Hindoo Tales | Page 5

and plundered the King of
Mithila near our village, this child was picked up and brought to me by
my husband, and I have taken care of him ever since."
The king being convinced that this was the other child of his friend, the
King of Mithila, by fair words and gifts induced the woman to give him
up, and took him to the queen, giving him the name of Apahâravarma,
and begging her to bring him up with her own son.
Soon afterwards, a disciple of Vâmadeva brought a beautiful boy to the
king, and said "As I was returning from a pilgrimage to Râmatirtha, I
saw an old woman carrying this child, and asked her how she came to
be wandering there. In answer to my questions, she told me her story,

saying, 'I was the servant of a rich man, named Kâlagupta, living in the
island of Kâlayavana, and I waited on his daughter Suvritta. One day a
young merchant, named Ratnodbhava, son of a minister of the King of
Magadha, arrived in the island, and having become acquainted with my
master, he married his beautiful daughter.
"'After some time, he was desirous of visiting his family, and being
unwilling to leave behind his young wife, who was then not far from
childbirth, he took her with him, and me as her nurse.
"'We embarked on board a ship, and had at first a favourable voyage;
but when approaching the land, we were overtaken by a storm, and a
great wave broke over the ship, which went down almost immediately.
I found myself in the water near my young mistress, and managed to
support her till we got hold of a plank, by means of which we at last
reached the shore. Whether my master was saved or not I do not know,
but I fear that he perished with the rest of those on board, whom we
never saw again.
"'The coast where we landed appeared to be uninhabited, and the poor
lady, being unable to walk far, after much suffering of mind and body,
gave birth to this child under a tree in the forest. I have just left her, in
the hope of finding some village where I may obtain assistance; and by
her wish I have brought the child with me, since she is incapable of
taking care of it.'
"The woman had hardly finished speaking when a wild elephant,
breaking through the bushes, came suddenly upon us, and she was so
frightened that she let the child fall, and ran away.
"I hid myself behind a tree, and saw the elephant take up the child with
his trunk, as if about to put it into its mouth. At that moment he was
attacked by a lion, and let the child fall. When the two beasts had
moved from the spot, I came from my hiding-place just in time to see
the child taken up by a monkey, who ran up a high tree. Presently the
beast let the child drop, and as it fell on a leafy branch, I took it up
uninjured by the fall, or the other rough treatment which it had
received.

"After searching for the woman some time in vain, I took the child to
my master, the great muni Vâmadeva, and I have now brought it to you
by his command."
The king, astonished at the preservation of the child under such adverse
circumstances, and hoping that Ratnodbhava might have escaped from
the shipwreck, sent for Susruta to take charge of his brother's child, to
whom he gave the name of Pushpodbhava.
Some days after this the queen went up to her husband with a child in
her arms, and told him, when he expressed his surprise "Last night I
was suddenly awakened from sleep and saw a beautiful lady standing
before me, holding this child. She said to me: 'O queen, I am a Yaksha,
daughter of Manibhadra, and wife of Kâmapâla, the son of your
husband's late minister, Dharmapâla; by command of Kuvera, I have
brought this my child to you, that he may enter the service of your son,
who is destined to become a mighty monarch.'
"I was too much astonished to ask her any question, and she, having
laid down the child near me, disappeared."
The king, greatly surprised, especially that Kâmapâla should have
married a Yaksha, sent for the child's uncle, Sumittra, and committed
the boy to his care, giving him the name of Arthapâla.
Not long after this another disciple of Vâmadeva brought a very
beautiful child to the king, and said: "My lord, I have lately been on a
pilgrimage to several holy places, and on my way back, happening to
be on the bank of the river Kâvari, I saw