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THE INDIAN ANTIQUARY.
[APRIL 5, 1872.
that the king could not bear the sight of him or had come to the foot of the tree. The mother her, and that he could not go. At this he was bird told them that the men were the sons of the very angry and said he was determined to go, king of a certain country, and that the lame man so his mother told him that he might go, but he who had saved their lives and given them food must first obtain leave from the king. So he was the son of queen Duha, and the king could went into the king's presence, but as he did not not bear to look on him. The young birds then dare to approach him, he remained standing in a enquired why they had come and whither they corner of the court. The prime minister saw him, were going, so the mother bird told them that and went and told the king that the son of queen the king had seen a dream, and become blind, Duha had been standinx there for some time, but and his sons had come to search for the silver was afraid to come near and tell what he had to tree to make him well. The young birds then say. The king ordered the prime minister to en- asked if the princes would find the tree, and the quire why he had come. So the prince told him mother bird told them that the princes would that his brothers had gone to search for the silver find it if they would descend into the well which tree to cure the king, and he wished to go with was at the foot of the tree. Now the son of them. The king said that he was lame, and could queen Dahâ was awake all the time and heard not go, but the prime minister replied that in all the talk of the birds, and in the morning he the dream it was only said that somebody must told his brothers, and asked them if they would bring the tree, it did not matter who brought it, go down into the well, but they told him to go and that no one's name had been mentioned, and himself, thinking that he would probably be if the prince wished to go the king might allow killed. Queen Duha's son agreed to go, but told him to do so. The king told the prime minister his brothers that they must weave a rope of to do as he thought best, so he gave the prince grass, and lower him down into the well, and draw some money and a horse, and sent him away. him up again when he shook the rope, and must
The prince went to his mother queen Duha, not leave the place until he had shaken it. and as he was taking leave of her, he gave her So he fastened the rope round his waist, and was a plant, and said, "mother, take care of this let down into the well; when he reached the plant, and look at it every day, and when you bottom we saw a path before him, and walked see that it is fading, you will know that some along it for solue distance, till he reached a city misfortune has befallen me, and when it is dead, built of stone, into which he entered, and found I shall be dead too, and if it be flourishing you that the whole place was covered with the bones will be sure that I am well." So saying he left of men, there was no living thing to be seen, his home, and travelled for some distance till he nothing but bones. He could not help thinking came to a tree where his brothers were sitting with to himself that he was very unlucky in having their horses tied near. When his brothers saw come there. After this he went into one of the him, they said to each other, "Look brother, the houses, and saw a dead woman lying stretched laine boy is coming, it is a very lucky thing, we upon a bed; again he wondered what ill luck had will make him cook for us." So they all met brought him there; then he looked again, and together, and after they had cooked and eaten, found a golden wand and a silver wand lying they lay down at the foot of the tree, and one on each side of the dead woman; he took went to sleep, but the son of queen Duha sat up them up, and as he was moving them from side wide awake. Now it happened that a pair of to side, he touched her body with the golden birds had built their nest in the tree, and at night wand, then she turned on one side and awoke. the old birds went out to seek food, leaving their When she saw the man she said to him, " Who young ones in the nest. After they had gone, are you, and why have you come here, this is a great snake climbed up the tree to eat the young a city of Rakshasas who will kill and devour birds; they all began to cry out when they saw it, you." The prince told her that, now he had but queen Duhâ's son drew a sword from his belt come, she could either save him or destroy him and cut the snake in pieces, he then cut off the as she thought best. So the woman arose, and snake's hood and tail, and gave them to the young cooked food, and gave him to eat, and after she birds to eat. At the end of the night the old birds had presented him with betel-nut and tobacco, returned to their nest, and the young birds told she said, " It is now time for the Rakshasas to their father and mother all that had befallen return, you must touch my body with the silver them, and enquired who the three men were who wand, and make me dead again, and you go and
