Kotharian Lightning

From the folklore of Kashmir

[Note: contextually this story relies upon the double meaning of the word “Bath” which can mean both story and statement. Thus, the men believed that they were buying stories, while they were instead given statements.]

Four men were once going along the road, and they came to a wide open plain. As they entered it they began to say to each other, “Come, let us tell a story to while away the journey across the plain.” After a time they were joined by another man, and they asked him to tell a story to help the journey along. Said he, “Sirs, I will tell you a story. Moreover, sirs, as a story I will tell you five things. But for the five things you must pay me five hundred rupees.” Replied they, “We are four, and will give thee four hundred. The fifth hundred must be paid by thee as the fifth of us. So tell us, prithee, sir, the give things.” Said he to them:

“Money, sirs, is for a journey.

A friend, sirs, is for when there is no money.

A near relation, sirs, is for when there is money.

That makes three things, and, sirs, there are two others:

Thou canst only call thy wife thine own so long as she be with thee.

And again, sirs:

How only will win Raja Vikramaditya’s daughter

Who keepeth awake by night.”

When he told them these five things, they say to him, “Now, sir, tell a story.” But he replies, “I have told you, sirs, the five things.” At this they began to quarrel. Cry they, “You have taken our four hundred rupees: but, sir, you have not told us any story. We have not yet got across the plain.” So the four gave him a drubbing. Then he made this proposal, “Come, sirs, to the King of this country, and let us abide by what he says.”

They went to the King and the four laid their complaint before him. “This fellow,” said they, “hath cheated us to the tune of four hundred rupees, for he promised to tell us five things.” The King asked him, “What was it that thou saidst to them?” And he up and replied, “Sire, I will tell thee the five things, but thou must pay me for them rupees five hundred. Then, and only then, can I tell these five things to thee.” So the King sent for five hundred rupees, and gave them to him. After the man told him the five things, he tied up the money in his pouch, and the King did a deed. He doffed his royal garments, and donned those of beggary. Then he tied seven rubies under his arm and went forth to test these five things.

First of all he went to the city where dwelt his sister. He mounted his horse, and when he arrived there he sent her this message, “I am fallen into poverty; so what else could I do but come to thee.” And this was the word which she sent back, “Verily, I shall be put to shame in my father-in-law’s house.” Again he sent her these words in answer, “If it be not possible for me to come to thee, thou shouldst at least send me somewhat wherewith to fill my belly; and if thou send it, fasten thou it up carefully, and set thine own seal upon it.” So this sister did a deed. She sent him a little rice in her cowl – it may have been orts, or it may have been fresh food. Upon it she set her own seal, and dispatched it to her brother. As soon as he saw his sister’s seal he accepted it, and there and then he buried it and hid it in the ground.

Then he set forth upon the road to his friend. When he came near he sent a man on to say, “My friend, I am come to thee. I have no more royal state, for I have been struck by the blow of poverty.” And when his friend heard this he went forth and came to his friend, and cried, “Ah, my friend! Wherefore hast thou come to show thyself here (so far from my door)?” So together the two walk on. As they walked the friend seeth that the King is clothed in the weeds of poverty, and saith to him, “My friend, prithee present me with this royal robe that thou dost wear, and put on my poor garment instead thereof.” For he looked upon the King’s garb not as the garb of beggary, but thought of it was a royal robe. And wherefore that? It was because of the love he bare him. They went on and reached the friend’s house, and the friend made him a feast – such a feast as one should lay before a King.

In this way the King had tested two of the things.

Then went he forth to the city where dwelt his wife. When he had reached the outskirts he made his lodging in the house of an old woman, and asked of her a sickle that he might cut grass for his horse. So he went out to fetch the fodder, and came to a mead where he began to cut the grass. Now this mead was in the home farm of the king of that land, and the grooms ran up and seized him, and carried him to their officer, the Master of the Horse. They shut him up in prison, and when night fell he seeth a woman coming along with a dish of fainty meats for the Master of the Horse. He was sitting on a bedstead. She laid the dish before him, and they both sat down upon the floor to eat it. A few scraps remained over, and these they gave the prisoner. They called to him, “Ho, thou prisoner, eat thou these scrap and orts of ours.” The prisoner accepted them and ate. And while he remained sitting by himself the two clipped and toyed together till the joint of the bedstead broke. Again they called to the prisoner, “Prithee see, the joint of this bed hath broken. Haply thou hast wit enough to mend it.” He answered, “Yea, why should I not have wit therefor? My neighbours are carpenters.” Say they, “Come hither.” So he came, and then the woman recognized him as her own husband; though he had recognized her before when they gave him the scraps of food. So saith she to the Master of the Horse, “What now are we to do? This is my husband, he must be killed this very night of nights.” So the Master of the Horse gave his command to the executioners, “Take ye away this prisoner. He must be slain. Bring ye us back his heart.” So they led him forth outside the city, and to them made he a petition. “Let me free,” quoth he, “that I may wash my hands and face and make my prayers to God before I die. So they loosed his bonds, and he found a little water, wherein he washed his hands and face, and made his prayers to God, the Master. As he thus did his hands fell the seven rubies that he had tied beneath his arm when setting forth upon his journey. Then said he to the executioners, “O sirs, let ye me go free. Here be these seven rubies. Keep ye four of them, one for each of you four, and keep the remaining three for me.”

In this way he had tested four of the things, but the fifth he had forgotten. So he returned home, and asketh the five men, “Sirs, tell me what those five things were.” Then up and answered that man, “Sire, how many of these things hast thou tested?” Quoth he, “Four.” “Which ones?” the asked.

Said the King:

“True is it – a near relation is for when there is money.

True also is it – a friend is for when there is no money.

True also is it – thou canst only call thy wife thine own so long as she be with thee.

True also is it – money is useful on a journey.

These four things that ye told me have I tested. Now tell ye me the fifth.” Replied that man to him, “A hundred rupees must thou give me. “ The King gave it, and he said:

“He only will win Raja Vikramaditya’s daughter

Who keepeth awake by night.”

And the King did a deed. He put on the garb of a mendicant faqir. He went forth and reached Raja Vikramaditya’s palace. The discerners then discerned him, and the newsmen gave the news to the Raja. Said they, “Your Majesty, there hath appeared a faqir, and he saith, ‘The Raja’s daughter I would win,’ ” And the Raja said to them in answer, “Up to-day, how many princes have gone to their death! Now hath this faqir committed himself to God, that He may decide whether he live or die. Go ye, and lead ye hum up to the chamber.” And in the chamber where was the Raja’s daughter, a bed was ready spread. The faqir climbed up upon it, and gave the lady a push. He conversed with her, and when they had finished conversing he did a deed. He folded his garments into the shape of a man, and went a short way off and sat down to watch. A lamp was burning, and by its light he saw a python issue from the lady’s mouth. It entered the garments which he had folded into the shape of a man. It shook them, and bit them over and over again, but when it found that there was no many within them, it retreated and again entered the lady’s mouth. In this way did the faqir satisfy himself by his perscrutation that it was within the lady that there was an evil calamity dwelling, and that there was nought else outside her. Up came the faqir to the bed. He gave the lady a push, and held converse with her. He made his garments again into the shape of a man, and again went away a short distance to sit and watch. A lamp was burning, and in his hand he held his drawn sword. The python issued from the lady’s mouth, and began to enter the garments. He raised his sword and smote it to pieces and slew it. He cut it into gobbets and thrust them under the bed. Then he climbed himself upon the bed, laid the sword beneath the pillow, and fell asleep.

The night came to an end, and dawn began to come, and to the executioners said Raja Vikramaditya, “Go ye. This faqir is surely dead. Bring him too down, as ye did the others. Up to to-day how many princes have gone to their death, and he, too, must have died!” They went up into the chamber, and saw the faqir alive and safe and sound. The discerners then discerned him, and the newsmen gave the news to the Raja. Said they, “Your Majesty, that faqir is of truth alive.” His Majesty, the Raja, himself ascended to the chamber and made him gratulations, crying, “O faqir, tell me, prithee, how thou didst escape.” Quoth the faqir, “By remaining awake. Your Majesty, cast thou a glance below the bed.” The Raja looked, and there saw he the calamity as the faqir had thrust it after he had killed it. Said the faqir to the Raja, “What was the promise made by thee?” And quoth the Raja, “True it is. There is no God but the one God.” Then said the faqir to him, “Here, sire, is this thy daughter. Sire, give thou me the token that I may claim her as my wife.” Then gave the Raja his ring to the faqir, and took in exchange the faqir’s ring from him.

Then departed the faqir and came to his own city. He put off his mendicant’s weeds and clothed himself in royal robes. He gave the command to his army to set forth with him.

First of all went he to his sister’s city. The king, her husband, was one of those that paid him tribute. He had his sister brought to him, and put before her the bowl of food that she had sent to him on that day, and on which she had set her seal. Quoth he to her, “Is this thy seal?” Replied she, “Mine it is.” Then said to her the King, “It is I who was the beggar-man of that day. True it is that a near relation is for when there is money.”

He took the army of that king also with him, and turned his footsteps towards his friend. And the friend made a feast in honour of the royalty of both these kings. The night they passed there, and at dawn they again set forth.

He turned his footsteps towards the city of his father-in-law. He sent for that king and said to him, “Prithee, send thou for thy grooms. They have caught a thief in the mead of thy home farm. Where have they put him? They brought him the grooms. Quoth he to them, “Where did ye put that thief whom ye seized in the mead of the home farm?” Said they, “Sire, we made him over into the hands of our officer, the Master of the Horse.” They brought before him the Master of the Horse. They said to him, “These grooms made over to thy custody a certain thief. Where hast thou put him?” But he denied that he had seen him. Then the grooms gave testimony. “Sire, of a surety, we did make him over to this man’s custody.” Then quoth the King – the one who formerly had been dressed as a faqir – “bring ye the four executioners. They themselves will say what happened.”

They brought them, and the King said to them, “Ye have in trust a deposit made by that faqir, give ye it here and now.” Then those executioners did a deed. They brought forth those seven rubies and laid them before the King. He took up four of them, and them to them, as he said, “Who gave you these?” Quoth they, “a certain faqir.” “And for what purpose?” “This Master of the Horse had made him over to us to be slain.” Then said the King to the Master of the Horse, “Dost thou not recognize me! It is I who ma that faqir whom thou didst imprison. At first came that lady to thee with a dish of dainty meats. Ye ate together, and some scrap and orts remained over and above. You gave a shout and called to me, ‘Come, thou prisoner, eat thou these scraps and orts of ours.’ So I came and took and ate. After that you clipped and toyed together, till the joint of the bed became broken. You gave a shout and called to me, ‘Happily, dost thou know how to mend this bed?’ and I replied to you, ‘Yea, why should I not know? My neighbours are carpenters.’ I mended for you the bed, and my wife saw that it was I. Said she to thee, ‘This is my husband, he must be killed this very night of nights.’ Thou gavest me into the hands of these executioners, and to them came compassion for me, and they let me go free. I gave them seven rubies. Four gave I, one for each of the hour, and three I left with them in deposit for me. Now, here I have these three rubies, and four have I just now given to these men. There, in their hands, are they also for thee to see.” And in this way was his guilt proved against him.

He gave the order to his army. He dragged forth the Master of Horse and his own wife. He had dug a pit and had them both cast into it, and had them stoned with stones until they died. On this subject verily a master of books hath written:

“Treacherous are a knife, a serpent, and the coquetry of a woman.”

Thenceforth went again the King and came again to Raja Vikramaditya’s palace. Then gave they the news to the Raja, “A king hath come and asketh for his wife.” Then said the Raja, “Of a faqir she is the wife, not of a king.” Quoth the King to him, “Verily, I am no other than that faqir. I have with me thy token, and thou hast with thee mine.” Quoth the Raja to him, “What meant the faqirhood of those days, and what meaneth the royalty of to-day?” Said the King to him, “I had bought five things, and them was I testing, and therefore dressed I myself as a faqir.” Then the Raja did a deed. He gave the King his wife to be with him. The King went forth and came to his own city, and there he swayed the sceptre of his rule. This is the end, and may peace and honour attend ye all.

Sources:

Hatim’s Tales: Kashmiri Stories and Songs, Aurel Stein, George Grierson, 1923