[Footnote G: A lac of gold mohurs is equal to about $750,000.]
[Footnote H: Little Ruby Fish.]
_The Valiant Chatteemaker_
ONCE upon a time, in a violent storm of thunder, lightning, wind, and
rain, a tiger crept for shelter close to the wall of an old woman's hut.
This old woman was very poor, and her hut was but a tumble-down place,
through the roof of which the rain came drip, drip, drip, on more sides
than one. This troubled her much, and she went running about from side
to side, dragging first one thing and then another out of the way of the
leaky places in the roof, and as she did so she kept saying to herself:
"Oh, dear! oh, dear! how tiresome this is! I'm sure the roof will come
down! If an elephant, or a lion, or a tiger were to walk in, he wouldn't
frighten me half so much as this perpetual dripping." And then she would
begin dragging the bed and all the other things in the room about again,
to get them out of the way of the wet. The tiger, who was crouching down
just outside, heard all that she said, and thought to himself: "This old
woman says she would not be afraid of an elephant, or a lion, or a
tiger, but that this perpetual dripping frightens her more than all.
What can this 'perpetual dripping' be?--it must be something very
dreadful." And hearing her immediately afterwards dragging all the
things about the room again, he said to himself: "What a terrible noise!
Surely that must be the 'perpetual dripping.'"
At this moment a Chatteemaker,[I] who was in search of his donkey, which
had strayed away, came down the road. The night being very cold, he had,
truth to say, taken a little more toddy than was good for him, and
seeing, by the glare of a flash of lightning, a large animal lying down
close to the old woman's hut, he mistook it for the donkey he was
looking for.
So, running up to the tiger, he seized hold of it by one ear, and
commenced beating, kicking, and abusing it with all his might and main.
"You wretched creature!" he cried, "is this the way you serve me,
obliging me to come out and look for you in such pouring rain and on
such a dark night as this? Get up instantly or I'll break every bone in
your body"; so he went on scolding and thumping the tiger with his
utmost power, for he had worked himself up into a terrible rage. The
tiger did not know what to make of it all, but he began to feel quite
frightened, and said to himself: "Why, this must be the 'perpetual
dripping'; no wonder the old woman said she was more afraid of it than
of an elephant, a lion, or a tiger, for it gives most dreadfully hard
blows."
The Chatteemaker, having made the tiger get up, got on his back and
forced him to carry him home, kicking and beating him the whole way, for
all this time he fancied he was on his donkey; and then he tied his
forefeet and his head firmly together, and fastened him to a post in
front of his house, and when he had done this he went to bed.
Next morning, when the Chatteemaker's wife got up and looked out of the
window, what did she see but a great big tiger tied up, in front of
their house, to the post to which they usually fastened the donkey. She
was very much surprised, and running to her husband, awoke him, saying:
"Do you know what animal you fetched home last night?" "Yes, the donkey,
to be sure," he answered. "Come and see," said she, and she showed him
the great tiger tied to the post. The Chatteemaker at this was no less
astonished than his wife, and felt himself all over to find if the tiger
had not wounded him. But, no, he was safe and sound, and there was the
tiger tied to the post, just as he had fastened it up the night before.
News of the Chatteemaker's exploit soon spread through the village, and
all the people came to see him and hear him tell how he had caught the
tiger and tied it to the post; and this they thought so wonderful that
they sent a deputation to the Rajah, with a letter to tell him how a man
of their village had, alone and unarmed, caught a great tiger and tied
it to a post.
When the Rajah read the letter he also was much surprised, and
determined to go in person and see this astonishing sight. So he sent
for his horses and carriages, his lords and attendants, and they all set
off together to look at the Chatteemaker and the tiger he had caught.
Now the tiger was a very large one, and had long been the terror of the
whole country around, which made the whole matter still more
extraordinary; and all this being represented to the Rajah, he
determined to confer all possible honor on the valiant Chatteemaker. So
he gave him houses and lands, and as much money as would fill a well,
made him a lord of his court, and conferred on him the command of ten
thousand horse.
It came to pass, shortly after this, that a neighboring rajah, who had
long had a quarrel with this one, sent to announce his intention of
going instantly to war with him; and tidings were brought at the same
time that the Rajah who sent the challenge had gathered a great army
together on the borders, and was prepared at a moment's notice to invade
the country.
In this dilemma no one knew what to do. The Rajah sent for all his
generals, and inquired of them which would be willing to take command of
his forces and oppose the enemy. They all replied that the country was
so ill prepared for the emergency, and the case was apparently so
hopeless, that they would rather not take the responsibility of the
chief command. The Rajah knew not whom to appoint in their stead. Then
some of his people said to him: "You have lately given the command of
ten thousand horse to the valiant Chatteemaker who caught the tiger. Why
not make him commander-in-chief? A man who could catch a tiger and tie
him to a post, must surely be more courageous and clever than most."
"Very well," said the Rajah, "I will make him commander-in-chief." So he
sent for the Chatteemaker and said to him: "In your hands I place all
the power of the kingdom; you must put our enemies to flight for us."
"So be it," answered the Chatteemaker; "but, before I lead the whole
army against the enemy, suffer me to go by myself and examine their
position, and, if possible, find out their numbers and strength."
The Rajah consented, and the Chatteemaker returned home to his wife and
said: "They have made me commander-in-chief, which is a very difficult
post for me to fill, because I shall have to ride at the head of all the
army, and you know I never was on a horse in my life. But I have
succeeded in gaining a little delay, as the Rajah has given me
permission to go first alone and reconnoiter the enemy's camp. Do you
therefore provide a very quiet pony, for you know I cannot ride, and I
will start to-morrow morning."
But, before the Chatteemaker had started, the Rajah sent over to him a
most magnificent charger richly caparisoned, which he begged he would
ride when going to see the enemy's camp. The Chatteemaker was frightened
almost out of his life, for the charger that the Rajah had sent him was
very powerful and spirited, and he felt sure that even if he ever got on
it, he should very soon tumble off; however, he did not dare to refuse
it, for fear of offending the Rajah by not accepting his present. So he
sent back to him a message of thanks, and said to his wife: "I cannot go
on the pony, now that the Rajah has sent me this fine horse; but how am
I ever to ride it?" "Oh, don't be frightened," she answered; "you've
only to get upon it, and I will tie you firmly on so that you cannot
tumble off, and if you start at night no one will see that you are tied
on." "Very well," he said.
So that night his wife brought the horse that the Rajah had sent him to
the door. "Indeed," said the Chatteemaker, "I can never get into that
saddle, it is so high up." "You must jump," said his wife. So he tried
to jump several times, but each time he jumped he tumbled down again. "I
always forget when I am jumping," said he, "which way I ought to turn."
"Your face must be toward the horse's head," she answered. "To be sure,
of course," he cried, and giving one great jump he jumped into the
saddle, but with his face toward the horse's tail. "This won't do at
all," said his wife as she helped him down again; "try getting on
without jumping." "I never can remember," he continued, "when I have got
my left foot in the stirrup, what to do with my right foot or where to
put it." "That must go in the other stirrup," she answered; "let me help
you." So after many trials in which he tumbled down very often, for the
horse was fresh and did not like standing still, the Chatteemaker got
into the saddle; but no sooner had he got there than he cried: "Oh,
wife, wife! tie me very firmly as quickly as possible, for I know I
shall jump down if I can." Then she fetched some strong rope and tied
his feet firmly into the stirrups, fastened one stirrup to the other,
and put another rope around his waist and another around his neck, and
fastened them to the horse's body and neck and tail.
When the horse felt all these ropes about him he could not imagine what
queer creature had got upon his back, and he began rearing and kicking
and prancing, and at last set off full gallop, as fast as he could tear,
right across country. "Wife, wife!" cried the Chatteemaker, "you forgot
to tie my hands." "Never mind," said she, "hold on by the mane." So he
caught hold of the horse's mane as firmly as he could. Then away went
horse, away went Chatteemaker--away, away, away over hedges, over
ditches, over rivers, over plains--away, away like a flash of
lightning--now this way, now that--on, on, on, gallop, gallop,
gallop--until they came in sight of the enemy's camp.
The Chatteemaker did not like his ride at all, and when he saw where it
was leading him he liked it still less, for he thought the enemy would
catch him and very likely kill him. So he determined to make one
desperate effort to be free, and stretching out his hand as the horse
shot past a young banyan tree, seized hold of it with all his might,
hoping that the resistance it offered might cause the ropes that tied
him to break. But the horse was going at his utmost speed, and the soil
in which the banyan tree grew was loose, so that when the Chatteemaker
caught hold of it and gave it such a violent pull it came up by the
roots, and on he rode as fast as before, with the tree in his hand.
All the soldiers in the camp saw him coming, and, having heard that an
army was to be sent against them, made sure that the Chatteemaker was
one of the vanguard. "See," cried they, "here comes a man of gigantic
stature on a mighty horse! He rides at full speed across the country,
tearing up the very trees in his rage! He is one of the opposing force;
the whole army must be close at hand. If they are such as he, we are all
dead men." Then, running to their Rajah, some of them cried again: "Here
comes the whole force of the enemy" (for the story had by this time
become exaggerated); "they are men of gigantic stature, mounted on
mighty horses; as they come they tear up the very trees in their rage;
we can oppose men, but not monsters such as these." These were followed
by others, who said: "It is all true," for by this time the Chatteemaker
had got pretty near the camp; "they're coming! they're coming! let us
fly! let us fly--fly, fly for your lives!" And the whole panic-stricken
multitude fled from the camp, those who had seen no cause for alarm
going because the others did, or because they did not care to stay by
themselves, after having obliged their Rajah to write a letter to the
one whose country he was about to invade, to say that he would not do
so, and to propose terms of peace, and to sign it and seal it with his
seal. Scarcely had all the people fled from the camp when the horse on
which the Chatteemaker was came galloping into it, and on his back rode
the Chatteemaker, almost dead from fatigue, with the banyan tree in his
hand. Just as he reached the camp the ropes by which he was tied broke,
and he fell to the ground. The horse stood still, too tired with his
long run to go farther. On recovering his senses, the Chatteemaker
found, to his surprise, that the whole camp, full of rich arms, clothes,
and trappings, was entirely deserted. In the principal tent, moreover,
he found a letter addressed to his Rajah, announcing the retreat of the
invading army and proposing terms of peace.
So he took the letter and returned home with it as fast as he could,
leading his horse all the way, for he was afraid to mount him again. It
did not take him long to reach his house by the direct road, for while
riding he had gone a more circuitous journey than was necessary, and he
reached there just at nightfall. His wife ran out to meet him, overjoyed
at his speedy return. As soon as he saw her, he said: "Ah, wife, since I
saw you last I've been all around the world, and had many wonderful and
terrible adventures. But never mind that now: send this letter quickly
to the Rajah by a messenger, and send the horse also that he sent for me
to ride. He will then see, by the horse looking so tired, what a long
ride I've had; and if he is sent on beforehand, I shall not be obliged
to ride him up to the palace door to-morrow morning, as I otherwise
should, and that would be very tiresome, for most likely I should tumble
off." So his wife sent the horse and the letter to the Rajah, and a
message that her husband would be at the palace early next morning, as
it was then late at night. And next day he went down there, as he had
said he would; and when the people saw him coming, they said: "This man
is as modest as he is brave; after having put our enemies to flight, he
walks quite simply to the door, instead of riding here in state, as
another man would." For they did not know that the Chatteemaker walked
because he was afraid to ride.
The Rajah came to the palace door to meet him, and paid him all possible
honor. Terms of peace were agreed upon between the two countries, and
the Chatteemaker was rewarded for all he had done, by being given twice
as much rank and wealth as he had before, and he lived very happily all
the rest of his life.