Atondido Stories
They, in obedience to their king's order, continued to supply him
with provisions and water.
The snake-king said: "I sincerely condole with you in your
calamity; the tiger-king also fully sympathises with you, and
wants me to tell you so, as he cannot drag his huge body here as
we have done with our small ones. The king of the rats has
promised to do his best to provide you with food. We would
now do what we can for your release. From this day we shall is-
sue orders to our armies to oppress all the subjects of this king-
dom. The deaths by snake-bite and tigers shall increase a
hundredfold from this day, and day by day it shall continue to
increase till your release. Whenever you hear people near you,
you had better bawl out so as to be heard by them: 'The
wretched prince imprisoned me on the false charge of having
killed his father, while it was a tiger that killed him. From that
day these calamities have broken out in his dominions. If I were
released I would save all by my powers of healing poisonous
wounds and by incantations.' Some one may report this to the
king, and if he knows it, you will obtain your liberty." Thus com-
forting his protector in trouble, he advised him to pluck up cour-
age, and took leave of him. From that day tigers and serpents,
acting under the orders of their kings, united in killing as many
persons and cattle as possible. Every day people were carried
away by tigers or bitten by serpents. Thus passed months and
years. Gangazara sat in the dark cellar, without the sun's light
falling upon him, and feasted upon the breadcrumbs and sweet-
meats that the rats so kindly supplied him with. These delicacies
had completely changed his body into a red, stout, huge, un-
wieldy mass of flesh. Thus passed full ten years, as prophesied
in the horoscope.
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