Page:Tales from the Indian Epics.djvu/26

20 and entered the stick with which Uttanka had been vainly trying to widen the hole.

After the boy had mastered his grief, he again took up his stick and tried to open up the burrow. This time, because of Indra's thunderbolt inside the stick, the earth heaped itself readily on both sides and no longer fell in. Soon Uttanka had made a passage wide enough for him to enter. He crawled through it until he found himself in a wide, open plain covered with the palaces, houses and castles of the snake people. Uttanka walked into the snake people's city, and to win their favour began to sing their praises. He sang of their sinuous beauty, the might of Prince Takshaka's younger brother, Prince Srutasena. He then bowed to the various palaces in turn. But his flattery had no effect and his song died on his lips. For Prince Takshaka did not come out to give him back his earrings.

Just then Uttanka looked round. Suddenly he saw close to him two maidens working at a loom and weaving a cloth with black and white threads. Further away he saw six boys turning a wheel with twelve spokes. Beyond them again he saw a man standing near a horse. Uttanka, hoping to win the favour of these newcomers, began a song in praise of them. And he especially praised the man with the horse. At last the man said, "Fair youth, your song is pleasing: what good can I do to you?"

"Great lord," said Uttanka, bowing humbly before him, "the snake prince Takshaka has done me a great wrong. He has robbed me of my earrings. The boon, therefore, that I ask of you is that he and all his people shall be humbled before me."

"If that is your wish," said the man, "it is easily