Hindoo Tales Part 8

I had entered so softly that no one was disturbed; and I stood gazing for some time lost in admiration of her beauty, quite forgetting the purpose for which I had come.

I thought, she is, after all, the lady of my heart. If I do not obtain her, Kama will not suffer me to live; but how can I make known my love to her? Were I now to wake her, she would start up with a cry of alarm, and I should probably lose my life. I must think of some other way of letting her know my love.

Then, looking round, I saw laid on a shelf a thin board prepared for painting, and a box of paints and brushes. With these I made a hasty sketch of the princess as she lay, and of myself kneeling at her feet, and underneath it I wrote this verse:--

"Of thee thy slave in humble att.i.tude thus prays: Sleep on, not worn like me by pervading love."

I then painted on the wall near her a pair of chakravakas in loving att.i.tude, gently took off her ring, replacing it with mine, and slipped out without disturbing any of the sleepers.

There was at that time among the prisoners a man named Sinhaghosha, formerly a chief officer of police, but now imprisoned through a false accusation made by Kantaka.

With this man I had already made acquaintance, and I now went to him and told him how I had killed Kantaka. With his consent I went forth from the prison, and walked away with Sringalika. We had not gone far when we fell in with a patrol. I thought to myself I could easily run away from them; but what would become of the poor old woman? she would certainly be caught. Hastily determining, therefore, on what was best to be done, I walked right up to them with unsteady gait and idiotic look, and said: "Sirs, if I am a thief kill me, but you have no right to touch this old woman."

She, perceiving my intention, came up, and very humbly said: "Honoured sirs, this young man is my son. He has been for some time confined as a lunatic; but was supposed to be cured, and I brought him home yesterday. In the middle of the night, however, he started up, and calling out: 'I will kill Kantaka and make love to the king's daughter,' rushed out into the street. I have at last overtaken him, and am trying to take him home. Will you be so good as to help me, and tie his hands behind him that he may not get away again?"

As she said this, I called out: "O old woman, who ever bound a G.o.d or the wind, Shall these crows catch an eagle?" and started off at full speed. She, renewing her entreaties, begged them to pursue me; but they only laughed at her, and said: "Do you think we have nothing to do but to run after madmen? You must be as mad as he is to have taken him out;" and so they went on their way.

I stopped when I found I was not pursued. She soon overtook me, and we went to my house, to the great joy of my wife, who had scarcely hoped for my deliverance.

In the morning I saw Dhanamittra, told him all that had happened, and thanked him for following my directions so punctually.

After this I went to the forest, to see Marichi. I found him restored to his former condition, and able to give me the desired information.

From him I learnt that you would be here about this time.

In the morning after my escape, Sinhaghosha informed the king of what had happened, and how Kantaka had been killed when about to enter the princess's apartments. Being found to be innocent of the crime of which he was accused, he was appointed governor of the prison in Kantaka's place.

Before the underground pa.s.sage was filled up, he permitted me to pa.s.s through it more than once to the princess, who was favourably disposed towards me through the picture and verse, and still more by all that Sringalika had said in my favour.

No great search was made after me, and by keeping quiet and going out only at night I escaped further arrest.

You know how Chandavarma besieged Champa, and how Sinhavarma was defeated and taken prisoner. When I heard this, and how the conqueror intended to force the princess to marry him, I went to Dhanamittra and said: "Do you go about among the ministers and officers of the imprisoned king and the princ.i.p.al citizens, and tell them to be ready to attack the enemy as soon as they hear of the death of Chandavarma.

I will engage to kill him to-morrow."

How Dhanamittra has performed his part you have just seen. As to myself, I put on a dress suitable for the occasion, and, as many persons were going in and out of the palace, managed to slip in un.o.bserved and get very near the intending bridegroom. Suddenly stretching out my arm as he was about to take the hand of the princess, I gave him a mortal wound with a sword; then saying a few hasty words of encouragement to her, I defended myself against those who endeavoured to seize me, till I heard your welcome voice, deep as the sound of thunder, and had the happiness of embracing you.

Rajavahana, having heard this story, said "You have indeed shown wonderful ingenuity and courage;" then he turned to Upaharavarma, and said: "It is now your turn;" and he, having made due salutation, thus began:--

ADVENTURES OF UPAHaRAVARMA.

While wandering about like the others, I cams one day into the country of Videha. Before entering into Mithila, the capital, I stopped to rest at a small temple, and found there an old woman, who gave me water for my feet.

Observing that she looked at me very hard, and that tears came into her eyes, I asked her: "O, mother, what is the cause of your grief?"

"You bring to my mind," she answered, the remembrance of my lost foster-child, who, if he lives, is just about your age. But I will tell you how he was lost.

"Praharavarma was formerly king of this country. His queen was a very dear friend of Vasumati; wife of Rajahansa, King of Magadha, and he went with her and his twin sons to visit that king. How he was conquered and driven from his dominions by the King of Malwa you have doubtless heard. It was shortly before that invasion that the visit was made. In the battle which was fought, Praharavarma a.s.sisted his friend, and was taken prisoner, but was subsequently liberated.

"When returning to his own kingdom, he heard that a rebellion had broken out, headed by his brother's son, Vikatavarma. He therefore turned aside through a forest road, in the direction of Suhma, hoping to obtain a.s.sistance from his sister's son, the king of that country.

On the march, he was attacked and plundered by Bheels; and I, having charge of one of his children, was separated from the party, and left behind in the forest.

"There I was attacked, by a tiger, and dropped the child. The tiger was killed by an arrow; but I fainted away, and when I recovered, the child was gone, taken away, I suppose, by the Bheels. Having been found and taken care of by a compa.s.sionate cowherd, I stayed at his cottage till my wounds were healed.

"Longing to get back to my friends, and to hear some tidings of my mistress, I was surprised one day by the appearance of my daughter, who had been, with me, in charge of the other child.

"After mutual congratulations and embraces, she told me her story as follows: 'After we were parted, I was wounded by the robbers, lost the child, and was found wandering about by one of the foresters, who took care of me, and afterwards wished to make me his wife. I was too much disgusted with him and his way of life to consent; and, after many threats, he would at last have killed me, but for the opportune arrival of a young man who happened to be pa.s.sing, and rescued me from his hands. That young man has since become my husband. We have been searching for you, and have now happily found you.'

"I asked who the man was. He answered: 'I am a servant of the King of Mithila, to whom I am now going.' Then we all three went to Mithila, and told the king and queen the sad news of the loss of their children.

"The war was still going on, and at last the king was overcome and imprisoned, together with his queen, by his wicked nephew.

"Since then I have been living as a mendicant. My daughter, whose husband was killed in the war, being dest.i.tute like myself, has entered the service of Kalpasundari, queen of the usurper. Ah! if those princes had lived, they would have rescued their father from such degradation."

She began then to weep and lament; but I comforted her, and said: "Do you not remember speaking to a certain muni, and telling him of the loss of the child? That boy was found by him. I am he, and I will contrive some means for killing that wicked usurper, and setting my parents free. No one can recognise me here, not even my own mother, were she to see me; therefore I shall be able at my leisure to consider what is best to be done."

Exceedingly delighted at hearing this, she kissed me again and again, and said, with tears of joy: "O, darling! a glorious fortune is before you. Now you are here, all will be well; you will soon lift up your parents from the sea of sorrow which has engulfed them. Happy is Queen Priyamvada in having such a son!"

Then she gave me such food as she had, and I stayed with her, and pa.s.sed the night in that temple.

As I lay awake, I turned over in my mind every plan that suggested itself to me for the accomplishment of my purpose. Knowing how ready-witted women are in general, and their fondness for tricks and intrigues, it occurred to me that my foster-sister, from her position near the queen, might be able to give me material a.s.sistance.

In the morning, after wors.h.i.+pping the G.o.ds, I began to question the old woman as to her knowledge of the interior of the palace, and asked whether she had frequent opportunities of seeing her daughter.

Scarcely had she begun to answer my questions when I saw some one coming towards us, and she exclaimed: "O, Pushkarika, behold our master's son; that dear child whom I so carelessly lost in the forest was found and preserved, and is now restored to us."

Great was the daughter's delight at seeing me; and, when her agitation had subsided, her mother said to her: "I was just beginning to tell my dear son something of the arrangement of the palace, and the habits of the inmates; but you can give him the required information much better than I can."

In answer to this she told me all the arrangements of the palace, and added: "The Queen Kalpasundari, the daughter of the sovereign of k.u.mara, is exceedingly beautiful and accomplished. She despises her husband, who is exceedingly ugly; but though unkindly treated, and neglected, she has. .h.i.therto been faithful to him."

Hearing this, I said to her: "Whenever you have an opportunity, dwell on the king's licentiousness; find out, if possible, his scandalous amours; make much of them; tell her how other women have behaved in similar circ.u.mstances; in short, do everything to stir up her indignation and jealousy against him; and, as soon as possible, let me know what she says. You may help me greatly in this affair; therefore be diligent and observant, and be as much as possible with your mistress."

Then I said to the old woman: "You must also play your part. You can be introduced to the queen as a woman skilled in charms and fortune-telling. When you get her to listen to you, make the most of the opportunity, and second your daughter's endeavours."

They both promised to do their utmost. After they were gone I took a small house, close to the wall of the royal gardens, and waited patiently for the result.

After some days the old woman came to me, and said: "Darling, we have done exactly as you wished. The queen has taken a great fancy to me, is very indignant with her husband, and thinks herself greatly to be pitied. What is now to be done?"

I then painted a portrait of myself, and said: "Show this to the queen; she will no doubt admire it, and say: 'Is this a portrait or a fancy picture?' Then do you answer: 'Suppose it should be a portrait of some living person; what then?' And whatever she says in reply let me know as soon as possible."

The next day she came to me again, and said: "When I showed your portrait to the queen, she gazed at it a long time, and seemed lost in admiration; then she exclaimed, 'Who can have painted this? Is it possible that such a handsome man can exist in the world? Surely there is no one here like this!' I answered, 'O lady, your admiration is quite natural, such a handsome man is very rarely to be found, but still there might be such a one; and if this should be really the portrait of a young man, longing to see you--not only thus handsome, but of good birth, very learned, accomplished, and good-tempered --what would you say then?' 'What would I say? I say, that if he will be mine, all that I can give him in return, myself, my heart, my body, my life, will be all too little. But surely you are only deceiving me; there never can be such a charming person as this picture represents.'

"In answer to this, I said: 'I am not deceiving you. There is really such a person, a young prince, who is staying here in disguise; he saw you when you were walking in the public park, at the feast of Spring, and immediately became a mark for the arrows of Kama. Moved by his entreaties, and seeing how suited you are to each other, I have ventured to take this means of making his pa.s.sion known to you. If you will but consent to see him, however difficult access to you may be, his courage, prudence, and ingenuity are so great, that he will certainly effect it; only say what your pleasure is.' Then, finding her quite disposed to see you, I told her your real name and birth.

After reflecting some time, she said, 'Mother, I will not conceal from you a circ.u.mstance which his name brings to my memory. My father was a great friend of the deposed king, and their queens were very much attached to each other. It was settled between them, that if the one had a son, and the other a daughter, the two children should be engaged for marriage; but when the Queen Priyamvada had lost her sons, my father gave me in marriage to Vikatavarma. This young prince was really destined to be my husband, and I ought to have had him, instead of that ugly wretch, who is stupid, ignorant of all the arts of pleasing, brutal, rebellious, cruel, boastful, false, and, above all, most insulting in his behaviour to me; only yesterday he ill-treated my favourite attendant, Pushkarika, and gathered flowers from a plant which I had especially cherished, to give to one of his paramours, a low vulgar woman, who is trying to put herself on an equality with me.

He is in every way unsuited to me, and my misery is so great, that I am ready to catch at any means of escape from it. It was wretched enough while I thought on no one else, but now that I have heard of this charming young man, and seen his portrait, I will endure it no longer, whatever the consequences may be. Therefore, let him come to-morrow evening to the Madhavi bower in the garden. I am impatient to see him; even the hearing of him has filled my heart with love.'"

When the old nurse had given me this account, I determined to risk the adventure, and obtained from her a minute description of the garden, the direction of the road and paths, the exact situation of the summerhouse where I was to meet the queen, and where the guards were stationed.