JaneSmith105
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Dark was the night and weird the atmosphere. It rained from time to time. Cool gusts of breeze whistled past the tall trees. At intervals of thunderclaps and the moaning of jackals could be heard the eerie laughter of spirits. Flashes of lightning showed fearful faces.
But King Vikram swerved not. He climbed the ancient tree once again and brought the corpse down. However, as soon as he began crossing the desolate cremation ground with the corpse lying on his shoulder, the vampire that possessed the corpse observed, "O King, I do not know whether it is for your own interest or for someone else you are taking such troubles. Much depends on your motive. I propose to explain my point through a story. Pay attention to my narration. That might bring you some relief."
The vampire went on: In the village Bharatpur of the kingdom of Chandragiri lived a prosperous farmer named Bhola Singh. He had a dear friend named Premnath. It so happened that Premnath and his wife died in an epidemic leaving behind them their only child, Sagar, a boy of six.
Bhola Singh led Sagar to his own house. He bestowed all his love and attention on the boy as if he was his own son.
Bhola Singh was a man of principles. He never spoke a lie and he was brave. Under his care and influence, Sagar grew up as a brave lad.
Bhola Singh had a sweet little daughter. He planned to marry her off to Sagar in future. Sagar was happy about it.
Bharatpur was the headquarters of a division of the kingdom. The officer who governed the division was Sukhvir. He was a close friend of the general of the king’s army. Because of that Sukhvir behaved like a tyrant. The people hated him, but nobody had the courage to complain against him.
Sagar, then a bright young man, girded up his loins and proceeded to the capital to inform the king about Sukhvir’s misdeeds. He met a courtier and requested him to take him to the king. He frankly told the courtier the purpose of his visit.
Little did he know that the courtier was the general’s chum. Next day, before Sagar had an opportunity to meet the king he was arrested. He was accused of ‘being a vagabond who was loitering around the palace with the intention of stealing from the royal treasury.
According to the law of Chandragiri, a man who was suspected to be a criminal but against him there was no proof of crime, was left in the jungle tied to a tree. It was believed that if the man was really guilty, he will be devoured by a beast. If he was not, he will return alive somehow.
Sagar was abandoned in the forest, tied to a tree. He calmly stood, awaiting his fate.
Suddenly he heard a strange voice crying out, "I am thirsty. Can you fetch me some water?"
He saw a demoness approaching him. He said without fear, "The river is nearby. Why don’t you drink from it?"
"My son, there is a curse on me. The moment I touch a source of water – be it a river or a lake – it will dry up. I can satiate my thirst only if someone pours water in my mouth!" said the demoness.
The demoness untied Sagar. He rushed to the river and returned with water in a pot he found lying on the river-bank.
The demoness drank the water and was happy. "What brought you this punishment?" she asked.
Sagar narrated to her the entire story of his life. The demoness heard him with great interest. She then said, "You’re a brave lad indeed. I should help you in you mission to expose the corrupt officer.:"
She looked upward for a few minutes and extended her arms. Some precious jewellery and clothes fell on them.
She smiled and said, "These things belong to the princess, just made for her birthday. Now, go and make use of these things in a clever way."
Sagar made a bundle of the things and carried it to Bharatpur. It was dark when he reached the village. Quietly he slipped the bundle into Sukhvir’s house.
Sukhvir’s wife found the bundle in the morning. She could not check her temptation to put on the things the bundle contained. She went to the temple wearing them. The people looked with surprise at her dazzling ornaments and the saree with gold threads.
Meanwhile there was great excitement in the king’s place when the clothes and jewellery which the princess was to put on that morning were found missing. Spies fanned out in different directions to trace them if possible. One of them returned with the report that Sukhvir’s wife wore things that seemed too costly and too gorgeous for her!
Further investigation showed that they were the property of the princess. Sukhvir was arrested. But at the general’s intervention he was set free.
Sukhvir soon found out that Sagar was back from the forest. People had great sympathy for the young man. Sukhvir knew that as long as Sagar moved about as a free man, he was not safe. Sagar would most probably try to report to the king against him.
That was a time when a small gang of bandits made news in the kingdom. The king’s guards or soldiers were never able to capture the gang. Instigated by Sukhvir, the general told the king, "My lord, a young man at Bharatpur named Sagar knows a hymn by which he can foretell when and where the bandits will strike, He should be ordered to help us."
The King summoned Sagar and said, "Help my general to catch the bandits or you will be punished," He did not give any chance to Sagar to say that there was no way in which he could help in the matter!
He went into the forest and met the demoness and fetched water for her to drink. Then he told her about his latest problem.
The demoness waved her hands. Next moment Sagar saw two tigers dangling from her hands. "Take these creatures. They will be of help to you," she said.
Sagar was scared. The demoness laughed and waved her hand on the tigers. They became a young human couple, as if just married. The bride was bedecked with dazzling jewellery.
Sagar led the couple to the capital deliberately passing through the crowded streets so that many people could see them. It was evening. They checked into an inn.
At night the bandits struck the inn. They tried to snatch the jewellery from the bride’s person. Suddenly the couple turned into the tigers they were. They did not kill the bandits. But grievously wounded all of them.
The wounded bandits were carried to the king Before dying they not only confessed to their crimes but also revealed something most unexpected. They said that they were really employed by the general and Sukhvir. That is why they could never be caught. They regularly gave half of their loots to their two masters.
The general and Sukhvir were thrown into prison. Sagar was appointed the new general.
A few months later there was a terrible flood in the kingdom. The entire crop was threatened. The king was upset. All the people became pensive and gloomy.
Sagar went into the forest and met the demoness. "There is a curse on you that the moment you touch any water it will dry up. Will you not put the curse to the best possible use?"he asked her, after telling her about the flood crisis.
The demoness happily came out of the forest and touched the flood-water. The flood was gong!.
The king was so happy that he embraced Sagar. Next day he proposed that if Sagar had no objection, he could marry the princess. As the king had no son, he would succeed him to the throne! Sagar agreed. The marriage was performed.
After some time Sagar went into the forest to meet the demoness out of courtesy. The moment the demoness saw him, she shouted, "Get out! I shall rather die of thirst than drink from your hands. In fact, I will not be visible to any human being hereafter!" She disappeared.
Sagar stood sad and speechless. Then retraced his steps and returned to the capital.
The vampire paused for a moment and then demanded of king Vikram in a challenging tone: "Oh King, how do you explain such strange conduct of the demoness? She was always helpful to Sagar. Why then did she suddenly become so rude towards him? Answer me if you can. Should you keep mum despite your knowledge of the answer, your head would roll off your neck."
Answered King Vikram forthwith: "The demoness helped Sagar as long as he worked for the welfare of other. But he deviated from his ideal when he agreed to marry the princess. Position and the king’s favour made him forget his obligation to his old benefactor, Bhola Singh. He forgot that Bhola Sing expected him to marry his daughter. The demoness was disenchanted not only with him, but with human beings in general."
No sooner had king Vikram concluded his answer than the vampire along with the corpse, gave him the slip.
But King Vikram swerved not. He climbed the ancient tree once again and brought the corpse down. However, as soon as he began crossing the desolate cremation ground with the corpse lying on his shoulder, the vampire that possessed the corpse observed, "O King, I do not know whether it is for your own interest or for someone else you are taking such troubles. Much depends on your motive. I propose to explain my point through a story. Pay attention to my narration. That might bring you some relief."
The vampire went on: In the village Bharatpur of the kingdom of Chandragiri lived a prosperous farmer named Bhola Singh. He had a dear friend named Premnath. It so happened that Premnath and his wife died in an epidemic leaving behind them their only child, Sagar, a boy of six.
Bhola Singh led Sagar to his own house. He bestowed all his love and attention on the boy as if he was his own son.
Bhola Singh was a man of principles. He never spoke a lie and he was brave. Under his care and influence, Sagar grew up as a brave lad.
Bhola Singh had a sweet little daughter. He planned to marry her off to Sagar in future. Sagar was happy about it.
Bharatpur was the headquarters of a division of the kingdom. The officer who governed the division was Sukhvir. He was a close friend of the general of the king’s army. Because of that Sukhvir behaved like a tyrant. The people hated him, but nobody had the courage to complain against him.
Sagar, then a bright young man, girded up his loins and proceeded to the capital to inform the king about Sukhvir’s misdeeds. He met a courtier and requested him to take him to the king. He frankly told the courtier the purpose of his visit.
Little did he know that the courtier was the general’s chum. Next day, before Sagar had an opportunity to meet the king he was arrested. He was accused of ‘being a vagabond who was loitering around the palace with the intention of stealing from the royal treasury.
According to the law of Chandragiri, a man who was suspected to be a criminal but against him there was no proof of crime, was left in the jungle tied to a tree. It was believed that if the man was really guilty, he will be devoured by a beast. If he was not, he will return alive somehow.
Sagar was abandoned in the forest, tied to a tree. He calmly stood, awaiting his fate.
Suddenly he heard a strange voice crying out, "I am thirsty. Can you fetch me some water?"
He saw a demoness approaching him. He said without fear, "The river is nearby. Why don’t you drink from it?"
"My son, there is a curse on me. The moment I touch a source of water – be it a river or a lake – it will dry up. I can satiate my thirst only if someone pours water in my mouth!" said the demoness.
The demoness untied Sagar. He rushed to the river and returned with water in a pot he found lying on the river-bank.
The demoness drank the water and was happy. "What brought you this punishment?" she asked.
Sagar narrated to her the entire story of his life. The demoness heard him with great interest. She then said, "You’re a brave lad indeed. I should help you in you mission to expose the corrupt officer.:"
She looked upward for a few minutes and extended her arms. Some precious jewellery and clothes fell on them.
She smiled and said, "These things belong to the princess, just made for her birthday. Now, go and make use of these things in a clever way."
Sagar made a bundle of the things and carried it to Bharatpur. It was dark when he reached the village. Quietly he slipped the bundle into Sukhvir’s house.
Sukhvir’s wife found the bundle in the morning. She could not check her temptation to put on the things the bundle contained. She went to the temple wearing them. The people looked with surprise at her dazzling ornaments and the saree with gold threads.
Meanwhile there was great excitement in the king’s place when the clothes and jewellery which the princess was to put on that morning were found missing. Spies fanned out in different directions to trace them if possible. One of them returned with the report that Sukhvir’s wife wore things that seemed too costly and too gorgeous for her!
Further investigation showed that they were the property of the princess. Sukhvir was arrested. But at the general’s intervention he was set free.
Sukhvir soon found out that Sagar was back from the forest. People had great sympathy for the young man. Sukhvir knew that as long as Sagar moved about as a free man, he was not safe. Sagar would most probably try to report to the king against him.
That was a time when a small gang of bandits made news in the kingdom. The king’s guards or soldiers were never able to capture the gang. Instigated by Sukhvir, the general told the king, "My lord, a young man at Bharatpur named Sagar knows a hymn by which he can foretell when and where the bandits will strike, He should be ordered to help us."
The King summoned Sagar and said, "Help my general to catch the bandits or you will be punished," He did not give any chance to Sagar to say that there was no way in which he could help in the matter!
He went into the forest and met the demoness and fetched water for her to drink. Then he told her about his latest problem.
The demoness waved her hands. Next moment Sagar saw two tigers dangling from her hands. "Take these creatures. They will be of help to you," she said.
Sagar was scared. The demoness laughed and waved her hand on the tigers. They became a young human couple, as if just married. The bride was bedecked with dazzling jewellery.
Sagar led the couple to the capital deliberately passing through the crowded streets so that many people could see them. It was evening. They checked into an inn.
At night the bandits struck the inn. They tried to snatch the jewellery from the bride’s person. Suddenly the couple turned into the tigers they were. They did not kill the bandits. But grievously wounded all of them.
The wounded bandits were carried to the king Before dying they not only confessed to their crimes but also revealed something most unexpected. They said that they were really employed by the general and Sukhvir. That is why they could never be caught. They regularly gave half of their loots to their two masters.
The general and Sukhvir were thrown into prison. Sagar was appointed the new general.
A few months later there was a terrible flood in the kingdom. The entire crop was threatened. The king was upset. All the people became pensive and gloomy.
Sagar went into the forest and met the demoness. "There is a curse on you that the moment you touch any water it will dry up. Will you not put the curse to the best possible use?"he asked her, after telling her about the flood crisis.
The demoness happily came out of the forest and touched the flood-water. The flood was gong!.
The king was so happy that he embraced Sagar. Next day he proposed that if Sagar had no objection, he could marry the princess. As the king had no son, he would succeed him to the throne! Sagar agreed. The marriage was performed.
After some time Sagar went into the forest to meet the demoness out of courtesy. The moment the demoness saw him, she shouted, "Get out! I shall rather die of thirst than drink from your hands. In fact, I will not be visible to any human being hereafter!" She disappeared.
Sagar stood sad and speechless. Then retraced his steps and returned to the capital.
The vampire paused for a moment and then demanded of king Vikram in a challenging tone: "Oh King, how do you explain such strange conduct of the demoness? She was always helpful to Sagar. Why then did she suddenly become so rude towards him? Answer me if you can. Should you keep mum despite your knowledge of the answer, your head would roll off your neck."
Answered King Vikram forthwith: "The demoness helped Sagar as long as he worked for the welfare of other. But he deviated from his ideal when he agreed to marry the princess. Position and the king’s favour made him forget his obligation to his old benefactor, Bhola Singh. He forgot that Bhola Sing expected him to marry his daughter. The demoness was disenchanted not only with him, but with human beings in general."
No sooner had king Vikram concluded his answer than the vampire along with the corpse, gave him the slip.
