Old Deccan Days; or, Hindoo Fairy Legends Current in Southern India

by Unknown

Now when she again saw Seventee Bai, the Rajah’s little daughter said to her father, “Father, I do not think there is such a brave and beautiful Prince in all the world as this Seventee Rajah. I would rather have him for my husband than any one else.” And the Rajah said, “Daughter, I am very willing you should marry him.” So it was settled Seventee Bai should marry the little Princess; but she said to the Rajah, “I am willing to marry your daughter, but we must have a very grand wedding; give me time, therefore, to send into all the countries round, and invite all their Rajahs to be present at the ceremony.” And to this the Rajah agreed.

Now, about this time, Seventee Bai one day found Parbuttee Bai crying, and said to her, “Little sister, why are you unhappy?” And Parbuttee Bai answered, “Oh sister, you have brought us out of all our difficulties, and won us honor and great riches, but yet I do not feel merry; for I cannot help thinking of our poor husband, who is now, maybe, wandering about a wretched beggar, and I long with my whole heart to see him again.” Then Seventee Bai said, “Well, cheer up, do not cry; mind those women do not find out I am not Seventee Rajah. Keep a good heart, and I will try and find your husband for you.” So Seventee Bai went into the jungle palace to see Hera Bai, and said to her, “I have a friend whom I have not seen since he became mad twelve years ago, and ran away into the jungle disguised as a Fakeer. I should like very much to find out if he is still alive. How can I learn?” Now Hera Bai was a very wise Princess, and she answered, “Your best plan will be to provide a great feast for the poor, and cause it to be proclaimed in all lands, far and near, that you are about to give it as a thank-offering for all the blessings God has bestowed on you. The poor will flock from all countries to come to it, and perhaps among the rest you may find your friend.”

Seventee Bai did as Hera Bai had advised, causing two long tables to be spread in the jungle, whereat hundreds of poor from all parts of the world were daily entertained; and every day, for six months, Seventee Bai and Parbuttee Bai walked down the long rows of people, apparently to see how they were all getting on, but in reality to look for Logedas Rajah; but they found him not.

At last one day, as Seventee Bai was going her accustomed round, she saw a wretched wild-looking man, black as pitch, with tangled hair, a thin wrinkled face, and in his hand a wooden bowl, such as Fakeers carry about to collect broken meat and scraps of bread in, and touching Parbuttee Bai, she said to her, “See, Parbuttee, there is your husband.” When Parbuttee Bai saw this pitiful sight (for it was, indeed, Logedas, but so changed and altered that even his wives hardly recognized him), she began to cry. Then Seventee Bai said, “Do not cry; go home quickly. I will take care of him.” And when Parbuttee Bai was gone, she called one of the guard and said to him, “Catch hold of that man and put him in prison.” Then Logedas Rajah said, “Why do you seize me? I have done no harm to any one.” But Seventee Bai ordered the guard not to heed his remonstrances, but to take him to prison instantly, for she did not wish the people around to discover how interested she was in him. So the guard took Logedas Rajah away to lock him up. Poor Logedas Rajah said to them, “Why has this wicked Rajah had me taken prisoner? I have harmed no one. I have not fought, nor robbed; but for twelve years I have been a wretched beggar, living on the bread of charity.” For he did not tell them he was a Rajah’s son, for he knew they would only laugh at him. They replied. “You must not call our Rajah wicked; it is you that are wicked, and not he, and doubtless he will have your head cut off.”

When they put him in prison he begged them again to say what was to be done to him. “Oh!” said they, “you will certainly be hanged to-morrow morning, or perhaps, if you like it better, beheaded, in front of the palace.”

Now as soon as Seventee Bai got home, she sent for her head servants, and said to them, “Go at once to the prison, and order the guard to give you up the Fakeer I gave into their charge, and bring him here in a palanquin, but see that he does not escape.” Then Seventee Bai ordered them to lock up Logedas in a distant part of the palace, and commanded that he should be washed, and dressed in new clothes, and given food, and that a barber should be sent for, to cut his hair and trim his beard. Then Logedas said to his keepers, “See how good the Rajah is to me! He will not surely hang me after this.” “Oh, never fear,” they answered; “when you are dressed up and made very smart, it will be a much finer sight to see you hanged than before.” Thus they tried to frighten the poor man. After this Seventee Bai sent for all the greatest doctors in the kingdom, and said to them, “If a Rajah wanders about for twelve years in the jungle, until all trace of his princely beauty is lost, how long will it take you to restore him to his original likeness?” They answered, “With care and attention it may be done in six months.” “Very well,” said Seventee Bai, “there is a friend of mine now in my palace of whom this is the case. Take him and treat him well, and at the end of six months I shall expect to see him restored to his original health and strength.”

So Logedas was placed under the doctors’ care; but all this time he had no idea who Seventee Bai was, nor why he was thus treated. Every day Seventee Bai came to see him and talk to him. Then he said to his keepers, “See, good people, how kind this great Rajah is, coming to see me every day; he can intend for me nothing but good.” To which they would answer, “Don’t you be in a hurry; none can fathom the hearts of kings. Most probably, for all this delay, he will in the end have you taken and hanged.” Thus they amused themselves by alarming him.

Then, some day, when Seventee Bai had been more than usually kind, Logedas Rajah would say again, “I do not fear the Rajah’s intentions toward me. Did you not notice how very kind he was to-day!” And to this his keepers would reply—

“Doubtless it is amusing for him, but hardly, we should think, for you. He will play with you probably for some time (as a cat does with a mouse); but in three months is the Rajah’s birthday; most likely he is keeping you to kill you then.” And so the time wore on.

Seventee Bai’s birthday was fixed for the day also of her wedding with the Rajah’s daughter. For this great event immense preparations were made all over the plain outside the city walls. Tents made of cloth of gold were pitched in a great square, twelve miles long and twelve miles broad, for the accommodation of the neighboring Rajahs, and in the centre was a larger tent than all the rest, covered with jewels and shining like a great golden temple, in which they were to assemble.