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334
THE INDIAN ANTIQUARY.
[NOVEMBER, 1886.
husband and looking forward to showing him His Majesty was very angry, and raising his their great wealth, he struck off her head. sword killed the bird."
In the course of an hour his father reached On this one of the wasirs came up and sagthe house. "O father,' said the son. "God gested that there was some special reason for be praised that you have been preserved from the hawk's persistent and apparent rudeness, the hands of this blood-stained woman! Be Perhaps some evil was in the cup. glad now. Henceforth we shall dwell in peace The king the ordered that the stream and safety. I have slain her. Behold her life- whence the servant had brought the water blood stains the door-way.'
should be thoroughly examined. For some When he saw the marks of blood about the distance nothing was discovered till they came place the shikári fell down insensible. It was a to another little stream running into it, whose long time before he again came to his senses. waters were of a greenish hue. This tributary Great was his grief, but greater the grief of stream they also followed, and in short the hasty husband, when he heard the truth while came on a large python," out of whoso of the case."
mouth green slime (rank poison) trickled. There was perfect silence during the narration Frightened at the sight of this terrible monster of this story. With great power the moral the servanta ran back to the camp as fast as seemed to be brought home to the heart of the they could. king. "O king, our father," the prince said in When His Majesty heard their account, he conclusion, "be not hasty, we beseech you, beat his breast and tore his beard, saying, concerning this matter of our execution, lest "Oh why was I so hasty! I have slain my you also come into similar grief."
preserver! My handsome, faithful falcon is no His Majesty, however, hardened his heart more! Oh that I had waited to inquire the and would not hear the thing.
reason of the bird's behaviour !'"* Then another of the princes prostrated "O King, our father," added the prince after himself before the throne and begged to be a few moment's pause; "we beseech you to permitted to speak. He said :-"Many years inquire thoroughly before you deliver us over ago there lived a king, whose favourite sport to death." was falconry. One day this king visited a Then the king began to relent. He doubted certain jungle for shikár, and reached a spot the truth of the queen's story, though he did where he had never been before. He was so not know how else to account for the marks charmed with the place that he ordered his of blood on Her Majesty's toes and the presence tents to be pitched there. While this was of the eldest prince in their private room at being done His Majesty got very thirsty and that time. "Tell me," he said, turning to asked for some water. According to custom & his eldest son and heir, who as yet had kept sword was in the right hand of the king, a perfectly silent, "everything concerning last hawk perched on the left, and the royal flag in night; and if you can answer satisfactorily front, and so it happened, that when the king then you and your brethren shall go free." was about to drink, the hawk flapped its wings The eldest prince having prostrated himself and upset the cap. A servant went and before the throne, replied :brought some more water, but again the hawk "O King, our father, your goodness and caused it to be spilled. This time the king kindness are well known to all men. We do was angry and spoke harshly to the bird. not hesitate to answer you about this matter; Again a servant went and got some water, but for our consciences are clean, and we are for the third time, when His Majesty took hold assured that Your Majesty will receive us of the cup and lifted it to his mouth, the again to your confidence, when you have hawk flattered about tremulously, upsetting the listened to our petition. water and discomposing the king exceedingly. "While going my rounds one night, I reached
** For an interesting variant of this tale, cf. Folktales of which is said to be known in the Valley, though I. very Bengal, pp. 150, 153.
much doubt it. A native gentleman told me that it had 20 cl. Legends of the Panjab, Vol. I. p. 4677.
been een on the Jammu side of the Pir-Pantall. * Ajdor (Persian azhdar, Sanskrit ajagara), a * cf. variant of this story, Folktales of Bengal, p. 184. large serpont, & python, dragon, & box-constrictor
