Sanskrit literature -- Translations into English; Tales -- India
After hesitating a long time, the lady made up her mind that she would
only put some mark in the turban of Putraka, so that he could be known
again, and let him escape that night at least. So she stole back to her
room, fetched a tiny brooch, and fastened it in the folds of the
turban, where the wearer was not likely to notice it himself. This
done, she went back to listen at the door.
It was nearly morning when Putraka woke up, very much surprised at
finding himself lying on the couch, for he did not remember throwing
himself down on it. Starting up, he woke Patala, who was terribly
frightened, for she expected her ladies to come in any minute to help
her to dress. She entreated Putraka to make himself invisible and fly
away at once. He did so; and, as usual, wandered about until the time
should come to go back to the palace. But he still felt too tired to
fly, and instead walked about in the town belonging to Patala’s father.
The lady who had been on guard had half a mind to tell her mistress
that her secret was discovered. But before she could get a chance to do
so, she was sent for by the king, who asked her if she had seen or
heard anything during the night. She tried very hard to escape from
betraying Patala; but she hesitated so much in her answers that the
king guessed there was something she wanted to hide, and told her, if
she did not reveal the whole truth, he would have her head shaved and
send her to prison. So she told how she had found a handsome man,
beautifully dressed, fast asleep in Patala’s room; but she did not
believe her mistress knew anything about it, because she too was
asleep.
The king was of course in a terrible rage, and the lady was afraid he
would order her to be punished; but he only went on questioning her
angrily about what the man was like, so that he might be found and
brought before him. Then the lady confessed that she had put the brooch
in the turban, comforting herself with the thought that, when the king
saw Putraka and knew that Patala loved him, he might perhaps relent and
let them be married.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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