Raja Rasalu

What have I done that thou shouldst turn away?

Sceptre and empire have no power to charm me—

I go to seek a worthier prize than they!"

Then he strode away, full of bitterness and anger; but, as he passed under the palace windows, he heard his mother weeping, and the sound softened his heart, so that his wrath died down, and a great loneliness fell upon him, because he was spurned by both father and mother. So he cried sorrowfully,

"Oh heart crown'd with grief, hast thou nought

But tears for thy son?

Art mother of mine? Give one thought

To my life just begun!"

And Queen Lona answered through her tears:

"Yea! mother am I, though I weep,

So hold this word sure,—

Go, reign king of all men, but keep

Thy heart good and pure!"

So Raja Rasalu was comforted, and began to make ready for fortune. He took with him his horse Bhaunr and his parrot, both of whom had lived with him since he was born.

So they made a goodly company, and Queen Lona, when she saw them going, watched them from her window till she saw nothing but a cloud of dust on the horizon; then she bowed her head on her hands and wept, saying:

"Oh! son who ne'er gladdened mine eyes,

Let the cloud of thy going arise,

Dim the sunlight and darken the day;

For the mother whose son is away

Is as dust!"

Rasalu had started off to play chaupur with King Sarkap. And as he journeyed there came a fierce storm of thunder and lightning, so that he sought shelter, and found none save an old graveyard, where a headless corpse lay upon the ground. So lonesome was it that even the corpse seemed company, and Rasalu, sitting down beside it, said:

"There is no one here, nor far nor near,

Save this breathless corpse so cold and grim;

Would God he might come to life again,

'Twould be less lonely to talk to him."

And immediately the headless corpse arose and sat beside Raja Rasalu.

And he, nothing astonished, said to it:

"The storm beats fierce and loud,

The clouds rise thick in the west;

What ails thy grave and shroud,

Oh corpse!