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in, the witches pursued after me and caught me. And they seized me and
went off with me through the air much pleased. But thereupon some
other witches of great power flew past them in front. And suddenly
there arose between the two parties a tumultuous fight. And in the confusion I escaped front the hands of my captors, and fell to the ground in a very desolate part of the country. *[1]
And there I saw a certain great palace, which seemed to say to me with its open door, " Come in." So I fled into it bewildered with fear, and I beheld a lady of wonderful beauty, surrounded with a hundred ladies- in-waiting, gleaming with brightness, like a protecting herb†[2] that shines in the night, made by the Creator out of pity for me. I immediately recovered my spirits and questioned her, and she said to me, " I am a Yakshiní named Sumitrá, and I am thus here owing to a curse. And in order that my curse may come to an end, I have been directed to marry a mortal: so marry me, as you have unexpectedly arrived here; fear not." When she had said this, she quickly gave orders to her servants; and she provided me, to my great delight, with baths and unguents, food and drink, and garments. Strange was the contrast between the terror caused by those witches and the happiness that immediately followed ! Even fate itself cannot comprehend the principle that makes men fall into happiness or misery.
Then I remained there in happiness with that Yakshiní during those days; but at last one day she said to me of her own accord, " Bráhman, my curse is at an end; so I must leave this place at once. However, by my favour you shall have divine insight; and, though an ascetic, you shall have all enjoyments at your command, and be free from fear. But as long as you are here, do not visit the middle block of buildings of this palace of mine." When she had said this, she disappeared; and thereupon, I, out of curiosity, went up to the middle block of buildings, and there I saw a horse. I
- ↑ * In the above wild story the hero has to endure the assaults of the witches on three successive nights. So in the story of the Headless Princess (Ralston's Russian Folk-Tales, p. 271) the priest's son has to read the psalter over the dead princess three nights running. He is hardest pressed on the last night; and on each occasion at day-break the "devilry vanished." In the same way in The Soldier's Midnight Watch (ib. p. 274) the soldier has three nights of increasing severity. So in Southey's Old "Woman of Berkeley, the assaults continue for three nights, and on the third are successful.
- ↑ † Kuhn in his Westfalische Sagen, Vol. II, p. 29, gives a long list of herbs that protect men from witches. The earliest instance in literature is perhaps that Moly, :" That Hermes once to wise Ulysses gave." See also Bartsch Sagen aus Meklenburg, Vol. II, p. 37.
