THE SON OF SEVEN QUEENS | Raja Rani ki Kahanian

THE SON OF SEVEN QUEENS

Once upon a time there lived a King who had seven Queens, but no
children. This was a great grief to him, especially when he remembered
that on his death there would be no heir to inherit the kingdom.

Now it happened one day that a poor old fakir came to the King, and
said, "Your prayers are heard, your desire shall be accomplished, and
one of your seven Queens shall bear a son."

The King's delight at this promise knew no bounds, and he gave orders
for appropriate festivities to be prepared against the coming event
throughout the length and breadth of the land.

Meanwhile the seven Queens lived luxuriously in a splendid palace,
attended by hundreds of female slaves, and fed to their hearts' content
on sweetmeats and confectionery.

Now the King was very fond of hunting, and one day, before he started,
the seven Queens sent him a message saying, "May it please our dearest
lord not to hunt towards the north to-day, for we have dreamt bad
dreams, and fear lest evil should befall you."

The king, to allay their anxiety, promised regard for their wishes, and
set out towards the south; but as luck would have it, although he
hunted diligently, he found no game. Nor had he more success to the
east or west, so that, being a keen sportsman, and determined not to go
home empty-handed, he forgot all about his promise, and turned to the
north. Here also he was at first unsuccessful, but just as he had made
up his mind to give up for that day, a white hind with golden horns and
silver hoofs flashed past him into a thicket. So quickly did it pass
that he scarcely saw it; nevertheless a burning desire to capture and
possess the beautiful strange creature filled his breast. He instantly
ordered his attendants to form a ring round the thicket, and so
encircle the hind; then, gradually narrowing the circle, he pressed
forward till he could distinctly see the white hind panting in the
midst. Nearer and nearer he advanced, till, just as he thought to lay
hold of the beautiful strange creature, it gave one mighty bound, leapt
clean over the King's head, and fled towards the mountains. Forgetful
of all else, the King, setting spurs to his horse, followed at full
speed. On, on he galloped, leaving his retinue far behind, keeping the
white hind in view, never drawing bridle, until, finding himself in a
narrow ravine with no outlet, he reined in his steed. Before him stood
a miserable hovel, into which, being tired after his long, unsuccessful
chase, he entered to ask for a drink of water. An old woman, seated in
the hut at a spinning-wheel, answered his request by calling to her
daughter, and immediately from an inner room came a maiden so lovely
and charming, so white-skinned and golden-haired, that the King was
transfixed by astonishment at seeing so beautiful a sight in the
wretched hovel.

She held the vessel of water to the King's lips, and as he drank he
looked into her eyes, and then it became clear to him that the girl was
no other than the white hind with the golden horns and silver feet he
had chased so far.

Her beauty bewitched him, so he fell on his knees, begging her to
return with him as his bride; but she only laughed, saying seven Queens
were quite enough even for a King to manage. However, when he would
take no refusal, but implored her to have pity on him, promising her
everything she could desire, she replied, "Give me the eyes of your
seven Queens, and then perhaps I may believe you mean what you say."

The King was so carried away by the glamour of the white hind's magical
beauty, that he went home at once, had the eyes of his seven Queens
taken out, and, after throwing the poor blind creatures into a noisome
dungeon whence they could not escape, set off once more for the hovel
in the ravine, bearing with him his horrible offering. But the white
hind only laughed cruelly when she saw the fourteen eyes, and threading
them as a necklace, flung it round her mother's neck, saying, "Wear
that, little mother, as a keepsake, whilst I am away in the King's
palace."

Then she went back with the bewitched monarch, as his bride, and he
gave her the seven Queens' rich clothes and jewels to wear, the seven
Queens' palace to live in, and the seven Queens' slaves to wait upon
her; so that she really had everything even a witch could desire.

Now, very soon after the seven wretched hapless Queens had their eyes
torn out, and were cast into prison, a baby was born to the youngest of
the Queens. It was a handsome boy, but the other Queens were very
jealous that the youngest amongst them should be so fortunate. But
though at first they disliked the handsome little boy, he soon proved
so useful to them, that ere long they all looked on him as their son.
Almost as soon as he could walk about he began scraping at the mud wall
of their dungeon, and in an incredibly short space of time had made a
hole big enough for him to crawl through. Through this he disappeared,
returning in an hour or so laden with sweet-meats, which he divided
equally amongst the seven blind Queens.

As he grew older he enlarged the hole, and slipped out two or three
times every day to play with the little nobles in the town. No one knew
who the tiny boy was, but everybody liked him, and he was so full of
funny tricks and antics, so merry and bright, that he was sure to be
rewarded by some girdle-cakes, a handful of parched grain, or some
sweetmeats. All these things he brought home to his seven mothers, as
he loved to call the seven blind Queens, who by his help lived on in
their dungeon when all the world thought they had starved to death ages
before.

At last, when he was quite a big lad, he one day took his bow and
arrow, and went out to seek for game. Coming by chance past the palace
where the white hind lived in wicked splendour and magnificence, he saw
some pigeons fluttering round the white marble turrets, and, taking
good aim, shot one dead. It came tumbling past the very window where
the white Queen was sitting; she rose to see what was the matter, and
looked out. At the first glance of the handsome young lad standing
there bow in hand, she knew by witchcraft that it was the King's son.

She nearly died of envy and spite, determining to destroy the lad
without delay; therefore, sending a servant to bring him to her
presence, she asked him if he would sell her the pigeon he had just
shot.

"No," replied the sturdy lad, "the pigeon is for my seven blind
mothers, who live in the noisome dungeon, and who would die if I did
not bring them food."

"Poor souls!" cried the cunning white witch; "would you not like to
bring them their eyes again? Give me the pigeon, my dear, and I
faithfully promise to show you where to find them."

Hearing this, the lad was delighted beyond measure, and gave up the
pigeon at once. Whereupon the white Queen told him to seek her mother
without delay, and ask for the eyes which she wore as a necklace.

"She will not fail to give them," said the cruel Queen, "if you show
her this token on which I have written what I want done."

So saying, she gave the lad a piece of broken potsherd, with these
words inscribed on it--"Kill the bearer at once, and sprinkle his blood
like water!"

Now, as the son of seven Queens could not read, he took the fatal
message cheerfully, and set off to find the white Queen's mother.

Whilst he was journeying be passed through a town, where every one of
the inhabitants looked so sad, that he could not help asking what was
the matter. They told him it was because the King's only daughter
refused to marry; so when her father died there would be no heir to the
throne. They greatly feared she must be out of her mind, for though
every good-looking young man in the kingdom had been shown to her, she
declared she would only marry one who was the son of seven mothers, and
who ever heard of such a thing? The King, in despair, had ordered every
man who entered the city gates to be led before the Princess; so, much
to the lad's impatience, for he was in an immense hurry to find his
mothers' eyes, he was dragged into the presence-chamber.

No sooner did the Princess catch sight of him than she blushed, and,
turning to the King, said, "Dear father, this is my choice!"

Never were such rejoicings as these few words produced.

The inhabitants nearly went wild with joy, but the son of seven Queens
said he would not marry the Princess unless they first let him recover
his mothers' eyes. When the beautiful bride heard his story, she asked
to see the potsherd, for she was very learned and clever. Seeing the
treacherous words, she said nothing, but taking another similar-shaped
bit of potsherd, she wrote on it these words--"Take care of this lad,
giving him all he desires," and returned it to the son of seven Queens,
who, none the wiser, set off on his quest.

Ere long he arrived at the hovel in the ravine where the white witch's
mother, a hideous old creature, grumbled dreadfully on reading the
message, especially when the lad asked for the necklace of eyes.
Nevertheless she took it off, and gave it him, saying, "There are only
thirteen of 'em now, for I lost one last week."

The lad, however, was only too glad to get any at all, so he hurried
home as fast as he could to his seven mothers, and gave two eyes apiece
to the six elder Queens; but to the youngest he gave one, saying,
"Dearest little mother!--I will be your other eye always!"

After this he set off to marry the Princess, as he had promised, but
when passing by the white Queen's palace he saw some pigeons on the
roof. Drawing his bow, he shot one, and it came fluttering past the
window. The white hind looked out, and lo! there was the King's son
alive and well.

She cried with hatred and disgust, but sending for the lad, asked him
how he had returned so soon, and when she heard how he had brought home
the thirteen eyes, and given them to the seven blind Queens, she could
hardly restrain her rage. Nevertheless she pretended to be charmed with
his success, and told him that if he would give her this pigeon also,
she would reward him with the Jogi's wonderful cow, whose milk flows
all day long, and makes a pond as big as a kingdom. The lad, nothing
loth, gave her the pigeon; whereupon, as before, she bade him go ask
her mother for the cow, and gave him a potsherd whereon was written--
"Kill this lad without fail, and sprinkle his blood like water!"

But on the way the son of seven Queens looked in on the Princess, just
to tell her how he came to be delayed, and she, after reading the
message on the potsherd, gave him another in its stead; so that when
the lad reached the old hag's hut and asked her for the Jogi's cow, she
could not refuse, but told the boy how to find it; and bidding him of
all things not to be afraid of the eighteen thousand demons who kept
watch and ward over the treasure, told him to be off before she became
too angry at her daughter's foolishness in thus giving away so many
good things.

Then the lad did as he had been told bravely. He journeyed on and on
till he came to a milk-white pond, guarded by the eighteen thousand
demons. They were really frightful to behold, but, plucking up courage,
he whistled a tune as he walked through them, looking neither to the
right nor the left. By-and-by he came upon the Jogi's cow, tall, white,
and beautiful, while the Jogi himself, who was king of all the demons,
sat milking her day and night, and the milk streamed from her udder,
filling the milk-white tank.

The Jogi, seeing the lad, called out fiercely, "What do you want here?"

Then the lad answered, according to the old hag's bidding, "I want your
skin, for King Indra is making a new kettle-drum, and says your skin is
nice and tough."

Upon this the Jogi began to shiver and shake (for no Jinn or Jogi dares
disobey King Indra's command), and, falling at the lad's feet, cried,
"If you will spare me I will give you anything I possess, even my
beautiful white cow!"

To this the son of seven Queens, after a little pretended hesitation,
agreed, saying that after all it would not be difficult to find a nice
tough skin like the Jogi's elsewhere; so, driving the wonderful cow
before him, he set off homewards. The seven Queens were delighted to
possess so marvellous an animal, and though they toiled from morning
till night making curds and whey, besides selling milk to the
confectioners, they could not use half the cow gave, and became richer
and richer day by day.

Seeing them so comfortably off, the son of seven Queens started with a
light heart to marry the Princess; but when passing the white hind's
palace he could not resist sending a bolt at some pigeons which were
cooing on the parapet. One fell dead just beneath the window where the
white Queen was sitting. Looking out, she saw the lad hale and hearty
standing before her, and grew whiter than ever with rage and spite.

She sent for him to ask how he had returned so soon, and when she heard
how kindly her mother had received him, she very nearly had a fit;
however, she dissembled her feelings as well as she could, and, smiling
sweetly, said she was glad to have been able to fulfil her promise, and
that if he would give her this third pigeon, she would do yet more for
him than she had done before, by giving him the million-fold rice,
which ripens in one night.

The lad was of course delighted at the very idea, and, giving up the
pigeon, set off on his quest, armed as before with a potsherd, on which
was written, "Do not fail this time. Kill the lad, and sprinkle his
blood like water!"

But when he looked in on his Princess, just to prevent her becoming
anxious about him, she asked to see the potsherd as usual, and
substituted another, on which was written, "Yet again give this lad all
he requires, for his blood shall be as your blood!"

Now when the old hag saw this, and heard how the lad wanted the
million-fold rice which ripens in a single night, she fell into the
most furious rage, but being terribly afraid of her daughter, she
controlled herself, and bade the boy go and find the field guarded by
eighteen millions of demons, warning him on no account to look back
after having plucked the tallest spike of rice, which grew in the
centre.

So the son of seven Queens set off, and soon came to the field where,
guarded by eighteen millions of demons, the million-fold rice grew. He
walked on bravely, looking neither to the right or left, till he
reached the centre and plucked the tallest ear, but as he turned
homewards a thousand sweet voices rose behind him, crying in tenderest
accents, "Pluck me too! oh, please pluck me too!" He looked back, and
lo! there was nothing left of him but a little heap of ashes!

Now as time passed by and the lad did not return, the old hag grew
uneasy, remembering the message "his blood shall be as your blood"; so
she set off to see what had happened.

Soon she came to the heap of ashes, and knowing by her arts what it
was, she took a little water, and kneading the ashes into a paste,
formed it into the likeness of a man; then, putting a drop of blood
from her little finger into its mouth, she blew on it, and instantly
the son of seven Queens started up as well as ever.

"Don't you disobey orders again!" grumbled the old hag, "or next time
I'll leave you alone. Now be off, before I repent of my kindness!"

So the son of seven Queens returned joyfully to his seven mothers, who,
by the aid of the million-fold rice, soon became the richest people in
the kingdom. Then they celebrated their son's marriage to the clever
Princess with all imaginable pomp; but the bride was so clever, she
would not rest until she had made known her husband to his father, and
punished the wicked white witch. So she made her husband build a palace
exactly like the one in which the seven Queens had lived, and in which
the white witch now dwelt in splendour. Then, when all was prepared,
she bade her husband give a grand feast to the King. Now the King had
heard much of the mysterious son of seven Queens, and his marvellous
wealth, so he gladly accepted the invitation; but what was his
astonishment when on entering the palace he found it was a facsimile of
his own in every particular! And when his host, richly attired, led him
straight to the private hall, where on royal thrones sat the seven
Queens, dressed as he had last seen them, he was speechless with
surprise, until the Princess, coming forward, threw herself at his
feet, and told him the whole story. Then the King awoke from his
enchantment, and his anger rose against the wicked white hind who had
bewitched him so long, until he could not contain himself. So she was
put to death, and her grave ploughed over, and after that the seven
Queens returned to their own splendid palace, and everybody lived
happily.