d
forth. They went out and assembled on a plain; the king of the country
went there also mounted on horseback, and surrounded by his nobles;
then they all formed a regular line, and stood still.

"I also stood among them to see the strange sight, for it clearly
appeared that they were waiting for [the arrival of] some one. In an
hour's time a beautiful young man, of an angelic form, about fifteen or
sixteen years of age, uttering a loud noise, and foaming at the mouth,
and mounted on a dun bull, holding something in one hand, approached
from a distance, and came up in front of the people; he descended from
the bull, and sat down [oriental fashion] on the ground, holding the
halter of the animal in one hand, and a naked sword in the other;
a rosy-coloured, beautiful [attendant] was with him; the young man
gave him that which he held in his hand; the slave took it, and went
along showing it to all of them from one end of the line to the other;
but such was the nature [of the object], that whoever saw it, the same
involuntarily wept aloud and bitterly [at the strange sight]. In this
way he continued to show it to every one, and made every one weep; then
passing along the front of the line, he returned to his master again.

"The moment he came near him, the young man rose up, and with the
sword severed the attendant's head [from his body], and having again
mounted his bull, galloped off towards the quarter from whence he had
come. All [present] stood looking on. When he disappeared from their
sight, the inhabitants returned to the city. I was anxiously asking
every one I met the real meaning of this strange occurrence; yea, I
even held out the inducement of money and beseeched and flattered them
to get an explanation, who the young man was, and why he committed
the deed [I had seen], and from whence he came, and where he went,
but no one would give me the slightest information on the subject,
nor could I comprehend it. When I returned here, I related to the
princess the astonishing circumstance I had seen. Since then, the
princess herself has been amazed [at the strange event], and anxious
to ascertain its real cause. For which reason she has been fixed
on this very point as her marriage portion, that whatever man will
bring her a true and particular account of that strange circumstance,
she will accept him [in marriage]; and he shall be the master of all
her wealth, her country, and herself."

[_Bahrawar_ concluded by s