Tales of the Punjab: Folklore of India Part 29

'Fair words!' replied the chief officer; 'but if this woman does not send the tribute at once, the giants will come and disturb the whole city. Her son must go!'

'I go in his stead!' quoth Rasalu more haughtily still. 'Stand back, and let me pa.s.s!'

Then, despite their denials, he mounted his horse, and taking the basket of cakes and the buffalo, he set off to find the giant, bidding the buffalo show him the shortest road.

Now, as he came near the giants' house, he met one of them carrying a huge skinful of water. No sooner did the water-carrier giant see Raja Rasalu riding along on his horse Bhaunr Iraqi and leading the buffalo, than he said to himself, 'Oho! we have a horse extra to-day! I think I will eat it myself, before my brothers see it!'

Then he reached out his hand, but Rasalu drew his sharp sword and smote the giant's hand off at a blow, so that he fled from him in great fear.

Now, as he fled, he met his sister the giantess, who called out to him, 'Brother, whither away so fast?'

And the giant answered in haste, 'Raja Rasalu has come at last, and see!--he has cut off my hand with one blow of his sword!'

Then the giantess, overcome with fear, fled with her brother, and as they fled they called aloud--

'Fly! brethren, fly!

Take the path that is nearest; The fire burns high That will scorch up our dearest!

Life's joys we have seen: East and west we must wander!

What has been, has been; Quick! some remedy ponder.'

Then all the giants turned and fled to their astrologer brother, and bade him look in his books to see if Raja Rasalu were really born into the world. And when they heard that he was, they prepared to fly east and west; but even as they turned, Raja Rasalu rode up on Bhaunr Iraqi, and challenged them to fight, saying, 'Come forth, for I am Rasalu, son of Raja Salbahan, and born enemy of the giants!'

Then one of the giants tried to brazen it out, saying, 'I have eaten many Rasalus like you! When the real man comes, his horse's heel-ropes will bind us and his sword cut us up of their own accord!'

Then Raja Rasalu loosed his heel-ropes, and dropped his sword upon the ground, and, lo! the heel-ropes bound the giants, and the sword cut them in pieces.

Still, seven giants who were left tried to brazen it out, saying, 'Aha! We have eaten many Rasalus like you! When the real man comes, his arrow will pierce seven girdles placed one behind the other.'

So they took seven iron girdles for baking bread, and placed them one behind the other, as a s.h.i.+eld, and behind them stood the seven giants, who were own brothers, and, lo! when Raja Rasalu tw.a.n.ged his mighty bow, the arrow pierced through the seven girdles, and spitted the seven giants in a row!

But the giantess, their sister, escaped, and fled to a cave in the Gandgari mountains. Then Raja Rasalu had a statue made in his likeness, and clad it in s.h.i.+ning armour, with sword and spear and s.h.i.+eld. And he placed it as a sentinel at the entrance of the cave, so that the giantess dared not come forth, but starved to death inside.

So this is how he killed the giants.

HOW RAJA RASaLU BECAME A JoGI

Then, after a time, Rasalu went to Hodinagari. And when he reached the house of the beautiful far-famed Queen Sundran, he saw an old Jogi sitting at the gate, by the side of his sacred fire.

'Wherefore do you sit there, father?' asked Raja Rasalu.

'My son,' returned the Jogi, 'for two-and-twenty years have I waited thus to see the beautiful Sundran, yet have I never seen her!'

'Make me your pupil,' quoth Rasalu, 'and I will wait too.'

'You work miracles already, my son,' said the Jogi; 'so where is the use of your becoming one of us?'

Nevertheless, Raja Rasalu would not be denied, so the Jogi bored his ears and put in the sacred earrings. Then the new disciple put aside his s.h.i.+ning armour, and sat by the fire in a Jogi's loin-cloth, waiting to see Queen Sundran.

Then, at night, the old Jogi went and begged alms from four houses, and half of what he got he gave to Rasalu and half he ate himself.

Now Raja Rasalu, being a very holy man, and a hero besides, did not care for food, and was well content with his half share, but the Jogi felt starved.

The next day the same thing happened, and still Rasalu sat by the fire waiting to see the beautiful Queen Sundran.

Then the Jogi lost patience, and said, 'O my disciple, I made you a pupil in order that you might beg, and feed me, and behold, it is I who have to starve to feed you!'

'You gave no orders!' quoth Rasalu, laughing. 'How can a disciple beg without his master's leave?'

'I order you now!' returned the Jogi. 'Go and beg enough for you and for me.'

So Raja Rasalu rose up, and stood at the gate of Queen Sundran's palace, in his Jogi's dress, and sang,

'_Alakh!_ at thy threshold I stand, Drawn from far by the name of thy charms; Fair Sundran, with generous hand, Give the earring-decked Jogi an alms!'

Now when Queen Sundran, from within, heard Rasalu's voice, its sweetness pierced her heart, so that she immediately sent out alms by the hand of her maid-servant. But when the maiden came to the gate, and saw the exceeding beauty of Rasalu, standing outside, fair in face and form, she fainted away, dropping the alms upon the ground.

Then once more Rasalu sang, and again his voice fell sweetly on Queen Sundran's ears, so that she sent out more alms by the hand of another maiden. But she also fainted away at the sight of Rasalu's marvellous beauty.

Then Queen Sundran rose, and came forth herself, fair and stately.

She chid the maidens, gathered up the broken alms, and setting the food aside, filled the plate with jewels and put it herself into Rasalu's hands, saying proudly--

'Since when have the earrings been thine?

Since when wert thou made a _faqir_?

What arrow from Love's bow has struck thee?

What seekest thou here?

Do you beg of all women you see, Or only, fair Jogi, of me?'

And Rasalu, in his Jogi's habit, bent his head towards her, saying softly--

'A day since the earrings were mine, A day since I turned a _faqir_; But yesterday Love's arrow struck me; I seek nothing here!

I beg nought of others I see, But only, fair Sundran, of thee!'

Now, when Rasalu returned to his master with the plate full of jewels, the old Jogi was sorely astonished, and bade him take them back, and ask for food instead. So Rasalu returned to the gate, and sang--

'_Alakh!_ at thy threshold I stand, Drawn from far by the fame of thy charms; Fair Sundran, with generous hand, Give the earring-decked beggar an alms!'

Then Queen Sundran rose up, proud and beautiful, and coming to the gate, said softly--

'No beggar thou! The quiver of thy mouth Is set with pearly shafts; its bow is red As rubies rare. Though ashes hide thy youth, Thine eyes, thy colour, herald it instead!

Deceive me not--pretend no false desire-- But ask the secret alms thou dost require.'

But Rasalu smiled a scornful smile, saying--

'Fair Queen! what though the quiver of my mouth Be set with glistening pearls and rubies red?