DOI Page / Citation link:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.3909#0127
]£o more was heard of the departing fairies, and Azru remained by himself, endeavouring to
gather consolation from the great mission which had been hestowed on him. A villager met him,
and, struck by his appearance, offered him shelter in his house. Next morning he went on the
roof of his host's house, and, calling out to him to come up, pointed to the Ko mountain, on
which, he said, he plainly discerned a wild goat. The incredulous villager began to fear he had
harboured a maniac, if no worse character; but Azru shot off his arrow, and, accompanied by the
villager (who had assembled some friends for protection, as he was afraid his young guest might
be an associate of robbers, and lead him into a trap), went in the direction of the mountain.
There, to be sure, at the very spot that was pointed out, though many miles distant, was lying
the wild goat, with Azru's arrow transfixing its body. The astonished peasants at once hailed
him as their leader, but he exacted an oath of secrecy from them, for he had come to deliver
them from their tyrant, and would keep his incognito till such time as his plans for the destruc-
tion of the monster would be matured.
"He then took leave of the hospitable people of Doyur, and went to Ghilghit. On
reaching the place, which is scarcely four miles distant from Doyur, he amused himself by
prowling about in the gardens adjoining the royal residence. There he met one of the female
companions of Shiribadatt's daughter {poli in Hill Punjabi, Shadroy in Ghilghiti) fetching
water for the princess- This lady was remarkably handsome, and of a sweet disposition. The
companion rushed back, and told the young lady to look from over the ramparts of the castle at a
wonderfully handsome young man whom she had just met- The princess placed
herself in a place from which she could observe any one approaching the fort- Her maid then
returned, and induced Azru to come with her on the Polo ground, the " Shavarau," in front of the
castle; the princess was smitten with his beauty and at once fell in love with him. She then sent
word to the young prince to come and see her. When he was admitted into her presence, he for
a longtime denied being anything else than a common labourer. At last, he confessed to being
a fairy's child, and the overjoyed princess offered him her heart and hand. It may be mentioned
here that the tyrant Shiribadatt had a wonderful horse, which could cross a mile at every jump, and
which its rider had accustomed to jump both into and out of the fort, over its walls. So regular were
the leaps which that famous animal could take, that he invariably alighted at the distance of
a mile from the fort and at the same place. On that very day on which the princess had admitted
young Azru into the fort, King Shiribadatt was out hunting, of which he was desperately fond,
and to which he used sometimes to devote a week or two at a time. We must now return to Azru,
whom we have left conversing with the princess. Azru remained silent when the lady confessed
her love. Urged to declare his sentiments, he said that he would not marry her unless she bound
herself to him by the most stringent oath; this she did, and they became in the sight of God as
if they were wedded man and wife!" He then announced that he had come to destroy her father3
and asked her to kill him herself. This she refused; but as she had sworn to aid him in every
* The story of the famous horse, the love-making between Azru and tne Princess, the manner of their marriage and
other incidents connected with the expulsion of the tyrant, deserve attention.
gather consolation from the great mission which had been hestowed on him. A villager met him,
and, struck by his appearance, offered him shelter in his house. Next morning he went on the
roof of his host's house, and, calling out to him to come up, pointed to the Ko mountain, on
which, he said, he plainly discerned a wild goat. The incredulous villager began to fear he had
harboured a maniac, if no worse character; but Azru shot off his arrow, and, accompanied by the
villager (who had assembled some friends for protection, as he was afraid his young guest might
be an associate of robbers, and lead him into a trap), went in the direction of the mountain.
There, to be sure, at the very spot that was pointed out, though many miles distant, was lying
the wild goat, with Azru's arrow transfixing its body. The astonished peasants at once hailed
him as their leader, but he exacted an oath of secrecy from them, for he had come to deliver
them from their tyrant, and would keep his incognito till such time as his plans for the destruc-
tion of the monster would be matured.
"He then took leave of the hospitable people of Doyur, and went to Ghilghit. On
reaching the place, which is scarcely four miles distant from Doyur, he amused himself by
prowling about in the gardens adjoining the royal residence. There he met one of the female
companions of Shiribadatt's daughter {poli in Hill Punjabi, Shadroy in Ghilghiti) fetching
water for the princess- This lady was remarkably handsome, and of a sweet disposition. The
companion rushed back, and told the young lady to look from over the ramparts of the castle at a
wonderfully handsome young man whom she had just met- The princess placed
herself in a place from which she could observe any one approaching the fort- Her maid then
returned, and induced Azru to come with her on the Polo ground, the " Shavarau," in front of the
castle; the princess was smitten with his beauty and at once fell in love with him. She then sent
word to the young prince to come and see her. When he was admitted into her presence, he for
a longtime denied being anything else than a common labourer. At last, he confessed to being
a fairy's child, and the overjoyed princess offered him her heart and hand. It may be mentioned
here that the tyrant Shiribadatt had a wonderful horse, which could cross a mile at every jump, and
which its rider had accustomed to jump both into and out of the fort, over its walls. So regular were
the leaps which that famous animal could take, that he invariably alighted at the distance of
a mile from the fort and at the same place. On that very day on which the princess had admitted
young Azru into the fort, King Shiribadatt was out hunting, of which he was desperately fond,
and to which he used sometimes to devote a week or two at a time. We must now return to Azru,
whom we have left conversing with the princess. Azru remained silent when the lady confessed
her love. Urged to declare his sentiments, he said that he would not marry her unless she bound
herself to him by the most stringent oath; this she did, and they became in the sight of God as
if they were wedded man and wife!" He then announced that he had come to destroy her father3
and asked her to kill him herself. This she refused; but as she had sworn to aid him in every
* The story of the famous horse, the love-making between Azru and tne Princess, the manner of their marriage and
other incidents connected with the expulsion of the tyrant, deserve attention.