"Long ages ago there went forth daily into one place four youths out
of four tribes, to mind their flocks, one youth out of each tribe,
and when their flocks left them leisure they amused themselves with
pastimes together. Now it came to pass that one day one of them rising
earlier than the rest, and finding himself at the place all alone,
said within himself,--
"'How is the time weary, being here all alone!'
"And he took wood and sculptured it with loving care until he had
fashioned a form like to his own, and yet not alike. And when he saw
how brave a form he had fashioned, he cared no more to sport with
the other shepherd youths, but went his way.
"The next morning the second of the youths rose earlier than the rest,
and, coming to the place all alone, said within himself,--
"'How is the time weary, being here all alone!'
"And he cast about him for some pastime, and thus he found the form
which the first youth had fashioned, and, finding it exceeding brave,
he painted it over with the five colours, and when he saw how fair a
form he had painted he cared no more to sport with the other shepherd
youths, but went his way.
"The next morning the third of the youths rose earlier than the rest,
and, coming to the place all alone, said within himself,--
"'How is the time weary, being here all alone!'
"And he cast about him for some pastime, and thus he discovered the
form which the first youth had fashioned and the second youth had
painted, and he said,--
"'This figure is beautiful in form and colour, but it has no wit or
understanding' So he infused into it wit and understanding.
"And when he saw how clever was the form he had endowed with wit and
understanding, he cared no more to sport with the shepherd youths,
and he went his way.
"The fourth morning the fourth of the youths rose up the earliest, and,
finding himself all alone at the trysting-place, said within himself,--
"'How is the time weary, being here all alone!'
"And, casting about to find some pastime, he discovered the form
which the first youth had fashioned so brave, and the second youth
had painted so fair, and the third youth had made so clever in wit
and understanding, and he said,--
"'Behold the figure is beautiful in form and fair to behold in colour,
and admirable for wit and understanding, but what skills all this when
it hath not life?' And he put his lips to the lips of the figure and
breathed softly into them, and behold it had a soul (8) that could
be loved, and was woman.
"And when he saw her he loved her, and he cared no more to sport with
the shepherd youths, but left all for her, that he might be with her
and love her.
"But when the other shepherd youths saw that the figure had acquired
a soul that could be loved, and was woman, they came back all the
three and demanded possession of her by right of invention.
"The first youth said, 'She is mine by right of invention, because I
fashioned her out of a block of wood that had had no form but for me.'
"The second said, 'She is mine by right of invention, because I
painted her, and she had worn no tints fair to behold but for me.'
"The third said, 'She is mine by right of invention, because I gave her
wit and understanding, and she had had no capacity for companionship
but for me.'
"But the fourth said, 'She is mine by right of invention, because
I breathed into her a soul that could be loved, nor was there any
enjoyment in her but for me.'
"And while they all joyed in the thought of possessing her, they
continued to strive on that they might see which should prevail. And
when they found that none prevailed against the rest, they brought
the matter before the King for him to decide.
"Say now therefore, O Naran-Dâkinî, I charge thee, in favour of which
of these four was the King bound to decide that he had invented woman?"
And as the King left off from speaking he looked towards Naran-Dâkinî
as challenging her to answer.
But Naran-Dâkinî, the Silent Haughty One, sat immersed in deep
contemplation and held her peace, speaking never a word.
Then when the far-sighted and experienced ministers saw that she held
her peace, one of them, even the one whom Vikramâditja had transformed
into the lamp before the altar, spoke, saying,--
"It were meet indeed that an unsouled object such as I, the
Lamp, should not venture to speak in presence of our mistress,
Naran-Chatun. But as so great a King has come to visit us, and has
propounded to us a question to which Naran-Chatun does not see fit
to reply, even I, the Lamp, will attempt to answer him. To me, then,
it seems that the answer is clear, for by whom could the figure be
said to be invented saving by the youth who first fashioned it? He
who gave a mere block of wood a beautiful form must be allowed to
have invented it."
Naran-Dâkinî cast a glance of disgust and scorn upon the lamp, yet
spoke she never a word.
Then spoke the far-seeing and experienced minister whom Vikramâditja
had transformed into the thurible at the foot of the altar, saying,--
"It were meet indeed that an unsouled object such as I, the
Incense-burner, should not venture to speak in presence of our
mistress, Naran-Chatun. But as so great a King has come to visit us,
and has propounded a question to us to which Naran-Chatun does not see
fit to reply, even I, the Thurible, will attempt to answer him. And
to me indeed the answer is plain, for to whom could the figure be
said to belong, if not to the youth who painted it and made a mere
stump beautiful and lifelike with fair tints of colour?"
At these words of the incense-vessel Naran-Dâkinî cast upon it a look
of scorn and contempt, but opened not her lips to speak.
Then spoke Schalû, whom Vikramâditja had transformed into his
aramâlâ, with impetuosity, saying, "Nay, but surely he alone could
have the right of invention who endowed a painted log with wit and
understanding. Surely he who made a stump of a tree to think must be
allowed to have invented it."
When Naran-Dâkinî saw with what a confident air the aramâlâ pronounced
this sentence, even as though he had settled the whole matter, she
could contain herself no longer, and then burst from her lips these
words, while her eyes lighted on the objects that had spoken with
exceeding indignation,--
"Of miserable understanding are ye all! How then venture ye, unsouled
objects, to expound the matter when I, a reasonable being, scarcely
dare pronounce upon the question? What other interpretation of
this parable, however, can there be than this:--The youth who first
fashioned the figure of a block of wood, did not he stand in place
of the father? He who painted it with tints fair to behold, did not
he stand in place of the mother? He who gave wit and understanding,
is not he the Lama? But he who gave a soul that could be loved, was
it not he alone who made woman? To whom, therefore, else should she
have belonged by right of invention? And to whom should woman belong
if not to her husband?"
Thus Tegrijin Naran Dâkinî had been brought to speak once; but the
proposition requiring that the Silent Haughty One should speak twice
to man, the magnanimous King proceeded without making allusion to
his first success, saying,--
"Now that I have told a saga of old, it is the turn that one of you
should also tell us a tale to entertain the mind." And as he spoke
he addressed himself to Naran-Dâkinî. Nevertheless Naran-Dâkinî
had entered again into her deep contemplation, and held her peace,
saying never a word.
Then said the far-seeing and experienced minister whom the King had
transformed into the altar,--
"As Naran-Chatun continues to sit in her place and to utter no sound
in answer to the word of the high King who has come so far to visit
us, even I, though I be an unsouled object, will venture to reply,
asking him that he will again open to us the treasures of story."
At these words Naran-Dâkinî cast a meaning glance upon her altar,
but spoke not.
Then opened the magnanimous King again the treasures of story.