"When thou shalt have wandered forth hence for the distance of about
an hundred miles, thou shalt come to a dark and fearsome ravine where
lie the bodies of the giant-dead. At thy approach they shall all rise
up and surround thee. But thou call out to them, 'Ye giant-dead,
hala hala svâhâ (13)!' scattering abroad at the same time these
barley-corns, consecrated by the power of magic art, and pass on thy
way without fear.
About another hundred miles' space farther hence thou shalt come
to a smooth mead by the side of a river where lie the bodies of
the pigmy-dead. At thy approach they shall all rise up and surround
thee. But thou cry out to them, 'Ye pigmy-dead, hulu hulu svâhâ!' and,
strewing thine offering of barley-corns, again pass on thy way
without fear.
At a hundred miles' space farther along thou shalt come to a garden
of flowers having a grove of trees and a fountain in the midst; here
lie the bodies of the child-dead. At thy approach they shall rise
up and running together surround thee. But thou cry out to them, 'Ye
child-dead, rira phad!' and, strewing thine offering of barley-corns,
again pass on thy way without fear.
Out of the midst of these the Siddhî-kür will rise and will run away
from before thee till he reaches his mango-tree, climbing up to the
summit thereof. Then thou swing on high the axe which I will give thee,
even the axe White Moon (14), and make as though thou wouldst hew
down the tree in very truth. Rather than let thee hew the mango-tree
he will come down. Then seize him and bind him in this sack of many
colours, in which is place for to stow away an hundred, enclose the
mouth thereof tight with this cord, twisted of an hundred threads of
different colours, make thy meal off this cake which never grows less,
place the sack upon thy shoulder, and bring him hither to me. Only
beware that by the way thou open not thy lips to speak!
"And now, hitherto hast thou been called the Khan's son, but now,
since thou hast found thy way even to the cave 'Giver of Rest,' thou
shalt be called no more the Khan's son, but 'the Well-and-wise-walking
Khan.' Go now thy way."
When the Master, Nâgârg'una, had given him this new name, he further
provided him with all the provisions for the undertaking which he
had promised him, and, pointing out the way, dismissed him in peace.
When the Well-and-wise-walking Khan had overcome all the alarms and
difficulties of the way, and come in sight of the Siddhî-kür, he set
out swiftly to pursue him; but the Siddhî-kür was swifter than he,
and, reaching the mango-tree, clambered up to the summit. Then said
the Well-and-wise-walking Khan, "Behold, I come in the name of the
great Master and Teacher, Nâgârg'una. My axe is the axe 'White Moon,'
my provision for the journey is the cake which never diminishes,
my prison is the sack of many colours, in which is place to stow
away an hundred, my cord is the cord twisted of an hundred threads of
different colours, I myself am called the Well-and-wise-walking Khan;
I command thee, therefore, Siddhî-kür, that thou come down hither to
me, otherwise with my axe 'White Moon' will I fell the mango-tree."
At these words the Siddhî-kür cried, in answer, "Fell not the
mango-tree. Rather will I come down to thee." With that he came
down, and the Khan, taking him, put him in his sack of many colours,
in which was place to stow away an hundred, then he made the mouth
fast with the cord twisted of an hundred threads of various colours,
made his meal off his cake which never diminished, and proceeded on
his way to take him to the great Master and Teacher, Nâgârg'una.
As they journeyed on thus day after day, and had grown weary, thus
spoke the Siddhî-kür, "Long is the journey, and both of us are weary,
tell thou now a story to enliven it."
But, remembering the words of Nâgârg'una, "Beware thou open not thy
lips to speak," he answered him never a word.
Then said the Siddhî-kür again, "If thou wilt not tell a story to
lighten the journey, at least listen to one from me, and to this
thou canst give assent without opening thy lips, if only thou nod
thy head backwards towards me. At this sign I will tell a tale." So
the Well-and-wise-walking Khan nodded his head backwards towards the
Siddhî-kür, and the Siddhî-kür told this tale:--