In a certain country there are a King and a Queen, it is said. The
Queen bore a Princess. In that very country there are a Rakshasa and a
Rakshasi. The Rakshasi, too, bore a son. In that Princess's horoscope
there was [found] that she will contract marriage with a Rakshasa;
in that Rakshasa's horoscope there was [found] that he will marry
a Princess.
After both had become considerably big the King and Queen died;
only that Princess is in the palace.
The Rakshasa can create anything [he has] thought of. The Rakshasa
thought, "The palace and royal goods that are in the palace all are
to disappear." In that very manner they disappeared.
There not being a place for the Princess to stay in, when she is
weeping and weeping the Rakshasa having come there asked at the hand
of the Princess, "What are you weeping for?"
Then the Princess said, "I weep as there is not a place for me to be
in, and not a thing to eat,--because of that."
After that the Rakshasa said, "I will give food and clothing; can
you come to our house?" Then the Princess said, "I can."
After that, the Rakshasa and the Princess came to the Rakshasa's
house. Then at the hand of the Rakshasa asked the Rakshasa's mother,
"Who, son, is that?"
Then he said, "Mother, I have come summoning such and such a King's
Princess, for you to get [some] ease." [206]
After that, the Rakshasi having said, "Yes, it is good," while,
having employed the Princess, she was making her do all the work,
the Princess being like a servant of the Rakshasi's, the Rakshasi
had the thought, "[How] if I eat the Princess?"
Having thought it, one day when the Rakshasi was preparing to go to
eat human bodies she said at the hand of the Princess, "[By the time]
when I am coming, having brought and placed [ready] seven large pots of
water, and brought and placed [ready] seven bundles of firewood, and
boiled and pounded seven paelas of paddy (each about three-eighths of
a bushel), and plastered cow-dung on [the floors of] seven houses, and
cooked, warm water for me to bathe and place thou it [ready]. If not, I
will eat thee." Having said this the Rakshasi went to eat human bodies.
After that, the Princess remained weeping and weeping. So the Rakshasa
asked, "What art thou crying for?"
The Princess said, "Mother, telling me so many works, went away. How
shall I do them?"
Then the Rakshasa said, "Don't thou be doubtful about it. When mother,
having come back, has asked, say thou that thou didst all the works."
After that, the Princess, having remained silent in the very manner
the Rakshasa said, told at the hand of the Rakshasi [on her return]
that she did the works. When the Rakshasi looked to see if the works
were right, all were right. Well then, to eat the Princess there was
no means for the Rakshasi.
After that, she sent word to the Rakshasi's younger sister, "There
is a girl of the palace [here]; I have no means of eating that girl;
whatever work I told her that work has been quite rightly done. Now
then, how shall I eat [her]? I will send this girl near you; then
you eat her."
The Rakshasi said at the hand of the Princess, "Go to the house of
our younger sister's people; a box of mine is there. If thou dost
not bring it I will eat thee."
After that, the Princess having come near the stile, while she was
weeping and weeping the Rakshasa came there and asked, "What art thou
weeping for?"
Then the Princess said, "Mother told me that there is a box at the
house of little-mother's people. [207] Having said [I am] to bring it,
if not she will eat me, when I have gone for the box little-mother
will eat me. To-day indeed I cannot escape."
After that, the Rakshasa [said], "Little-mother is blowing and blowing
[the fire] at the hearth; the box is near the door. Thou having gone
running, taking the box come away."
Afterwards, having gone running, at the time when the Princess looked
the Rakshasi is blowing and blowing at the hearth; the box was near
the door. The Princess having gone into the house, taking the box
came running. The Rakshasi chased after her; she was unable to eat
her. For that Rakshasi [who sent her] there, also there was not a
way to eat her.
When she was there in that way for a considerable time they asked for
a marriage for the Rakshasa. Having asked it, the Rakshasi also having
become ready to go for the marriage, said at the hand of the Princess,
"When we come summoning the bride, having well prepared the house,
and set the tables and chairs, and boiled and cooked for the marriage
party, place [the food ready]." Saying [this] the Rakshasi went for
the marriage.
The Rakshasa having been behind said at the hand of the Princess,
"Thou having remained without speaking, say thou didst all the works
that mother told thee." Having said it the Rakshasa, too, went for
the marriage.
Afterwards the Princess having been [there] without speaking, after
the wedding-party, summoning the bride, returned, the Rakshasi asked
at the hand of the Princess, "Didst thou do all the works I told
thee? Didst thou do them?"
The Princess said, "Yes." When the Rakshasi looked all the works were
right; there also there was no way to eat her.
Afterwards she taught the bride, "Daughter, there! Eat that girl if
you can; I tried to eat her in [every] possible manner." After that,
the girl tried if she could eat her; [208] she was unable to eat
the Princess.
When she was there in that manner a considerable time, the Rakshasa
and the Princess having got hid went away. Having thus gone, and having
created the Princess's royal palace in the very manner in which it was
[before], the two remained at the palace.
Finished.
North-western Province.
In the Katha Sarit Sagara (Tawney), vol. i, p. 215, a Brahmana married
a Rakshasi Princess, and there is an account of a similar union in
the story No. 135 which follows.