Sagas from the Far East; or, Kalmouk and Mongolian Traditionary Tales. VariousЧитать онлайн книгу.

The Saga of the Well-and-wise-walking Khan.

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      Dedication.

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      O thou most perfect Master and Teacher of Wisdom and Goodness! Teacher, second only to the incomparable Shâkjamuni1! Thou accomplished Nâgârg′una2! Thou who wast intimately acquainted with the Most-pure Tripîtaka3, and didst evolve from it thy wise madhjamika4, containing the excellent paramârtha5! Before thee I prostrate myself! Hail! Nâgârg′una O!

      It is even the wonderful and astounding history of the deeds of the Well-and-wise-walking Khan, which he performed under the help and direction of this same Master and Teacher, Nâgârg′una, that I propose to relate in the form of the following series of narratives.

      In the kingdom of Magadha6 there once lived seven brothers who were magicians. At the distance of a mile from their abode lived two brothers, sons of a Khan. The elder of these went to the seven magicians, saying, “Teach me to understand your art,” and abode with them seven years. But though they were always setting him to learn difficult tasks, yet they never taught him the true key to their mystic knowledge. His brother, however, coming to visit him one day, by merely looking through a crack in the door of the apartment where the seven brothers were at work acquired perfectly the whole krijâvidja7.

      After this they both went home together, the elder because he perceived he would never learn any thing of the magicians, and the younger because he had learnt every thing they had to impart.

      As they went along the younger brother said, “Now that we know all their art the seven magicians will probably seek to do us some mischief. Go thou, therefore, to our stable, which we left empty, and thou shalt find there a splendid steed. Put a rein on him and lead him forth to sell him, only take care thou go not in the direction of the dwelling of the seven magicians; and, having sold him, bring back the price thou shalt have received.”

      When he had made an end of speaking he transformed himself into a horse, and went and placed himself in the stable against his brother arrived.

      But the elder brother, knowing the magicians had taught him nothing, stood in no fear of them. Therefore he did not according to the