Sioux County pioneer. (Fort Yates, Sioux County, N.D.) 1914-1929, 1917-02-15
! Ten Minute Classics
Famous Tales and Legends Told in Brief Form
The Masterpiece Of Shakespeares Great Indian Predecessor
by j. M. MULLER
zee Of Shakespeare's Great Indian Predecessor
Copyright By !. w. Muller
BY j. M. MULLER

Wept and fuStcd. He commanded TINT
there should be no spring festival that
year, he fntermitted his daily audi.
ence, and he could not bring himself to
sit In Judgment. He could but wan
der, an unquiet ghost, wasted,
wrctclled, sunk in hopeless sorrow and
shame.
When he had suffered SO for many n
long month, he stood one day on his
cloud balcony which overhung his pull
ace at such II height that even the
royal pracocks dared not fly to it. THE
royal line that flowed" he complained
aloud, III river pure and grand, dies
In the childless king like streams In
desert Sand!"
"A chariot swept from the sky. 1t
was guided by Mutnli, the churiotccr OF
lndra. heavens king. "Enter!" said
Mntali.
The chariot bore Dushyantu to
mountain from whose TANKS, that sank
into the. eastern and western seas
there dripped gold as from IL cloud ut
sunset. 1t was Golden Peak, the home
OF the fairy Centaurs. There dwelled
IL man SO holy that for years he had
stood, postlike and desOlatc, in an ant
hill that had grown around him, while
vines tough and scrc ch0ked him as he
stood sun-sturing with dim eyes that
knew no rest.
In this holy sanctuary the king found
two hermit-wOmcn who watched II bow
that played with lion cubs and dragged
them from their mother as IL they were
kittens and she IL harmless cut. ut
makes me thrill to see him." thought
Dushyanta. "Why should my heart &c
out to this child of IL stranger? Ali
What measureless content must fill the
man who calls this boy his own!"
AS the boy struggled with Il cub, ur
amulet slipped from his wrist. The
king stopped, and the hermit-women
screamed wildly ut him not to touch 1t.
But he had 1t in his hand. Gle has
touched it," they said, and looked ut
him in astonishmcnt.
"A holy man gave 1t to the child"
said they, wondering. ut was decrced
that II anyone touch it, instantly IL
would turn into serpent and sting
him to death. Many times have we
seen this. oh stranger! There he only
three may touch it in safety-the boy,
mis- mother. Shakuntala, or his father.
Dushyanta."
they ran to. call Shnkuntala. Halt
fearing, half-hopeful, she advanced.
wearing her hair in one long braid In
token of being forsaken. Her worn
face looked ut the kings countenancs
that was drawn with long grief.
He fell ut her feet and cried: "Blach
madness flies! The loving star draw,
to the moon!"
Natal stopped. "Wns not this mat.
ter known to Indra ?" asked King Dush.
yanta humbly.
"What is hidden from the Gods?.
said Matali, smiling.
So little is known of Kalidaso
that it is not evcn established
whether he hved IN the Fifth or thu
S'rth century of our era. But
though the Hindus haze been carl.
ously indifferent to such matters a.
historical incidents and dates, then
haze always cared reverently for tho
works of their great writers. There
fore, Kalidasa's dramas haze come
down through the ages IN authorita-
the purity, and there is no doubt
as to their authorship. Of "Sha-
kuntalo Goethe said. "Wouzd vou
ksow IN one word the bloom of tho
early gear, the fruit of the late one,
would you ksow all thct tempts and
charms, all that nouniyEes and salts.
fcs. I name 'Shakuntala' and all Is
said"