Fairies of the mount moon

In the region of the himalaya mountain range, there was one beautiful spot of land with ponds and waterfalls known by the term moon mount or sandagiripavva. To this place two fairies used to come, dance and sing.

They were in love with each other.

They were the fairy couple newly married. The news spread about their appearance all over the country. The couple would come down from the mountain range and hold their hands. They would play in streams. Then they go on singing until the sun rises.

At this time the king Brahmadatta was reigning in the city of Benares. He heard this news and was anxious to see to his own eyes the appearance of the fairies to the sandagiripavva. Then one day he left the city and went to the region where the two fairies appear. He was hiding at the foot of the mountain.

All of a sudden the fairies appeared. He saw the beautiful manners of the couple in each other's arms, singing and dancing. The king's mind was intoxicated by the beautiful gestures and the tenderness of the fairy wife. He was also intoxicated gradually with a passion of owning her.

When he desired to own such a one in his harem of queens he muttered to himself: 'None of my queens looks like this fairy.

I have never seen such a beautiful young woman in my life. I must fetch her as one of my queens to bring happiness to my life. To fulifill that desire, I have to dispossess her from her husband. How am I to do that?' Venomous thoughts entered the mind of the king.

'I feel like killing the husband with arrows. It is matter of aiming properly.' Then again he heard the sweet melodious voices of the fairy couple.

'This is indeed the right time to get rid of him. Then I could walk over to the place and capture her.'

Thinking thus the king sent a poisonous arrow that hit the fairy husband. The fairy husband in his death pangs cried and said.

"Please look after yourself. There is some enemy unseen, and you should not suffer."

The fairy wife looked around to see who had killed her husband. Then she saw the king who is trying to talk to her.

"Sinner, who are you?"

"I am the king of this kingdom,"

"You call yourself so," she said boldly, "and you have killed my harmless king. You are no longer fit to be a king. I am a faithful wife, and my curse will be on you."

"I will give you all the pleasures on earth. Please come with me to the palace."

"No, I am not going to be with you. I will curse you with my virtue. My husband looked after me very well, and we lived happily in our own simple way. But you came all the way to kill him and take me. I am going to pray to all gods in the heaven to take me to any place where my husband has gone. From here onwards I will perform an act of truth. With that I will leave this world of sinners."

"So are you not going to leave the dead body?" asked the king.

'No. I will never ever do that."

The fairy wife wanted the king to leave her alone and go back to his palace. Then she lamented and pleaded to all the gods of the heaven to give back her husband. The voice was heard by the king of gods the Sakra. He descended to the spot where the fairy husband was lying.

The king too felt a certain degree of pain and guilt in his heart.

'I killed that fairy husband to capture his wife, but she is reluctant to join me. I am indeed a sinner.' The king of gods approached the king and exclaimed:

"You should not disturb or harm the happiness of the simple beings of your kingdom. You have to be more and more generous. Then only can you be a real king. This is never an act of a good king."

Saying thus the Sakra sprinkled the sacred water on to the dead body of the fairy husband, who instantly recovered his life. Then the fairy wife thanked the god of gods:

"We were living in peace and harmony until this happened. We will never come back to the sandagiripavva."

"Don't do that, there is nothing like happiness,' said the king of the gods.

The king lamented over his evil act and made his way to meet noble men who could advise him on matters of virtue.