Story 84 - How The Poor Prince Became King

IN a certain country there was a Prince, [the son] of a poor King, it is said. The Prince went to another country to learn letters. Having gone there, and in no time learning his letters, he said to the teacher,

“I must go to my village.”

Afterwards the teacher gave him permission.

After that, while the Prince was coming to the city, the Prince having become hungry, remained sleeping near a tree. A man having come there said,

“What, Prince, art thou sleeping there for ? It is not good to sleep there; [be pleased] to get up,”

he said.

Then the Prince said,

“I cannot even get up. I am hungry; because of it, indeed, I have fallen down here.”

Then the man says,

“Well, then, what shall I do ? In my hand also there is not a thing to give for food. There is an Attikka tree^[1]; on that Attikka tree the fruit will be ripe. Let us go [for me] to show it to thee.”

Causing the Prince to arise, and having come near the Attikka tree, that very man, having plucked Attikka and given it to the Prince, after he ate said to the Prince,

“Now then, go you along that path. Well, I’m going;”

and the man went away.

After that, as the Prince also was coming along the path he met with a leopard [standing] across the path. The Prince cannot come [on account of it]. Well then, while the Prince is there a man is coming along in the direction in which the Prince is. Then, as the man would drive this leopard to the Prince, he shouted, and said “Hu,” and clapped his hands. Then the leopard bounded off and went away.

Afterwards that man having come near the Prince, asked,

“Prince, where art thou going ?”

The Prince says,

“Having gone in this manner to learn letters, I am going to my city.”

Then the man says,

“Going to the city does not matter to you. Come, to go with me.”

The Prince says,

“How shall I go in that way ? My parents will seek me. Because of it, having gone to the city, and asked at the hand of my parents I will come,”

he said.

Then the man said,

“I will be of the assistance that parents are of. You come with me.”

Afterwards the Prince went with the man. Having gone, they went to a city. Staying at a resting-place at the city, and doing hired work in the city, the two persons are getting their living.

When they were there no long time, one day the man said to the Prince,

“Child, I cannot work in this manner. You go and seeking [materials] for food, come back.”

Afterwards the Prince from the following day went [alone] for hired work, and [after] finding [and doing] it, returned. In that way for not many days he is getting a living.

One day, a King and soldiers came to that city from another country to fight the King of that country, and surrounded the city. After that, the King told the Ministers to go to the battle. The King did not go to the battle. Afterwards the Ministers prepared to go to the battle, taking weapons and implements.

Then this Prince said to that man,

“Grandfather, I also must go to the fight.”

Then the man says,

“Ane ! Child, what battle [is there] for us ! We poor men, can we go to fight with a King ? You remain silent, doing nothing.”

Then the Prince said,

“No, grandfather, I can fight very well.”

The man still said “Don’t.” Then the Prince says,

“Grandfather, however much you should say ‘ Don’t,’ I am indeed going.”

Having said [this] the Prince went when the Ministers were going.

Having gone there and waited for the fight, when on both sides they were making ready, this Prince said at the hand of the Ministers,

“Give^[2] me a weapon from those which you brought, for me to remain for the fight.”

Then the Ministers say,

“What fighting dost thou know ? Do thou be silent, doing nothing.”

Having said it, they scolded the Prince. After that, the Prince having bounded to one side, remained doing nothing.

Then, having begun the battle, they were fighting; on this side many Ministers were cut down. [After] cutting them down, this side is coming to lose. The Prince having seen it, taking a weapon of that dead Minister’s, fought and cut down the King and army of that side; and this side having conquered, the Ministers and the remaining people and this Prince came to the city.

The Ministers having come to the royal palace, said to the King,

“Many of our army died.”

Then the King asked,

“If so, owing to whom did you win in this battle ?”

The Ministers said,

“A youngster went with us. It is owing to the youngster, indeed, that we conquered.”

Afterwards the King asked,

“Where is the boy ?”

As the Prince was here he went before the King. The King asked,

“From what country earnest thou ?”

The Prince said,

“I am a stranger.”

Then the King asked,

“What dost thou want done ?”

The Prince said,

“I will take anything I receive.”

After that the King gave him villages, gave goods.

After that, staying in these villages, that man and the Prince, both of them, were obtaining a livelihood from the goods. At the time when they were [there], the King had become very aged. While he was thus the King died.

For the King there was neither a Prince nor anyone. Because of it, at the time when the Ministers, decorating the tusk elephant, are going in the four streets with the sound of the five musical instruments, the tusk elephant, having gone to the house at which are that Prince and the man, kneeled near that Prince.

Having been [there] at the time when it was kneeling, the Ministers, causing the Prince to bathe in scented water, and placing the Prince on the tusk elephant, came to the royal palace, [and he became King].

Until the end of the Prince’s life he remained exercising the sovereignty. The man who stayed with the Prince having become the Min ister to the King, stayed in the palace itself.

North-western Province.

Footnotes and references:

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[1]:

A species of fig tree, Ficus glomerata.

[2]:

Dilala, perhaps a mistake for dilalla, pl. hon. form.

Other South Asia Concepts:

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Discover the significance of concepts within the article: ‘How The Poor Prince Became King’. Further sources in the context of South Asia might help you critically compare this page with similair documents:

Royal palace, Resting-place.

Concepts being referred in other categories, contexts and sources.

Sovereignty, Fighting, Conquering, Battle preparation, Exercising sovereignty, Cut down, King's death.