Once upon a time there ruled over Sind a king, who throughout his reign
had been distinguished for wisdom and justice; but he had grown old and
had only one son, born to him by one of his queens, when he was in the
evening of his life. His darling wish was to see his son of an age to
succeed him before he died. But as kings even are only pawns in the
hands of the great chessplayer, his hope was never fulfilled. Feeling
death approach, he sent for his chief minister and gave him the eight
keys of his eight treasure chambers. “Guard the throne for my son,”
said the dying man, “and when he is of an age to rule by himself, give
him seven of the eight keys; but do not give him the eighth until he
has ruled for five years.” The chief minister promised faithfully to do
his master’s bidding and the old king died in his arms.
The young prince was duly raised to the throne and the chief minister
watched over him as if he had been his own son. When the prince came of
age, he succeeded to a rich and prosperous kingdom and the minister
handed over to him, just as the old king had desired, seven out of the
eight keys. With the seven keys the prince opened seven treasure vaults
and found them chock full of silver and gold pieces and precious stones
of every description. He was pleased beyond measure; and he felt deeply
grateful to the faithful minister, who had discharged his trust so well
and while keeping the people happy had made their king rich beyond the
dreams of avarice. For a time all went well; then some evilminded old
man, who envied the chief minister, told the king that there were
really eight treasure vaults and that the minister had not handed over
the eighth key, so that he might keep for himself the contents of the
eighth treasure vault. In a great rage the young king sent for the
chief minister and demanded on pain of instant death the eighth key.
The old statesman fell at his young master’s feet and telling him with
many tears the whole story handed him the eighth key. The king was so
excited at the tale, that he snatched away the key and running as fast
as he could to the eighth treasure vault, turned the key in the lock
and flung open the door. To his amazement the room was absolutely bare,
save for the portrait of a beautiful girl, that hung on one of the
walls. The king’s eyes ran round the empty room and then they rested on
the face in the picture. There they stayed until the youth fell so
deeply in love with the beautiful girl, that he grew gradually fainter
and at last swooned away. The minister and the courtiers sprinkled
rosewater over their prostrate master and at last revived him; but he
vowed that unless the minister promised to bring him the lovely picture
maiden, he would not only refuse to reign, but would starve himself to
death.
The old minister was dismayed at the state of the king and soothed him
by telling him that he would at once set out to fetch the beautiful
girl. He loaded a vessel full of merchandise of all descriptions and
with some chosen companions weighed anchor and set sail for the open
sea. They touched at various ports, but although they shewed the chief
men there the portrait found in the eighth chamber, none recognised it.
At last after the voyage had lasted a whole year, they reached a
distant haven and there they shewed their picture. The people standing
by clapped their hands and cried out “Why, it’s our own princess!” The
minister was taken to the king and queen who shewed them their daughter
and all agreed that she was the original of the portrait. The minister
told the king that he was a merchant and after giving the king splendid
gifts stayed in the country until he had sold all his merchandise. He
then turned his prow homewards and many months later he was able to
tell his king that the lovely picture maiden had been found. Without a
moment’s delay the king vowed that he would seek her himself. Again
filling the vessel with merchandise, the king, the minister and the
some band of trusty companions went on board and weighing anchor, they
set sail for the distant land wherein the princess dwelt. After a
voyage of several months and many hardships, they reached it and the
minister again presented himself in the guise of a merchant before the
princess’ father. On his earlier visit the minister had learnt that the
princess was very fond of toys; so he had brought for her a number of
toys, in the making of which the people of his country were very
skilled. There were toy dogs that ran for miles, toy lions and tigers
that roared horribly, toy partridges that rose with a whirr just like
live ones, toy pheasants that flew up slantwise into the air and toymen
who walked about and talked just as if they had been real. The princess
gave a cry of delight on seeing all these wonderful play-things; but
the minister said “These are nothing to what you will see, if you will
visit our ship. My master the merchant who is on board would only let
me bring the commonest toys ashore.” The princess was wild to see the
other toys and taking six maid-servants with her went with the minister
to the seashore and aboard the ship. There the young king received her
with the greatest courtesy and respect and began to shew her other
toys. But as she was looking at them and clapping her hands at each
fresh one, the crew quietly cut the anchor cable and were out to sea,
before the princess or her friends on shore had any idea what was
happening.
When the poor princess found that she had been taken captive, she wept
bitterly, but the king soothed her and told her how he had fallen in
love with her picture and had sailed across half the world to win her.
At last she dried her eyes and promised to be his queen directly the
ship brought them to his country. The journey took many weary months,
but at last they were only three days sail off and the king and
betrothed, as happy as possible, together were walking up and down the
deck, hand in hand. The chief minister was sitting in the bows
straining his eyes trying to get a glimpse of the land. Now among the
old man’s many accomplishments was the power to understand the speech
of birds. As he looked landwards, he saw a parrot and a maina fly to
the ship and perch in the rigging. After a little while the maina felt
dull and begged the parrot to tell her a story. At first the parrot
demurred, then he said: “There is a story going on before your very
eyes. You see how happy the king and queen seem to be? Well, the king
has only three more days to live! When he lands three days hence, he
will be met by his officers and his troops, his elephants, his horses
and his chariots. He will be given the most beautiful horse of all to
ride; but that horse is not really a horse at all, but a demon.
Directly the king is on its back, it will fly away with him into the
air and will then drown him by flinging him into the sea.” The maina
was affected to tears by this story; for she loved the parrot dearly
and knew how the princess would grieve at the loss of her betrothed.
“Is there no way,” cried the maina, “by which the king can be saved?”
“Yes, my beloved,” answered the parrot, “there is one way. If someone
goes up to the horse just before the king mounts it and cuts its head
off, the king will be saved. But do not repeat what I have told you;
for if anyone repeats it, one third of his or her body will be turned
into stone.” The parrot and the maina then flew away, leaving the
minister, who had understood all that they had said, a prey to the
cruelest anxiety.
Next day the parrot and the maina flew back to the ship and perched in
the rigging. The minister on seeing them went back to his seat in the
bows of the ship, so that he might listen to what they said. The maina
said “Tell me, please, what will happen to the king, if he escapes from
the demon horse? Will he not wed the princess and live happily ever
afterwards?” “Nay, my heart’s desire,” said the parrot, “the king and
the princess will never, I fear, be happy together. Even although the
king escapes from the demon horse he will still be in the gravest
peril. During the wedding the king will see a beautiful gold plate. He
will be so pleased with it, that he will pick it up and pass it round
among his courtiers to collect alms for the Brahmans, who are
conducting the ceremony. But he will not live to pass the plate to all
his courtiers, for it is poisoned and as he passes it round, the poison
on it will enter the pores of his skin and will kill him in a few
seconds.” The poor maina was as much upset at this story as she had
been at the other. “Is there no way,” she sobbed, “to save the poor
king?” “Yes, my beloved,” answered the parrot, “if anyone were to put
on gloves and snatch away the plate before the king can handle it, he
will be saved. But do not repeat what I have told you, for if you do, a
third of your body will be turned into stone.” Shortly afterwards, the
parrot and the maina flew away, leaving the minister sadder even than
he had been the previous day.
The next day, which was the last of the voyage, the disheartened
minister went and sat in the prow of the ship, to hear anything more
that the parrot might say to the maina. He had not been seated more
than a few minutes before the two birds came and perched a few feet
above his head. “Dear Parrot,” said the maina, “if the king is not
poisoned by the plate, will he and the princess not even then marry and
live happy together ever afterwards?” “Nay, well beloved, even then the
king will not live long enough to make the princess happy. After the
wedding ceremony, the king and the princess will be so tired that
directly their heads touch the pillow, they will go off to sleep. While
they are asleep, a snake that lives in the roof of the bridal chamber
will drop poison from his fangs on to the princess’ cheek. When the
king wakes out of his first sleep and kisses the princess, he will
touch the poison with his lips and will die instantly.” The maina was
dreadfully sorry to hear this new danger and asked tearfully whether
there was no way by which the king could escape from that death also.
“Yes, well beloved,” said the parrot, “there is one chance of his
escape, but it is so remote that the king is sure to die. If someone
were to hide himself in the bridal chamber until the poison fell and
kissed the princess’ cheek, the king would be saved; nor would his
saviour die either if he drank at once a large glass of milk. But do
not tell anyone about this, for if you do a third of your body will be
turned into stone.” The two birds then flew away.
The minister was in despair, but he was a brave and loyal man and he
resolved to save his master, even if it cost him his life. When the
king landed and tried to mount the demon horse, the minister drew his
sword and with a single stroke cut its head off. The king was very
angry and asked the minister why he had done it; but the minister dared
not explain for fear of a third part of his body being turned into
stone. The king could not understand it, still in view of the
minister’s great services he forgave him. The wedding ceremonies of the
king and his bride were celebrated with great splendour; and in the
middle of them, the king seeing a beautiful gold plate stretched out
his hand to take it and to collect alms for the officiating Brahmans.
The minister at once pushed past the king and with a gloved hand,
seized the golden plate and threw it far away into a running stream.
The king was still more angry especially as the minister, afraid of
being turned into stone, would not say why he had done it.
After the wedding ceremonies were over, the king and queen tired out
with the fatigues of the day went to rest; and so sleepy were they that
directly their heads touched their pillows, they fell asleep. The
minister, however, had hidden himself behind a screen in the bridal
chamber. He saw the snake come out of his hiding place in the roof,
wriggle along a beam and then drop poison on the face of the sleeping
queen. He stepped up to the bed, kissed the poison off the queen’s face
and then took a deep draught of milk. The queen woke up on feeling the
kiss and roused the king. They were both very angry at seeing the
minister in their room and the king called to his guards to seize the
minister and hang him early next morning from the battlements of the
palace. The guards seized the poor old minister and took him to prison.
There the old man asked to see the king before he died, as a last
favour. The king had not the heart to refuse it. The minister was taken
in chains to the royal palace and there he poured out the whole truth.
But as he related how the parrot had warned him about the demon horse,
his feet and legs turned to marble; then as he told about the poisoned
plate, his body as far as his armpits turned to marble; lastly when he
had finished the tale of the poison dropped by the snake, his head and
shoulders became marble, too.
The king was at first too astonished to do anything and then he wept
bitterly at the awful fate that had overtaken his loyal and faithful
servant. He put the petrified body in a room in his palace and daily
for several years prostrated himself at its feet to shew his sorrow. In
course of time the queen bore him a son and every day he used to bring
the little boy into the minister’s room to shew him what a good and
true servant he had once had. One day when the little boy was three
years old, the very same parrot and maina, that had perched in the
ship’s rigging, flew into the minister’s room and began talking to each
other. The king just because he was standing close to the minister was
able to follow what they were saying. The parrot said to the maina “The
king is very sad at the fate of his minister; but he could bring him
back to life now, if he wanted to.” “How could he?” asked the maina.
The parrot answered “If he kills his own son and sprinkles his blood
over the stone body, the minister will become flesh and blood once
more.” The king thought long and deeply where his duty lay; at last he
felt that he owed more to the faithful minister who had saved his life
three times than to his son. He drew his sword, cut off the little
boy’s head and sprinkled his blood over the marble body. The minister
at once came to life again. Nor was this all. The minister learning of
the death of the little prince prayed so earnestly to God to bring him
back to life that his prayer was granted. The king then took the
minister and the little prince to the queen’s room and told her all
that had happened. She agreed that the king had acted rightly, even
though his act would but for God’s mercy, have cost her her son. The
minister once more resumed his duties; and he and the king, the queen
and the little prince lived together happily for ever so long
afterwards.