Bengal Fairy Tales. Francis Bradley Bradley-Birt
given up and a message was sent to his sister, living in her father-in-law's house, that she must visit her brother at once, if she wished to see him alive.
What sister can remain away from the bed-side of a brother in such a plight? The princess without a moment's delay started for her father's palace. But the journey was too long to be accomplished in one day, so she was compelled to halt by the way to spend the night. Near the inn where she stopped, there was a temple of Shiva, and she fell prostrate before the god to supplicate him for the recovery of her brother. Thereupon the god revealed to her, that the prince was certain to get well if she who was named Kátmánúsh would cook his food for six months, and sleep in the same room with him for the same time.
Delighted with this communication, she sped to her brother's side, and informed her mother of the instructions of Shiva. Kátmánúsh was then called in, and piteously asked to save the prince's life. She raised many objections, the chief among them being that she would not, as she had stipulated at the beginning of her service, cook or sleep with any living mortal. At this the queen and the princess became very importunate. They fell at her feet, and with tears rolling down their cheeks entreated her to preserve from an untimely death him whom they loved more than their lives. She at length gave in on the condition that when cooking, she must be left alone with the doors shut and that when she slept with the prince, there must be no light in the room. We need hardly say that the conditions were gladly accepted, and from that very day Kátmánúsh began ministering to the prince.
Six months expired in this way, and during the first night after the termination of that period, Kátmánúsh as usual lay by the side of the prince in total darkness. She could not sleep owing to the different feelings that agitated her. Love struggled with pride, and pity with feminine bashfulness, until at last, casting aside the wooden cover that hid her charms, she lit the lamp in the room, awakened the prince and stood before him endowed with all those charms that had from the house-top turned his head. He gazed at her, and dim recollections of the past crept into his mind, until at last convinced that the lady before him was no other than his wife, he hugged her to his bosom.
Next morning, the whole royal family were surprised to find the door of the prince's room shut, even when the sun gilded the domes of the palace. That Kátmánúsh should be so late in quitting the room was a mystery to them, and the queen herself, afraid that some mishap might have happened to her son, called at last from outside, until the sleepers awakened and opened the door to her. We can easily realize how thunderstruck she was to see a lady of ravishing beauty in the place of the servant of abnormal shape, and her son with the flush of health and cheerfulness on his countenance. Explanations were given, and the queen, setting fire to the frame of wood with her own hands, led the prince and princess to the king. The whole city soon became a scene of joy. All the houses in it were grandly decorated, and during the night there were magnificent illuminations and fireworks. The happy couple viewed the scene from a splendid chariot driven from one end of the city to the other, the people in crowds shouting, "Long live the prince and the princess Kátmánúsh!"
1 ↑ Boiled rice and thin broth.
2 ↑ Match makers.
3 ↑ A human being made of wood.
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