From the folklore of Kashmir
A merchant once went forth to trade, leaving his wife at home, and she for long became filled with love for a beggarman – a Faqir. One day the Merchant came home with the chattels he had brought, and to the King came the news that “the Merchant hath returned.” At night the King went forth to wander through the city, and he reached the Merchant’s house. While he was stranding there, at the end of the first watch of the night, the Merchant’s wife got up and went forth carrying a dish of cooked rice upon her head. The King watched her in secret. On ahead went she, and along after her followed the King. They arrived at a certain open space where the beggarman was seated over a little fire. She made salutation to him, and laid the dish of rice before him. Quoth she: “Eat!” But straightaway he raised a cudgel and with it struck the Merchant’s wife. He said unto her, “Why hast thou come so late?” She made reply to him, “My husband came home to-day, and hence was I delayed. Eat now, prithee, this dish of rice.” But the beggarman said to her, “I will not eat. First bring me that Merchant’s head. Then, and not till then, will I sup.” Now all this time the King was watching, and he heard all this talk that passed between them.
The merchant’s wife went off, and came to her own home. She went upstairs, while the King stayed down below. She cut off her husband’s head, and came down with it wrapped in a handkerchief. On ahead went she, and along after her went the King. She came to the beggarman. He raised his stick and struck the merchant’s wife. Said he to her, “Thou wast not true to thine own husband Now wilt thou be true to me?”
The King departed. He returned to his palace and went to his bed. Morning blossomed forth, and there was raised a cry. They say: “The Merchant came home and thieves have killed him.” To the palace came the Merchant’s wife. She saith unto the King, “My husband came home to me, and he hath been killed by thieves.” The King knoweth well who killed the Merchant, while the people are seeking for a clue to find the murderers. But on no one can they fix the guilt.
They brought out the Merchant’s body and burnt it. The King went forth to the place of cremation and watched everything that should come to pass. There came up the widow, on her way to burn herself upon her husband’s pyre. She was saying: “I also will burn my body.” She came and prepared to leap into the flames; but the King went near unto her, and caught her by the hand. He said unto her, “If this, then why that? If that, then why this?” Said she unto him, “Let me go free, I will burn my body.” Again said she to him, “By such and such a spring dwelleth my milk-sister. She will tell thee the meaning of this.” So he let her do, and she was burnt beside her husband, and became released from the sorrows of the world. Next day went forth the King, and came to that spring. There saw he a certain woman, and he said to her, “If that, then why this? Is this, then why that?” The woman made reply, “After eight days will I give to thee the answer.”
Eight days passed, and then the King called to mind the woman’s words. He ran to the spring. There saw he her and again asked he of her the meaning of those words. Quoth she, “Go thou, and bring hither a goat and a jar.” He brought the goat and the jar, and then said she, “Descend thou into this spring and therein set thou the jar upside-down.” And further said she to him. “Lead thou down the goat by the ear, and put its head upon the jar.” He did so, and she cried, “Strike thou it a blow with the sword.”
He struck it a blow with his sword, and on that instant did the King of a sudden disappear.
He found himself in a garden, and there was there spread a bed. On the bed he climbed and lay down and fell asleep. Now there were fairies there. They lifted him up and carried him off into a certain place. There he awoke, and seeth all round him a region of paradise. Fair women were dancing there, and smitten with love for the entrancing spectacle did the King become.
Departed these fairies and left him all alone, but before they went gave they him a key. Said they to him, “Unlock thou this room. Arise, and go within.” He went within, and there he saw a horse ready saddled. He led it without, and stood there holding it by the bridle. Said they to him, “Mount this horse.” He mounted it, and, lot! At once he seeth everything that God, the Master, hath made both below the seven earths and above the seven heavens. All that did the King see, and for it did he become smitten with love. Then before him appeared Satan; and Satan asked him saying, “What is it thou dost see?” Quoth the King, “Whatever God, the Master, hath created, that do I see.” And Satan said to him in answer, “More than this will I show thee. Behold, here is my key. With it unlock thou this door. Arise and go within.” The King went within and there saw he an ass tied. Said Satan to him, “Bring thou it forth, and mount it, and thou shalt see something more even than all that God, the Master, hath created.” Thereupon did the King mount that ass.
Straightaway the ass carried the King back unto his palace. He dismounted and went upstairs, and when he came down again, behold, he saw no ass there. Great longing for that garden of paradise came unto the King, but how was he to reach it? They tell me that he went at once unto the spring and asked the woman, “Tell me, prithee, ‘If that, then why this? If this, then why that?’ ” And the woman said unto him, “Bring thou thine own son, and bring also a pitcher, and also bring thy sword.” Said she to him, “Descend thou into this spring, and take down with thee thy son. Cast him down, and upon the pitcher lay thou his head.” So the King took the lad by the ear, and drew his sword. With it would he have struck his son had not the woman seized it. Cried she, “This it is that is that; and that it is that is this. Thou becamest smitten with love for the garden, and my sister became smitten with love for the beggarman.”
Sources:
Hatim’s Tales: Kashmiri Stories and Songs, Aurel Stein, George Grierson, 1923
Kotharian Lightning 