Page:Tales from the Indian Epics.djvu/77

Rh the northern mountains. She walked up stream a little way, till she saw that a company of merchants had camped by the river. She hastened to join them, but seeing her worn with grief and toil and clad in a single rag, the merchants thought that she was an evil spirit of the woods and many of them ran away from her in terror. The leader of the merchants, however, spoke to her kindly and said, "Fair lady, who are you? Are you a mortal woman or are you, as we think, a spirit from the forest come to do us harm?" "No," said Damayanti sadly smiling, "I am no evil spirit but the daughter of a king. I seek my husband Nala King of the Nishadas. Tell me, fair sir, whether by any chance you have seen him," "O Queen," said the leader of the merchants, "I have met neither King Nala nor any other man in this forest; for only wild elephants and lions and other beasts of prey live here." "Pray tell me then, fair sir," asked Damayanti, "where you and the merchants with you are going. For perhaps if I go with you I may find my husband." The leader of the merchants answered, "O Queen, we are taking with us merchandise to sell for gain in the lands of Suvahu, King of the Chedis. And if you come with us we shall gladly take you."

The merchants and the queen journeyed several days together until they came to a large lake. Its surface was bright with lotus blossoms and its shores were gay with flowering shrubs. So the merchants halted and camped close to its waters. The same night, a herd of elephants came there to drink, and as the camp barred their way they rushed through it, trampling under foot and goring with their tusks all who came in their way. Many of the merchants perished and some of those who