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THE INDIAN ANTIQUARY.
(AUGUST, 1881,
and when he saw they were set on hind-side- taining the head of a beautiful young woman : before, he knew at once what she was, so he every minute a drop of blood fell from the drew his sharp sword, and said, "I must trouble bleeding head into the water, became a ruby, you to take your own shape again, for I don't and floated away down the stream. want to kill such a beautiful young woman.” Prince Lionheart was overcome with pity at At this the ghost shrieked with rage, and the sight, and tears rose to his eyes. He deterturned to her own loathsome shape once more, mined to search the palace and find out more but just as she did so Prince Lionheart gave about the beautiful and wonderful head. one stroke of his sharp sword, and lo! she was He wandered through the marble rooms all dead. As soon as this happened the Blacksmith richly decorated, but not a living creature did and the Carpenter crept out of their hiding he see. At last in a sleeping-room, on a lovely places.
satin bed, he saw the headless body of the most The Prince wrote to all the townsfolk bid- | beautiful girl he had ever seen. He thought at ding them come back on condition of taking the once, “This must be the body belonging to the Blacksmith to be their king, and giving him to beautiful and wonderful head." So he ran and wife the prettiest, richest and best born maiden fetched the head and placed it on the body; no in the town. This they did with pleasure. sooner had they touched each other, than the
After the wedding was over the Prince and the maiden sat up and talked. The Prince was Carpenter set out on their travels: the Black- overjoyed, and begged the beautiful maiden to smith king was loath to let them go, but Prince tell him who she was. So she told him she Lionheart gave to him also a barley plant, was the daughter of a rich king: that a jinn' saying “Water and tend it carefully. So had fallen in love with her and carried her off long as it flourishes know that I am well, but if to his palace, and that he was so jealous that it droops, then I am in trouble, and do you come every day when he left her, he cut off her and help me."
head and hung it in the basket till his return. The Prince and the Carpenter had travelled Then Prince Lionheart begged her to fly with but a short way when they came to a big town him at once, but the Princess said, “Not so. where they halted to rest. Now there First we must kill the jinn, or he will pursue was a Princess in the town who was as fair as us." Then the Prince baid " You must ask the moon: the Carpenter saw her by chance, and him in what thing his life lies." Then, shutfell so desperately in love with her that the ting his eyes from the dreadful sight, he cut off Prince took pity on him, and said, “Stay you his dear Princess's head, hung it in the golden here and marry the Princess, and I will go on basket, and hid himself in the next room. my travels alone." So the Carpenter was mar. By and by the jinn arrived. When he was ried to the Princess and became king, and to patting on the Princess's head he cried, “Fee! him also Prince Lionheart gave a barley plant, fa! fum! Mânush-gandh! This room smells of and then set off on his travels alone.
man's flesh."11 Now after a time the Prince came to a river, | But the Princess wept, saying, “How should and what was his astonishment to see a ruby of I know anything! Am I not dead whilst you enormous size floating down the stream. He are away! Eat me if you like, and then I shall watched it wonderstruck, till another, and then be dead altogether." But the jinn, who loved another floated by. “This is very curious," said her to distraction, said he would rather die himhe, "I must go and find out whence they come." self." That would never do," said the Princess,
He travelled up stream for two days and two "for if you were to be killed some day whilst nights, and came at last to a beautiful palace on you are away it would be very awkward for the water's edge. By the palace grew a tree, me. I should neither be alive nor dead." on a branch of which hung a golden basket con- "Never fear," answered the jinn, "I am not
• This incident is clearly an interpolation of the nar. to be Hinda. The incident of jinns falling in love with rator's. He had evidently forgotten the proper adventure girls is common in Muhammadan tales.-R.C.T. for the carpenter, so invented this. It is shockingly lame.- 20 See above in former tales-common incident.F.A.S.
B. C. T. jinn-500 above in former tales. The jinn is alto n g ty Manush-gandh, lit. man's smell. See above gether Muhammadan, whereas the rest of this tale appears in the tale of "Sir Bumble" for explanation.-R.C.T.
