Indian Antiquary Vol 15

SR No.: 032507
Original Sutra Author: N/A
Author: John Faithfull Fleet, Richard Carnac Temple
Publisher: Swati Publications
Publication Year: 1984
Total Pages: 446
Language: English
Classification: Book_English
File Size: 20 MB

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THE INDIAN ANTIQUARY.
[DECEMBER, 1886.
• forest, to observe anything bad in the character until the morning of the fourth day after the
of the old woman. Again, he remembered oil had been applied to her head, did she fully his old father, and 80, recommending his come to her senses. At first she felt herself to be queens to the kind care of the old dame, be floating on the surface of the water, but as soon again went to Sivapuri for a month, taking as she began to recover her faculties her body with him his wives' gifts to his father.
began to sink. She caught hold of a step in The old woman was only waiting for the the well, guided to it by instinct, for her eyes return of the prince Thåņuji to Sivapuri. were gone, and she remained immersed in the The second day after he had left the palace, water with only her face above the surface. she induced the princesses to take an oil-bath, The needle operation, her questions to a oneand in the oil she mixed & herb which was eyed lady about the safety of her own sisters, able to produce insensibility lasting for three and that lady's affirmative reply-all came days in the strongest constitution. While the back to her recollection as if it were a dream.. oil was being applied to the heads of the She now came to understand her misfortune. princesses, they felt giddy, and before the bath "Ah ! that I should have had confidence in was over one and all of them were in a dead that old woman," she cried, "she must have swoon. The wicked old woman now took the given me some drug, made me insensible, and eldest on her back, and leaving the others to given me over to my enemy of the one-eye, of themselves to live or perish, flew away to Siva- whom Thánujt used so often to speak. Alas! puri with the nimbleness of a vixen.
Thanuji, you are passing your days merrily with She placed her burden before Korudi, who your father, not knowing the fate that has amply rewarded her and sent her away. This come over your wives, fully believing that one-eyed devil in woman's form now proceeded the old woman, whom you recommended to to take full vengeance on one whom she them, is properly discharging her duties! I regarded as the chief of her enemies. She sent do not know what has become of my sisters! for a barber and had the hair of Gangåbåt's I do not know where I am! My eyes are head cut off, the insensibility that still over- gone !" came the poor girl making her unconscious The needles imbedded in her body gave her of the loss of woman's most precious jewel. the most excruciating pain, and she was unable Kurudi, next proceeding to torture her enemy, even to weep. At last she began to pant as if sent for needles and thrust one into each suffocated. pore of her skin. The pain caused by the The well in which she was struggling for needles made Gangabai open her eyes, and life belonged to a neatherd, and round it he being very intelligent, she at once guessed the kept a garden, in which there were half a dozen calamity that had come upon her. Not caring beds containing tender cabbages. He came for herself, she asked her enemy, the one-eyed to water his vegetables, and on approaching Kurudi, whether her sisters were all safe. the well with his pitcher he heard a voice as
"Yes they are, and you shall pay for all the if in great pain, slowly issuing from it, but the mischief they have done and for your own to water was too deep for him to see what boot !" roared Kurudi gnashing her teeth. was in the well. Now neatherds have queer
Gangabai then closed her eyes, never to open notions as to devils and witchcraft, and he them again her enemy thought; for the effects imagined that the sounds in the well emanated of the drug, and pain caused by the needles, from a devil that must have taken up a temmade her almost a corpse. Kurudi next tore porary abode therein. So, he shouted ont, ont her eyes, and told two of her maid-servants looking down the mouth of the well, to throw the now mutilated body into a ruined "O yon devil! If you do not tell me who well at a short distance from the palace. They you are, and why you have thus invaded did so accordingly, and then went about their my possessions, I will throw rubbish into duties.
this already half-ruined well, and cover you The whole of one day and one night GangA-up!" bat floated on the water in that ruined well, Gangabai, who was only waiting to hear without recovering from her swoon, and not some person's voice, spoke slowly, in pain