Mackenzie, Donald Alexander: Indian myth and legend: with illustrations by Warwick Goble and numerous monochrome plates (London, 1913)

354 INDIAN MYTH AND LEGEND

happiness. Oh lift me all speedily from out of this fiery

place, thou noble rajah!"

When he had spoken thus, Karkotaka, king of the

serpents, shrank to the size of a man's finger, whereupon

Nala uplifted and carried him safely through the flames to

a cool and refreshing space without.

The serpent then said: "Now walk on and count thy

steps, so that good fortune may be assured to thee."

Nala walked nine steps, but ere he could take the

tenth the serpent bit him, whereat the rajah was suddenly

transformed into a misshapen dwarf with short arms.

Then Karkotaka said: " Know now that I have thus
changed thy form so that no man may know thee. My
poison, too, will cause unceasing anguish to the evil one
who possesseth thy soul; he will suffer greatly until he
shall set thee free from thy sorrow. So wilt thou be
delivered from thine enemy, O blameless one. . . . My
poison will harm thee not, and henceforth, by reason of
my power, thou wilt have no need to fear the wild boar,
or any foeman, or a Brahman, or the sages. Ever in
battle thou wilt be victorious. . . . Now, go thy way,
and be called 'Vahuka, the charioteer'. Hasten thou
unto the city of Ayodhya1 and enter the service of the
royal Rajah Rituparna, the skilful in dice. Thou wilt
teach him how to subdue horses, and he will impart
to thee the secret of dice. Then wilt thou again have j
joy. Sorrow not, therefore, for thy wife and thy children
will be restored unto thee, and thou wilt regain thy king-
dom."

Then the serpent gave unto Nala a magic robe, saying:
" When it is thy desire to be as thou wert, O king, think
of me and put on this garment, and thou wilt immediately
resume thy wonted form."

»Oudh,

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