39» The Paladins of the Kesar-saga* A Collection of 



Sagas from Lower Ladakh* Tale No. III. 



By A. H. Francke. 



THE TALE OP SHELLI BTJZHUNa. 



f 



Abstkact of Contents. 



When Kesar was old, there was a little boy in the castle of 

 gliing^ called Shelli bu zhnny ('the little boy of Crystal ') who had 

 no father.^ It was found necessary to provide a bride for him, 

 and as the hermit rTi>e dgn was the only person likely to know a 

 suitable bride, a little servant-boy was sent to ask his advice. 

 The boy received a letter authorizing him to ride on the horse 

 Dunygi dar dkar^ which was in the care of Agu Zlaba bzauyjpo. 

 This Agu was 1,050 years old and had a son called Zlaba dkarpo. 

 Zlaba dkarpo could not believe that the horse was to be entrusted 

 to the little servant- boy, and went before king Kesar together with 

 the boy, to make special enquiries. But Kesar gave the same 

 order once more, and the child was carried by the horse before 

 the hermit's house, after it had jumped with him so close to the 

 sun that the boy got almost burnt. The hermiit, however, was 

 offended, because Kesar had sent a little boy instead of a proper 

 Agu. But the boy was carried by di^agons directly before the 

 hermit's house. Then he made a bow and arrow and frightened 

 the old man. The latter read Kesar's letter and said that the 

 bride of Kesar's son, rGyalsa dkarpo^ was to be born to the king 

 of Groynl, whose castle was on the top of the three realms of the 

 world. She was to be born together with many powerful jewels. 

 He gave the advice to make friends with the grandmother who 

 took care of the garden below Groyul ; and prophesied that the bride 

 would be obtained, although one of the Agus would lose his life 

 in the task {mDa dpon gnnyma). When the answer of the hermit 

 was brought to the castle of gLmg, 'uBruyuma did not like the 

 news, and entreated Kesar to select a bride fx'om the daughtei-s 

 of the country. He, however, Avent off with his son. When they 

 arrived half-way to Groyul, they met with the Nyopas (buyers 

 of the bride) of many countries, who wished to gain the daughter 

 of the king of Groyid for themselves. They took night-quarters 

 at the grandmother's house. The son first frightened the grand- 

 mother by burning her garden down, and then appeased her by 



restoring everything in a miraculous way. During night, when 

 the daughter of the king of Groyul was born, the earth was filled 



A Just as Kesar had no hain.in futlier, iiis boy wa8 also supposed to 

 have none. Compare ** A Lower Ladakhi Version of the Kesar-saga," 

 Tale No. II. 



