Sagas from the Far East Part 27

"While from the lips of the all-beauteous Naran-Chatun (6) no word of answer proceeds, how should it beseem me, the Altar, a non-souled object, to speak. Nevertheless, seeing that so great and magnanimous a King has come hither and has propounded a question, I will yet dare, even I, to answer him. For, seeing that Naran-Chatun is so immersed in her own contemplations, she cannot give ear to the words of the King, I who, standing all the day before her in silence, and hearing no word of wisdom in any of the sagas of old, even I would fain be instructed by the words of the King."

And as the altar thus spoke, Naran Tegrijin Dakini cast a glance of scorn upon it, but the Silent Haughty One opened never her lips to speak.

Then the King took up his parable and poured forth one of the sagas of old after this manner, saying,--

WHO INVENTED WOMAN? (7)

"Long ages ago there went forth daily into one place four youths out of four tribes, to mind their flocks, one youth out of each tribe, and when their flocks left them leisure they amused themselves with pastimes together. Now it came to pa.s.s that one day one of them rising earlier than the rest, and finding himself at the place all alone, said within himself,--

"'How is the time weary, being here all alone!'

"And he took wood and sculptured it with loving care until he had fashioned a form like to his own, and yet not alike. And when he saw how brave a form he had fashioned, he cared no more to sport with the other shepherd youths, but went his way.

"The next morning the second of the youths rose earlier than the rest, and, coming to the place all alone, said within himself,--

"'How is the time weary, being here all alone!'

"And he cast about him for some pastime, and thus he found the form which the first youth had fashioned, and, finding it exceeding brave, he painted it over with the five colours, and when he saw how fair a form he had painted he cared no more to sport with the other shepherd youths, but went his way.

"The next morning the third of the youths rose earlier than the rest, and, coming to the place all alone, said within himself,--

"'How is the time weary, being here all alone!'

"And he cast about him for some pastime, and thus he discovered the form which the first youth had fashioned and the second youth had painted, and he said,--

"'This figure is beautiful in form and colour, but it has no wit or understanding' So he infused into it wit and understanding.

"And when he saw how clever was the form he had endowed with wit and understanding, he cared no more to sport with the shepherd youths, and he went his way.

"The fourth morning the fourth of the youths rose up the earliest, and, finding himself all alone at the trysting-place, said within himself,--

"'How is the time weary, being here all alone!'

"And, casting about to find some pastime, he discovered the form which the first youth had fashioned so brave, and the second youth had painted so fair, and the third youth had made so clever in wit and understanding, and he said,--

"'Behold the figure is beautiful in form and fair to behold in colour, and admirable for wit and understanding, but what skills all this when it hath not life?' And he put his lips to the lips of the figure and breathed softly into them, and behold it had a soul (8) that could be loved, and was woman.

"And when he saw her he loved her, and he cared no more to sport with the shepherd youths, but left all for her, that he might be with her and love her.

"But when the other shepherd youths saw that the figure had acquired a soul that could be loved, and was woman, they came back all the three and demanded possession of her by right of invention.

"The first youth said, 'She is mine by right of invention, because I fashioned her out of a block of wood that had had no form but for me.'

"The second said, 'She is mine by right of invention, because I painted her, and she had worn no tints fair to behold but for me.'

"The third said, 'She is mine by right of invention, because I gave her wit and understanding, and she had had no capacity for companionship but for me.'

"But the fourth said, 'She is mine by right of invention, because I breathed into her a soul that could be loved, nor was there any enjoyment in her but for me.'

"And while they all joyed in the thought of possessing her, they continued to strive on that they might see which should prevail. And when they found that none prevailed against the rest, they brought the matter before the King for him to decide.

"Say now therefore, O Naran-Dakini, I charge thee, in favour of which of these four was the King bound to decide that he had invented woman?"

And as the King left off from speaking he looked towards Naran-Dakini as challenging her to answer.

But Naran-Dakini, the Silent Haughty One, sat immersed in deep contemplation and held her peace, speaking never a word.

Then when the far-sighted and experienced ministers saw that she held her peace, one of them, even the one whom Vikramaditja had transformed into the lamp before the altar, spoke, saying,--

"It were meet indeed that an unsouled object such as I, the Lamp, should not venture to speak in presence of our mistress, Naran-Chatun. But as so great a King has come to visit us, and has propounded to us a question to which Naran-Chatun does not see fit to reply, even I, the Lamp, will attempt to answer him. To me, then, it seems that the answer is clear, for by whom could the figure be said to be invented saving by the youth who first fashioned it? He who gave a mere block of wood a beautiful form must be allowed to have invented it."

Naran-Dakini cast a glance of disgust and scorn upon the lamp, yet spoke she never a word.

Then spoke the far-seeing and experienced minister whom Vikramaditja had transformed into the thurible at the foot of the altar, saying,--

"It were meet indeed that an unsouled object such as I, the Incense-burner, should not venture to speak in presence of our mistress, Naran-Chatun. But as so great a King has come to visit us, and has propounded a question to us to which Naran-Chatun does not see fit to reply, even I, the Thurible, will attempt to answer him. And to me indeed the answer is plain, for to whom could the figure be said to belong, if not to the youth who painted it and made a mere stump beautiful and lifelike with fair tints of colour?"

At these words of the incense-vessel Naran-Dakini cast upon it a look of scorn and contempt, but opened not her lips to speak.

Then spoke Schalu, whom Vikramaditja had transformed into his aramala, with impetuosity, saying, "Nay, but surely he alone could have the right of invention who endowed a painted log with wit and understanding. Surely he who made a stump of a tree to think must be allowed to have invented it."

When Naran-Dakini saw with what a confident air the aramala p.r.o.nounced this sentence, even as though he had settled the whole matter, she could contain herself no longer, and then burst from her lips these words, while her eyes lighted on the objects that had spoken with exceeding indignation,--

"Of miserable understanding are ye all! How then venture ye, unsouled objects, to expound the matter when I, a reasonable being, scarcely dare p.r.o.nounce upon the question? What other interpretation of this parable, however, can there be than this:--The youth who first fashioned the figure of a block of wood, did not he stand in place of the father? He who painted it with tints fair to behold, did not he stand in place of the mother? He who gave wit and understanding, is not he the Lama? But he who gave a soul that could be loved, was it not he alone who made woman? To whom, therefore, else should she have belonged by right of invention? And to whom should woman belong if not to her husband?"

Thus Tegrijin Naran Dakini had been brought to speak once; but the proposition requiring that the Silent Haughty One should speak twice to man, the magnanimous King proceeded without making allusion to his first success, saying,--

"Now that I have told a saga of old, it is the turn that one of you should also tell us a tale to entertain the mind." And as he spoke he addressed himself to Naran-Dakini. Nevertheless Naran-Dakini had entered again into her deep contemplation, and held her peace, saying never a word.

Then said the far-seeing and experienced minister whom the King had transformed into the altar,--

"As Naran-Chatun continues to sit in her place and to utter no sound in answer to the word of the high King who has come so far to visit us, even I, though I be an unsouled object, will venture to reply, asking him that he will again open to us the treasures of story."

At these words Naran-Dakini cast a meaning glance upon her altar, but spoke not.

Then opened the magnanimous King again the treasures of story.

THE VOICE-CHARMER (9).

"Long ages ago two were travelling through a mountainous country, a man and his wife. And behold as they journeyed there reached them from the other side of a rock a voice of such surpa.s.sing sweetness that the two stood still to listen, the man and his wife; and not they only, but their very beasts p.r.i.c.ked up their ears erect to drink in the sound.

"Then spoke the woman,--

"'A man with a voice so melodious must be a man goodly to see. Shall we not stop and find him out?'"