Kathakoca or Treasury of Stories

Author(s): C H Tawney
Publisher: Oriental Books Reprint Corporation New Delhi

Page 92

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princes show themselves very clever in the accomplishment of music; but if I hear the one whom I saw first I shall be able to keep my promise.' Then another prince took up the lyre. A barren tree was placed near him. By playing the lyre he made the tree burst into blossom. Then another took the lyre, and by playing it sweetly attracted a distant deer.* Then yet another took it up. An elephant was placed near. A mouthful of sweet food was given to the elephant. By playing the lyre the prince made the elephant give up the mouthful when half devoured. All the princes exhibited wonderful feats of skill of this kind in playing the lyre. Then Gandharvadattá took the lyre and played it sweetly. Then the sound made a mad elephant come near from a distance. A deer also came from a distance. That same barren tree was clothed with flowers from its very root. An elephant was made to surrender entirely a mouthful it had taken. All the princes were astonished. They said to one another that the princess was hard to win. Then the lyre was given to Dípaçikha, and he played it. All the people there were eager to hear the lyre played by him; but he played it so well that everyone in the Svayamvara pavilion went to sleep. Seeing them all asleep, Dipaçikha took a seal-ring from the hand of the princess, and a gold bracelet from the hand of King Vikramasena; he took also the ornaments of all the others, and made a pile of them in the middle of the Svayamrara pavilion. In a moment the princes woke up and saw the heap of ornaments. In the astonishment of their minds they said:
Oh, what wonderful skill in playing the lyre he does possess !' Gandharvadattá was delighted, and threw on his neck the garland of election. The marriage was performed with full ceremonial. After remaining there some time, the prince set out for his own country, accompanied by Gandharvadattá. As he was going along he reached the city of Pratishthána, and he encamped in a
* Compare Grimm's story of Der wunderliche Spielmann.