Having come in that way and seen that a youth was living with the Princess, he became angry, and said, “I will cut down the two persons,” taking the sword in his hand. [But] having remembered the warning of the astrologer-teacher, he said, “Without being hasty I will still test them,” and again he put the sword into the sheath.
At the sound, the [young] Prince who was with his mother opened his eyes, and having seen his father and become afraid, saying, “Mother, mother,” crept under the bed. The mother, too, having opened her eyes at this time and when she looked having seen her lord, spoke [to him]. Thereupon he told the Princess the whole circumstances, and for the Princess there was great sorrow [at the report spread regarding her].
On the morning of the following day, the Prince having seen the Great King told him about the war, and the manner in which he got the victory in it. And the King, being much pleased, appointed great festivals at the city; and having decorated the Prince with the Crown and given him the kingship, the King began to perform acts in view of the other world.
Compare the advice given to the Brāhmaṇa in No. 209 in this vol., and the variants appended.
In Folk-Tales of Bengal (L. Behari Day), p. 100, a Queen was married afresh every day to a person selected by the royal elephant, this new King each morning being found dead in some mysterious manner in the bed-room. A merchant’s son who had been obliged to leave his home was chosen as King by the elephant, and heard of the nocturnal danger. While he lay awake armed, he saw a long thread issue from the Queen’s left nostril; it grew thicker until at last it was a huge snake. He at once cut off its head, and remained there as the permanent King.
In the Kathā Sarit Sāgara (Tawney), vol. i, p. 137, each time the daughter of a King was married the bride-groom was found dead in the chamber on the following morning. When royal bride-grooms could be obtained no longer, the King ordered that from each house in turn a person of either the royal or Brāhmaṇa caste should be brought and allowed to remain in the room for one night, on the understanding that anyone who survived should be married to the Princess. All died, until at last a brave Brāhmaṇa from another country offered to take the place of the son of the widow with whom he was lodging. He remained awake, and in the night saw a terrible Rākshasa open the door, and stretch out his arm. The Brāhmaṇa at once stepped forward and cut off the arm, and the Rākshasa fled. The hero was afterwards married to the Princess. He met with the Rākshasa in the same way at another city, and learnt from him that by Śiva’s orders he was preventing the Princesses from being married to cowards.
In the same work, vol. ii, p. 449, there is an account of a Brāhmaṇa who placed himself under a teacher at Pāṭaliputra, but was so stupid that he did not manage to learn a single syllable.
In Folk-Tales of Kashmir (Knowles), 2nd ed., p. 32 ff., there is a variant; see note after No. 209 in this volume. The closest resemblance is in the episode in which the Prince takes the place of the Potter’s son who was about to be summoned to be married to the Princess whose husbands had all died on their wedding night. During the night the Prince was careful not to sleep; he lay down with his sword in his hand. In the middle of the night he saw two snakes issue from the nostrils of the Princess, and come towards him. He struck at them and killed them. Next morning the King was surprised to find him alive, and chatting with his daughters. The Prince then told the King who he was, and he became the heir apparent.