Hindu Tales from the Sanskrit

[ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]

2. Why does too much power have a bad influence on those who have it?
CHAPTER II.
The guards were relieved to find they need not drag the vizier away; for they admired his courage and felt sure
that the Raja would soon find he could not get on without him. It might go hardly with them if he suffered
harm at their hands. So they only closed in about him; and holding himself very upright, Dhairya-Sila walked
to the tower as if he were quite glad to go. In his heart however he knew full well that it would need all his
skill to escape with his life.
When her husband did not come home at night, Buddhi-Mati was very much distressed. She guessed at once
that something had gone wrong, and set forth to try and find out what had happened. This was easy enough;
for as she crept along, with her veil closely held about her lest she should be recognised, she passed groups of
people discussing the terrible fate that had befallen the favourite. She decided that she must wait until
midnight, when the streets would be deserted and she could reach the tower unnoticed. It was almost dark
when she got there, but in the dim light of the stars she made out the form of him she loved better than herself,
leaning over the edge of the railing at the top.
Is my dear lord still alive? she whispered, and is there anything I can do to help him?
You can do everything that is needed to help me, answered Dhairya-Sila quietly, if you only obey every
direction I give you. Do not for one moment suppose that I am in despair. I am more powerful even now than
my master, who has but shown his weakness by attempting to harm me. Now listen to me. Come to-morrow
night at this very hour, bringing with you the following things: first, a beetle; secondly, sixty yards of the
finest silk thread, as thin as a spider's web; thirdly, sixty yards of cotton thread, as thin as you can get it, but
very strong; fourthly, sixty yards of good stout twine; fifthly, sixty yards of rope, strong enough to carry my
weight; and last, but certainly not least, one drop of the purest bees' honey.
3. Do you think the vizier thought of all these things before or after he was taken to the tower?
4. What special quality did he display in the way in which he faced his position on the tower?
CHAPTER III.
Buddhi-Mati listened very attentively to these strange instructions, and began to ask questions about them.
Why do you want the beetle? Why do you want the honey? and so on. But her husband checked her. I have
no strength to waste in explanations, he said. Go home in peace, sleep well, and dream of me. So the
anxious wife went meekly away; and early the next day she set to work to obey the orders she had received.
She had some trouble in obtaining fine enough silk, so very, very thin it had to be, like a spider's web; but the
cotton, twine and rope were easily bought; and to her surprise she was not asked what she wanted them for. It
took her a good while to choose the beetle. For though she had a vague kind of idea that the silk, the cotton,
twine, and rope, were to help her husband get down from the tower, she could not imagine what share the
beetle and the honey were to take. In the end she chose a very handsome, strong-looking, brilliantly coloured
fellow who lived in the garden of her home and whom she knew to be fond of honey.
CHAPTER II. 43
Hindu Tales from the Sanskrit
5. Can you guess how the beetle and the honey were to help in saving Dhairya-Sila?
6. Do you think it would have been better if the vizier had told his wife how all the things he asked for were to
be used?
CHAPTER IV.
All the time Buddhi-Mati was at work for her husband, she was thinking of him and looking forward to the
happy day of his return home. She had such faith in him that she did not for a moment doubt that he would
escape; but she was anxious about the future, feeling sure that the Raja would never forgive Dhairya-Sila for
being wiser than himself. Exactly at the time fixed the faithful wife appeared at the foot of the tower, with all
the things she had been told to bring with her.
Is all well with my lord? she whispered, as she gazed up through the darkness. I have the silken thread as
fine as gossamer, the cotton thread, the twine, the rope, the beetle and the honey.
Yes, answered Dhairya-Sila, all is still well with me. I have slept well, feeling confident that my dear one
would bring all that is needed for my safety; but I dread the great heat of another day, and we must lose no
time in getting away from this terrible tower. Now attend most carefully to all I bid you do; and remember not
to speak loud, or the sentries posted within hearing will take alarm and drive you away. First of all, tie the end
of the silken thread round the middle of the beetle, leaving all its legs quite free. Then rub the drop of honey
on its nose, and put the little creature on the wall, with its nose turned upwards towards me. It will smell the
honey, but will not guess that it carries it itself, and it will crawl upwards in the hope of getting to the hive
from which that honey came. Keep the rest of the silk firmly held, and gradually unwind it as the beetle
climbs up. Mind you do not let it slip, for my very life depends on that slight link with you.
7. Which do you think had the harder task to perform the husband at the top of the tower or the wife at the
foot of it?
8. Do you think the beetle was likely to imagine it was on the way to a hive of bees when it began to creep up
the tower?
CHAPTER V.
Buddhi-Mati, though her hands shook and her heart beat fast as she realized all that depended on her, kept the
silk from becoming entangled; and when it was nearly all unwound, she heard her husband's voice saying to
her: Now tie the cotton thread to the end of the silk that you hold, and let it gradually unwind. She obeyed,
fully understanding now what all these preparations were for.
When the little messenger of life reached the top of the tower, Dhairya-Sila took it up in his hand and very
gently unfastened the silken thread from its body. Then he placed the beetle carefully in a fold of his turban,
and began to pull the silken thread up very, very slowly, for if it had broken, his wonderful scheme would
have come to an end. Presently he had the cotton thread in his fingers, and he broke off the silk, wound it up,
and placed it too in his turban. It had done its duty well, and he would not throw it away.
Half the work is done now, he whispered to his faithful wife. You have all but saved me now. Take the
twine and tie it to the end of the cotton thread.
Very happily Buddhi-Mati obeyed once more; and soon the cotton thread and twine were also laid aside, and
the strong rope tied to the last was being quickly dragged up by the clever vizier, who knew that all fear of
CHAPTER IV. 44
Hindu Tales from the Sanskrit
death from sunstroke or hunger was over. When he had all the rope on the tower, he fastened one end of it to
the iron railing which ran round the platform on which he stood, and very quickly slid down to the bottom,
where his wife was waiting for him, trembling with joy.
9. Do you see anything very improbable in the account of what the beetle did?
10. If the beetle had not gone straight up the tower, what do you think would have happened?
CHAPTER VI.
After embracing his wife and thanking her for saving him, the vizier said to her: Before we return home, let
us give thanks to the great God who helped me in my need by putting into my head the device by which I
escaped. The happy pair then prostrated themselves on the ground, and in fervent words of gratitude
expressed their sense of what the God they worshipped had done for them. And now, said Dhairya-Sila, [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]

Tematy