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286
THE INDIAN ANTIQUARY.
(SEPT. 6, 1872.
and laid hold of him, till they saw that he was Sanyasi said he would catch them, and the king was the kings' son, when they took him into the very glad to hear it, and enquired what he was to do. house.
The Sanyasi replied, “Nothing very difficult, The king again asked how the thief was to be I will perform worship, and then Siva will come in caught, and a man said there was a soothsayer who riding on a bull, you must ask a boon of him, and he could tell where the thief was by his magical will grant it." So the Sanyasi began his worship, arts.
and beat his cheeks saying "dum, dum," and the The next morning the king summoned the magi- barber's son dressed like Siva came in riding on & cian, and he came and began his incantations. Every bull. Directly he came the Sanyasi put out the one was crowding round him to see what would candle, and every one was struck with amazement happen, and the four friends came and stood there at the sight. The Sanyasi said "Now Siva has with the rest. The magician soon discovered that come in person, ask whatever boon you please." the thieves were there, but he could not say precise- The king thought that since S'iva had come himself, ly who they were, so he made further calculations, he would not ask for the capture of the thieves, but and discovered that they were on the north side; would ask to go to heaven, so he said, "My Lord, but they moved round to the south, so that he ar- I wish to see heaver." The barber's son who was rived at no result. The magician then went hoine, dressed like Siva replied, “How can any inortal go saying that he would make further calculations, and there? but still I have been very much pleasud point out the thieves to-morrow, but it was too late with your worship, therefore I will not refuse your to do any more that day.
request, catch hold of my bull's tail, and let the SanThat night the friends went to the magician's yasi fasten your hands very carefully to it, for the house, and called out to him, saying that the king bull will go very swiftly, and you must follow him." had sent him a present. He believed what they said, So the king consented, and the Sanyasi bound his and stretched out his hand to take it, but they cut his hands firmly to the bull's tail, and told the king land off with a sword, and took it away. They
that whenever he felt any pain he must say " Bham, then went to the house where the king slept, and bhain, I am going to heaven," and nothing else. put the severed hand through the window, and With these words Siva and the Sanyasi struck the touched him with it. He thought the thieves had bull, and started him off, and he took the king, and come, and drew his sword to cut the hand, at that very began to run through the woods, and the thorns tore moment they dropped it, and ran away. The king the king's body, and caused him much pain, yet he thought he had cut off the thief's hand, and was did nothing but repeat, "bham, bham, I am going very much pleased, because he determined that next to heaven," and the bull continued to run faster day he would find the man whose hand had been and faster, and whenever any one asked the king cut off and punish hiin. The magician was asham- how he had fallen into such a plight, he gave no ed to come next day; so the king sent people to bring answer but repeated the same words as before. So him ; but he kept his right arm concealed and began he suffered pain all that night, and in the morning to perform his incantations with the left hand. his subjects recognized him, and unfastened the rope Now the four thieves were present, and one of them by which he was tied to the bull's tail, and took him. said, " Incantations which are performed by the home, and then he knew that he had been unjust left hand are never correct." The king replied to his servants, and therefore this misfortune had " Quite true, he must use the right hand." When befallen him, for the thieves had come to his king. the magician heard that his mouth grew dry, for dom just as his servants had left it; so he thought when he rose in the morning he had heard that the it would be proper to search for them, inasmuch as king had cut off the thief's hand and kept it, so he he was now reaping the fruit of the unjust action would not put forth his right arm, but they lifted which he had committed, and if he could find them up his cloth, and discovered that the hand which the he would hear their story, and give them justice, king had cut off belonged to him, and then they be- So the four friends came into the king's presence, gan to think that it must be the work of the thieves; and confessed that they were the thieves, and that and the king promised on the spot that he would they had acted thus because the king had driven give half his kingdom to any one who could catch them out without giving them justice. The king them.
asked what injustice he had done, and the man who On hearing that the four friends agreed that one killed the snake told him all about it, he then orderof them should assume the dress of A Sanyasi, anded them to show him the snake's body, and they perform, worship, and in the meantiine another of said they had buried it under the bed, so he had it them should dress himself like Siva, and come to dug up, and brought, and finding that their story the place riding on a bull. When this was settled, was true, he asked them kindly who they were and the wazîr's son put on the dress of a Sanyasi, and their whole history. After they had told him everywent to the king, who treated him with great re- thing he let then go free, so they returned to their spect, and offered him food, and told him that thieves own country, and spent their time in amusement as had come into his kingdom, but although he had
before. made many attempts he could not catch them. The
(To be continued.)
