Page:Tales from the Indian Epics.djvu/122

116 ," said King Sagar's sons, "who are you and what are you doing here?" "My name is Mahapadma," said the elephant, "and I hold up the southern end of the earth." "Have you by any chance, noble elephant," asked King Sagar's sons, "seen our father's horse led by an aged woman." "No," said Mahapadma, "I have not." "This noble elephant too must be speaking the truth," said King Sagar's sons, "let us search for our steed elsewhere." Back they went to the centre of the earth and bored a third-tunnel, which came out on the western quarter of the opposite side of the earth. There they saw a third elephant, who seemed to their astonished eyes like one of the Vindhya mountains.

"Noble elephant," asked the sons of King Sagar, "who are you and what are you doing here?" "My name is Saumanasa," said the elephant, "and I hold up the western quarter of the earth." "Noble Saumanasa," asked the sons of King Sagar, "has there passed by you a beautiful steed led by an aged woman?" "No," said the elephant, "I have not seen it". King Sagar's sons walked back to the centre of the earth and drove a fourth tunnel through to the North Pole. When they emerged, it was to see the land covered with ice and snow. Not far from them stood a fourth elephant. He was as white as snow; his feet were hidden in drifts and his tusks were half buried in a glacier. "Noble elephant," said King Sagar's sons, "what is your name and why are you here?" "My name is Bhadra," replied the elephant, "and I hold up the northern end of the earth." "Then, noble elephant, tell us," said King Sagar's sons, "whether you have seen our father's steed. He was making a great horse sacrifice and would have ended it duly; but an aged woman stole the horse and