The Demon

Once a poor priest got tired of his poverty and decided to go to the holy town of Kashi. It was a long route and he had just a packet of boiled rice to survive on. In the afternoon he decided to stop for rest and have a little rice from to sustain himself for the day’s journey. As soon as he settled down under a tree and started unwrapping his bundle he heard a voice saying, “Don’t”. When he looked around he could see nobody. He was startled and quickly packed his belongings.

The priest decided to wash himself first and then think about the problem. When he was washing his mouth at the nearby lake he again heard the voice say, “don’t”. The priest decided to be brave and washed himself and came back. The same voice again and again startled the priest when he was eating his rice and when he was washing his hands. Ignoring it he completed his rest and decided to go on with his journey after a while. The voice now pleadingly said “don’t go”. The priest was curious and asked aloud who was he and from where he was talking?.

“Look up”, said the voice. To the priest's astonishment he saw a demon sitting on a branch of a tree. When the demon realised that the priest was interested, he started telling his tale of woes.

I was a priest like you, he said. “I was an expert in music but did not share my knowledge with anybody. So after death I became a demon. I have been living on this tree for quite a long time. Now-a-days a piper visits the nearby temple and practices all day. He is not good at his art and it is torturous to listen to his tunes for the whole day. I feel as if holes are being drilled in my body. I am on my nerves ends and will turn into a terrible thing if this torture is not stopped.”

The priest was sorry for the musician demon and asked how he could help. The demon suggested that he be carried to another grove where he would not hear the torturous tunes. The priest agreed to help him but clarified that he would expect something in return. The demon agreed to give him something once he was removed from from the present place as then his depleted powers would return.

The priest found a grove away from the noise and placed the demon on a tree. Now it was the demon’s turn to return the kind gesture. He told the priest that he was going to posses the princess of Mysore and if he cared to earn some money he should visit the palace. As soon as the priest arrived at the palace the demon would leave the princess and the king would bestow the priest with wealth.

While returning from Kashi the priest remembered what the demon had said and decided to visit Mysore. When he reached the grand city he enquired casually about the happenings in the town and was told that a fearsome demon had possessed the princess causing great anguish. The priest realised that his bad times were going to change and at once started for the palace.

When he was taken to the princess he asked to leave them alone. When the chamber was emptied the demon talked to him through the princess. He told the priest that he had fulfilled his promise and would now leave the princess but the priest should not again come face to face with the demon if he possessed anybody else. If he ignored the warning it would bring death to the priest. With this warning the demon left the princess and the palace causing a thunderous noise declaring his departure.

The king was overjoyed and gave the priest a lot of money and land to help him sustain a family. Life was now settled and the priest married a beautiful girl from Mysore itself and settled in the town.

The demon meanwhile went straight down south and possessed the princess of Travancore. The king hired the services of learned men and magicians but to no avail. One day a visitor told him about the priest who had cured the princess of Mysore. A message was sent to the king of Mysore who in turn ordered the priest to go to Travancore and help the distressed princess.

The priest was now in a fix. Going in front of the demon meant death but refusal was not possible as it was a royal decree. Finally he took courage and decided to go. In the palace when the demon saw him he was furious and threatened that he would cut him into pieces. Now that it was a question of life and death the priest gathered himself and calmly said, “The piper from the temple will be glad to visit this place and play his atrocious tunes”. As soon as the piper was mentioned the demon cried out remembering the pain. He left the palace immediately with a loud noise.

The king was pleased and gave the priest so much wealth that the priest is still counting the coins.