🧚 Opening, part 1 · page 2

And the King looked within, and found his heart not as the heart of a child.90

“I am not worthy,” said the King.91

But he knew that the last eagle had solved the mystery of the green mound of grass.92 The throne of Vikramaditya, where the shepherd boy did justice, was denied to him, the great and mighty King.93

For he who would be perfectly just, must have the heart of a little child.94

Samyukta, or The Story of the Own-choosing.95

Samyukta, daughter of the King of Kanauj, was the most beautiful Princess in all India.96 And Prithi Raja, the King of Delhi, wanted to marry her.97

He knew that it would not be easy, because her father was his enemy.98 However, always and always he liked best to do what was not easy to do.99 So he meant to try.100

First he sought out her old nurse, who lived not far from the palace.101 Touching her feet with his forehead, as is the way of saluting mother-people, he asked her advice.102 The old woman loved Prithi Raja very dearly, and found a way of helping him.103

“Give me”, she said, “that picture which the great painter at Delhi has made of you, on ivory, in green and gold: and the rest I will tell you when I come again from my journey.”104

And the nurse who loved Prithi Raja, went a long way till she came to the gates of the palace of Kanauj.105 She asked to see the Queen.106 Now it happened that at that moment, the Queen wanted a new waiting-woman for the Princess.107 So she took the nurse, and gave her to the household of the Princess.108

Samyukta, the Princess, was indeed beautiful.109 Good was she also, and of a true heart.110 And as the old woman brushed her hair, or sat out with her on the roof-balcony on the still, hot nights when the Princess was sleepless, she told her tales of Prithi Raja, King of Delhi, and of his great love for Samyukta.111

And she showed Samyukta his picture painted on ivory in green and gold.112 And as the Princess looked on his face, her heart went out to meet the heart of the King who loved her.113

And presently the King of Kanauj said: “It is time for the Swayamvara”--that is the choosing of her husband by a Princess-Lady.114 And he sent his heralds to all parts of India, to call the princes of India to the great choosing.115

But to his enemy, Prithi Raja, the King of Delhi, he sent no message.116 Nevertheless the King of Delhi came to the choosing, he and his friend, disguised as minstrels.117

And the palace courtyard was gay and ready for the choosing.118 Garlands of roses and jasmine hung from the pillars, and garlands of yellow marigolds.119 The King and Queen sat on golden thrones on a marble balcony: and down below were the thrones of the princes who sought the hand of Samyukta.120

Each prince had his men-at-arms and his heralds; and all were dressed in jewels and cloth of gold.121 And the musicians sat in a watch-tower at the gate: and all who came and went, and all that happened, they saw best of all.122 And with the musicians sat Prithi Raja, the great prince.123

And now the bugles sounded: and Samyukta came from the inner courtyard.124 She wore a sari that flowed about her like golden water, and the golden anklets on her feet and the golden bracelets on her arms tinkled music.125 Her eyes were on the ground as she walked, and lightly she held the garland of fresh jasmine flowers, which she would place on the neck of him whom she chose to be her husband.126

As she reached the outer courtyard, she raised her eyes, and then she saw a wooden figure of Prithi Raja standing in the place of the King’s door-keeper.127 And she knew that her father had done this thing to hurt Prithi Raja, the true knight of her heart.128

From that moment her choice was made.129 Proudly she walked past one prince after another.130 Proudly and patiently she heard the long tale of his greatness sounded by the heralds: and silently and proudly she passed on.131

There was but one prince left, he who sat near the door-keeper.132 What would she do?133 The King and Queen leaned out of their marble balcony, and all the great crowd watched breathless.134

But the last prince also did Samyukta reject, and turning to the wooden image of Prithi Raja, who had had no invitation to the Great-Choosing, she placed on its neck the garland, kept for her true knight alone.135

Then was there a clash of steel, as the King and all the princes rose in wrath.136 Surely for this insult Samyukta would now be bound in chains and sent to the deepest dungeon of the palace.137

But quicker than wrath was love.138 Prithi Raja the Minstrel, mounted on Prithi Raja the King’s swiftest charger, was at her side, and stooping lifted her to his saddle, and rode away swiftly to the gates of Delhi.139

And this was in the days long ago, when men were knights and fought for their ladies, and did with their own hand the thing which was not easy to do.140

The Man who made himself an Archer141

There was a Master-Archer whose name was Drona: and it was he who taught all the princes of India to shoot, so that none could conquer them.142

Now he was jealous for the honour of the princes.143 And there came to him one named Ekalavya, the king of a caste that was not the soldier-caste, who said: “Teach me to shoot.”144

But Drona made answer: “You are not of the knightly caste.145 I cannot teach you.”146 For he was afraid that the low-caste man might become the equal of the high-born princes.147

Then Ekalavya went away very sadly to the forest, and built a shrine to Drona, the Master-Archer.148 And he thought about him, and fasted and prayed night and day for skill in shooting: and night and day he practised ceaselessly, shooting arrows into the distance--shooting and shooting.149 And he forgot the riches of his palace and all the pleasures of the world, in reaching out to his great desire.150

One day Drona and the high-born princes were out shooting in the forest, and they had with them a dog.151 And the dog strayed from the princes and lost his way, barking in the darkness for his masters, not far from the shrine of Ekalavya.152

And Ekalavya heard, and shot an arrow in the direction of the sound; and the arrow went straight into the dog’s mouth.153

And the dog ran howling to his masters.154 And they were very angry; for said they, “Someone who can shoot has sent this arrow into the dog’s mouth.”155 And they made the dog show them the way to the shrine, and there was Ekalavya shooting ceaselessly.156

“Who are you,” said the princes, “who have skill in shooting even as ourselves?”157

“I am Ekalavya,” said he, “a pupil of the great Master-Archer Drona.”158

So the princes went and told Drona, and he came back with them to the shrine in the forest.159

“How say you,” said Drona, “that you are my pupil?”160

“Because I have taught myself to shoot, thinking only of you and your great skill in shooting.”161