302
terror, but Manahsvámin eagerly rushed forward, and took her up alone in his arms, and while she clung timidly to him, bewildered with fear, love, and shame, carried her to a distance, out of reach of the elephant. Then her attendants came up and praised that noble Bráhman, and conducted her back to her palace. But as she went, she frequently turned round to look at her deliverer. There she remained, thinking regretfully of that man who had saved her life, consumed day and night by the smouldering fire of love.
And Manahsvámin then left that garden, and seeing that the princess had entered her private apartments, he said to himself, in regretful longing, " I cannot remain without her, nay I cannot live without her: so my only resource in this difficulty is the cunning Múladeva, who is a master of magic arts." Having thus reflected, he managed to get through that day, and the next morning he went to visit that master of magic, Múladeva. And he saw that master, who was ever in the company of his friend Śaśin, full of many marvellous magic ways, like the sky come down to earth in human shape.*[1] And he humbly saluted him, and told him his desire; then the master laughed, and promised to accomplish it for him. Then that matchless deceiver Múladeva placed a magic globule †[2] in his mouth, and transformed himself into an aged Bráhman; and he gave the Bráhman Manahsvámin a second globule to put in his mouth, and so made him assume the appearance of a beautiful maiden. And that prince of villains took him in this disguise to the judgment-hall of the king, the father of his lady love, and said to him," king, I have only one son, and I asked for a maiden to be given him to wife, and brought her from a long distance; but now he has gone somewhere or other, and I am going to look for him; so keep this maiden safe for me until I bring back my son, for you keep safe under your protection the whole world." ‡[3] When king Yaśahketu heard this petition, he granted it, fearing a curse if he did not, and summoned his daughter Śasiprabhá, and said to her; " Daughter, keep this maiden in your palace, and let her sleep and take her meals with you." The princess agreed, and took Manahsvámin transformed into a maiden to her own private apartments; and then Múladeva, who had assumed the form of a Brahman, went where he pleased, and Manahsvámin remained in the form of a maiden with his beloved.§[4]
- ↑ † Cp. the shaving, by the help of which Preziosa, in the Pentamerone, turns herself into a bear. (Liebrecht's translation of the Pentamerone of Basile, Vol. I, p.212.) As soon as she takes it out of her mouth she resumes her human shape.
- ↑ † Cp. the shaving, by the help of which Preziosa, in the Pentamerone, turns herself into a bear. (Liebrecht's translation of the Pentamerone of Basile, Vol. I, p. 212.) As soon as she takes it out of her mouth she resumes her human shape.
- ↑ ‡ Compare Vol. I, p. 45.
- ↑ § This part of the story bears a certain resemblance to the myth of Achilles.
