Page:The Katha Sarit Sagara.djvu/158

 Therefore thou hero, take those mustard-seeds, in order that for this night only thou mayest be enabled to travel through the air." Thus the aerial voice addressed the delighted Vidúshaka; for even the gods often take such a hero under their protection. Then he took in his hand those grains of mustard-seed from the corner of the mendicant's robe, and the princess in his arms. And while he was setting out from that temple of the goddess, another voice sounded in the air; " Thou must return to this very temple of the goddess at the end of a month, thou must not forget this, O hero !" When he heard this, Vidúshaka said " I will do so," and by the favour of the goddess he immediately flew up into the air bearing with him the princess. And flying through the air he quickly placed that princess in her private apartments, and said to her after she had recovered her spirits; " To-morrow morning I shall not be able to fly through the air, and so all men will see me going out, so I must depart now." When he said this to her, the maiden being alarmed, answered him; " When you are gone, this breath of mine will leave my body overcome with fear. Therefore do not depart, great-souled hero ; once more save my life, for the good make it their business from their birth to carry out every task they have undertaken." When the brave Vidúshaka heard that, he reflected, " If I go, and leave this maiden, she may possibly die of fear; and then what kind of loyalty to my sovereign shall I have exhibited? Thinking thus he remained all night in those female apartments, and he gradually dropped off to sleep wearied with toil and watching. But the princess in her terror passed that night without sleeping: and even when the morning came she did not wake up the sleeping Vidúshaka, as her mind was made tender by love, and she said to herself; " Let him rest a little longer." Then the servants of the harem came in and saw him, and in a state of consternation they went and told the king. The king for his part sent the warder to discover the truth, and he entering beheld Vidúshaka there. And he heard the whole story from the mouth of the princess, and went and repeated it all to the king. And the king knowing the excellent character of Vidúshaka, was immediately bewildered, wondering what it could mean. And he had Vidúshaka brought from his daughter's apartment, escorted all the way by her soul, which followed him out of affection. And when he arrived, the king asked him what had taken place, and Vidúshaka told him the whole story from the beginning, and shewed him the noses of the robbers fastened up in the end of his garment, and the mustard-seeds which had been in the possession of the mendicant, different from those found on earth. The high-minded monarch suspected that Vidúshaka's story was true from these circumstances, so he had all the Bráhmans of the monastery brought before him, together with Chakradhara, and asked about the original cause of the whole matter. And he went in person to the cemetery and saw those men