The Story of "puran

There was once a shoemaker who had a vegetable garden in which grew a bed of brinjals (or egg plant). Unknown to him, a fairy used sometimes to come and walk there; and one day, while passing the brinjal bushes, a thorn on them caught one of her wings and broke it, so that she was unable to fly, and had to remain where she was.

Next time the shoemaker visited his garden he saw a beautiful woman in it; and, not knowing that she was a fairy, asked her to tell him her name, and how she came there.

Her only reply was: "I am cold: give me a covering, I pray you."

Then he invited her to take shelter in his hut, and gave her a lowie, or warm covering, saying: "Take this and stay as long as you like, and be my daughter."

The shoemaker had a kind heart, and was very good to his adopted child, whom he named "Loonar Chumari."

Now a Rajah, by name Suliman, sometimes visited the shoemaker's shop; and when he saw the fairy he fell in love with her, and begged for her hand in marriage.

The shoemaker consented, and after a time the marriage took place; but Suliman had another wife at his Palace, and a son whose name was Puran: and he was most anxious to find out whether, when he grew up, this son would make a good ruler, so he sent for a Brahmin and enquired.

"Yes," declared the Brahmin, "he will be a good ruler, but you must keep him locked up for twelve years in an underground room."

This was done, and at the time when Suliman met the fairy, the twelve years had nearly been completed; but the boy refused to remain even a week longer, for he was weary of being locked up for so long. Even his own mother could not influence him in the matter, and so he was released.

Now Puran was a very comely youth, and when he made his obeisance to his new stepmother, she was greatly impressed with his handsome face, and thought to herself: "Had I not been in such a hurry I might have married him instead of Suliman."

The thought vexed her so much that she made up her mind to get Puran out of her sight by having him killed. She told Suliman that his boy was wanting in respect towards her, and deserving of death.

On hearing this, Suliman had a bowl of boiling oil prepared, and, calling his son, said: "My son, if this be indeed true about you, plunge your hand into this boiling oil: if you are innocent no harm will come to you."

Puran, without a sign of fear, did as his father bid him, and plunged in his hand, taking it out without a mark.

Then Suliman turned to his wife and said: "See, the oil does not burn him."

But she replied angrily: "Never mind, I am not content, and shall not rest day or night until you have his eyes put out, and both his hands and his feet cut off, after which you must have him flung into a pit."

Suliman, who was completely under the power of the fairy, at last consented to this, and gave the order; but Puran's own mother pleaded so earnestly that her boy's eyes might be spared, that the servants felt sorry for her; and, substituting the eyes of an animal, they left the young man's eyes untouched.

Then Puran was thrown into a pit and there left.

A Guru, or Priest, who lived near that place used to send his followers daily to bring food and water for him, and one of them, mistaking the dry pit for a well, let down his chattie for water. Whereupon Puran, whose hands and feet had been restored by the Almighty, caught hold of the chattie and would not let it go.

The Guru called out: "Let go, or I will bring my book of incantations and crush you into dust."

"Try," replied a voice from the bottom of the pit, "for I too can bring my books and crush you to dust."

The Guru was frightened, and, returning to the head Guru, his master, told him what had happened.

Then the old Guru said: "It must be Puran; I will go and see." So, taking with him a ball of raw cotton, he called out at the top of the pit: "Puran, is that you? If so, and you are an innocent man, I will let down a thread of raw cotton, and you will be able to climb up by it, for it will not break if used by the innocent."

"Let it down," replied Puran, and he climbed up safely.

The Guru looked at him as he stood up, and then quietly returned to his own home.

There he met all his pupils or followers, who are called "Cheelas," and sent them out to bring stores. There were one hundred and thirty-five Cheelas, and before they left he warned them, saying: "Go everywhere except to that magic country where those women live who practise witchcraft."

But the men were curious, and, in spite of the warning, went to the witches' country.

The witches saw them coming, and laughed gleefully. "Let us play a trick on these young Gurus," they said, "and turn them all into young bulls."

This they did, and, leading the creatures to their husbands, said: "See what fine bulls we have brought in exchange for two and a half pounds of flour."

The husbands were very pleased, and kept the bulls to carry loads.

Meanwhile the old Guru waited for his followers, but as none of them appeared, he sought the aid of his books and discovered what had happened.

Then he pronounced his incantations and dried up all the water in the country, with the exception of one well, near which he sat.

The witches soon found that they would die of thirst, so they came to the old man's well, but they barely had time to put down their chatties before he turned the lot of them into donkeys and let them graze.

Very soon the witches were missed by their husbands, who came to the old Guru and asked if he could give any news.

"How can I tell," said he, "when one hundred and thirty-five of my own Gurus are lost and I cannot find them."

"But you can recall them, our Father," said the men.

"That is what I mean to do;" and so saying, the Guru took out his books and began to read. While he did this, they saw in the distance a herd of one hundred and thirty-five bulls approaching, and each one carried a load of wood or hay.

They stood still before the old Guru, who then restored them to their former shapes.

Then the witches' husbands were amazed, and said: "O Guru! can you not call our wives also?"

"Call them yourselves, my friends, as you have seen me call my men."

But the men knew nothing of either witchcraft or incantations, so they besought the Guru to help them.

At last he agreed, and asked for a thick, strong stick, which he gave into the hands of one of his Cheelas, and said: "Go knock each of those donkeys a blow on the head with this."

The Cheela did as he was told, and the donkeys resumed the shapes of women, all but five old ones which the Guru said must remain donkeys by way of warning.

Then the Guru sent his followers forth as before, and coming to the pit where Puran had been found, they saw a dry stick standing near it. "This will do for fire," said they; but when they touched it a feeble voice was heard.

So they reported the matter to the old Guru, and when he touched the stick it said, "Guru Jee." On this he recognised Puran, who for years had waited beside the well.

"Why did you not go home, my son?"

"Because you did not tell me," said Puran, "so I waited here for your orders."

Then the Guru held him tenderly and washed the mud off him, and in many days he grew strong again.

"Now go home to your parents," said the Guru.

But Puran said: "No, I will remain with you."

Thus in time he became a very highly respected Guru.