Then Yudhishthira, the son of Kunti, addressing
Drona, said, 'O Brahmana (thou askest for a trifle)! Do thou, with Kripa's
permission, obtain of us that which would last thee for life!' Thus
addressed, Drona with smiles replied unto the Bharata princes, saying,
'This handful of long grass I would invest, by my mantras, with the virtue
of weapons. Behold these blades possess virtues that other weapons, have
not! I will, with one of these blades, pierce the ball, and then pierce
that blade with another, and that another with a third, and thus shall I,
by a chain, bring up the ball.'
"Vaisampayana continued, 'Then Drona did exactly what he had said. And the
princes were all amazed and their eyes expanded with delight. And
regarding what they had witnessed to be very extraordinary, they said, O
learned Brahmana, do thou bring up the ring also without loss of time.'
"Then the illustrious Drona, taking a bow with an arrow, pierced the ring
with that arrow and brought it up at once. And taking the ring thus
brought up from the well still pierced with his arrow, he coolly gave it
to the astonished princes. Then the latter, seeing the ring thus recovered,
said, 'We bow to thee, O Brahmana! None else owneth such skill. We long to
know who thou art and whose son. What also can we do for thee?'
"Thus addressed, Drona replied unto the princes, saying, 'Do ye repair
unto Bhishma and describe to him my likeness and skill. The mighty one
will recognize me.
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