🧚 Opening, part 2

Then said Drona, “If you are my pupil, give me the fee due to a Master.”1

“Most gladly,” said Ekalavya, a great joy in his face.2 “Ask what you will.3 I have nothing I would not give with all my heart.”4

“Is that true?” said Drona.5 “Well then, I ask the thumb of your right hand.”6

And Ekalavya, allowing no look of sadness to spoil his gift, cut off his thumb, without a word, and laid it at the feet of the Master-Archer.7 But Drona spurned it, and walked away.8

Then Ekalavya turned again to his shooting.9 But he found that, with the loss of his thumb, his skill had gone for ever.10

So were the great ones left without a rival.11

But in Heaven the Gods said, “Ekalavya is truly of the knightly caste: and men knew it not.”12

The Blue Bird and the Archer13

One day Drona, the Master-Archer, made trial of the skill of the princes his pupils.14 He had them all out before him together.15

“Take your bows and arrows,” said he, “and be ready to shoot, when I tell you, at the blue bird in yonder tree.”16

Prince Yudhisthira, being the eldest, was called first.17

“Be ready to shoot,” said Drona.18 “But tell me first what you see.19 Do you see the bird?”20

“Yes,” said Yudhisthira.21

“What else do you see?22 Myself, your brothers, or the tree?”23

“I see yourself, my brothers, the tree, and the bird.”24

Three times Drona asked this question, and three times was he thus answered.25 Then very sorrowfully he turned from Yudhisthira.26 Not by him was the bird to be shot.27

Prince after prince, he questioned on this wise; and all alike made answer: “I see you, my brothers, the tree, and the bird.”28

And now there was but one prince left, Arjun, the master’s favourite pupil.29

“Tell me, Arjun, with bow bent, what do you see?”30

“I see a bird.”31

“Do you not see myself, your brothers, the tree?”32

“I see the bird alone,” said Arjun, “not you, nor the tree, nor my brothers.”33

“Of what colour is the bird?”34

“I see only a bird’s head.”35

“Then shoot,” said Drona joyfully; and even as he expected, as soon as the arrow sped from the bow, the bird was headless.36

Draupadi and the Great Game37

When Arjun grew to be a man, one of his first battles was against a King called Drupada.38 He and his four brothers, the Pandavas as they were called, put their soldiers in a ring round King Drupada’s fortress, and let no one pass out or go in.39

In a week all the King’s servants were dead: and the brothers marched into the palace and took all that they wanted of gold and emeralds, of horses and chariots.40 The lady Draupadi also, the King’s daughter, became theirs by the rules of war.41

And Draupadi lived happily with her mother-in-law and the princes.42

And all went well, till an enemy of the brothers, jealous of their happiness and their power, tempted Yudhisthira, the eldest of the five.43 He challenged him to a game of chance in which he put down all he possessed, to lose or win.44 And Yudhisthira lost.45 He lost his palace, his chariots and horses, and his whole kingdom.46 He lost his brothers and himself, and last of all he lost Draupadi also.47

Draupadi was the most beautiful of women, and Yudhisthira’s enemy was glad indeed when she was brought captive before him.48 But he was also afraid; for there was something so free in the spirit of Draupadi, that he knew it would not be well with the man who made her a slave.49

So, thinking it were wiser to be content with the kingdom and let Draupadi go--50

“Ask,” he said, “a boon, and it shall be granted.”51

“I ask then,” said Draupadi, “for the freedom of Yudhisthira.”52

“Granted,” said the enemy, for he did not dare break his word.53 But he marvelled that she did not ask for herself; so, “Ask again” he said.54

“And for the freedom of his brothers with their weapons and chariots of war.”55

“It is granted: but I give you a third boon.56 Will you not ask for your own freedom?”57

“By no means,” said Draupadi.58 “The Pandavas, armed and free, can conquer the world.59 It is they who will rescue me.60 They need owe nothing to a boon; nor, with the Pandavas free, need I either, any longer.”61

The Self-Blinding62

Everyone knows the name of Dhritarashtra, the uncle of the five great soldier-men, the Pandavas.63

Dhritarashtra was blind; and Dhritarashtra was alone in his blindness.64

And when Gandhari, his bride, saw the hurt of his loneliness--“Let me in to him behind his bars of darkness,” she said to the gods.65

And she bound her eyes tightly; and day and night were alike to her for ever.66 But Dhritarashtra was no more lonely in his night of sightlessness.67

The Story of the Maiden-Knight68

Drupada, the King of the Panchalas, had prayed for a son, that he might destroy his enemy the Master-Archer.69

But his wife was childless.70 Then as he still prayed and prayed, Shiva appeared to him and told him that he should have a son who should first be a daughter.71

And in due time a daughter was born to him.72 But the Queen said, “She is a son;” and so great was her faith that she prevailed on the King to proclaim the child a son, and to perform the son-ceremonies.73

And the child was called Shikhandi.74 And she grew strong and beautiful: but was seen of none save her parents and her faithful nurse.75

All too soon it was time for her to be married.76 And again by the advice of the Queen, they sought for her the most beautiful princess in all India.77 “We must believe the word of the gods,” said the Queen.78

But at last the secret was known, and the King whose daughter was sought in marriage was very angry.79 “I have”, he said, “been insulted;” and he prepared to make war on the Panchalas.80

And Shikhandi’s father felt that he had done wrong, and had been deceitful: and he was afraid.81

But Shikhandi’s mother said, “We only relied on the word of the gods.82 Be unafraid as I am unafraid: and prepare to defend the kingdom.83 She shall be a son.”84

And Shikhandi, sad at heart that she was the cause of all this trouble, wandered forth to lose herself.85 “If I am not here any longer, the King and my father will make peace,” was what she said in her heart.86

And, wandering, she came to a great forest, and to a great house the doors of which were open.87 And the house smelt of smoke and incense, and yet no one was there: and it seemed to have a host, and yet was hostless.88

And Shikhandi sat down in the house, and brooded, heeding not time nor self, in her great desire to save her people.89

And to her presently came the kind Yakshas, whose the palace was, and he asked her what she wished.90

“Make me a man,” said she, “a perfect man.91 My father is about to be destroyed: and if I were a man this would not happen.92 Make me, oh, Yakshas! a man: and let me keep that manhood till my father is saved.”93

And the Yakshas was moved with pity: and gave her his manhood and his mighty form, till she should fulfil her object.94 So she went forth a warrior, in the form of Sthuna, the Yakshas.95

And the King of Wealth, coming that way, found Sthuna the woman sitting alone in the palace: and between laughter and disgust--“You shall remain a woman,” he said.96 But later he was sorry, and he added--“Till Shikhandi’s death.”97

So was fulfilled the promise of Shiva--“She shall be first a daughter: and then a son, Shikhandi, Maiden-Knight.”98

And the mother of Shikhandi was full of a great gladness, that she had believed the word of the gods.99

The Way of Friendship100

Simple is the way of friendship.101

Make a fire of two sticks, or twenty, or two hundred--any number will do: and if you walk round the fire sunwise, with that one whom you would have for a friend, the gods themselves will not take back the gift.102

And this was the lesson which Drona tried to teach King Drupada.103 Drona was the Master-Archer as we know, and Drupada was King of the Panchalas.104 Now Drupada was not worthy of friendship, for he did not believe that two sticks would do for the lighting of the Fire of Friendship.105

“They must be two hundred,” said Drupada, “and of the most costly wood.”106

And Drona was sad: for he was a poor man, and two sticks gathered in a wood were all that he could bring to the lighting.107

“And you will bring one of the two,” he had said to Drupada; “for all that matters is that we should bring the same.”108

But Drupada shook his head.109

And Drona journeyed to a far country, and for many years the River of Time flowed between him and the man whom he wanted for friend.110

And at last they were once again on the same bank of the river.111 And Drona’s pupils, Arjun and his brother princes, took Drupada captive and brought him to Drona.112

And Drona said: “I will teach Drupada the way of friendship.113 Since my two sticks, to one of which he is welcome, will not do for the lighting of the fire, he shall give me half his two hundred sticks of the costliest wood.”114

And of all Drupada’s riches--treasure of gold and emeralds and diamonds and pearls, strings of camels and horses and elephants, chariots of war and houses and slaves--he made two equal parts; and one part he gave to Drupada and one part he kept for himself, that he might begin the teaching of the way of friendship to the man who was not worthy to learn the way.115

Sibi Rana and the Grey Dove116

Long and long ago there lived a King called Sibi Rana.117 He was known to all the world as a man who protected the weak, but who yet did not withhold that which might belong to the strong.118

So nearly perfect was he that the gods asked the greatest God to test his goodness.119

And this was the way of the testing.120

One day as the King sat in his great Hall of Justice, there came in at the window a poor frightened grey dove, nearly spent with flight, and flew straight against the heart of the King.121 Looking up, the King saw an eagle in pursuit, and without a moment’s hesitation he opened his white robes to shelter the dove.122

The eagle turned its piercing eye upon the King.123 “So this, then, is your justice,” he said.124 “You rob me of my food.”125

“Nay,” said the King, “on the contrary, food equal in weight to the bird shall be given to you.”126

“Whatever food I desire?”127

“Yes, whatever you desire.”128

“But if I desire your own flesh?”129

“My flesh shall be given,” said the King.130

“Then I wish the weight of the bird to be taken from your right side, and in the presence of the Queen and your small son,” demanded the eagle.131

“Beseech the Queen to come hither,” said the King, “with my son.”132

And to the horror of all the Court, the scales were brought; and in the presence of the Queen they prepared to slice off the weight of the bird from the King’s right side.133

The King sat steadfast: but alas! the bird seemed to grow heavier, with each fresh gift of the King’s flesh.134

And the eagle watched from the foot of the throne: and the eagle laughed aloud.135

Then from the left eye of the King fell a single tear.136

“Stay,” said the eagle, “I want no unwilling sacrifice.”137

“Nay, but,” said the King, “willing enough is this.138 My left eye but weeps because to the right side of the King alone is it given to protect the weak and defenceless.”139

Upon which, says the old story, the miracle happened.140 For even the eagle saw the beauty of giving: and he flew away hungry to his mountains, and neither was the King really hurt, nor the dove without a home.141

The Crow and the Bell of Justice142

This story is told of one Anangapal, who ruled in Delhi, and who loved justice.143

He caused two great lions of stone to be placed near his palace gates, where all could see them.144 A bell hung from the bar between the lions.145 Whoever struck that bell claimed justice, and got justice of Anangapal the King.146

One day a crow swung in the breeze on the tongue of the bell, and the cry for justice clanged forth, reaching the ear of the King.147

“Who strikes the bell?” he asked.148

“My lord, it is a crow.”149

“Let justice be done,” said Anangapal.150

“What asks the crow?”151

But no one could tell.152 So the King himself read the message.153

“The crow strikes my bell, between the mouths of my stone lions.154 See you not?155 The crow came as is its habit, to pick morsels of food out of the mouth of the lion.156 And the lions were not lions.157 I deceived the crow.158 Let a sheep be killed: and place some meat in the lions’ mouths, that the crow may find its meal.”159

So did even the least of his subjects get justice and bounty at the hands of Anangapal the Just.160

Raziya, Queen of Delhi161

Raziya was the daughter of Altamish, one of the Moghul slave-kings of Delhi who lived in the thirteenth century.162 She is the only woman besides our own Queen Victoria who has ruled Delhi.163

Altamish had sons also; but when he was dying he said: “You will find no one better fitted to rule the kingdom than my daughter Raziya.”164

And after his nobles had suffered for some time the cruelty and injustice of Raziya’s half-brother, they began to see that the King was right.165

And Raziya herself helped them.166

The King had given order that anyone who had a petition to make should appear at the great Mosque in Delhi, on a Friday morning, wearing a coloured garment, and his petition would be heard forthwith.167

Now, on a Friday morning when all the men worshippers, in their beautiful white garments, had assembled at the Mosque for the weekly prayer, Raziya made herself brave to go among them dressed in a veil of the Prophet’s green--a figure whom none could miss.168

And the people remembered the custom of the good King who had denied a hearing to no one; and they said: “The King’s daughter is herself to-day a beggar.”169 So they listened, making it easy for Raziya to speak.170