The legends of the Panjâb

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52 LEGENDS OF THE PANJAB.
I have apt injured thy fields, nor have I broken thy hedge :
Why hast thou cut my tail what damage have I done
I am but a deer of the thick jangal, I will bring a thief
into thy palace.
Saying this the deer Hira went off to his kinsmen, but they
cast him out of their herd because he had no ears or tail.
So he
became very sorrowful and went into the kingdom of E^ja Hodi,*
son of Eaja Atki Mall, where hejoine d a herd of deer.
After a while
he brought the whole herd into Raja Hodi's garden and destroyed
it. As soon as Eaja Hodi heard of this destruction he sent in men
to catch the deer, and they all ran away except the deer Hira, who
remained hidden in the garden.
Presently E^j^ Hodi came himself
into the garden, and then the deer Hirtl ran off, followed by
the Raja on a horse.
The deer Hlr^ led Raja Hodi to the palace
of Eaja Rasalii, in the Murti Hills, and then he said to the Eaja,
" Why have you followed me so far "
"Why did you destroy my garden" said the Raja, "I
have followed you to kill you."
" I destroyed your garden," said the deer, " because Rani
Kokilan ordered it.'"'
" Where is she " asked the Rajl.
" She is sitting in that little latticed window above in the
palace," said the deer.
When he heard this the Raja looked up and saw the Rani
Kokilan, and the pair began to talk, meanwhile the deer Hira
hid himself in a bush.
Said the Rdni
Mahldn heth pMrandid Bdjd ; shdhid phinh, Id chor
lice Bdjd mere dd wairi haih ike khard i dhor
Raja wandering beneath the palace : art thou a true man or
a thief
Art thou an enemy to my Raja or does an animal stand there
* The kingdom of this celebrated hero appears to have extended from
Atak to as far as Jalalabad beyond the Khaibar Pass. Atki Mall as a
name seems to have an obvious referrence to Atak. For the purposes
of this tale his residence was apparently Ohind on the Indus, opposite
Atak. His date was probably A.n. 250 or later. Thomas suggests that
he is Kidara of the Scythian (Kushan) coins.