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JUNE, 1887.)
THE OGRESS QUEEN.
187
"The queen !" said the lioness." "Do not At last he saw him and cried out, “O my you know that she is a rákshasi ? Keep her at grandfather, I, your daughter's son, have come a distance, lest she kill and eat you!"
to say that my mother is ill and cannot recover "I fear no harm," said the lad." Her till she takes some medicine, which she says Majesty entertains no enmity against me." you have, and has sent me for it."
“Very well, I will certainly give you some “All right," replied the rákshasa. "I will of my milk, but beware of the queen. Look give it you, but first come and scratch my here," said the lioness taking him to an im. back. It's itching terribly." mense block of rock, that had separated from The rákshasa had lied, for his back did not the hill, "I will let a drop of my milk fall on itch. He only wanted to see whether the this rock."
lad was the true son of a rákshasa or She did so, and the rock fell into a million not. When the lad dug his nails into pieces !
the old rakshasa's flesh, as though he want"You see the power of my milk. Well, if the ed to scratch off some of it, the rdkshasa queen were to drink the whole of what I have bade him desist, and giving him the medicine just given you, it would not have the slightest let him depart. On reaching the palace the effect on her! She is a rákshasi and cannot be lad gave the medicine to the king, who at once harmed by such things as this. However, if took it to his wife ; and she was cured. The you will not believe me,go and see for yourself." | king was more than ever pleased with the lad
The lad returned and gave the milk to the and gare him. large presents, and in other ways king, who took it to his wife, and she drank favoured him. the whole of it and professed to have been The wicked queen was now put to her wits' cured. The king was much pleased with the end to know what to do with such a lad. He boy, and advanced him to a higher position had escaped from the claws of the lioness and among the servants of the palace : but the from the clutches of her father,--the gods only queen was determined to have him killed, and knew how! What could she do to him ? debated in her mind as to how she could Finally she determined to send him to her accomplish this without offending the king. mother, a wretched old rákshasi that lived in After some days she again pretended to be ill, a house in the wood not far from her father's and calling the king said to bim, "I am getting place. ill again, but do not be anxious about me. My "He will not come back any more," said the father, who lives in the jungle, whence the wicked queen to herself, and so she said to the lioness' milk was brought, has a special me- | king, "I have a very valuable comb at home dicine, that, I think, would cure me, if you and I should like to have it brought here, if will please send for it. The lad that fetched you will please send the boy for it. Let me the milk might go." Accordingly the lad know when he starts, and I will give him a went. The way led past the fakir, who again | letter for my mother." said to him, " Whither are you going ?" and The king complied, and the lad started, as the lad told him.
usual passing by the faqir's place, and telling "Don't go," said he. "This man is a him where he was going. He, also, showed rákshasa, and will certainly kill you."
him the letter that the queen had given him. But the lad was determined as before.
"Let me read its contents," said the faqir, “You will go then. Then go, but attend to and when he had read them he said, "Are you my advice. When you see the rákshasa, call deliberately going to be killed ? This letter him grandfather. He will ask you to scratch is an order for your death. Listen to it-The his back, which you must do and do it very bearer of this letter is my bitter enemy I roughly."
shall not be able to accomplish anything as "The lad promised, and went on. The long as he is alive. Slay him as soon as he jungle was big and dense, and he thought reaches you, and let me not hear of him any that he would never reach the rdkshasa's house. more.'"
* Conoerning talking animals, cf. Wide-awake Stories, pp. 412-413.
