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THE INDIAN ANTIQUARY.
[JUNE, 1987
The baby grew and became a strong and about himself and his mother, and the other beautifal boy. When he was six years old women. From that hour the queen plotted the seven women thought they would try to against his life. She feigned sickness, and show him a little of the outer world. But calling in a hakim (physician) bribed him to how were they to do this? The well was deep persuade the king that she was very ill and and its sides were perpendicular! At last that nothing, except the milk of a lioness, they thought of standing on each other's heads; would cure ber. and the one who stood on the top of all took "My beloved, what is this I hear P" said the boy and put him on the bank at the well's the king when he went to see his wife in the mouth. Away the little fellow ran to the evening. "The hakim says that you are ill, palace, entered the king's kitchen and begged and that the milk of u lioness is required. But for some food. He got a lot of scraps, of | how can we get it? Who is there that will which he ate a little and carried the rest to dare to attempt this ?" the well for his mother and the king's other "The lad who serves here as cook. He wives.
is brave and faithful, and will do anything This continued for some time, when one for you out of gratitude for all that you have morning the cook asked him to stay and prepare done for him. Besides him I know of no some dishes for the king, saying, that his other, whom you could send." mother had just died and he was obliged to go "I will send for him and see." and arrange for the cremation of the body. The lad readily promised, and next day started The boy promised to do his best and the cook on his perilous journey. On the way he passed left. That day the king was especially pleased | his friend the faqir, who said to him, " Whither with his meals. Everything was rightly cooked, are you going ?" He told him of the king's nicely flavoured, and well served-up. In the order, and how desirous he was of pleasing his evening the cook returned. The king sent for Majesty, who had been so kind to him. him and complimenting him on the exceedingly "Don't go," said the faqer. “Who are you good food he had prepared, ordered him al. to dare to presume to do such a thing?" ways to cook as well in the future. The cook | But the lad was resolate and valued not his honestly confessed that he had been absent the life in the matter. Then said the fuqir,greater part of the day owing to his mother's "If you will not be dissuaded, follow my death, and that a boy, whom he had hired for advice, and you will succeed and be preserved. the occasion, had cooked the food. When he When you meet a lioness aim an arrow at one heard this the king was much surprised, and of her teats. The arrow will strike her and commanded the cook to give the boy regular the lioness will speak and ask you why you employment in the kitchen. Thenceforth there shot her. Then you must say that you did was a great difference in the way the king's not intend to kill her, but simply thought that meals were served up; and his Majesty was she would be glad if she could feed her cubs more and more pleased with the boy, and more quickly than before, and therefore pierced constantly gave him presents. All these pre- a hole in her teats, through which the milk sents and all the food that the boy could gather would flow easily. You must also say that he took daily to the well for his mother and you pitied her cubs, who looked very weak and the king's other wives.
sickly, as though they required more nourishOn the way to the well every day he had to
ment." pass a holy faqir, who always blessed him and Then, blessing him, the faqir sent him on asked for alms, and generally received some his journey. Thus encouraged the lad walked thing. In this way some years elapsed and on with a glad heart. He soon saw a lioness the boy had developed into a still more beauti- with cubs, aimed an arrow at one of her teats, fal yoath, when by chance one day the wicked and struck it. When the lioness angrily asked queen saw him. Struck with his beauty she him to explain his action he replied as the faqir asked him who he was and whence he came. had instructed him, and added that the queen Nothing doubting and not knowing the real was seriously ill and was in need of lioness' character of the queen, he told her everything milk."
