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348
THE INDIAN ANTIQUARY.
[DECEMBER, 1881
a jógi, but a man who was passing by, bought me for 100 rupees, and has been kind to me; so I have brought him to see you."
. "Bring him here," said the Snake-father. Then the snake went outside to the prince and said, "My father calls you. He will ask you three times what reward you desire for saving me, so mind you answer, 'I want nothing but your ring as a remembrance.'"
Sure enough the Serpent-father said at once, "And now, my prince, ask for anything you please, and it is yours." But the king's son said, "I want nothing, for I have everything God can give." Then the Serpent-father asked again, "Tell me what you desire, and it is yours." But again the prince answered, "I have everything that God can give." However when he was asked the third time, he answered—“I want nothing, but I should like your ring." At this the Snake-father became very sorrowful, but taking the ring off his finger said, "If I had not promised, I would have turned you into a heap of ashes on the spot, for you have asked for my most treasured possession. But to redeem my promise, take the ring and go."
Now when they got outside, the king's son said to the serpent's son, "What is the use of this ring to me, and why did you make me ask for it? It would have been better if I had asked for heaps of gold and silver instead of this ring."
But the snake said "I will tell you how to use the ring. First make a holy place, put the ring in the middle, sprinkle it with buttermilk, and then no matter what you ask for, your desire will be instantly granted."
Then the prince went on his way with the magic ring. By-and-by he came near a city, and said to himself, "I must see if what the serpent told me is true." So he made a holy place, put the ring in the middle, sprinkled
batter-milk over it, and said, "Oh ring, get me 8 me sweetmeats for dinner."
No sooner had he said this than the sweetn eats appeared. Then the prince ate his å ner and set off to the city. There he heard a wroclamation which set forth that whosoever should build a golden palace with golden stairs to it in the midst of the sea, in the space of a single night, should be given half tk kingdom, and the king's daughter in marriage, but that if he failed he should be beheaded.
So the prince went to the court and said, “Oh my lord, I will do this thing."
The king looked at him astonished, saying "How can you do such a thing? Many princes have tried, failed, and lost their lives. See, here is a necklace made of their heads. Do not be rash, but go."
However, the prince was not to be persuaded, He said again, "I will do this thing."
Upon this the king ordered him to build it that very night, and placed sentries over him lest he should run away. When night came and the sentries saw the prince lie down to sleep quietly, they said among themselves "How will he build the palace ?"
Towards morning however the prince awoke, got up, made a holy place, put the ring in it, sprinkled the buttermilk, and said "Oh ring, build the golden palace with the stairs in the midst of the sea." And immediately the palace appeared, stairs and all. The sentries seeing this ran and told the king, who came with all his coart, and there sure enough was the golden palace with the golden stairs built in the midst of the sea. Then the king gave the prince half of the kingdom, and the princess for his bride on the spot; but the prince said, "I don't want your kingdom," and went off to the palace he had built in the sea. However, they sent the
o
dio mundré-see note 1.-R.C.T.
Parmdahar پرمشير داد تا سپهر کچهہ میری کول ہی
da ditta sabh kujh mere ki hai---is the expression in the Penjabi Inarrative; paindo Parmeshar=TTHY T, the Supreme Ruler or Lord, the Highest Spirit, God. Parmeshar is the only general term in common use among Hindus to express "God." Hence it is used in formulas of oaths, as main apne Parmoshar ko hasir nosir jankar, etc. I, knowing my own God" to be ever-present and all-seeing, eto. The word in the text (Panjabi) for the Snake-father's request is bachan, from Sansk. vachan, ✓97 to speak; Prikrit, vaanam, speech. Bachan in stories is now only put into the mouths of
gods and saints and is here used by the snake-father to show his holy character.-R. C. T.
Serpents are supposed to be able to transform themselves into human beings, this is called
u
l ichhd chari, lit. control of the will.-R. C. T.
oli e chaunkt- a square place plastered with cow. dung used by Hindus when cooking or worshipping. The place chosen for cooking or worshipping and also for burning dead bodies is considered to be purified and thonce sanctified by being plastered with cowdung.R.C.T.
93 aola, properly the marriage palanquin, bat used also for the marriage itself as here. See former tales.-R.C.T.
