The Wonderful Mango-fruit.--A variety of this story occurs in the
Persian "Tuti Nama" of Nakhshabi:--A Prince, who is very ill, sends
a parrot of great sagacity to procure him some fruit of the Tree of
Life. When at length the bird returns with the life-giving fruit,
the Prince scruples to eat of it, upon which the parrot relates
the legend of "Solomon and the Water of Immortality;" how that wise
monarch declined to procure immunity from death, on consideration that
he should thus survive all his friends and female favourites. The
Prince, however, being suspicious regarding the fruit, sent some
trusty messengers to "bring the first apple that fell from the Tree
of Existence." But it happened that a black snake had poisoned it
by seizing it in its mouth and then letting it drop again. When the
messengers returned with the fruit, the Prince tried the effect on a
holy man, who instantly falls down dead. Upon seeing this, the Prince
dooms the parrot to death; but the sagacious bird suggests that, before
the Prince should execute him for treason, he should himself go to the
Tree of Life and make another experiment with its fruit. The Prince
does so, and, returning home, gives part of the fruit to an old woman,
"who, from age and infirmity, had not stirred abroad for many years;"
and, no sooner had she tasted it, than she was changed into a charming
girl of eighteen. But more closely resembling our story is a version
in a Canarese collection, entitled "Katha Manjari":--A certain king
had a magpie that flew one day to heaven with another magpie. From
thence it took away some mango seed, and, having returned, gave it
to the king, saying:--
"If you cause this to be planted and grow, whoever eats of its fruit
old age will forsake him and his youth be restored."
The king was much pleased, and caused it to be planted in his favourite
garden. After some years, buds appeared and became flowers, then
young fruit, then full grown; and when the fruit was ripe the king
ordered one to be plucked and brought to him, when he gave it to an
old man. But on it had fallen poison from a serpent as it was carried
through the air by a kite, so the old man immediately withered and
died. The king, on seeing this, exclaimed in wrath:--
"Is not this bird attempting to kill me?" And he seized the magpie and
wrung off its head. Afterwards in the village the tree had the name
of the poisonous mango. Now, it happened that a washerman, taking the
part of his wife in a quarrel with his old mother, struck the latter,
who was so angry at her son that she resolved to die, in order that
the blame of her death should fall upon him; and having gone to the
poisonous mango-tree in the garden, she cut off a fruit and ate it,
when instantly she became more blooming than a girl of sixteen. This
miracle she published everywhere and it came to the king's ears, who,
having called her and seen her, caused the fruit to be given to other
old people. Having seen what was thus done by the marvelous virtue
of the mango-fruit, the king sorrowfully exclaimed:--
"Alas, the faithful magpie is killed which gave me this divine
tree! How guilty am I!" And he pierced himself with his sword and died.
"Therefore," adds the story-teller, "those who act without thought
are certain to be ruined." The old Brahman's generously presenting
the king with the wonderful mango-fruit in our story, finds its
parallel with a difference, in the Hindu romance entitled "Simhasana
Dwatrinsatri," or Thirty-two Tales of a throne, where a Brahman having
received from the gods, as a reward for his devotional austerities,
the fruit of immortality, joyfully proceeds home and shows it to
his wife, who advises him to give it to the Raja Bhartrihari, as the
wealth he should receive in return were preferable to an endless life
of poverty. He goes to the palace, and presenting the fruit to the
Raja, acquaints him of its nature, and is rewarded with a lakh of
rupees. The Raja gives the fruit to his wife, telling her that if
she ate it her beauty would increase day by day, and she should be
immortal. The Kani gives it to her paramour, the chief of police, who,
in his turn, presents it as the choicest of gifts to a courtesan, who,
after reflecting that it would only enable her to commit innumerable
sins, resolves to offer it to the Raja, in hope of a reward in a future
life. When Raja Bhartrihari receives the fruit again he is astonished,
and, on learning from the haetera from whom she had obtained it, he
knew that his queen was unfaithful, and, abandoning his throne and
kingdom, departs into the jungle, where he became an ascetic.