II.
The raja had planted flowering shrubs in his garden, but the Indarpuri Sadoms[4] ate up all the flowers as they appeared, and so he again began to sulk. He said, “I planted bushes, but I see no flowers. What reason is there for my remaining alive?” And going to the sulking chamber he lay down, and as usual refused to eat. Then there was confusion in the household, and running hither and thither. The two ranis went to him, but he was annoyed, and ordered them to leave, saying, “I will not rise, by your telling me,” so they returned weeping, each to her own apartment.
Just then their four sons returned from hunting, and demanded food. Their mothers were annoyed, and said, “You young gentlemen are hungry, and must have food, that the raja is sulking is nothing to you, if you are fasting.” On hearing this the sons went to their father, and enquired, “Oh! father, wherefore are you sulking?” The raja replied, “Oh! my sons, I am sulking because I see no flowers in my garden. Unless I see flowers in my garden, I shall not remain in this world.” His sons replied, “Give us three days, and if at the end of that time you see no flowers, then you may sulk.” He was persuaded to rise, and having bathed, and partaken of food, he was refreshed.
Just then Lelha arrived, and addressing the raja said, “Oh! raja, what ails you?” The raja on seeing Lelha was angry, and scolded him severely. He said, “Has Lelha come here? Drive him away at once.” Lelha left without uttering another word.
After three days the raja began again to sulk, because there were still no flowers to be seen in his garden. The Indarpuri Sadoms came about mid-night and ate up all the buds. The raja’s four elder sons when watching could not remain awake for one hour, and so the Indarpuri Sadoms came nightly and devoured all the buds that should have burst into flower in the morning, so that not one solitary blossom was to be seen. For this reason the raja again began to sulk, and no one dared to say anything to him.
At this juncture Lelha’s mother went from her own house to a shop to buy rice. The shopkeeper refused to supply her. He said, “The raja is sulking, and she comes here to buy rice. I will not weigh it, so go.” Lelha’s mother went hastily home, and encountered Lelha returning from a stroll. Lelha asked for food. He said, “Oh! mother, give me cooked rice quickly.” She rebuked him, and said, “The raja is sulking. The shopkeeper refused to give me rice, how can I give you food? I am a prey to grief, and here my young gentleman is hungry. Go to the raja.”
Lelha did as his mother ordered him, and went to the apartment where the raja was, and called several times, “Oh! father, get up.” At length the raja asked, “Who are you? Do not irritate me. Go away at once.” Lelha replied, “I am your humble slave and son, Lelha.” His father said, “Wherefore have you come here? Lelha, Go home, or else I shall beat you. What do you want here? If you go, go at once, if not, I shall have you chastised.” Lelha replied, “Because you, Oh! raja, are sulking. The shopkeeper in the bazaar refused to sell to my mother rice, saying, ‘something is amiss with the raja, I cannot let you have it.’” The raja then said, “Go, and bring the shopkeeper here.” To which Lelha replied, “Why are you sulking? If you do not tell me, it were better for me to die here. I cannot leave you. I have come here fasting, not having eaten anything to-day.” The raja said, “Your four brothers have not been able to do anything, and what can I hope from telling you about it, Lelha?” Lelha replied, “It is still possible that I may accomplish something, but although I should not, yet I am a son of yours. Do tell me. If you die, I shall die also. We will depart this life together. I cannot return home.” The raja then thought within himself, I will tell him, and let him go. If I do not do so, Lelha may die along with me. Then addressing Lelha, he said, “It is nothing child, only I see no flowers in my garden, and therefore I am sulking. Although your four brothers watched three nights, still I see no flowers.” Lelha then said, “If my brothers watched three nights, see me watch one.” The raja replied, “Very good my son, let us leave this apartment.”
The raja went to bathe, and Lelha going to the shopkeeper bought several kinds of grain, which he carried home and gave to his mother, saying, “Roast a seer of each, and cook some rice for me. I have succeeded in persuading my father to rise. He has bathed and dined, and is refreshed. He was sulking because he can see no flowers in his garden. It was with great difficulty that I prevailed upon him to get up.” His mother said, “What does my Lord want with roasted grain?” Lelha replied, “Let me do with it as I chose, you prepare it. I will take it with me at night when I go to watch in the flower garden.” His mother said, “Have you forgotten your brothers’ threats to beat you?” Lelha replied, “My brothers may beat me, but no other person. What help is there for it?”
At nightfall, Lelha, having supped, tied up in the four corners of his plaid four kinds of roasted grain, and entering the garden climbed up on a raised platform, and began his vigil.