Demon With Matted Hair " 196, part 20 · page 21 2101I advise you to be careful how you come near me.102Here's a poisoned arrow, which I'll shoot at you and knock you down!"103With this menace, he fitted to his bow an arrow dipped in deadly poison, and let fly.104The arrow stuck fast in the Demon's hair.105Then he shot and shot, till he had shot away fifty arrows; and they all stuck in the Demon's hair.106The Demon snapped them all off short, and threw them down at his feet; then came up to the Bodhisatta, who drew his sword and struck the Demon, threatening him the while.107His sword--it was three-and-thirty inches long--stuck in the Demon's hair!108The Bodhisatta struck him with his spear--that stuck too!109He struck him with his club--and that stuck too!110When the Bodhisatta saw that this had stuck fast, he addressed the Demon. "111You, Demon!" said he, "did you never hear of me before--the Prince of the Five Weapons?112When I came into the forest which you live in I did not trust to my bow and other weapons.113This day will I pound you and grind you to powder!"114Thus did he declare his resolve, and with a shout he hit at the Demon with his right hand.115It stuck fast in his hair!116He hit him with his left hand--that stuck too!117With his right foot he kicked him--that stuck too; then with his left--and that stuck too!118Then he butted at him with his head, crying, "I'll pound you to powder!" and his head stuck fast like the rest.119Thus the Bodhisatta was five times snared, caught fast in five places, hanging suspended: yet he felt no fear--was not even nervous.120Thought the Demon to himself: "Here's a lion of a man!121A noble man!122More than man is he!123Here he is, caught by a Demon like me; yet he will not fear a bit.124Since I have ravaged this road, I never saw such a man.125Now, why is it that he does not fear?"126He was powerless to eat the man, but asked him: "Why is it, young sir, that you are not frightened to death?"127"Why should I fear, Demon?" replied he. "128In one life a man can die but once.129Besides, in my belly is a thunderbolt; if you eat me, you will never be able to digest it; this will tear your inwards into little bits, and kill you: so we shall both perish.130That is why I fear nothing."131(By this, the Bodhisatta meant the weapon of knowledge which he had within him.)132When he heard this, the Demon thought: "This young man speaks the truth.133A piece of the flesh of such a lion-man as he would be too much for me to digest, if it were no bigger than a kidney-bean.134I'll let him go!"135So, being frightened to death, he let go the Bodhisatta, saying:136"Young sir, you are a lion of a man!137I will not eat you up.138I set you free from my hands, as the moon is disgorged from the jaws of Rahu after the eclipse.139Go back to the company of your friends and relations!"140And the Bodhisatta said: "Demon, I will go, as you say.141You were born a Demon, cruel, blood-bibbing, devourer of the flesh and gore of others, because you did wickedly in former lives.142If you still go on doing wickedly, you will go from darkness to darkness.143But now that you have seen me you will find it impossible to do wickedly.144Taking the life of living creatures causes birth, as an animal, in the world of Petas, or in the body of an Asura, or, if one is reborn as a man, it makes his life short."145With this and the like monition he told him the disadvantage of the five kinds of wickedness, and the profit of the five kinds of virtue, and frightened the Demon in various ways, discoursing to him until he subdued him and made him self-denying, and established him in the five kinds of virtue; he made him worship the deity to whom offerings were made in that wood; and having carefully admonished him, departed out of it.146At the entrance of the forest he told all to the people thereabout; and went on to Benares, armed with his five weapons.147Afterwards he became king, and ruled righteously; and after giving alms and doing good he passed away according to his deeds.1 2← previousDemon With Matted Hair " 196, part 19next →Demon With Matted Hair " 196, part 21↑ back to Indian Fairy TalesThis page in Markdown → https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/tales/pg7128/26/page/2/