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268
THE INDIAN ANTIQUARY.
[SEPTEMBER, 1884.
devils seem now to have to the inmost parts of female for her wrong interpretation as he the palace. If I had taken anything from thought, retired to bed. her hands I should have died that very day. Outside the north gate, at a distance of three My poor old man, my Ranavirasing it is, who'ghatikas' walk, lived & robber. He used to has saved me from all these calamities." These start out on a plundering expedition once in thoughts and a thousand more were passing seven years. In the houses and mansions he used through Sundara's mind when he saw his wife to rob he took only jewels of various kinds, sitting down on the same couch with the Gómeda, pushparaga, (topaz) vajra, vaidurya, minister. She accused him of the delay in &c. ; gold and silver he rejected as being too murdering her husband, of his letting all mean for his dignity. As he was a gentlemanopportunities escape during the morning ride. robber, he used to take a coolie with him “Horrible! Did you, Kharavadana, marry me on the way to carry his booty. Of course to such a faithful wife! Thank God and that coolie never returned from the cave. He Raņavirasing that I have not fallen into her was put to death after his services were over, Bhares," thought Sundara to himself. The lest he should disclose the secret of the robber. minister offered a thousand excuses, rela- Unfortunately that new-moon night hapted to her all that had taken place between pened to be the night of that cruel robber's himself and the Pradhânî, and of what the plundering expedition. He came out, and latter bad promised. Then they both retired when he saw people in search of the prince, to bed. At that moment the treacherous owl thinking that he was not in his palace, he began to hoot, and one of the maid servants, wanted to plunder it. Wishing a coolie he who happened to be a clever interpreter of owl. entered the ruined choultry to pick out one hootings revealed, to secure the favour of the among the beggars there. Passing over the minister, that the prince was lurking behind a others he came to the prince. He found him tree in that very garden. Knowing the price stout and strong. "This beggar will do me set on Sundara's head even female hands flow good service to-day. I shall break my custom, to cut it off. All ran with torches to search and amply reward this man for his services." the garden.
So thinking to himself, the gentleman-robber These words, of course, fell upon the ears of tapped Sundara with his cane on the back. the prince like thunder. Before the people The prince had just closed his eyes. In the there began their search he began his race, short sleep that ensued he dreamt that the jumped over a high wall, and flew like a kite. minister's servants were pursuing him, and that Before the lady-racers and the minister had left one had caught him. At that very moment their sweet road to the tank-bank, Sundara found the gentleman-robber's stroke fell upon his himself in the north street of the town, The back, giving a sort of reality to his dream. He news that the prince was out that night spread awoke with horror. " Tell me who you are," like a flame from the pleasure-park outside asked the unknown person, "A beggar," was throughout the whole town, and before long the reply. "How does the night appear to you P". avaricions persons were searching in the streets asked the robber. " As dark as dark can be," for his valuable head, Sundara thought it replied the prince. The robber applied a sort dangerous to pass through the streets, and wish- of kajjala to the prince's eyes, and asked, ed to hide himself in a safe place. Fortune oon- "How does the night appear now P" "As lumi. ducted him to one. It was a ruined old choultry, nous as if a larår of suns were in the sky," where food, during the days of his father, was answered Sandara. The robber applied a distributed in charity to the beggars of the town, tilaka to the intended coolie's forehead and and which was now only resorted to by them to addressed him thus: "I am a robber, now sleep, and not to receive rice. The prince en- going to plunder the palace, from which tered it, and laid himself down in the midst of the prince is absent. Follow me. I shall them, fortunately unobserved. He could hear reward you richly. The kajjala has made the from where he was the noise of the persons night a day to you. The tilaka takes you searching outside. In the garden the mi- anobserved wherever you wish to go." So nister searched in vain, and accusing the saying, and dragging the coolie or supposed
