THE ABDUCTION
One day a most culpable idea came into my head. Parvati had for
some time past shown herself extremely irritated by the constantly
increasing demands of her position as Princess; by the Receptions, the
Parades, the long dissertations of the Brahmans upon the present and
the future Life, and the interminable Poems, recited in a monotonous
voice by the court Poet in reference to the most insignificant events
that occurred at the palace.
"Oh!" said she, "to be free! to be only a simple mortal! To do only
what one likes to do! without being obliged to wear a mask, and force
oneself to smile, when one feels like weeping--or to be solemn, when
one wants to laugh!"...
To be free! I also thought of it during the long days when I was
deprived of her companionship.... Well! It was easy enough! We had but
to steal away to the depths of the forest, and never return!
I refused to consider the wickedness of such a scheme. I repelled all
the objections that might have suggested themselves, and one day,
leaving the palace of Golconda as if for an ordinary promenade, I was
firmly resolved never to return to it.
I gained the forest more quickly than usual, and pushed on to portions
far beyond those where we had previously ventured.
At this distance I felt safe. I was quite sure they could not pursue
us, for it had not rained for a long time, and the dry ground showed no
trace of my enormous feet. Still, in order to make sure, I marched for
half an hour along the bed of a shallow stream, to throw the dogs off
the scent, and when I again stepped onto the ground I felt confident
that I was now, indeed, to be for a long time alone with my dear little
Princess Parvati.
At last I had quitted that Court where everything combined to separate
me from my little friend--ceremonies, etiquette, the great festivals,
and the thousand demands of the toilette, which occupied her at all
hours of the day, in order that she might never appear in public twice
in the same costume.
Now, there would be no more of all that. She was going to live quietly
and happily in the forest, like a little Hermit, served and waited on
by a great White Slave! And I would take such good care of her--serve
her so devotedly--with such thoughtfulness, such affection, such
love!...
She was so light on my back that I did not feel her any more than if
she had been a green fly, or a little blue-bird that had lighted on my
rough skin. But I could hear her singing--and her voice delighted me.
She was singing a very long and very beautiful song which one of her
Maids of Honour had taught her; it was called the "_Gita Govinda_" and
I think she did not understand it very well, but she liked it all the
better on that account.
From time to time I raised my trunk and she clasped the tip in her
little fingers, and laughingly "shook hands" with me! She was delighted
with this excursion, for it was the first of the kind she had taken.
Of course, she had heard of the deep parts of the forest, filled with
bright flowers, and she knew that she had not been allowed to come here
for fear some heavy fruit might fall on her from a tree, or a venomous
serpent dart out upon her. She was not fond of contradictions--nor of
being thwarted by obstacles of any sort, and being forbidden to enter
it, she was all the more desirous to do so; it was, therefore, with
great glee that she permitted her good friend Iravata to conduct her to
the _Forbidden Forest_.
At the expiration of a couple of hours we had penetrated to the very
heart of the wild wood.
The trees overhead were of a prodigious height, and their tops so full
of leaves that the sunlight could not pass through. No plants grew
at their feet, and there were neither bushes nor vines; nothing but
an endless number of tall slender trunks without branches; it was as
if we had entered the colonnade of an immense temple. Parvati was a
little afraid now of this vast solitude--this profound silence. She no
longer sang, and when she spoke her voice sounded sad....
I hastened, therefore, to go in another direction. I remembered that a
short distance from where we were the ground rose gently till it formed
a little hillock, which was celebrated for its beauty; so I turned in
that direction, and soon reached the spot. A perfumed breeze wafted
from it the sound of birds singing in the branches, and Parvati began
again her song.
This new forest was wonderfully beautiful. There were so many flowers
growing here that as I walked on and crushed them, my feet were stained
as red as if I had been walking in blood. The trees bore more flowers
than leaves, and swarms of bees buzzed among the branches. Little
blossoms of blue and yellow bloomed even on the trunks of the trees,
having pierced the bark with their tiny roots. There were great beds
of tall plants which bore rich and fragrant blossoms. These were the
_Sacred Flowers_, the dwelling place of the _Good Fairies_, who bestow
great joys, and fulfill desires and hopes.
Parvati wished to dismount and gather some of them. I wrapped my trunk
around her slender waist, and placed her--like another flower--among
the crimson blossoms. She picked seven of the handsomest, made an
opening in the centre of each, and threaded them on a thin stem, which
held them together without crushing them. Then she unfastened her hair
and shook it down over her shoulders, and arranged the wreath upon her
head as best she could. I had never seen her look so pretty; her royal
head-dresses were too heavy and elaborate and weighed down her delicate
head. I would have preferred always to see her crowned only with this
wreath of flowers which she herself had made without the aid of either
slaves or mirrors.
I replaced her gently on my back and resumed my march through the
forest. The vines had now become so numerous and so tall that I could
no longer step over them; sometimes I had to rise on my hind legs and
place my forefeet upon a tangle of green creepers that barred the way.
The weight of my body was barely sufficient to break through these
natural barriers and open a path before us.
Often too, the trees grew so close together, and the branches hung so
low that my dear little Parvati might have been struck and scratched by
the twigs and briars; at such times I lifted my trunk and held up, out
of her way, all that might have touched her---on whom I would not have
permitted so much as a flower to rest and annoy her!
All that she saw delighted her. Great birds flew by with wonderful
feathers, and she regretted not being able to catch them and make
fans of their beautiful red and green tails. She longed to possess
the little monkeys that chattered when they saw her, and threw down
little nuts and fruits that lodged in her hair. She wanted the big
insects that glittered in the sunshine, and hummed about the clustering
flowers.... Alas! I could not give her any of them! What is more, I
would not have cared to continue the excursion with a whole menagerie
on my back! To tell the truth I was rather jealous of the attention
Parvati gave to all these things, so much more beautiful than I....
The sun was about to set and the forest was transfigured in the red
evening rays, when we reached the borders of a lake, all surrounded by
trees, and so overgrown with lotus flowers that the water could hardly
be seen.
Parvati wished to dismount; I assisted her--but soon repented of my
imprudence, when I saw her unfasten her long robe of silk and gold,
throw it on the bank, and plunge into the shining water....
Like a careful nurse, I was alarmed lest my little mistress should
catch cold, and I made desperate signals to her with my trunk to come
out.... But she only looked at me coaxingly, took a lotus in each of
her hands, and crossed her arms on her breast, as they do before the
statues of Lachmi, when asking favours or returning thanks. So I let
her remain.... I was weak enough to permit her to do so.... She was
so joyous and full of spirits! I could see just her little round head
among the lotus flowers, as she pushed them aside, walking on the
bottom of the lake; only her laughing mouth and brilliant eyes showed
under her wet drooping hair. She left behind her a trail of perfume on
which floated the blue powder and the santal that had been scattered
over her to give her the colour of the skies.
And soon she might have been taken for any ordinary little girl had it
not been for a look of royalty that shone in her eyes.