Page:Tales from the Indian Epics.djvu/31

Rh will hold a great snake sacrifice and will consume you all with fire." Then she left them, and next morning set forth with Queen Vinata to the dwelling-place of Uchaisrava. Together they crossed the ocean and journeyed to the uttermost ends of the earth. Now after Queen Kadru had cursed her thousand sons, they took counsel together. Fearing her curse they resolved to fasten themselves to Uchaisrava's tail. "If we do her bidding," they said, "our mother may pardon us and take the curse from us. But if we are still disobedient, her curse will fall on us and we shall be burnt in the sacrifice of King Janamejaya, the Bharata. Therefore with all speed they hastened to the dwelling of Uchaisrava and fastened themselves to his tail before the two queens had ended their journey. Kadru and Vinata together entered Uchaisrava's palace, and at the same moment they saw that its tail was black. Queen Kadru turned to Queen Vinata and said, "My sister, you have lost your wager. You and your children after you will be the slaves of myself and my thousand snake sons." And from that day Queen Vinata served her sister as a bond-woman.

Many hundred years after the two queens had returned homewards, the second egg which Queen Vinata had borne opened, and from it came a mighty bird a thousand times larger than the largest elephant. To him Queen Vinata gave the name of Garuda. But because he had been born in slavery, he too became a slave, and Queen Kadru and her snake sons made him bear them about, at their will, from one spot to another. One day Garuda, weary of toil, said, "O my mother, why must I do the bidding of the snake people?" "My son," answered Queen Vinata sadly, "I made a foolish