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.
When the king heard about the brooch, he was greatly pleased; and
instead of ordering the lady to be punished, he told her that, when the
man who had dared to approach his daughter was found, he would give her
a great reward. He then sent forth hundreds of spies to hunt for the
man with a brooch in his turban, and Putraka was very soon found,
strolling quietly about in the market-place. He was so taken by
surprise that, though he had his staff in his hand and his shoes and
bowl in the pocket of his robes, he had no time to write his wishes
with the staff, or to put on the shoes, so he was obliged to submit to
be dragged to the palace. He did all he could to persuade those who had
found him to let him go, telling them he was a king and would reward
them well. They only laughed at him and dragged him along with them to
the palace, where he was at once taken before the king, who was sitting
on his throne, surrounded by his court, in a great hall lined with
soldiers. The big windows were wide open; and noticing this, Putraka
did not feel at all afraid, for he knew he had only to slip on his
shoes and fly out of one of the windows, if he could not persuade the
king to let him marry Patala. So he stood quietly at the foot of the
throne, and looked bravely into the face of his dear one’s father.
This only made the king more angry, and he began calling Putraka all
manner of names and asking him how he dared to enter the room of his
daughter. Putraka answered quietly that he loved Patala and wished to
marry her. He was himself a king, and would give her all she had been
used to. But it was all no good, for it only made the king more angry.
He rose from his throne, and stretching out his hand, he cried:
“Let him be scourged and placed in close confinement!”
Then Putraka with his staff wrote rapidly on the ground his wish that
no one should be able to touch him, and stooping down slipped on his
magic shoes. The king, the courtiers and the soldiers all remained
exactly as they were, staring at him in astonishment, as he rose up in
the air and flew out of one of the windows. Straight away he sped to
the palace of Patala and into her room, where she was pacing to and fro
in an agony of anxiety about him; for she had heard of his having been
taken prisoner and feared that her father would order him to be killed.
29. What do you think would have been the best thing for the king to do
when Putraka was brought before him?
30. If Putraka had not had his shoes with him, how could he have
escaped from the king’s palace?