Hindoo Tales; Or, the Adventures of Ten PrincesDandin, active 7th century
General
Hindoo Tales; Or, the Adventures of Ten Princes
Dandin, active 7th century
Sanskrit literature -- Translations into English; Tales -- India
Accordingly, the next day, while bathing in the Ganges, I made it
appear as if I were accidentally carried out of my depth and drawn in
by one of the eddies of the river, and screamed out loudly for help.
My cries and screams and subsequent disappearance caused a great
commotion, and long search was made for my body; but of course in
vain, for I had dived under, and come to the surface unobserved among
the thick bushes at the place which had been agreed upon. There,
having gone on shore, I soon found the old brahman, who was waiting
for me with a suit of men's clothes, and, putting them on, I walked
quietly with him into the town.
The next day, as if he had heard nothing of the loss of his pretended
daughter, he went to the king, accompanied by me, and said "My lord, I
have returned from Oujein, and have brought with me this young man,
the intended husband of my daughter, with whom I am much pleased, and
whom I can confidently recommend to your favour, for I have heard an
exceedingly good report of him there. He is not only very learned in
the vedas and commentaries, advanced in science and arts, well
instructed in politics and history, clever in reciting stories and
poetry, but is a bold and skilful rider, a good archer and swordsman.
There is scarcely anything that a young man should know, with which he
is not familiar; and, with all this, he is free from conceit,
good-tempered, gentle, and kind; in short, he seems to me almost
perfect, and more fit to marry a princess than the daughter of such a
man as I am. When I have seen my child happily married to him, I shall
not trouble them with my society, but withdraw from the world, and
end my days in a hermitage. I have now come to take back my daughter,
with the most humble and heartfelt gratitude for the gracious
protection which you have so kindly afforded her." With these words he
bowed himself to the ground in humble obeisance.
On hearing this the king was greatly perplexed, and obliged to admit
that the girl had been drowned while bathing, and that her body had
not been found.
Then the old man began to tear his hair, beat his breast, and show
signs of the most extravagant grief, calling on the king to restore
his dear daughter, and reproaching him with having caused her death.
In vain did the king make him large offers of compensation; he refused
them all, declaring it to be his firm intention to put himself to
death at the gate of the palace, and so cause the sin to fall on the
king's head.[9]
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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