ibal, inasmuch as thou art, O mother, always
compassionate unto Brahmanas. But tell the Brahmana, O mother, that he
doth not do anything whereby the dwellers in this town may know all about
it, and make him promise to keep thy request.'

"Vaisampayana continued, 'Then, when the night passed away, Bhimasena,
the son of Pandu, taking with him the Rakshasa's food set out for the
place where the cannibal lived. The mighty son of Pandu, approaching the
forest where the Rakshasa dwelt, began to eat himself the food he
carried, calling loudly to the Rakshasa by name. The Rakshasa, inflamed
with anger at Bhima's words, came out and approached the place where
Bhima was.

"Of huge body and great strength, of red eyes, red beard, and red hair,
he was terrible to behold, and he came, pressing deep the earth with his
tread. The opening of his mouth, was from ear to ear and his ears
themselves were straight as arrows. Of grim visage, he had a forehead
furrowed into three lines. Beholding Bhima eating his food, the Rakshasa
advanced, biting his nether lip and expanding his eyes in wrath. And
addressing Bhima he said, 'Who is this fool, who desiring to go to the
abode of Yama, eateth in my very sight the food intended for me?' Hearing
these words, Bhima, O Bharata, smiled in derision and disregarding the
Rakshasa, continued eating with averted face. Beholding this, the
cannibal uttered a frightful yell and with both arms upraised ran at
Bhima desiring to kill him, there and then. Even then disregarding the
Rakshasa and casting only a single glance at him, Vrikodara, that slayer
of hostile heroes continued to eat the Rakshasa's food. Filled with wrath
at this, the Rakshasa struck, from behind with both his arms a heavy blow
on the back of Vrikodara, the son of Kunti. But Bhima, though struck
heavily by the mighty Rakshasa, with both his hands, did not even look up
at the Rakshasa but continued to eat as before. Then the mighty Rakshasa,
inflamed with wrath, tore up a tree and ran at Bhima for striking him
again. Meanwhile the mighty Bhima, that bull among men had leisurely
eaten up the whole of that food and washing himself stood cheerfully for
fight. Then, O Bharata, possessed of great energy, Bhima, smiling in
derision, caught with his left hand the tree hurled at him by the
Rakshasa in wrath. Then that mighty Rakshasa, tearing up many more trees,
hurled them at Bhima, and the Pandava also hurled as many at the
Rakshasa. Then, O king