Page:Tales from the Indian Epics.djvu/120

Now pride on the part of mortals is always hateful to the gods. So to punish King Sagar, the great god Vishnu disguised himself as an old woman in order that he might steal the sacrificial horse. One evening as Prince Anshumat was about to halt for the night with his army, he saw an aged woman coming towards him. "Fair Prince," said the woman, "I am weary and starving. If you give me a night's food and lodging, I shall always be grateful to you." The prince had not the heart to refuse her prayer for she looked thin and careworn. "Give her some food," he said to his attendants, "and let her sleep on a bed of hay near the stables." The attendants led the old woman away, gave her food, and threw down a cartload of grass for her to sleep on. Some hours later the old woman rose, and while the army slept, she loosened the picketing ropes of the sacrificial horse, mounted it and galloped away at full speed. The thunder of its hoofs woke the army. The troopers saddled their horses as quickly as they could. But by the time that they were ready to follow the fleeing horse, it had completely vanished. All that night and for several days afterwards, they searched for it in vain. At last Prince Anshumat said, "I shall waste no more time in this vain quest. I must go back to my grandfather and crave his pardon. He will, I am sure, forgive me, for how could I have guessed that an old woman would steal the sacrificial horse?" Prince Anshumat returned to his grandfather and told him what had happened. King Sagar readily forgave him saying, "I do not blame you. Prince Anshumat; for kindness of heart befits the young." Then he turned to his sixty thousand sons. "My gallant sons," he said, "you must avenge this insult. The old woman was the tool of