The Princess thereupon says, "If Your Honour kill me now, fault will
occur to you at my hand; because of it please bear with me until the
time when you forgive me," she said.
Having said thus while remaining in front of him, and having knelt,
she made obeisance. Then having gone behind his back, and exhibited
the manner of making obeisance, she seized his neck, and having pushed
him threw Sokka from the mountain, down the precipice. Sokka having
become scattered into dust, died.
After that, the Princess turned back with her retinue, and went to
the royal palace.
Western Province.
In The Orientalist, vol. ii, p. 176, the foolish Adikar (Minister)
mentioned in the first note after the folk-tale numbered 229, was sent
(on account of his destruction of the lion) at the head of an army,
against an enemy who had defeated the best generals. His horse bolted
and carried him towards the enemy's troops, who ran off when they
observed his approach. He then rejoined and brought up his men,
captured the contents of the camp, returned to the King with it,
was handsomely rewarded, and retained the royal favour until his death.
In The Jataka, No. 193 (vol. ii, p. 82), a woman in order to kill her
husband pretended that she had taken a vow to make an offering to a
hill spirit, and said, "Now this spirit haunts me; and I desire to
pay my offering."
They climbed up to the hill-top, taking the offering. She then declared
that her husband being her chief deity she would first walk reverently
round him, saluting him and offering flowers, and afterwards make
the offering to the mountain spirit. She placed her husband facing
a precipice, and when she was behind him pushed him over it.
In No. 419 (vol. iii, p. 261), it was a robber who took his wealthy
wife who had saved his life, to a mountain top, on the pretence of
making an offering to a tree deity. They went with a great retinue,
whom he left at the foot of the hill. When they arrived at the
precipice at the summit, he informed her that he had brought her in
order to kill her, so as to run off with her valuable jewellery. She
said she must first make obeisance to him on all four sides, and
when she was behind him threw him down the precipice, after which
she returned home with her retinue.
In Old Deccan Days (M. Frere), p. 209, a potter who had caught a tiger,
and had consequently been appointed Commander-in-Chief, made his wife
tie him firmly on his horse when he was ordered to defeat an enemy's
troops. His horse bolted towards the enemy. In the hope of checking it,
he seized a small tree which came up by the roots, and holding this
he galloped forward, frightening the opposing force so much that they
all ran away, abandoning their camp and its contents. Peace was made,
and he received great honours.
In Indian Nights' Entertainment (Swynnerton), p. 210, the same story
is given, the hero being a weaver.
In Sagas from the Far East, p. 181, a poor weaver who had asked to
marry the daughter of the King of India, was sent to attack an enemy
who was invading the kingdom. His troops refused to fight under him,
so he went on alone. His horse bolted towards the enemy, he seized a
young tree which was pulled up by the roots and with which he knocked
down several of the opposing troops. The rest fled, throwing away
their arms and armour, and he loaded a horse with it and returned to
the King in triumph. Afterwards he killed by accident a great fox and
seven demons, became the King's son-in-law, and ruled half the kingdom.
In The Indian Antiquary, vol. xiv, p. 109, in a South Indian story by
Natesa Sastri, a man who had accidentally saved a Princess whom some
robbers were abducting, was sent to attack the enemy's troops who had
invaded the kingdom. The horse given to him was wild, so he was tied
on it. It galloped towards the enemy, swam across a river at which he
seized a palmira tree that was about to fall, and the enemy, seeing
him approaching with it, ran away. This version is also given in The
Orientalist, vol. ii, p. 102 ff., by Miss A. R. Corea. According to
this Sinhalese tale the man succeeded to the throne at the death of
the King, having previously been made Commander-in-Chief.
In Cinq Cents Contes et Apologues (Chavannes), vol. i, p. 50, a woman
who wished to kill her husband pretended to have a headache, for which
it was necessary to offer prayers on a mountain to a local deity. She
accompanied her husband to a precipice, made him stand facing the sun,
went round him several times, and then pushed him over. He was saved
by falling into a tree.
In vol. i, p. 112, a woman who had fallen in love with a cripple
determined to kill her husband, who had saved her life. On the pretence
of assisting him to collect fruits she accompanied him up a mountain
and seized an opportunity to push him over a precipice. He was saved
by a local deity.
In vol. ii, p. 140, there is an account of the weaver who frightened
the enemy's troops when those of his own side were being defeated;
these returned and gained a complete victory. The man was made
Minister, with rank next the King.