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THE INDIAN ANTIQUARY.
were carefully carried out, 'Panj Phûl would emerge thence in all her former beauty."
cave.
When he heard this Gullâlâ Shah was much comforted. After a little more conversation he wished the minister good-night. No sleep, however, came to him. He was far too elated at the prospect of being able to restore his beloved to her former self and of seeing her again, to wish for sleep. As soon as he knew for certain that the Wazir and the others were fast asleep he left the house and went to the jungle. That night he only fixed on a place for the cave, and then returned to his room. On the following night, armed with pickaxe, crowbar, spade, and other necessary implements he again visited the jungle, and dug a cave. He also made a covering for the cave and a hole in the covering. He then went outside and called for Panj Phûl. Pañj Phâl heard her name being called and came in the form of a snake, as soon as Gullâlâ Shah had re-entered and shut himself into the She wound the greater part of her body in through the hole in the covering, and Gullâlâ Shâh cut off as much of it as got inside the cave, and then chopped it up into small pieces. These he carefully gathered. and pushing back the covering, took them with him to the pond in Pañj Phil's garden, where he threw them into the water, and-just as the Wazir had said,-Panj Phil appeared in all her former beauty. Gullâlâ Shâh drew her to him and kissed her. They talked long and lovingly until the faint streaks of dawn warned them to make arrangements to leave the place. Neither of them wished to be separated from the other, but what were they to do? It was time for Gallâlâ Shâh to return to his home, if he did not wish the Wazir to discover his absence; while Pañj Phal could not leave the place. She tried to do so, but without avail. She was bound by the king's charm over her to remain there. And so they parted.
Gullâlâ Shah hastened back to the Wartr's house, and only just reached his room in time, Within an hour or so some of the poorer folk, going to their labours, passed by the place where Pañj Phil was sitting. They were very much astonished at seeing her, and went
[APRIL, 1886.
and informed the king of the matter. When His Majesty heard the news he sent for the chief. Wazir to take counsel with him. "Do you not think," he said, "that Gullâlâ Shah has been here and done this thing ?"
"It is impossible," replied the Wazir, "for in the first place how could he get here? and then, how could he, a common man, obtain this power ? He must be great to have done this, and in favour with the gods, a thought not to be entertained for a moment."
Panj Phûl was again summoned to the king, and this time was turned into a golden nail, which was immediately given to one of the attendants with instructions to hammer it into any boat, that chanced to be just then in course of construction. The attendant took the nail and fixed it into the first boat he saw. On reaching home the Wazir bathed, and then called for Gullâlâ Shah as usual and told him all the news of the day. When he heard that the princess had been restored and again metamorphosed Gullâlâ Shâh assumed an expression of great surprise. "It is strange," he remarked, "that the king should have chosen a golden nail as the form into which to change her. Surely she can never again be restored from such a metamorphosis as this?"
"O yes, she can," said the Wazir. "How ?" asked Gullâlâ Shâh.
"Well," replied the Wazir," if Gullâlâ Shah could by any means arrive here, and get into that boat, in one of the sides of which the golden nail is fixed, and could discover that nail, and then having extracted it, were to file it small as powder, and throw the filings into the pond which is in the midst of Pañj Phil's garden,-if he did all these things,-then Pañj Phul would return to her former shape and beauty;-and if she was this time restored, then henceforth the king's charm would be powerless to do her harm. It would have expended itself."
This was enough. So presently the hour being late the Wazir and Gullâlâ Shâlr went to their sleeping rooms. When he heard of this radical care Gullâlâ Shâh feigned no more than an ordinary interest, though in his heart he was inexpressibly glad. On reaching his room he said aloud, "Joy, joy, the time has come.
• Meaning a Kasmiri river-boat.
