The legends of the Panjâb

eM EASALt. 45
Princess, thou hast brought a great complaint about a
dweller in a small city.
When I come out his shield will dance for fear of my
valour.
In the morning I will eat my bread and cut off their heads.
Meanwhile Raja. Rasalij went into the city and stayed at the
house of an old woman, where Raja Sarkap sent him some
food, which was poisoned, by some slaves. But Raja RasalA
said to the slaves, " Tell your master I have nothing to do
with Raja Sarkap. I am his enemy, and it is unlawful for me
to partake of his hospitality. However, as you have brought
the food, put it down."
And the slaves did so, and Raja Rasalfl gave it to the dogs,
which had come with the slaves and belonged to Raja Sarkap.
The dogs ate up the food, and fell dead on the ground. Then
said Raja Rasalu to the slaves,
"You deserve to lose your heads, but I am a God-fearing
man, and so I will not injure you."
,
And the slaves replied, " Master, it is not we that are to
blame : we can but obey the orders of our master."
"Go to your master,'^ said Raja Rasalu, "and tell him from
me that it is no act of bravery to kill a man by treachery."
And they went away, and Raja Rasalu lay down and took
his rest all night. Next day at sunrise Raja Sarkap sent a
message to Raja Rasalu saying, "I am not well to-day, but in
the evening we will play chaupur together." At the same
time he sent a messenger to the old woman and told her that if
she wished to please him she was to take Raja Rasalu into a
certain garden where lived a venomous snake, and to make
the snake bite and - kill him. So the treacherous old woman
took the Raja into the garden, and gave him a place in it to
live in. There the Raja dwelt, and one day after his breakfast
he lay down to sleep about noon.
Now in that garden dwelt two things of evil omen :
one was
a scorpion, called Kalir, who scooped out men's eyes, and the
other was a serpent, called .Talir, which sucked out men'sblood.
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