And the Queen said, "Behold now, there is in our mountains a great fox,
nine spans in length, the fur of whose back is striped with stripes;
him shalt thou kill and bring his skin hither to me, if thou wouldst
have the hand of the Princess and become the King's son-in-law."
"Even so let it be," replied Shanggasba; "only let there be given me
a bow and arrow, and provisions for many days."
All this the Queen commanded should be given to him; and he went out
to seek for the great fox measuring nine spans in length, and the
fur of his back striped with stripes.
Many days he wandered over the mountains till his provisions were
all used and his clothes torn, and, what was a worse evil, he had
lost his bow by the way.
"Without a bow I can do nothing," reasoned Shanggasba to himself,
"even though I fall in with the fox. It is of no use that I wait for
death here. I had better return to the palace and see what fortune
does for me."
But as he had wandered about up and down without knowing his way, it so
happened that as he now directed his steps back to the road, he came
upon the spot where he had laid down to sleep the night before, and
there it was he had left the bow lying. But in the meantime the great
fox nine spans long, with the fur of his back striped with stripes,
had come by that way, and finding the bow lying had striven to gnaw
it through. In so doing he had passed his neck through the string,
and the string had strangled him. So in this way Shanggasba obtained
possession of his skin, which he forthwith carried in triumph to the
King and Queen. The King when he saw it exclaimed, "Of a truth now is
Shanggasba a mighty hunter, for he has killed the great fox nine spans
long, and with the fur of his back striped with stripes. Therefore
shall the hand of the Princess be given to him in marriage."
But the Queen would not yet give up the cause of her daughter, and she
said, "Not only in fighting and hunting must he give proof of might,
but also over the spirits he must show his power." Then Shanggasba
made answer, "Wherein shall I show my power over the spirits?"
And the Queen said, "In the regions of the North, among the Mongols,
are seven dæmons who ride on horses: these shalt thou slay and bring
hither, if thou wouldst ask for the hand of the Princess and become
the King's son-in-law."
"Even so let it be," replied Shanggasba; "only point me out the way,
and give me provisions for the journey."
So the Queen commanded that the way should be shown him, and appointed
him provisions for the journey, which she prepared with her own hand,
namely, seven pieces of black rye-bread that he was to eat on his way
out, and seven pieces of white wheaten-bread that he was to eat on his
way home. Thus provided, he went forth towards the region of the North,
among the Mongols, to seek for the seven dæmons who rode on horses.
Before night he reached the land of the Mongols, and finding a hillock,
he halted and sat down on it, and took out his provisions: and it
well-nigh befell that he had eaten the white wheaten-bread first;
but he said, "Nay, I had best get through the black bread first." So
he left the white wheaten-bread lying beside him, and began to eat
a piece of the black rye-bread. But as he was hungry and ate fast,
the hiccups took him; and then, before he had time to put the bread
up again into his wallet, suddenly the seven dæmons of the country
of the Mongols came upon him, riding on their horses. So he rose
and ran away in great fear, leaving the bread upon the ground. But
they, after they had chased him a good space, stopped and took
counsel of each other what they should do with him, and though for
a while they could not agree, finally they all exclaimed together,
"Let us be satisfied with taking away his victuals." So they turned
back and took his victuals; and the black rye-bread they threw away,
but the white wheaten-bread they ate, every one of them a piece.
The Queen, however, had put poison in the white wheaten-bread, which
was to serve Shanggasba on his homeward journey; and now that the
seven dæmons ate thereof, they were all killed with the poison that
was prepared for him, and they all laid them down on the hillock and
died, while their horses grazed beside them (4).
But in the morning, Shanggasba hearing nothing more of the trampling
of the dæmons chasing him, left off running, and plucked up courage
to turn round and look after them; and when he saw them not, he
turned stealthily back, looking warily on this side and on that,
lest they should be lying in wait for him. And when he had satisfied
himself the way was clear of them, he bethought him to go back and
look after his provisions. When he got back to the hillock, however,
he found the seven dæmons lying dead, and their horses grazing beside
them. The sight gave him great joy; and having packed each one on
the back of his horse, he led them all up to the King and Queen.
The King was so pleased that the seven dæmons were slain, that he
would not let him be put on his trial any more. So he delivered the
Princess to him, and he became the King's son-in-law. Moreover, he
gave him a portion like to the portion of a King's son, and erected
a throne for him as high as his own throne, and appointed to him half
his kingdom, and made all his subjects pay him homage as to himself.
"This man thought that his father's words had failed, and owned not
that it was because he buried his bones in a prosperous place that
good fortune happened unto him," exclaimed the Prince.
And as he let these words escape him, the Siddhî-kür replied,
"Forgetting his health, the Well-and-wise-walking Khan hath opened
his lips." And with the cry, "To escape out of this world is good!" he
sped him through the air, fleet out of sight.