--- title: Opening, part 4 — Indian tales of the great ones among men, women,… · full text with trees · page 2 description: Opening, part 4, «Indian tales of the great ones among men, women, and bird-people» by Cornelia Sorabji: the whole chapter, every sentence with its dependency tree and pragmatics. It begins: He must have been a bad man indeed, and no knight at all, in that even the vision of Perfect Beauty had not t --- [Mova](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/) · [this page in HTML](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/tales/pg69647/4/page/2/) [home](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/) / [corpora](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/) / [tales](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/tales/) / [Indian tales of the great ones among m…](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/tales/pg69647/) / Opening, part 4 # Opening, part 4 · page 2 [1](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/tales/pg69647/4/) **2** When he came back \_Mihr-un-Nisa\_ had only one dove in her hands.[73](../../73/ "tree and pragmatics") “Where is the other?” said Prince Salim.[74](../../74/ "tree and pragmatics") “I let it fly,” said \_Mihr-un-Nisa\_.[75](../../75/ "tree and pragmatics") And, “How did you do that, stupid-one?” said the Prince angrily.[76](../../76/ "tree and pragmatics") “Just so, my Prince,” said \_Mihr-un-Nisa\_, opening her other hand, from which the second dove also flew happily away.[77](../../77/ "tree and pragmatics") She looked so beautiful in her naughtiness that the Prince fell in love with her that minute.[78](../../78/ "tree and pragmatics") And many years afterwards, when he became Emperor, he married her, and changed her name to \_Nŭr Mahal\_, “the Light of the Palace”.[79](../../79/ "tree and pragmatics") And again, for she seemed more beautiful still to him every day, he changed it to \_Nŭr Jehan\_, “the Light of the World”.[80](../../80/ "tree and pragmatics") And her lovely face is still to be seen painted on ivory and vellum among the treasures of the ancient city of Delhi.[81](../../81/ "tree and pragmatics") The Boy who was Always Thirteen[82](../../82/ "tree and pragmatics") There were once a man and woman so truly good that the great god said he would reward them with whatever they wished to ask.[83](../../83/ "tree and pragmatics") “We want a son,” said the man and his wife.[84](../../84/ "tree and pragmatics") “You shall have a son,” said Shiva, the great god.[85](../../85/ "tree and pragmatics") “But you must now choose the kind of son you want.[86](../../86/ "tree and pragmatics") Will you have him perfect in every way, beautiful and good and clever, and loved by all the world, but doomed to be no older than his thirteenth year?[87](../../87/ "tree and pragmatics") Or will you have him just an ordinary boy, but living as long as the ordinary man, so that you may even see his children’s children?[88](../../88/ "tree and pragmatics") Choose: that which you wish shall be given.”[89](../../89/ "tree and pragmatics") And the man and his wife were sorrowful; for to choose was not easy.[90](../../90/ "tree and pragmatics") How could they bear their son to die when he was thirteen.[91](../../91/ "tree and pragmatics") Yet how could they bear to have him just an ordinary boy, like any other that came into the world, and had trouble, and made mistakes, and died at last, leaving no name behind him?[92](../../92/ "tree and pragmatics") And the puzzle was too hard for the man.[93](../../93/ "tree and pragmatics") “I cannot choose,” he said to his wife.[94](../../94/ "tree and pragmatics") “You must decide.[95](../../95/ "tree and pragmatics") It is your business.”[96](../../96/ "tree and pragmatics") And the woman said: “We will have the perfect son that Shiva has offered us.[97](../../97/ "tree and pragmatics") And the rest we will leave to the gods.”[98](../../98/ "tree and pragmatics") So Kamil, the perfect one, was born, and grew from happy baby to happy boy.[99](../../99/ "tree and pragmatics") And he was beautiful to look upon; and clever was he, and strong, and gentle, and kind.[100](../../100/ "tree and pragmatics") Everyone loved him, and to all gave he love also, making happiness wherever he went.[101](../../101/ "tree and pragmatics") And his father and mother, and all the people of his village, alike forgot that there could be any end to this happiness.[102](../../102/ "tree and pragmatics") But the King of Death did not forget.[103](../../103/ "tree and pragmatics") “No older than his thirteenth year,” had said Shiva, the great god.[104](../../104/ "tree and pragmatics") And Kamil, the perfect boy, was in his thirteenth year.[105](../../105/ "tree and pragmatics") So, on his birthday, the King of Death sent his messengers, to bring Kamil away to the Kingdom of Death.[106](../../106/ "tree and pragmatics") “It is only another kind of life,” said the messengers; “do not be afraid, come with us.[107](../../107/ "tree and pragmatics") The King himself is waiting to receive you.”[108](../../108/ "tree and pragmatics") But the boy said: “Why should I come?[109](../../109/ "tree and pragmatics") I want no other kind of life.[110](../../110/ "tree and pragmatics") This life I love.[111](../../111/ "tree and pragmatics") Why should I come?[112](../../112/ "tree and pragmatics") I will not come with you.”[113](../../113/ "tree and pragmatics") “No one has ever disobeyed the King of Death,” said the messengers.[114](../../114/ "tree and pragmatics") “Come, you must.”[115](../../115/ "tree and pragmatics") “I will not come,” said the boy.[116](../../116/ "tree and pragmatics") “Go back to the King of Death and say: ‘The boy who loves the life he knows, says that he cannot come to the new life which he does not know.’”[117](../../117/ "tree and pragmatics") And the messengers went trembling back to the King with this message.[118](../../118/ "tree and pragmatics") Now the King of Death is very old, and very kind and gentle, and he has the wisdom of Peace and of Forgetfulness.[119](../../119/ "tree and pragmatics") And the journey back to the life which the boy loved was for him a very long journey.[120](../../120/ "tree and pragmatics") “But I must see,” he said, “the one person who has disobeyed me.”[121](../../121/ "tree and pragmatics") So he sent for his black buffalo, and he rode the long and painful journey back to Life and Youth in the world of the-things-that-pass.[122](../../122/ "tree and pragmatics") And it was spring-time, and the leaves of the pipal tree were shining after a shower of rain, which had made all the world smell sweet with the good earth-smell.[123](../../123/ "tree and pragmatics") And the birds were singing.[124](../../124/ "tree and pragmatics") And under the pipal tree stood the perfect boy beside the shrine of Shiva, the great god, playing a little tune of the gladness of the-things-that-pass.[125](../../125/ "tree and pragmatics") He played on a slender reed of bamboo, blowing with his mouth; and he called the cattle to come home to rest, for it was the cow-dust hour, and the sun was setting.[126](../../126/ "tree and pragmatics") When the King of Death was close by the perfect boy stopped playing, and looked at him riding on the long, long back of his slow-moving grey-black buffalo.[127](../../127/ "tree and pragmatics") “What an old, old man you are!” said the perfect boy; “never have I seen you before.[128](../../128/ "tree and pragmatics") Who are you?”[129](../../129/ "tree and pragmatics") “You have seen my messengers,” said the King.[130](../../130/ "tree and pragmatics") “I am Death, who sent to fetch you to my kingdom.[131](../../131/ "tree and pragmatics") Why did you not come?”[132](../../132/ "tree and pragmatics") “I told your messengers,” said the boy.[133](../../133/ "tree and pragmatics") “It was quite true.[134](../../134/ "tree and pragmatics") It is very kind of you to want to take me to your kingdom; but I do not wish any other life.[135](../../135/ "tree and pragmatics") I love this life very much, and I am so happy.[136](../../136/ "tree and pragmatics") I love my father and my mother, and all the men-and-women people, and the children-people, and the beast-people, and bird-people in this good life that I know.[137](../../137/ "tree and pragmatics") You stay with us too.[138](../../138/ "tree and pragmatics") See, I will ask my mother to make room for you in our own little hut.”[139](../../139/ "tree and pragmatics") But the King of Death shook his head.[140](../../140/ "tree and pragmatics") “I have a kingdom, and I come to take you to it.[141](../../141/ "tree and pragmatics") Come, make no trouble.[142](../../142/ "tree and pragmatics") Get up behind me on the buffalo; we must be back before to-morrow’s day.”[143](../../143/ "tree and pragmatics") “And I say again, I will not come,” said the boy, standing firm.[144](../../144/ "tree and pragmatics") “See, I appeal to Shiva to protect me;” and he put out his hand to the large pebble of black stone, Shiva’s symbol, which had been brought to the shrine from the great sacred river of the West Country.[145](../../145/ "tree and pragmatics") Then the King of Death was angry, and he laid hands on the boy to take him by force; and he dragged him away, so that the symbol of Shiva fell to the ground.[146](../../146/ "tree and pragmatics") And now Shiva himself, the great god, was angered, and his voice thundered forth, ordering the King of Death back to the Kingdom of Death.[147](../../147/ "tree and pragmatics") “And you shall not return to the world of the-things-that-pass, till I bid you,” said Shiva.[148](../../148/ "tree and pragmatics") So back went the old king on his slow-moving, grey-black buffalo.[149](../../149/ "tree and pragmatics") And the boy was happy, and life was again full of love and goodness as before, in his world of the-things-that-pass.[150](../../150/ "tree and pragmatics") But the King of Death could no more send his messengers to the Earth; so everything lived forever--the men and women and beasts and birds and flower-people all lived; and yet new men and women and beasts and birds and flower-people were always coming to the Earth, as before.[151](../../151/ "tree and pragmatics") So that the Earth was fuller than it could hold.[152](../../152/ "tree and pragmatics") [1](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/tales/pg69647/4/) **2** - ← previous: [page 1](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/tales/pg69647/4/) - next →: [Opening, part 5](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/tales/pg69647/5/) - ↑ back to [Indian tales of the great ones among men, women, and bird-people](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/tales/pg69647/)