Page:The Folk-Lore Journal Volume 3 1885.djvu/72

64 sir, to the victorious party the tutelar deity will appear as a bull, perfectly white; to the other side the tutelary deity will be seen as a bull quite black. The tutelar deities of both, too, having fought, will bring about victory or defeat, as the case may be."

As soon as Nandisena heard this he rose up and departed. The king (Assaka) had great warriors to the number of one thousand followers; these the minister gathers together, takes them to the top of a hill not far off, and says to them, "Shall you be able to save the life of our king?" "Yes," they replied, "we shall be able." Then said he, "If that be so, cast yourselves headlong down this precipice." They made ready to hurl themselves down. Then he restrained them, saying, "There is no need here for you to do this; I'll not put you to further proof. Since you are friends of the king, stand your ground and fight manfully." They assured him that they would.

The conflict between the two kings being imminent, Kâlinga concluded that he would be victorious, and his army too felt assured of winning. When they had furnished themselves with weapons they disbanded, going wherever they pleased. But they did not use the interval before the battle in making those preparations for war which should have been made while there was time for straining every nerve and employing every effort to ensure victory.

The two kings mounted on their horses drew near each other, along with their respective forces, with the intention of doing battle. The tutelar deity of each went in the van—a white bull with the one army and a black bull with the other. They too presented to each other a warlike mien. They were visible to the two kings, but not (at first) to others.

Then Nandisena asked the king, "Have the guardian deities appeared to you?" Assaka replied that they had made their appearance. "Under what form?" inquired the minister. Assaka answered, "Kâlinga's tutelar deity is a white bull, and ours is one quite black and worn out." Nandisena said, "king, fear not, we shall win and Kalinga will be beaten. Do you dismount, take this weapon (in your right hand), and with your left prick the flanks of your well-trained horse; then with your thousand men make a rush at the tutelar deity of Kâlinga, and bring the bull down with a blow of your weapon;