Indian Antiquary Vol 54

SR No.: 032546
Original Sutra Author: N/A
Author: Richard Carnac Temple, Stephen Meredyth Edwardes, Krishnaswami Aiyangar
Publisher: Swati Publications
Publication Year: 1985
Total Pages: 376
Language: English
Classification: Book_English
File Size: 18 MB

Page 324

THE INDIAN ANTIQUARY
[August, 1926
with salt and pepper. At night when Pån Shâzâdi came out of the leaf on the shelf and began eating his food, he seized her and made her live with him as his wife. After many days the parents of his betrothed summoned him to come and marry his bride, whereat he was very sad and asked Pan Shahzadi what to do. She said, "Go and marry her. But when will you return;" "I will come," said he, "when the dove that sits on the banyan tree has eggs, and the tree flowers."
So he departed; and the dove had eggs and the tree flowered, but he never returned. At last Pan Shahzadi had a flying elephant made, which could also speak. In this she concealed herself and was borne to the Prince's palace. The Prince was delighted and had the elephant placed on the roof of the palace. There his wife found it, and while he was out hunting, she had it burnt. The Prince W&B sore grieved at the loss of the elephant; but & Sadhu took the ashes and prayed to Bhagwân, and lol a lovely girl rose from the ashes. This was the Pan Shahzadi.
She went to the palace, and hearing that the Prince was sick unto death at the burning of the elephant, she disguised herself as a beggar, boiled some oil, and threw it over him, whereupon he at once recovered. He asked her to enter and see his queen, and when he himself came in a little later he found two lovely princesses together. So he knew that this was Pan Shahzadi; and he killed his other queen, and they lived happily ever after.
61. The Lion and the Jackal.
(Told by Ramda yal, Khairagarh, Agra District. ) A lion, who lived with his wife in a cave, used to leave her daily and go forth to look for prey. One day up came a jackal, mounted on a fox and carrying a bow and arrow of reed. Finding the lion away from home, he said to the lioness, "Where is that wretched husband of yours?" "What do you want with him?" she asked. “Do you not know that I am the lord of this jungle, and that yoаr husband owes me his house-tax. I am look ing everywhere for him, and when I find him, I will kill him." The lioness was much afraid at these words, and to pacify the jackal she gave him some of the meat stored for the use of her family.
After this the jackal used to come every day and get meat, and used all kinds of threats and abuse against the lion. Through anxiety and annoyance the lioness grew quite lean, and at last the lion noticed it and asked her, “Why are you so lean, when I bring abundance of meat daily?" Then she told him of the visits of the jackal and what he used to say; and when he heard it, the lion was very wroth; and next morning, instead of going out to hunt as usual, he lay down in ambush olose to the cave. Up came the jackal as usual and began to abuse and threaten the lioness. Then the lion rushed at him, and the jackal ran before him under the pillar shoots of a banyan tree. He managed to push his way through them, but the lion stuck between two branches and could not escape. In a few days he died there of hunger and thirst.
Some time after, the jackal went back to the place, and when he saw the lion dead he was delighted, and, going to the lionees, said, "It is not good for any female to remain & widow. You must come and live with me as my wife." So he took the lioness to his den. Now the lioness, when the lion died, was about to have oubs, and soon after she went to live with the jackal, they were born. She was so much afraid of the jackal that she said nothing;
but when her cubs were six months old, one day they asked her who their father was. She • told them the jackal was their father.
Then the cubs went to him and said, "Father, teach us the language you speak." He answered, "I cannot teach you my language, because, if you learnt it, you would be the masters of the three worlds." But at last they persuaded him to teach them, and when he gave one bowl, they knew that he was only a jackal after all. So they fell upon him and tore him to pieces.
May Parameswar so deal with all rogues like him!