Page:Stories of India's Gods & Heroes.djvu/60

50 with the queen herself. This girl, surveying from a staircase the joyful scene, asked of Rama's nurse, and was told, the cause of the festivities. Now this girl's mind was as ill-formed as her body; she hated Rama, and fury filled her heart when she learned that he was to be installed as heir and regent. She sought her royal mistress in haste, and roused her from sleep, crying, "Why sleepest thou, O Queen? Arise, for dire peril is upon thee!"

Rising dismayed, the queen asked what the dreaded ill might be. "Falsely," replied the maid, "hath he whom thou cherishest dealt with thee and thy son. The king, with serpent's guile, hath sent Bharat away, that in his absence Rama may be appointed heir-associate. Rouse thee, therefore, lest thou become in all things subject to Kausalya!"

But Kaikeyi's heart, thus far, was free of malice. No whit grieved by the news, she rather rejoiced thereat greatly, and gave the girl a jewel for her tidings, saying that Rama was dear to her as her own son Bharat.

Sore vexed, the girl cast the jewel from her in scorn, saying, "What folly is thine, O Queen, to dream of bliss, when, in truth, thou sinkest in seas of trouble! Truly, I tremble for thy son's welfare; he is the next heir to Rama, who will deem him all too near for safety. Thou, too, when Rama is enthroned, wilt be debased beneath Kausalya's feet."

Still the queen, vexed for Rama's sake, replied that he was the best of men, incapable of harming his brother, and as dutiful to herself as to his own mother. But the maid, with unabated malice, assailed her again with base charges against Rama,