V.

_RAMA AND LUXMAN; OR, THE LEARNED OWL._

"With a lengthened loud halloo,

Tuwhoo, tuwhit, tuwhit, tuwhoo."

Once upon a time there was a Rajah whose name was Chandra Rajah,[48]

and he had a learned Wuzeer or Minister, named Butti. Their mutual

love was so great that they were more like brothers than master and

servant. Neither the Rajah nor the Wuzeer had any children, and both

were equally anxious to have a son. At last, in one day and one hour,

the wife of the Rajah and the wife of the Wuzeer had each a little

baby boy. They named the Rajah's son Rama, and the son of the Wuzeer

was called Luxman, and there were great rejoicings at the birth of

both. The boys grew up and loved each other tenderly: they were never

happy unless together; together they went to daily school, together

bathed and played, and they would not eat except from off one plate.

One day, when Rama Rajah was fifteen years old, his mother, the Ranee,

said to Chandra Rajah: "Husband, our son associates too much with low

people; for instance, he is always at play with the Wuzeer's son,

Luxman, which is not befitting his rank. I wish you would endeavor to

put an end to their friendship, and find him better playmates."

[48] Moon-King.

Chandra Rajah replied, "I cannot do it: Luxman's father is my very

good friend and Wuzeer, as his father's father was to my father; let

the sons be the same." This answer annoyed the Ranee, but she said no

more to her husband; she sent, however, for all the wise people, and

seers, and conjurors in the land, and inquired of them whether there

existed no means of dissolving the children's affection for each

other; they answered they knew of none. At last one old Nautch[49]

woman came to the Ranee and said, "I can do this thing you wish, but

for it you must give me a great reward." Then the Ranee gave the old

woman an enormous bag full of gold mohurs,[50] and said, "This I give

you now, and if you succeed in the undertaking I will give you as much

again." So this wicked old woman disguised herself in a very rich

dress, and went to a garden-house which Chandra Rajah had built for

his son, and where Rama Rajah and Luxman, the young Wuzeer, used to

spend the greater part of their playtime. Outside the house was a

large well and a fine garden. When the old woman arrived, the two boys

were playing cards together in the garden close to the well. She drew

near, and began drawing water from it. Rama Rajah looking up, saw her,

and said to Luxman, "Go, see who that richly-dressed woman is, and

bring me word." The Wuzeer's son did as he was bidden, and asked the

woman what she wanted. She answered, "Nothing, oh nothing," and

nodding her head went away; then, returning to the Ranee, she said,

"I have done as you wished; give me the promised reward," and the

Ranee gave her the second bag of gold. On Luxman's return, the young

Rajah said to him, "What did the woman want?" Luxman answered, "She

told me she wanted nothing." "It is not true," replied the other,

angrily; "I feel certain she must have told you something. Why should

she come here for no purpose? It is some secret which you are

concealing from me; I insist on knowing it." Luxman vainly protesting

his innocence, they quarreled and then fought, and the young Rajah ran

home very angry to his father. "What is the matter, my son?" said he.

"Father," he answered, "I am angry with the Wuzeer's son. I hate that

boy; kill him, and let his eyes be brought to me in proof of his

death, or I will not eat my dinner." Chandra Rajah was very much

grieved at this, but the young Rajah would eat no dinner, and at last

his father said to the Wuzeer, "Take your son away and hide him, for

the boys have had a quarrel." Then he went out and shot a deer, and

showing its eyes to Rama, said to him, "See, my son, the good Wuzeer's

son has by your order been deprived of life," and Rama Rajah was

merry, and ate his dinner. But a while after he began to miss his kind

playmate; there was nobody he cared for to tell him stories and amuse

him. Then for four nights running he dreamed of a beautiful Glass

Palace, in which dwelt a Princess white as marble, and he sent for all

the wise people in the kingdom to interpret his dream, but none could

do it; and, thinking upon this fair princess and his lost friend, he

got more and more sad, and said to himself: "There is nobody to help

me in this matter. Ah! if my Wuzeer's son were here now, how quickly

would he interpret the dream! Oh, my friend, my friend, my dear lost

friend!" and when Chandra Rajah, his father, came in, he said to him:

"Show me the grave of Luxman, son of the Wuzeer, that I also may die

there." His father replied, "What a foolish boy you are! You first

begged that the Wuzeer's son might be killed, and now you want to die

on his grave. What is all this about?" Rama Rajah replied, "Oh, why

did you give the order for him to be put to death? In him I have lost

my friend and all my joy in life; show me now his grave, for thereon,

I swear, will I kill myself." When the Rajah saw that his son really

grieved for the loss of Luxman, he said to him, "You have to thank me

for not regarding your foolish wishes; your old playmate is living,

therefore be friends again, for what you thought were his eyes were

but the eyes of a deer." So the friendship of Rama and Luxman was

resumed on its former footing. Then Rama said to Luxman, "Four nights

ago I dreamed a strange dream. I thought that for miles and miles I

wandered through a dense jungle, after which I came upon a grove of

Cocoa-nut trees, passing through which I reached one compound entirely

of Guava trees, then one of Soparee[51] trees, and lastly one of Copal

trees: beyond this lay a garden of flowers, of which the Malee's wife

gave me a bunch; round the garden ran a large river, and on the other

side of this I saw a fair palace composed of transparent glass, and in

the centre of it sat the most lovely Princess I ever saw, white as

marble and covered with rich jewels; at the sight of her beauty I

fainted--and so awoke. This has happened now four times, and as yet I

have found no one capable of throwing any light on the vision."

Luxman answered, "I can tell you. There exists a Princess exactly like

her you saw in your dreams, and, if you like, you can go and marry

her." "How can I?" said Rama; "and what is your interpretation of the

dream?" The Wuzeer's son replied, "Listen to me, and I will tell you.

In a country very far away from this, in the centre of a great Rajah's

kingdom, there dwells his daughter, a most fair Princess; she lives in

a glass palace. Round this palace runs a large river, and round the

river is a garden of flowers. Round the garden are four thick groves

of trees--one of Copal trees, one of Soparee trees, one of Guava

trees, and one of Cocoa-nut trees. The Princess is twenty-four years

old, but she is not married, for she has determined only to marry

whoever can jump this river and greet her in her crystal palace, and

though many thousand kings have essayed to do so, they have all

perished miserably in the attempt, having either been drowned in the

river, or broken their necks by falling; thus all that you dreamed of

is perfectly true." "Can we go to this country?" asked the young

Rajah. "Oh, yes," his friend replied. "This is what you must do. Go

tell your father you wish to see the world. Ask him for neither

elephants nor attendants, but beg him to lend you for the journey his

old war-horse."

[49] The caste to which conjurors belong.

[50] Gold pieces, worth about $7.50.

[51] _Areca catechu_--the betel-nut palm.

Upon this Rama went to his father, and said, "Father, I pray you give

me leave to go and travel with the Wuzeer's son. I desire to see the

world." "What would you have for the journey, my son?" said Chandra

Rajah; "will you have elephants and how many?--attendants, how many?"

"Neither, father," he answered, "give me rather, I pray you, your old

war-horse, that I may ride him during the journey." "So be it, my

son," he answered, and with that Rama Rajah and Luxman set forth on

their travels. After going many, many thousands of miles, to their joy

one day they came upon a dense grove of Cocoa-nut trees, and beyond

that to a grove of Guava trees, then to one of Soparee trees, and

lastly to one of Copal trees; after which they entered a beautiful

garden, where the Malee's wife presented them with a large bunch of

flowers. Then they knew that they had nearly reached the place where

the fair Princess dwelt. Now it happened that, because many kings and

great people had been drowned in trying to jump over the river that

ran round the Glass Palace where the Princess lived, the Rajah, her

father, had made a law that, in future, no aspirants to her hand were

to attempt the jump, except at stated times and with his knowledge and

permission, and that any Rajahs or Princes found wandering there,

contrary to this law, were to be imprisoned. Of this the young Rajah

and the Wuzeer's son knew nothing, and having reached the centre of

the garden they found themselves on the banks of a large river,

exactly opposite the wondrous Glass Palace, and were just debating

what further steps to take, when they were seized by the Rajah's

guard, and hurried off to prison.

"This is a hard fate," said Luxman. "Yes," sighed Rama Rajah; "a

dismal end, in truth, to all our fine schemes. Would it be possible,

think you, to escape?" "I think so," answered Luxman; "at all events,

I will try." With that he turned to the sentry who was guarding them,

and said, "We are shut in here and can't get out: here is money for

you if you will only have the goodness to call out that the Malee's

Cow has strayed away." The sentry thought this a very easy way of

making a fortune; so he called out as he was bidden, and took the

money. The result answered Luxman's anticipations. The Malee's wife,

hearing the sentry calling out, thought to herself, "What, sentries

round the guard-room again! then there must be prisoners; doubtless

they are those two young Rajahs I met in the garden this morning; at

least, I will endeavor to release them." So she asked two old beggars

to accompany her, and taking with her offerings of flowers and

sweetmeats, started as if to go to a little temple which was built

within the quadrangle where the prisoners were kept. The sentries,

thinking she was only going with two old friends to visit the temple,

allowed her to pass without opposition. As soon as she got within the

quadrangle she unfastened the prison door, and told the two young men

(Rama Rajah and Luxman) to change clothes with the two old beggars,

which they instantly did. Then, leaving the beggars in the cell, she

conducted Rama and Luxman safely to her house. When they had reached

it she said to them, "Young Princes, you must know that you did very

wrong in going down to the river before having made a salaam to our

Rajah, and gained his consent; and so strict is the law on the subject

that had I not assisted your escape, you might have remained a long

time in prison; though, as I felt certain you only erred through

ignorance, I was the more willing to help you; but to-morrow morning

early you must go and pay your respects at court."

Next day the guards brought their two prisoners to the Rajah, saying,

"See, O King, here are two young Rajahs whom we caught last night

wandering near the river contrary to your law and commandment." But

when they came to look at the prisoners, lo and behold! they were only

two old beggars whom everybody knew and had often seen at the palace

gate.

Then the Rajah laughed and said, "You stupid fellows, you have been

over vigilant for once; see here your fine young Rajahs. Don't you yet

know the looks of these old beggars?" Whereupon the guards went away

much ashamed of themselves.

Having learnt discretion from the advice of the Malee's wife, Rama and

Luxman went betimes that morning to call at the Rajah's palace. The

Rajah received them very graciously, but when he heard the object of

the journey he shook his head, and said, "My pretty fellows, far be it

from me to thwart your intentions, if you are really determined to

strive to win my daughter, the Princess Bargaruttee;[52] but as a

friend I would counsel you to desist from the attempt. You can find a

hundred Princesses elsewhere willing to marry you; why, therefore,

come here, where already a thousand Princes as fair as you have lost

there lives? Cease to think of my daughter--she is a headstrong girl."

But Rama Rajah still declared himself anxious to try and jump the

dangerous river, whereupon the Rajah unwillingly consented to his

attempting to do so, and caused it to be solemnly proclaimed around

the town that another Prince was going to risk his life, begging all

good men and true to pray for his success. Then Rama, having dressed

gorgeously, and mounted his father's stout war-horse, put spurs to it

and galloped to the river. Up, up in the air, like a bird, jumped the

good war-horse, right across the river and into the very centre

courtyard of the Glass Palace of the Princess Bargaruttee; and, as if

ashamed of so poor an exploit, this feat he accomplished three times.

At this the heart of the Rajah was glad, and he ran and patted the

brave horse, and kissed Rama Rajah, and said, "Welcome, my

son-in-law." The wedding took place amid great rejoicings, with

feasts, illuminations and much giving of presents, and there Rama

Rajah and his wife, the Ranee Bargaruttee, lived happily for some

time. At last, one day Rama Rajah said to his father-in-law, "Sire, I

have been very happy here, but I have a great desire to see my father

and my mother, and my own land again." To which the Rajah replied, "My

son, you are free to go; but I have no son but you, nor daughter but

your wife: therefore, as it grieves me to lose sight of you, come back

now and then to see me and rejoice my heart. My doors are ever open to

you; you will be always welcome."

[52] A name of the Ganges.

Rama Rajah promised to return occasionally; and then, being given many

rich gifts by the old Rajah, and supplied with all things needful for

the journey, he, with his beautiful wife Bargaruttee, his friend the

young Wuzeer, and a great retinue, set out to return home. Before

going, Rama Rajah and Luxman richly rewarded the kind Malee's wife,

who had helped them so ably. On the first evening of their march the

travelers reached the borders of the Cocoa-nut grove, on the outskirts

of the jungle; here they determined to halt and rest for the night.

Rama Rajah and the Ranee Bargaruttee went to their tent; but Luxman

(whose tender love for them was so great that he usually watched all

night through at their door), was sitting under a large tree close by,

when two little owls flew over his head, and perching on one of the

highest branches, began chattering to each other.[53] The Wuzeer's

son, who was in many ways wiser than most men, could understand their

language. To his surprise he heard the little lady owl say to her

husband, "I wish you would tell me a story, my dear, it is such a long

time since I have heard one." To which her husband, the other little

owl, answered, "A story! what story can I tell you? Do you see these

people encamped under our tree? Would you like to hear their story?"

She assented; and he began: "See first this poor Wuzeer; he is a good

and faithful man, and has done much for this young Rajah, but neither

has that been to his advantage heretofore, nor will it be hereafter."

At this Luxman listened more attentively, and taking out his writing

tablets determined to note down all he heard. The little owl commenced

with the story of the birth of Rama and Luxman, of their friendship,

their quarrel, the young Rajah's dream, and their reconciliation, and

then told of their subsequent adventures in search of the Princess

Bargaruttee, down to that very day on which they were journeying home.

"And what more has Fate in store for this poor Wuzeer?" asked the lady

owl. "From this place," replied her husband, "he will journey on with

the young Rajah and Ranee, until they get very near Chandra Rajah's

dominions; there, as the whole cavalcade is about to pass under a

large Banyan tree, this Wuzeer Luxman will notice some of the topmost

branches swaying about in a dangerous manner; he will hurry the Rajah

and Ranee away from it, and the tree (which would otherwise have

inevitably killed them,) will fall to the ground with a tremendous

crash; but even his having thus saved the Rajah's life shall not

avert his fate." (All this the Wuzeer noted down.) "And what next?"

said the wife, "what next?" "Next," continued the wise little

story-teller, "next, just as the Rajah Rama and the Ranee Bargaruttee

and all their suite are passing under the palace door-way, the Wuzeer

will notice that the arch is insecure, and by dragging them quickly

through, prevent their being crushed in its fall." "And what will he

do after that, dear husband?" she asked. "After that," he went on,

"when the Rajah and Ranee are asleep, and the Wuzeer Luxman keeping

guard over them, he will perceive a large cobra slowly crawling down

the wall and drawing nearer and nearer to the Ranee. He will kill it

with his sword, but a drop of the cobra's blood shall fall on the

Ranee's white forehead. The Wuzeer will not dare to wipe the blood off

her forehead with his hand, but shall instead cover his face with a

cloth that he may lick it off with his tongue; but for this the Rajah

will be angry with him, and his reproaches will turn this poor Wuzeer

into stone."

[53] See Notes at the end.

"Will he always remain stone?" asked the lady owl. "Not for ever,"

answered the husband, "but for eight long years he will remain so."

"And what then?" demanded she. "Then," answered the other, "when the

young Rajah and Ranee have a baby, it shall come to pass that one day

the child shall be playing on the floor, and to help itself along

shall clasp hold of the stony figure, and at that baby's touch the

Wuzeer will come to life again. But I have told you enough for one

night; come, let's catch mice--tuwhit, tuwhoo, tuwhoo," and away flew

the owls. Luxman had written down all he heard, and it made him

heavy-hearted, but he thought, "Perhaps, after all, this may not be

true." So he said nothing about it to any living soul. Next day they

continued their journey, and as the owl had prophesied, so events fell

out. For, as the whole party were passing under a large Banyan tree,

the Wuzeer noticed that it looked unsafe. "The owl spake truly," he

thought to himself, and, seizing the Rajah and Ranee, he hurried them

from under it, just as a huge limb of the tree fell prone with a

fearful crash.

A little while after, having reached Chandra Rajah's dominions, they

were just going under the great arch of the palace courtyard, when the

Wuzeer noticed some of the stones tottering. "The owl was a true

prophet," thought he again, and catching hold of the hands of Rama

Rajah and Bargaruttee Ranee, he pulled them rapidly through, just in

time to save their lives. "Pardon me," he said to the Rajah, "that

unbidden I dared thus to touch your hand and that of the Ranee, but I

saw the danger imminent." So they reached home, where they were

joyfully welcomed by Chandra Rajah, the Ranee, the Wuzeer (Luxman's

father), and all the court.

A few nights afterward, when the Rajah and Ranee were asleep, and the

young Wuzeer keeping guard over them as he was wont, he saw a large

black cobra stealthily creeping down the wall just above the Ranee's

head. "Alas!" he thought, "then such is my fate, and so it must be;

nevertheless, I will do my duty," and, taking from the folds of his

dress the history of his and the young Rajah's life, from their

boyhood down to that very time (as he had written it from the owl's

narrative), he laid it beside the sleeping Rama, and drawing his

sword, killed the cobra. A few drops of the serpent's blood fell on

the Ranee's forehead: the Wuzeer did not dare to touch it with his

hand, but, that her sacred brow might not be defiled with the vile

cobra's blood, he reverently covered his face and mouth with a cloth

to lick the drops of blood away. At this moment the Rajah started up,

and seeing him, said: "O Wuzeer, Wuzeer, is this well done of you? O

Luxman, who have been to me as a brother, who have saved me from so

many difficulties, why do you treat me thus, to kiss her holy

forehead? If indeed you loved her (as who could help it?), could you

not have told me when we first saw her in that Glass Palace, and I

would have exiled myself that she might be your wife? O my brother, my

brother, why did you mock me thus?" The Rajah had buried his face in

his hands; he looked up, he turned to the Wuzeer, but from him came

neither answer nor reply. He had become a senseless stone. Then Rama

for the first time perceived the roll of paper which Luxman had laid

beside him, and when he read in it of what Luxman had been to him from

boyhood, and of the end, his bitter grief broke through all bounds;

and, falling at the feet of the statue, he clasped its stony knees and

wept aloud. When daylight dawned, Chandra Rajah and the Ranee found

Rama still weeping and hugging the stone, asking its forgiveness with

penitent cries and tears. Then they said to him, "What is this you

have done?" When he told them, the Rajah his father was very angry,

and said: "Was it not enough that you should have once before unjustly

desired the death of this good man, but that now by your rash

reproaches you should have turned him into stone? Go to; you do but

continually what is evil."

Now eight long years rolled by without the Wuzeer returning to his

original form, although every day Rama Rajah and Bargaruttee Ranee

would watch beside him, kissing his cold hands, and adjuring him by

all endearing names to forgive them and return to them again. When

eight years had expired, Rama and Bargaruttee had a child; and from

the time it was nine months old and first began to try and crawl

about, the father and mother would sit and watch beside it, placing it

near the Wuzeer's statue, in hopes that the baby would some day touch

it as the owl had foretold.

But for three months they watched in vain. At last, one day when the

child was a year old, and was trying to walk, it chanced to be close

to the statue, and tottering on its unsteady feet, stretched out its

tiny hands and caught hold of the foot of the statue. The Wuzeer

instantly came back to life, and stooping down seized the little baby

who had rescued him in his arms, and kissed it. It is impossible to

describe the delight of Rama Rajah and his wife at regaining their

long-lost friend. The old Rajah and Ranee rejoiced also, with the

Wuzeer (Luxman Wuzeer's father), and his mother.

Then Chandra Rajah said to the Wuzeer: "Here is my boy happy with his

wife and child, while your son has neither; go fetch him a wife, and

we will have a right merry wedding."

So the Wuzeer of the Rajah fetched for his son a kind and beautiful

wife, and Chandra Rajah and Rama Rajah caused the wedding of Luxman to

be grander than that of any great Rajah before or since, even as if

he had been a son of the royal house; and they all lived very happy

ever after, as all good fathers, and mothers, and husbands, and wives,

and children do.

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