Page:The Dravidian Nights Entertainments.djvu/71

Rh at all his kindness to him and wanted to do some- thing in return to his benefactor. So, when he was tracing his way back, the serpent called him out by his name. The prince was astonished to hear a human voice in the midst of a forest.

He had never heard his serpent speak out, during the twelve years of his stay under him. So he never expected him to call out. He again and again heard the call, and finding it proceed from the serpent's place, went near him. What was his astonishment when he heard him speak out in the following human voice: "My prince! My protector! My father! For, henceforth I must regard you as such. For, he that gives birth to us, he that delivers us from difficulty, he that heartily gives us meals, he that instructs us and he that gives us moral teaching—all these we should regard as our fathers. And, as you protected me for twelve years, I regard you as my father. For you renounce me in this wood in obedience to your mother's order, and I call you now to do you some good in return for all your kindness. I am the son of the serpent-king, Adisêsha, who now pines away in sorrow for my separation. You had better be here for some time till I go to him. He would be highly pleased to see me, and after kissing me with affection will ask me to sit by his side. I shall then refuse saying that I must have the consent of my father to do so. Ádisesha will be astonished to hear of my terming another