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THE INDIAN ANTIQUARY.
[OCTOBER, 1886.
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“Ask anything of me and you shall have the tender mercies of four nurses, and it."
they grew up strong, healthy, clever, and "I am in need of nothing," replied the beautiful boys. The king was exceedingly king Parameswar has given me wealth, fond of them. He appointed the best masters honour, might, majesty, peace, contentment, for their instruction, and lavished the most everything-yes, everything except one thing, rare and expensive gifts on them, Nothing and that who will give me?"
was too good, bothing was too costly; the "Are you afraid to ask me for this thing P" greatest trouble and attention were not too much said the yogi. "Do you know what you are for the king's four beautiful and elever boys. saying, O King P"
Meanwhile His Majesty married again, and “True, true," answered His Majesty, “I had other sons by his second wife. But it was speak as one who is religiously) mad. Oboly a sad day when the king took to him this man, forgive me, and if you have any power second wife; because she naturally became with the Deity, I pray you invoke him on my very jealous when she saw the first queen's behalf.”
sons growing up so beautiful and wise, for she "Be of good cheer," said the yôgi," you shall thought within her heart that they would have have many sons. Take these four fruits and the king's favour, and so interfere with her own give them to your wife to eat on Sunday next sons' succession to the throne. Accordingly before sunrise. Then shall your wife give she determined to ruin their character in the birth to four sons, who will be exceedingly estimation of her husband, or failing that, to clever and good." The king took the four somehow or other compass their death. fruits and thanked the yôgé who then departed. It has been said that the king was thoroughly
His Majesty at once went and informed the engrossed in the desire to improve his country queen of his interview with the yôgi. She, of and people. To do this work properly, he course, was extremely glad to hear the good constantly felt his extraordinary position as a news. Anxiously they both waited for the king a great hindrance. Though he very much following Sanday. On the sunrise of that depended on his ministers and subordinate day the queen ate the four fruits; and accord. officials, knowing that for the most part they ing to the word of the yôgi she presently were honest and just, yet he was convinced conceived ; and at the appointed time hore that he himself must go in and out among the four sons. Her sickness and travail, however, people, see things with his own eyes, and hear were too much for her. As soon as the fourth what the people were saying with his own and last son was born she gave one long, ears, if he would rightly understand their piercing, shriek and gave up the ghost.
state; and, therefore, he frequently visited towns Poor woman, to have died just as her long and villages in different disguises and under cherished hopes were being realised ! Poor cover of the night. In this way he thoroughly little, forlorn, helpless ones to be thus left ascertained the needs of his subjects, so that on life's threshold ! Poor king, to have his they wondered at his sagacity and skill.' great desire for a son and heir fulfilled, but at This continued for some time, antil early the cost of losing his beloved and beautiful one morning, while returning from an excurwife! Sorrow, like a great dark cloud, seemed sion to a neighbouring village, it commenced to to shroud the palace and city for many days; rain very hard. Not having expected this quick because the king was overwhelmed with grief and heavy shower, His Majesty was quite unand would not be comforted.
prepared for it; and so what with the long The four babes were handed over to ride and the mud he arrived at the palace
. Among other extraordinary powers fagfre seem to be able to grant sons to the barren. Some special fruitesting is the general remedy. In Indian folktales some faqiri have recommended mangoes one ordered Uche (Soytalia Kitchi, Roab.), & frait like a plum, to be eaten; one old fagfr gave the queen a barley-oorn; and another ordered certain drug. cf. Indian Fairy Tales, pp. 91, 187; Wideawake Stories, pp. 47, 290; Old Deccan Day, p. 268; Folketales of Bongal, p. 117; Dravidian Nights, pp. 56-58. Only one instance can I find in Indian
Folklore of a fair promising & barren woman child without ordering her to take some fruit, &o. Cf. Wideawake Stories, p. 98 : [but see Legends of the Parijab, passim.-ED
Many native princes have disguised themselves and patrolled their cities at night. The prosent Maharaja's late grandfather the Maharaja Gulab Singh often did so. Ch. Sleo Folktales of Bengal, p. 147. Many tale also of the adventures of the great HArun Ar-Rashid in disguise is current in the East.
