The Indarpuri Kuri whom Lelha had robbed of her hira now awoke, and
at once missed her precious jewel. She knew that Lelha had stolen it
from her, and summoning her army to her standard marched upon Lelha's
father's capital, to which she laid siege, and before many hours had
elapsed, the raja was a prisoner in her hands.
This Indarpuri Kuri said to him, "Will you give up the hiras and manis,
or will you fight?" The raja sent the following message to his four
sons, "Will you fight to retain possession of the hiras and manis,
or will you deliver them up?" They were afraid, so they gave answer,
"We will not. Lelha knows all about the hiras and manis. We do not."
The raja then sent and called Lelha, and enquired, "Will you shew
fight, Lelha, or will you give up the hiras and manis?" Lelha replied,
"I will fight. I will not part with the hiras and manis. I obtained
them only after much painful toil, so I cannot deliver them up. Ask
them to agree to delay hostilities for a short time, but inform them
that Lelha will fight."
Lelha hurried to the further end of the garden, and taking the hair of
the first Indarpuri Kuri in his hand said, "Oh! Indarpuri Kuri. Give me
an army four times stronger than the one brought against me, so that
I may make short work of my enemies." Immediately an army of 44,000
men stood in military array, awaiting his orders. The two armies
joined battle, and Lelha discomfited the host of the Indarpuri Kuri,
and she herself became his prize. She became his wife, and returned no
more to her cavernous home in the solitary island. Lelha thus became
the husband of four wives.
Then the raja called his five sons together and said, "In my estimation
Lelha is the one best qualified to became raja of this kingdom. I
therefore resign all power and authority into his hands." Lelha
replied, "Yes, father, you have judged righteously. My brothers have
caused me much distress. First, they pushed off the raised platform
in your flower garden, but of that I did not inform you. Then they
caused me, who was the finder of the hiras and manis, to fall into
the river. You saw how they refused to fight, and threw all the
responsibility upon me. They have used me spitefully. They have tried
to make a cat's paw of me."
So Lelha was raja of all the country, and his brothers were his
servants. One was in charge of Lelha's pipe and tobacco, another
ploughed his fields, and the other two had like menial offices assigned
to them.