Part 4 (1/2)
It so happened that one day all the brothers, with the exception of the eldest and the youngest, went out to their work. The eldest brother finding himself alone with his youngest brother proposed that they should go together to the hill for the purpose of procuring fibre to make ropes. He said, ”Come let us go to the hill to cut lar.” [11]
His brother replied, ”Come, let us set out.” He, however, wished to take his dogs with him, but his brother said, ”Why should you tire them by taking them so far? Leave them behind.” But he replied, ”I shall not go, unless you allow me to take them with me. How shall we be able to bring home venison if they do not accompany us? They may kill some game on the way.” As he insisted, he was permitted to do as he desired, and they set out for the hill.
As they went on their way they came to a spring, and the elder said, ”Tie up the two dogs here. I know all this forest, and there is no game to be found in it.” The younger was averse to leaving his dogs behind him, but as his brother seemed determined he should do so, he tied them with a stout rope to a tree. His brother said, ”See that you make them secure, so that they may not break loose and run away, and be lost.”
A low hill lay between them, and the high one on which the trees grew which yielded the lar. This they surmounted, and descending into the valley that divided them began the ascent, and soon reached the place where their work was to be. They soon cut and peeled sufficient lar, and sitting down twisted it into strong ropes. Just as they had prepared to return home, the elder brother seized the younger, and bound him with the ropes they had made. He then grasped his sickle with the intention of putting him to death. The helpless young man thought of his dogs, and in a loud voice wailed as follows;--
Come, come, Lipi and Lapra, Cross the low hill On to the slope of the high.
He called them again and again. The dogs heard the voice, and struggled to get loose, and at length, by a great effort, they succeeded in breaking the ropes with which they were bound, and ran in the direction from which the sound proceeded. Now and again the cries ceased, and they stood still until they again heard them, when they ran as before. Having reached the valley that separated the two hills, they could no longer hear the wailing as before, and they were greatly perplexed. They ran hither and thither, hoping to catch it again, but not doing so they directed their course to the large hill, on reaching the foot of which it again became audible. They now recognized the voice of their master, and ran rapidly forward.
When the elder brother saw the dogs approaching, he quickly aimed a blow with the sickle at his younger brother's head, but he, jerking aside, escaped. Before there was time for him to strike again, the dogs had arrived, and their master hounded them upon his a.s.sailant and they quickly tore him to pieces. They then bit through the ropes with which his brother had bound him, and set him at liberty. He then returned home accompanied by his dogs, and when they enquired of him where his brother was, he replied, ”He left me to follow a deer, I cannot say what direction he took. We did not meet again.” He wept as he related this, and they enquired, ”Why do you weep?” He said, ”My two dogs lay down on the ground, and howled, and fear possesses me that some wild beast has devoured my brother.”
The next day a party went in search of him, and found him as the dogs had left him. When they saw him lying torn and b.l.o.o.d.y, they said, ”Some wild beast has done this.”
They brought the body home, and committed it to the flames of the funeral pile, and sorrowfully performed all the ceremonies usual on such occasions.
After the death of the elder brother, they all lived together in peace and harmony.
THE STORY OF LELHA.
I.
There once lived a certain raja, who had three wives. The two elder had two sons each, and the younger only one, whose name was Lelha. [12]
The four sons of the first two wives were very friendly with each other, being seldom separate, but they despised Lelha, and never permitted him to join them in any of their pastimes or sports.
The raja had a plot of ground set apart for a flower garden, but there was nothing in it. One day a certain Jugi came to him, and said, ”Oh! raja, if you fill your garden with all kinds of flowering plants, your whole city will appear enchanting.” Having said this, the Jugi went to his home. The raja was greatly affected by what the Jugi had said, and was immediately seized with a fit of the sulks. There was an apartment in the palace set apart for the exclusive use of those who happened to be in that state of mind. Such an one shut himself up in this chamber until the fit wore off, or until he was persuaded to be himself again.
The raja refused his evening meal, and as was his wont, when in this frame of mind, retired to the sulking apartment, and lay down. The two elder ranis having been informed of what had occurred, hasted to the raja, and said, ”Oh! raja, why are you sulking?” He replied, ”This morning a Jugi came to me and said, that if I planted flowering shrubs in my garden the whole city would appear enchanting. If any one will do this work for me, I will rise, if not, I shall remain here.” The ranis then addressed him thus, ”Oh! raja, rise up, and eat and drink.” The raja replied, ”Let the young men come to me, I will do as you desire.” The two ranis then left, and calling their sons, sent them to their father. Coming into the presence of the raja they said, ”Wherefore father are you sulking?” The raja replied, ”If you plant flowers in my flower garden I shall be comforted, and shall leave my couch.” They said, ”Is it on this account you are distressed? We shall cause the garden to be filled with flowers in a short time.” On receiving this a.s.surance the raja left his bed, and partook of food, and was refreshed. Lelha's mother now appeared on the scene, and addressing the raja, said, ”Wherefore, raja are you sulky?” He replied, ”Who told you I was sulky?” She replied, ”A shopkeeper gave me the information.” Then the raja got angry, and ordered her to leave, but she said, ”If you do not tell me why you are sulking I will not depart, am not I also your humble maidservant? Unless you tell me, I will not go, I will die here rather than leave.” The raja relented, and related to her all the words of the Jugi. She then returned home.
Her son Lelha entered the house soon after her arrival. He had been engaged in some field sports, and being wearied and hungry, said to his mother, ”Give me some cooked rice.” She was annoyed with him and said, ”Although the raja is ill, your first cry is for boiled rice.” Lelha on hearing this went to his father, and enquired what was wrong. But the raja flying into a rage scolded him, saying, ”Go away Lelha. What do you want here? Never come near me again. Did not I build a house for your mother and you at the extreme end of the street, away from here? Be off, or I shall beat you.” To which Lelha replied, ”Oh! father raja, am not I also a son of yours? Let me be foolish or otherwise, still, I am your son, and unless you inform me of what has grieved you, I shall die rather than leave this.” Then the raja told him also. He said, ”It is because I do not see flowers in the garden.” ”Oh!” said Lelha, ”Is that what distresses you?” He then left.
The raja's four elder sons caused all manner of flowering shrubs and trees to be planted in the garden, and in a short time it was in a blaze of colour, so much so, that the whole city was as if lighted thereby.
Just at this time, when every tree, shrub and plant was covered with blossom another Jugi, named Koema Jugi, came to the city and said to one and another, ”You, the citizens of this city, are covering yourselves with renown, but if you attach hiras [13] and manis [14] to the branches, you will add renown to renown.” The Jugi's words reached the raja, and he was so much affected by them, that he immediately began to sulk, and on being questioned by his two ranis, he replied, ”Do you not remember the words of the Koema Jugi?” They said, ”Yes, we remember. He said, 'if you place hiras and manis in this garden the whole country will be resplendent'.” ”On that account then, I am sulking, and if I do not see hiras and manis, I shall not partake of any food.” At the raja's words the two ranis returned sorrowfully to their apartments.
At that moment their four sons entered the house and asked for food. The ranis were annoyed, and said, ”The raja, your father, is sulking, and you must have food and drink.” On learning their father's state the youths were distressed on his account, and went to him weeping, and enquired why he was sulking. He related to them the words of Koema Jugi, and added, ”Unless I see hiras and manis attached to the branches of the trees in my flower garden, I shall not rise from my couch.” His four sons replied, ”Is it for this reason you are grieving? We will search for, and bring them, and if we fail, then sulk again, and refuse your food, and die of hunger, and we will not prevent you, only listen to us this time and get up.” The raja was persuaded to rise, and having partaken of food he was refreshed.
II.
The raja had planted flowering shrubs in his garden, but the Indarpuri Sadoms [15] ate up all the flowers as they appeared, and so he again began to sulk. He said, ”I planted bushes, but I see no flowers. What reason is there for my remaining alive?” And going to the sulking chamber he lay down, and as usual refused to eat. Then there was confusion in the household, and running hither and thither. The two ranis went to him, but he was annoyed, and ordered them to leave, saying, ”I will not rise, by your telling me,” so they returned weeping, each to her own apartment.
Just then their four sons returned from hunting, and demanded food. Their mothers were annoyed, and said, ”You young gentlemen are hungry, and must have food, that the raja is sulking is nothing to you, if you are fasting.” On hearing this the sons went to their father, and enquired, ”Oh! father, wherefore are you sulking?” The raja replied, ”Oh! my sons, I am sulking because I see no flowers in my garden. Unless I see flowers in my garden, I shall not remain in this world.” His sons replied, ”Give us three days, and if at the end of that time you see no flowers, then you may sulk.” He was persuaded to rise, and having bathed, and partaken of food, he was refreshed.