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somewhere from his view, being swifter even than that horse that had
Uchchhaihśravas for a sire. Then the king, not having caught him, and
seeing that I alone bad followed him, while he had left the rest of his suite far behind, asked me this question, " Do you know how much ground we have traversed to get to this place?" When I heard that, queen, I made the king this answer, " My lord, we have come three hundred yojonas." Then the king being astonished said, " Then how have you managed to come so far on foot?" When he asked me this question, I answered, " King, I have an ointment for the feet j hear the way in which I acquired it."
How Devasena obtained the magic ointment.:— Long ago, on account of the loss of my wife, I went forth to make a pilgrimage to all the holy bathing places, and in the course of my journey I came one evening to a temple with a garden. And I went in there to pass the night, and I saw inside a woman, and I remained there hospitably welcomed by her. And during the course of the night she elevated one lip to heaven, resting the other on the earth, and with expanded jaws said to me, " Have you seen before anywhere such a mouth as this?" Then I fearlessly drew my dagger with a frown, and said to her, " Have you seen such a man as this ?" Then she assumed a gentle appearance without any horrible distortion of shape, and said to me, " I am a Yakshí, Vandhyá by name, and I am pleased with your courage; so now tell me what I can do to gratify you."
When the Yakshiní said this, I answered her, " If you are really pleased with me, then enable me to go round to all the holy waters without any suffering." When the Yakshí heard this, she gave me an ointment for my feet;*[1] by means of it I travelled to all the holy bathing-places, and I have been able to run behind you now so far as this place. And by its aid I come to this wood here every day, and eat fruits, and then return to Ujjayiní and attend upon you.
When I told that tale to the king, I saw by his pleased face that he thought in his heart that I was a follower well-suited to him. I again said to him, " King, I will bring you here some very sweet fruits, if you will be pleased to eat them." The king sail to me, " I will not eat; I do
- ↑ * In European superstition we find the notion that witches can fly through the air by anointing themselves with the fat of a toad. Weckenstedt, Wendische Märchen, p. 288. In Bartsch, Sagen und Gebräuche aus Meklenhurg we read (Vol. II, p. 19) that Margretha Detloses confesses that she smeared her feet with some black stuff that Satan brought, and then said, Auf und darvan und nergens an. Anneke Mettinges (ibid, p. 23) smeared herself with yellow fat; Anneke Swarten (ibid. p. 27) with black stuff from an unused pot.
