Next day, while the Princesses were eating the cream cake, who should
come by but their step-mother's daughter? Balna saw her first, and
said, "See, sisters, there comes that girl again. Let us sit round the
edge of the tank, and not allow her to see it; for if we give her some
of our cake, she will go and tell her mother, and that will be very
unfortunate for us."
The other sisters, however, thought Balna unnecessarily suspicious,
and instead of following her advice, they gave the Purdan's daughter
some of the cake, and she went home and told her mother all about it.
The Ranee, on hearing how well the Princesses fared, was exceedingly
angry, and sent her servants to pull down the dead Ranee's tomb and
fill the little tank with the ruins. And not content with this, she
next day pretended to be very, very ill--in fact, at the point of
death; and when the Rajah was much grieved, and asked her whether it
was in his power to procure her any remedy, she said to him: "Only one
thing can save my life, but I know you will not do it." He replied,
"Yes, whatever it is, I will do it." She then said, "To save my life,
you must kill the seven daughters of your first wife, and put some of
their blood on my forehead and on the palms of my hands, and their
death will be my life." At these words the Rajah was very sorrowful;
but because he feared to break his word, he went out with a heavy
heart to find his daughters.
He found them crying by the ruins of their mother's grave.
Then, feeling he could not kill them, the Rajah spoke kindly to them,
and told them to come out into the jungle with him; and there he made
a fire and cooked some rice, and gave it to them. But in the
afternoon, it being very hot, the seven Princesses all fell asleep,
and when he saw they were fast asleep, the Rajah, their father, stole
away and left them (for he feared his wife), saying to himself: "It is
better my poor daughters should die here than be killed by their
step-mother."
He then shot a deer, and returning home, put some of the blood on the
forehead and hands of the Ranee, and she thought then that he had
really killed the Princesses, and said she felt quite well.
Meantime the seven Princesses awoke, and when they found themselves
all alone in the thick jungle they were much frightened, and began to
call out as loud as they could, in hopes of making their father hear;
but he was by that time far away, and would not have been able to hear
them, even had their voices been as loud as thunder.
It so happened that this very day the seven young sons of a
neighboring Rajah chanced to be hunting in that same jungle, and as
they were returning home after the day's sport was over, the youngest
Prince said to his brothers: "Stop, I think I hear some one crying and
calling out. Do you not hear voices? Let us go in the direction of
the sound, and try and find out what it is."
So the seven Princes rode through the wood until they came to the
place where the seven Princesses sat crying and wringing their hands.
At the sight of them the young Princes were very much astonished, and
still more so on learning their story; and they settled that each
should take one of these poor forlorn ladies home with him and marry
her.
So the first and eldest Prince took the eldest Princess home with him,
and married her.
And the second took the second;
And the third took the third;
And the fourth took the fourth;
And the fifth took the fifth;
And the sixth took the sixth;
And the seventh, and handsomest of all, took the beautiful Balna.
And when they got to their own land, there was great rejoicing
throughout the kingdom at the marriage of the seven young Princes to
seven such beautiful Princesses.
About a year after this Balna had a little son, and his uncles and
aunts were all so fond of the boy that it was as if he had seven
fathers and seven mothers. None of the other Princes or Princesses had
any children, so the son of the seventh Prince and Balna was
acknowledged their heir by all the rest.
They had thus lived very happily for some time, when one fine day the
seventh Prince (Balna's husband) said he would go out hunting, and
away he went; and they waited long for him, but he never came back.
Then his six brothers said they would go and see what had become of
him; and they went away, but they also did not return.
And the seven Princesses grieved very much, for they felt sure their
kind husbands must have been killed.
One day, not long after this had happened, as Balna was rocking her
baby's cradle, and whilst her sisters were working in the room below,
there came to the palace door a man in a long black dress, who said
that he was a Fakeer,[32] and came to beg. The servants said to him,
"You cannot go into the palace--the Rajah's sons have all gone away;
we think they must be dead, and their widows cannot be interrupted by
your begging." But he said, "I am a holy man; you must let me in."
Then the stupid servants let him walk through the palace, but they did
not know that this man was no Fakeer, but a wicked Magician named
Punchkin.
[32] Holy beggar.
Punchkin Fakeer wandered through the palace, and saw many beautiful
things there, till at last he reached the room where Balna sat singing
beside her little boy's cradle. The Magician thought her more
beautiful than all the other beautiful things he had seen, insomuch
that he asked her to go home with him and to marry him. But she said,
"My husband, I fear, is dead, but my little boy is still quite young;
I will stay here and teach him to grow up a clever man, and when he is
grown up he shall go out into the world, and try and learn tidings of
his father. Heaven forbid that I should ever leave him or marry you."
At these words the Magician was very angry, and turned her into a
little black dog, and led her away, saying, "Since you will not come
with me of your own free will, I will make you." So the poor Princess
was dragged away, without any power of effecting an escape, or of
letting her sisters know what had become of her. As Punchkin passed
through the palace gate the servants said to him, "Where did you get
that pretty little dog?" And he answered, "One of the Princesses gave
it to me as a present." At hearing which they let him go without
further questioning.
Soon after this the six elder Princesses heard the little baby, their
nephew, begin to cry, and when they went up stairs they were much
surprised to find him all alone, and Balna nowhere to be seen. Then
they questioned the servants, and when they heard of the Fakeer and
the little black dog, they guessed what had happened, and sent in
every direction seeking them, but neither the Fakeer nor the dog were
to be found. What could six poor women do? They had to give up all
hopes of ever seeing their kind husbands, and their sister and her
husband again, and they devoted themselves thenceforward to teaching
and taking care of their little nephew.
Thus time went on, till Balna's son was fourteen years old. Then one
day his aunts told him the history of the family; and no sooner did he
hear it than he was seized with a great desire to go in search of his
father and mother and uncles, and bring them home again if he could
find them alive. His aunts, on learning his determination, were much
alarmed and tried to dissuade him, saying, "We have lost our husbands,
and our sister and her husband, and you are now our sole hope; if you
go away, what shall we do?" But he replied, "I pray you not to be
discouraged; I will return soon, and, if it is possible, bring my
father and mother and uncles with me." So he sat out on his travels,
but for some months he could learn nothing to help him in his search.
At last, after he had journeyed many hundreds of weary miles, and
become almost hopeless of ever being able to hear anything further of
his parents, he one day came to a country which seemed full of stones
and rocks and trees, and there he saw a large palace with a high
tower; hard by which was a Malee's[33] little house.
[33] Gardener's.
As he was looking about, the Malee's wife saw him, and ran out of the
house and said, "My dear boy, who are you that dare venture to this
dangerous place?" And he answered, "I am a Rajah's son, and I come in
search of my father and my uncles, and my mother whom a wicked
enchanter bewitched." Then the Malee's wife said, "This country and
this palace belong to a great Enchanter; he is all-powerful, and if
any one displeases him, he can turn them into stones and trees. All
the rocks and trees you see here were living people once, and the
Magician turned them to what they now are. Some time ago a Rajah's son
came here, and shortly afterward came his six brothers, and they were
all turned into stones and trees; and these are not the only
unfortunate ones, for up in that tower lives a beautiful Princess,
whom the Magician has kept prisoner there for twelve years, because
she hates him and will not marry him."
Then the little Prince thought, "These must be my parents and my
uncles. I have found what I seek at last." So he told his story to the
Malee's wife, and begged her to help him to remain in that place a
while, and inquire further concerning the unhappy people she
mentioned; and she promised to befriend him, and advised his
disguising himself, lest the Magician should see him, and turn him
likewise into stone. To this the Prince agreed. So the Malee's wife
dressed him up in a saree,[34] and pretended that he was her daughter.
[34] A woman's dress.
One day, not long after this, as the Magician was walking in his
garden, he saw the little girl (as he thought) playing about, and
asked her who she was. She told him she was the Malee's daughter, and
the Magician said, "You are a pretty little girl, and to-morrow you
shall take a present of flowers from me to the beautiful lady who
lives in the tower."
The young Prince was much delighted at hearing this, and after some
consultation with the Malee's wife, he settled that it would be more
safe for him to retain his disguise, and trust to the chance of a
favorable opportunity for establishing some communication with his
mother, if it were indeed she.
Now it happened that at Balna's marriage her husband had given her a
small gold ring, on which her name was engraved, and she put it on her
little son's finger when he was a baby, and afterward, when he was
older, his aunts had had it enlarged for him, so that he was still
able to wear it. The Malee's wife advised him to fasten the well-known
treasure to one of the bouquets he presented to his mother, and trust
to her recognizing it. This was not to be done without difficulty, as
such a strict watch was kept over the poor Princess (for fear of her
ever establishing communication with her friends) that though the
supposed Malee's daughter was permitted to take her flowers every day,
the Magician or one of his slaves was always in the room at the time.
At last one day, however, opportunity favored him, and when no one was
looking the boy tied the ring to a nosegay and threw it at Balna's
feet. The ring fell with a clang on the floor, and Balna, looking to
see what made the strange sound, found the little ring tied to the
flowers. On recognizing it, she at once believed the story her son
told her of his long search, and begged him to advise her as to what
she had better do; at the same time entreating him on no account to
endanger his life by trying to rescue her. She told him that for
twelve long years the Magician had kept her shut up in the tower
because she refused to marry him, and she was so closely guarded that
she saw no hope of release.
Now Balna's son was a bright, clever boy; so he said, "Do not fear,
dear mother; the first thing to do is to discover how far the
Magician's power extends, in order that we may be able to liberate my
father and uncles, whom he has imprisoned in the form of rocks and
trees. You have spoken to him angrily for twelve long years; do you
now rather speak kindly. Tell him you have given up all hopes of again
seeing the husband you have so long mourned, and say you are willing
to marry him. Then endeavor to find out what his power consists in,
and whether he is immortal or can be put to death."
Balna determined to take her son's advice; and the next day sent for
Punchkin and spoke to him as had been suggested.
The Magician, greatly delighted, begged her to allow the wedding to
take place as soon as possible.
But she told him that before she married him he must allow her a
little more time, in which she might make his acquaintance, and, that,
after being enemies so long, their friendship could but strengthen by
degrees. "And do tell me," she said, "are you quite immortal? Can
death never touch you? And are you too great an enchanter ever to feel
human suffering?"
"Why do you ask?" said he.
"Because," she replied, "if I am to be your wife, I would fain know
all about you, in order, if any calamity threatens you, to overcome,
or, if possible, to avert it."
"It is true," he said, "that I am not as others. Far, far away,
hundreds of thousands of miles from this, there lies a desolate
country covered with thick jungle. In the midst of the jungle grows a
circle of palm trees, and in the centre of the circle stand six
chattees full of water, piled one above another; below the sixth
chattee is a small cage which contains a little green parrot: on the
life of the parrot depends my life, and if the parrot is killed I must
die. It is, however," he added, "impossible that the parrot should
sustain any injury, both on account of the inaccessibility of the
country, and because, by my appointment, many thousand evil genii
surround the palm trees, and kill all who approach the place."
Balna told her son what Punchkin had said, but, at the same time,
implored him to give up all idea of getting the parrot.
The prince, however, replied, "Mother, unless I can get hold of that
parrot, you and my father and uncles cannot be liberated: be not
afraid, I will shortly return. Do you, meantime, keep the Magician in
good humor--still putting off your marriage with him on various
pretexts; and before he finds out the cause of delay I will return."
So saying, he went away.
Many, many weary miles did he travel, till at last he came to a thick
jungle, and being very tired, sat down under a tree and fell asleep.
He was awakened by a soft rustling sound, and looking about him, saw a
large serpent which was making its way to an eagle's nest built in the
tree under which he lay, and in the nest were two young eagles. The
Prince, seeing the danger of the young birds, drew his sword and
killed the serpent; at the same moment a rushing sound was heard in
the air, and the two old eagles, who had been out hunting for food for
their young ones, returned. They quickly saw the dead serpent and the
young Prince standing over it; and the old mother eagle said to him,
"Dear boy, for many years all our young have been devoured by that
cruel serpent: you have now saved the lives of our children; whenever
you are in need, therefore, send to us and we will help you; and as
for these little eagles, take them, and let them be your servants."
At this the Prince was very glad, and the two eaglets crossed their
wings, on which he mounted; and they carried him far, far away over
the thick jungles, until he came to the place where grew the circle of
palm trees, in the midst of which stood the six chattees full of
water. It was the middle of the day. All round the trees were the
genii fast asleep: nevertheless, there were such countless thousands
of them that it would have been quite impossible for any one to walk
through their ranks to the place. Down swooped the strong-winged
eaglets--down jumped the prince: in an instant he had overthrown the
six chattees full of water, and seized the little green parrot, which
he rolled up in his cloak; while, as he mounted again into the air,
all the genii below awoke, and, finding their treasure gone, set up a
wild and melancholy howl.
Away, away flew the little eagles till they came to their home in the
great tree; then the Prince said to the old eagles, "Take back your
little ones; they have done me good service; if ever again I stand in
need of help, I will not fail to come to you." He then continued his
journey on foot till he arrived once more at the Magician's palace,
where he sat down at the door and began playing with the parrot. The
Magician saw him, and came to him quickly, and said, "My boy, where
did you get that parrot? Give it to me, I pray you." But the Prince
answered, "Oh no, I cannot give away my parrot; it is a great pet of
mine; I have had it many years." Then the Magician said, "If it is an
old favorite, I can understand your not caring to give it away; but
come, what will you sell it for?" "Sir," replied the Prince, "I will
not sell my parrot."
Then the Magician got frightened, and said, "Anything, anything; name
what price you will, and it shall be yours." "Then," the Prince
answered, "I will that you liberate the Rajah's seven sons who you
turned into rocks and trees." "It is done as you desire," said the
Magician, "only give me my parrot." (And with that, by a stroke of his
wand, Balna's husband and his brothers resumed their natural shapes.)
"Now give me my parrot," repeated Punchkin. "Not so fast, my master,"
rejoined the Prince; "I must first beg that you will restore to life
all whom you have thus imprisoned."
The Magician immediately waved his wand again; and whilst he cried in
an imploring voice, "Give me my parrot!" the whole garden became
suddenly alive: where rock and stones and trees had been before, stood
Rajahs and Punts[35] and Sirdars,[36] and mighty men on prancing
horses, and jeweled pages and troops of armed attendants.
[35] Principal ministers.
[36] Nobles or chiefs.
"Give me my parrot!" cried Punchkin. Then the boy took hold of the
parrot, and tore off one of his wings; and as he did so the Magician's
right arm fell off.
Punchkin then stretched out his left arm, crying, "Give me my parrot!"
The Prince pulled off the parrot's second wing, and the Magician's
left arm tumbled off.
"Give me my parrot!" cried he, and fell on his knees. The Prince
pulled off the parrot's right leg--the Magician's right leg fell off:
the Prince pulled off the parrot's left leg--down fell the Magician's
left.
Nothing remained of him save the limbless body and the head; but still
he rolled his eyes, and cried, "Give me my parrot!" "Take your parrot,
then," cried the boy, and with that he wrung the bird's neck and threw
it at the Magician; and as he did so, Punchkin's head twisted round,
and with a fearful groan he died!
Then they let Balna out of the tower; and she, her son and the seven
Princes went to their own country, and lived very happily ever
afterward. And as to the rest of the world, every one went to his own
house.
[Decoration]