an excuse for his cruel conduct: 'And now,' said he, 'consent to be my wife, and I will carry you away to my own home in a distant country, where you will not be known. I will do everything in my power to make your life happy, and atone for the suffering which I have caused you.'

"For a long time the unhappy lady refused; but at last, overcome by his earnest entreaties, and feeling how unjustly she had been disgraced and ill-treated, she consented to accompany him. Thus, by cunning, he gained his end, which he could not have accomplished by any other means. Therefore I say cunning best accomplishes difficult things."

Having heard these stories, the Rakshas was much pleased, and offered me his a.s.sistance if I should require it. At that moment several pearls fell close beside us. Looking up to see whence they came, I perceived a Rakshas flying through the air, carrying a woman who was struggling with him.

"Shall that monster carry off the lady before our eyes? O that I could fly to rescue her!"

As I exclaimed thus, my new ally, without waiting to be entreated, sprang into the air, and calling out "Stop! stop! wicked wretch!"

attacked and dragged down the other Rakshas. He, in defending himself, when only a short distance from the ground, let the lady fall, and I caught her with outstretched arms in such a manner that, though much shaken and alarmed, she was not seriously injured. I held her for a moment insensible in my arms, while I gazed at the combatants. Their flight was of short duration, for they attacked each other so furiously that both were killed.

Then laying my burden on the soft gra.s.s in a shady place, and sprinkling her with water, I soon had the happiness of seeing her open her eyes, and of recognising the beloved of my heart, the Princess Kandukavati, who was equally delighted on finding who was her deliverer.

When sufficiently recovered, she said to me: "On returning home after the ball dance, longing to see you, and sad with the thought that we might never meet again, I was filled with great happiness by the report which Chandrasena brought me of your love; but when I heard that you had been bound and thrown into the sea by my wicked brother, I fell into the deepest despair, and wished for death. Wandering in this state of mind about the gardens, I was espied by that vile Rakshas, who, having a.s.sumed a human form, first made love to me, and then, when rejected, forcibly carried me off. He is, happily, now dead, and all that I have suffered is as nothing now that I am with you; let us return as soon as possible to my parents, who will have been greatly distressed at my disappearance."

Without delay I carried her down to the sh.o.r.e, embarked, set sail at once, and the wind being favourable, we soon reached Damalipta. Here we found great confusion and grief among the people, and were told on inquiring: "The king and queen, utterly broken down by the loss of their son and daughter, have determined to abandon life, and have just set out for a holy place on the bank of the Ganges, with the intention of fasting to death there; and several of the old citizens have accompanied them with the same purpose."

On hearing this I immediately went after them, and having soon overtaken them, was able to give them great happiness, by telling them of all that had occurred, and how both their son and daughter were safely returned; and they went back with me to the city, to the great joy of the people. The king treated me with great honour, and not long afterwards the princess became my wife. Her brother was reconciled to me, and at my request, though very reluctantly, gave up all further attention to Chandrasena, who was happily united with her lover.

When King Sinhavarma was attacked as you know, I marched with an army to his a.s.sistance; and have thus the great pleasure of meeting with you.

The prince having heard this story said "Your adventures have indeed been strange, and your escape from death wonderful. Great is the power of fate, but excellent also is courage and presence of mind such as you have shown." Then turning to Mantragupta, he desired him to relate his adventures, which he immediately began to do:--

ADVENTURES OF MANTRAGUPTA.

My Lord, I also, in my anxiety to find you, wandered about like the others.

Late one evening I came to a wood, a few miles from the city of Kalinga, and very near a public cemetery. Seeing no dwelling near, I made myself a bed of leaves, and lay down under a large tree, where I was soon asleep. About midnight, when evil spirits are wont to roam, and everything was quiet around me, I awoke, and fancied I heard a whispering conversation going on among the branches of the tree immediately above me. Listening very attentively, I was able to distinguish these words: "We are powerless to resist that vile Siddha whenever he chooses to command us; could not some person be found powerful enough to counteract the designs of that vile magician?"

After this the voices ceased, and I thought I could hear a rustling among the branches as if the speakers were moving from tree to tree.

This strange occurrence greatly excited my curiosity. I said to myself: "Who are these creatures whose voices I have heard? who can that magician be, and what dreadful thing is it which he is about to do?" With these thoughts, I determined if possible to discover the mystery, and followed, as well as I was able, the direction which the demons, or whatever they were whom I had heard conversing, had taken.

Guided by the rustling sound which I still heard above me, I made my way through the darkness, till at last I thought I saw a light in the distance, and going a little further, I perceived a fire s.h.i.+ning through the thick foliage. Approaching very cautiously, I saw a Siddha standing near it, his head covered with a large ma.s.s of tangled hair, his body begrimed with the dust of charcoal, and a girdle of human bones round his waist. He was throwing at intervals handfuls of sesamum and mustard-seed into the fire, causing flickering flames to rise up and dispel the surrounding darkness. Before him, in humble att.i.tude, stood two Rakshas, male and female, whom I supposed to be those whose voices I had heard in the tree. They said to him, "We await your commands. What are we now to do?"

"Go," he answered in a stern voice, "immediately to the palace of the King of Kalinga, and bring here his daughter Kanakalekha." This they did in an incredibly short time. As soon as she was brought he seized her by the hair, and disregarding her tears and entreaties and screams for help, was about to cut off her head with a sword.

Meanwhile I had cautiously crept nearer, and perceiving the danger of the princess, I made a sudden rush at him, s.n.a.t.c.hed the sword from his hand and cut off his head.

Seeing this, the two Rakshas approached me, and showing great delight at the death of their cruel master, said to me: "That wicked man has for a long time had power over us; we have continually been compelled to go on his vile errands, and have had no rest night or day. You have done a truly good deed in killing him; your valour has freed us from this slavery; he is gone to the kingdom of Yama, where he will receive the reward of his evil deeds, and we are ready to serve you; say only what is to be done."

I thanked them for their grateful offer, and said: "I have only done what every good man would have done under the circ.u.mstances; but if you are willing to serve me, all that I require of you is to carry this lady again to her father's house, from which she was so cruelly taken."

The princess hearing this, stood for a moment irresolute, with her head bent down, her eyes half closed, her eyebrows quivering, her bosom agitated by hurried breathing and wetted by tears of joy, restlessly moving one foot, as if scratching the ground, and betraying the struggle between bashfulness and love by alternate blushes and paleness. Then, in a low sweet gentle voice, she uttered these words: "O gracious sir, why do you, having just delivered me from a terrible death, now overwhelm me in a sea of love whose waves are the agitations of anxiety driven by the wind of pa.s.sion? My life, saved by you, is entirely at your disposal. Take pity on me; regard me as your own. Let me be your servant, your slave; I would endure anything rather than separation from you. Come with me to my father's palace; you need not fear discovery; all my friends and attendants are faithful and devoted to me; they will carefully keep the secret."

Pierced to the heart by the arrows of Kama, tied and bound by her looks and words as if with chains of iron, I had no power to refuse, and turning to the two Rakshas, I said: "I have no choice here.

Whatever this fair lady commands must be done. Take us both, therefore, to the place from which you brought her."

Bowing down in submission, they lifted us from the ground, carried us through the air, and placed us while it was yet night in the apartments of the princess. There she introduced me to her attendants, a.s.signed me a room in the upper story where I might most easily escape detection, and appointed them to keep watch so that no one might enter her apartments without notice. I had thus abundant opportunities of being with the princess; but though my love daily increased, I made no further advances to her.

One day some of her women came with tears in their eyes, and bowing down to my feet, said, with whispering timid voice, "O gracious sir, our lady is doubly yours, since she was gained by your own valour when you rescued her from death, and is a.s.signed to you by the all-powerful G.o.d of Love. Do not let her languish in vain. Make her your wife without delay." With this request I could not refuse to comply, and taking the hand of the princess, I declared our solemn union.

For a time we enjoyed the greatest happiness. It was destined, however, to be of no long duration; our separation was at hand, for now was the time of spring, when the trees were covered with blossoms bent down by the eager bees, and the song of birds was resounding among their branches waved by the soft south wind, bearing perfume from the sandal groves of Malaya; at which season the king was accustomed to go with all his court to the sea-sh.o.r.e, and there, in tents under the shade of lofty trees, to enjoy the cool sea breezes.

My bride of course went with the rest; and as there was no possibility of concealing me in such a place, I was obliged, though reluctantly, to let her depart alone, consoling myself by looking forward to her return.

The royal party had not long been gone, when news was brought to the city that the king and all his court, thinking only of enjoyment, and unsuspicious of danger, had been captured by Jayasinha, King of Andhra, who, sailing with a large fleet, had suddenly landed and taken them by surprise.

This news caused me the greatest consternation. "Jayasinha," I thought, "will certainly be captivated by the beauty of the princess; she will take poison rather than submit to his embraces; and I could not long survive her, for how could I live without her?"

While perplexed with this thought, and not knowing what to do, I heard of a brahman just arrived from Andhra, who was full of a strange event which had lately happened there.

"The King of Andhra," he said, "has long been a bitter enemy of the King of Kalinga, and having taken him prisoner, was about to kill him, but he has fallen in love with the princess Kanakalekha, and wis.h.i.+ng to marry her, not only spares her father's life, but treats him with kindness for her sake.

"An unexpected obstacle to the accomplishment of his wishes has, however, arisen; the lady has suddenly become possessed by an evil spirit, whose rage is greatest whenever the king visits her.

"Anxious for her recovery, he has offered a large reward to any one who shall succeed in driving out the demon, but as yet no one has been able to effect her cure."

This information filled me with hope, for I was well aware of the nature of the princess's disease, and knew that no one but myself could cure it. I was able, therefore, to form a plan for her deliverance, and quickly decided on the disguise to be adopted. At the time when I killed the magician, I had taken off his scalp, with all the ma.s.s of tangled hair, and had hid it in a hollow tree. I now went to the place, and taking out this scalp, fitted it on my own head; then rubbing over my whole body with dirt and charcoal dust, and dressing myself in old rags, I was completely disguised as an ascetic--and when I went into the neighbouring villages I was regarded as a very holy devotee, and had many applications from persons wis.h.i.+ng for advice or seeking to be cured of diseases. This belief I encouraged to the utmost, and took care to keep up my credit by means of various tricks and contrivances.

In this manner I was soon able to collect a number of disciples, glad to live in idleness on the offerings continually brought to me, fully believing in my sanct.i.ty, entirely devoted to me, and ready to obey all my commands.