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MAY, 1892.)
FOLKLORE IN WESTERN INDIA ; No. 17.
165
they all joined in persuading the unsuspecting youth to destroy the coil. For some time he was firm, but at last, being unable to withstand the joint advice and entreaties of so many, he threw the coil into the fire ! No sooner, however, did the flames touch it, than the fairy, who was at . distance, attered a loud and piteous scream, came running up, and speedily thrusting her hand into the fire, drew out the burning coil, and as hurriedly put it on!
All this happened in the twinkling of an eye, and the merchant and his sons and their guests suddenly found the scene around them transformed into a dense and dark forest, all traces of the fairy-palace and the garden having vanished before them. Our hero was beside himself with rage and grief at this, and swore never to return home, until he had found his beloved bride again. So, leaving him to indulge his grief in that lonely forest, his father and the rest wended their way homewards.
When they were all gone the youth again saw the she-monkey jumaping from tree to tree, and uttering piteous screams. So he went up to her and besought her to forgive him, and to receive him back into her favour. But she wept bitterly, and said, "No, no, that is not in my power to do ; still, if thy repentance is sincere, leave me for the present, and let us hope some day to meet again." With these words she vanished from his sight, and there was nothing but darkness around. Just then & voice was heard to say, "If ever again you seek the fairy-princess, let this be your watchword :-*What about that affair p'” “Very well," muttered the youth thankfully, “I'll remember it to the end of my days," and then, in obedience to the will of the she-monkey, he made his way out of the forest.
For many and many a month afterwards the unhappy youth wandered aimlessly about from country to country, for he hardly knew in what particular direction to turn, in order to go in search of his lost bride. At last, being fatigued both in mind and body, he sank down under the shade of a large tree, and felt that he was dying.
As to the fairy-princess, having had the misfortune to touch a human being, the poor spirit had lost caste, and was no longer the light aērial being that all fairies are; moreover, she had contracted the odour of mortals by coming into contact with them, and the fairies would not let her mix with them, until she had gone through a sovere form of purification. This was nothing less than throwing seven hundred peils of water over hor body each morning, and remaining among the trees the rest of the day, so that she might be dried in the sun and cleansed of all impurities. This made the poor fairy very unhappy, and she passed her days in great sorrow.
Meanwhile our hero, whom we had left tired and worn-out under a tree, remained there for some days, being unable to proceed any further. One day he heard a strange noise overhead, and looking up, saw that a very large serpent had climbed up the tree and was going to dovour the young ones of an eagle, which had its nest among the branches. So he went up the tree as fast as his worn-out limbs allowed and succeeded in killing the berpent before it could do any injury to the young eagles. Just then both the parent birds came up and were deeply grateful to the brave young man for having saved the lives of their little ones, and asked him to command their services in any way he wished. But the youth said to them with a sad smile: - "No, friends, it is not in your power to help me, since my only object in-life is to discover the fairy-princess MAlika-Jarika, and I am firmly resolved never to taste the sweets of life until I have found her."
“Oh! is that all you want P" exclaimed the male bird, "then it is easy enough. I know the abodes of all the fairies; so you have only to ride upon my back and I shall fly with you to the country of the jins and fairies in no time."
These words of the eagle gave new life to the disabled youth, and he fearlessly mounted the large bird's back, and in a few hours arrived at the country of the jins. At parting the good old eagle gave the youth a sweet sounding Afo, and said: - "By simply
