THE STORIES 5 



and the old woman brought into the world a son with 

 two horns upon his head. But the design of the 

 supernatural power was frustrated by the people, who 

 called the child a monster and killed it. The virgin 

 also gave birth later to a daughter, whose offspring, 

 twins, were sacred beings known as Aldsaka. They 

 however in their turn were put to death, and the 

 miseries of the people continued. 1 



Fo-hi, the founder of the Chinese Empire, was the 

 child of a virgin named Ching-mon, who ate a certain 

 flower found on her garment after bathing. 2 The 

 ancestry of the present or Manchu dynasty is traced 

 to a similar adventure on the part of a heavenly 

 maiden who found on the skirt of her raiment after 

 bathing a red fruit, placed there by a magpie, and 

 having eaten it was delivered of a son ordained by 

 heaven "to restore order to disturbed nations." 3 The 

 story in one form or other is in fact quite common in 

 the east of Asia. Not less common is it in India. 

 Of the birth of Raji Rasalu, the hero of the Panjab, 

 we are told that Rani Lonan, one of the two wives of 

 Raja Salbahan of Sialkot, fell in love with her stepson 

 Puran and because he did not return her passion 

 traduced him to her husband, who cut off his hands 

 and feet and threw him into a well. Puran however 

 survived this treatment, and being rescued by the Guru 

 Gorakhnith, a Brahman of great sanctity, became a 

 celebrated fakir. Not knowing who he really was 



1 Fewkes, Amer. Anthr. N.S., i. 536. 



1 De Charencey, 204, citing Barrow's Voyage to China. 



3 James, 31 note, citing a Chinese chronicle; De Charencey, 

 185, citing Koppen, Die Religion des Buddha; and 195, citing 

 Amyot, Ambassade memorable a VEmpereur du Japon. The story, 

 however, is not Japanese. 



