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344
THE INDIAN ANTIQUARY.
[DECEMBER, 1882.
It was late in the evening when he arrived, and having no money in his pocket he was at a loss how to get anything to eat. At last he saw a good-natured looking old woman herding goats, and said to her
"Mother, give me something to eat, and you may have this pony too, for it is yours."
The old woman agreed, and the prince went to live in her house. After a few days he noticed that this old woman was sad, and so he asked her what was the matter.
“The matter is this, my son. In this kingdom there lives a demon, which every day devours one cake, one goat, 20 and one young man, and in consideration of receiving this meal daily he leaves the other inhabitants in in peace."
Therefore every day this meal has to be prepared, and it falls to the lot of every inhabitant to prepare it in turn on pain of death. It is my turn to-day. The cake I can make, the goat I have, but where is the young man P"
"But why does not someone kill this demon P" asked the young man.
"Many have tried, and the king has pro- mised half his kingdom and his daughter in marriage to the victor, but all have failed," answered the old woman, weeping bitterly.
"Don't cry, mother," said the prince, "you have been kind to me. Now will I repay your kindness by making part of the demon's dinner."
At first the old woman would not hear of such a thing, but the prince cheered her up, saying, "Don't fear for me, Goody, only make the cake as big as you can, and give me the finest and fattest goat you have."
Accordingly in the evening the prince leading the goat and carrying the cake, the biggest ever seen, went to the tree where the demon came every evening to receive and devour bis accustomed dinner. The prince tied the goat to a tree and laid the cake on the ground, but he himself stepped outside the trench, which was dug about the tree, and waited. Very soon the demon appeared, a most frightful monster. Now, as a rule, he generally ate up the young man first, just to slake his appetite,
but that evening, seeing the biggest cake and the primest and fattest goat he had ever set eyes on, he could not resist gobbling them up, and just as he was finishing the last mouthful and was looking about for his man's flesh, tho prince sprang at him sword in hand. They fought terribly, but at last the prince killed the demon, who, owing to his dinner, was not nearly 80 active as usual. He then cut off the demon's head, tied it up in his handkerchief to take as a trophy, and being tired and weary with the combat he lay down and fell fast asleep."
Now every morning a scavenger came to the demon's tree to clear away the remains of last night's feast, for the demon was mighty particular, and could not bear the smell of old bones. Now when the scavenger saw no bones in the usual place he was much astonished, and began to search for them, and there fast asleep he found the prince with the demon's head by his side.
"Ho! ho!" said the scavenger, "now's my chance!"
So he quietly lifted up the prince, put him into a clay-pit close by, and covered him all over with clay. Then he took the demon's head, and went to the king, and claimed half the kingdom and the princess as the reward for slaying the demon.
The king thought something was wrong, but being bound by his promise gave up half his kingdom, making an excuse about his daughter, who, he said, was not desirous of marriage for a year or two longer.
Now it so happened that some potters came to get clay that day from the clay pit, and they were mightily astonished to find a handsome young man still breathing, but insensible, hidden under the clay. They took him home, and gave him to the women, who soon brought him round. He was grateful for their kindness, and hearing from their gossip how the strange scavenger had stept in and defrauded him, he agreed, having nothing better to do, to stop with the potters and learn their trade. This he did so quickly and so cleverly, that the potters soon became famous for the beantiful patterns and excellent workmanship of their
• Rakshara, modern rákhas: vide tale quoted from RAJA Raeld at the end of this one.-R. C. T.
10 Cf. the Sansk. gja-gara, goat-eater, for a big snake or python.-R. C. T.
| Compare the tale of St. George and the Dragon-R. C. T.
11 The whole story of this fight with the Rekhasa is more or less a counterpart of a story from the "Adventures of Raja Rasdia,' given at the end of this tale.
