There was a certain Rajah whose name was Bickermanji. He was very
inquisitive, and always wished to know everything that was going on
in his kingdom, and what his subjects were doing.
At night he disguised himself in common clothes and a blanket, and
walked quietly in the streets and bazaars to spy on the people. Next
day, when complaints were brought to him of the doings of this or
that person, he knew all about it.
In this way he observed that a certain woman, the wife of a Sowcar,
or Bunniah, used to leave her home every night, carrying a ghurra, or
chattie, on her head and some food in her hand. Arrived at the river,
she floated the chattie, and sat upon it, thus getting a passage to
the other side, where she visited a certain Fakir.
In the early morning she returned, carrying the chattie full of water
for the day's use; and this being an everyday custom with native
women in the East, it was never suspected that she had spent nearly
the whole night away from her home. Bickermanji observed all this,
and wondered to himself how the matter would end.
One day the woman's husband, who had been away in another country,
returned, so she had to attend to his food, and could not get away
as early as usual to carry dainty dishes to the Fakir, who was very
angry when she arrived late, and made her excuses on account of her
husband's arrival.
"What do I care for your husband?" said the Fakir. "Is he better than
a holy mendicant? Go this moment and bring me his head."
This she did, much to the Fakir's surprise; but, instead of being
pleased at her obedience to his wishes, he was angry, and said:
"If you killed your husband, you will one day kill me also."
So he drove her from his presence, and she returned to her own home,
where, taking her husband's head upon her knee, she set up a great
weeping and lamentation, which attracted all her neighbours and
brought them together.
"My husband had only just returned from a journey, bringing money; and
see, thieves have stolen his money, and murdered him during the night."
Her neighbours believed this, and prepared to carry her husband to
the burning ghât, for he was a Hindoo. While they did this, the woman
declared that she would follow, and perform the sacred rite of suttee,
or being burnt upon her husband's funeral pyre.
Although impressed by her supposed devotion to her husband, her
friends wrote to Bickermanji, and begged him to prevent her.
Bickermanji knew all that had really happened, and meant to show his
own wisdom and the woman's crime, also to punish her as he thought
best. So he promptly forbade the suttee.
The widow then wrote to Rajah Bickermanji's stepmother, a very
clever woman, and asked her to intercede, that she might die with her
husband. Then his stepmother said: "My son, allow this suttee to take
place, and within eight days I will give you my reasons."
This aroused the curiosity of his nature, and, much against his will,
he consented; so the woman had her own way.
He waited impatiently for the eight days to be over, and then went
to his stepmother, who ordered a dooly, and, taking with her a goat,
asked him to accompany her to the nearest temple. Arrived there,
she asked him to stand at the door, and left the goat outside.
"If, when I come to the door, I say 'kill,' you are to kill the goat,
but if not, stand where you are," were the old woman's instructions
as she went to make her offering of fruit and flowers and sweets.
Soon she returned, and said: "Kill," so Bickermanji cut off the head
of the goat. "Sit upon the head, my son."
And he did as he was told, but no sooner had he done so, when the
head rose up into the air with him, away through space for hundreds of
miles, until he came to a wall which surrounded a space twelve miles
square. In this was a garden and beautiful house; and after wandering
some little time, Bickermanji found water and food, a comfortable
couch to lie upon, and a hookah, or native pipe, to smoke, but not
a human being was anywhere to be seen. This puzzled him, but as he
was both hungry and tired, he made a good meal, smoked his hookah,
and laid down to sleep.
"If I sleep, I sleep, if I die, I die; a man can but die once."
Now the place belonged to a purree, or winged fairy being, who used
to come to it during the night, and remain away all day. The servants
came an hour or two beforehand just to see everything was comfortable;
and when they found Bickermanji lying fast asleep, they wished to
kill him, but an old woman interceded on his behalf, so they let him
alone until the purree came.
Bickermanji was greatly surprised to see a strange winged being
standing before him, and expected immediate death; but the Strange
One spoke kindly, and begged him not to fear, but to make the place
his home for as long as he liked.
Each day passed by quietly, and in the pleasures and ease of his
present existence, Bickermanji soon forgot his kingdom, his wife,
and his children.
Before going away one morning the purree said: "There are four rooms
in this house which you must never open; I will point them out to you,
but, for the rest, you may use them as you will."
This request at once excited Bickermanji's old spirit of curiosity;
and, as soon as he found himself alone, he went quickly to the door
of the first room and opened it.
Within stood a horse, which turned gladly towards him, and said:
"I have not seen the light of day, or had an hour's freedom, ever
since I was given to the fairy by Rajah Sudra. If you will take me
out, I will show you all the world, and even the secret place where
the fairies dance."
Bickermanji was delighted, and immediately led out the horse, which
he saddled, mounted, and rode for a wonderful and delightful ride.
In the evening the fairy, or purree, again warned him against opening
any of the four forbidden doors; but the very next day he opened the
second one, and there found a large elephant chained up.
The elephant complained bitterly of its fate, and begged Bickermanji
to pity it, and take it out, which, if he did, it would in return
show him much that was wonderful in the world; so Bickermanji again
had a very interesting day.
On the morning following he opened the third door and found a camel
inside. It too took him to all sorts of new and interesting places
which were the haunts of fairy beings.
Now only one door was left, and Bickermanji determined to open that
also; and when he did, he beheld a donkey, standing inside. The
donkey complained just as the other animals had done, and begged
for its release; but as Bickermanji mounted it for his usual ride,
he found himself back in his old kingdom.
"My back aches," said the donkey; "leave me a while to rest, and go
you, in the meantime, to the nearest bazaar for food. When you return
you will find me here."
But when Bickermanji returned there was no donkey to be seen; so he
tore his hair and wept bitterly, asking all the passers-by if any of
them had seen his ghuddee, or donkey.
Many of the inhabitants of the town recognised him, and said:
"Our Rajah has come back, and is asking for his ghuddee," which,
in Hindustanee, means "throne" as well as "donkey."
At last his stepmother heard of his return, and sent for him. He told
her that he would give anything to be able to return to the place
from which the donkey had brought him.
"Was it not I who sent you there," she replied, "and could not I send
you back again? What are you willing to do in order to return? Are
you willing to slay your own son to go?"
"Yes, I would even do that."
"Well, come with me as before to the temple, only, instead of a goat,
take your son with you, and a sword. When I say 'kill' you must kill,
but not before."
So the three went to the temple, and the stepmother stood in the
doorway and cried "Kill"; but before the Rajah could raise his sword
she rushed forward and seized it.
"Stop! do not kill your son. Do you remember the suttee, and how
you judged her and wished to punish her for killing her husband on
account of a friend, and now you would kill your own son for the
sake of pleasure! All that has happened has been done to teach you
a lesson; go you to your Palace, and there reign with greater wisdom
than before."