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186
THE INDIAN ANTIQUARY.
[JUNE, 1892.
came to-day." The faqir answered: "Well! Go, cut off your husband's head and bring it to me. Then I will be assured that you love me." So she went, cut off her husband's head and brought it to the faqir. Then the fuqir beat her again, and said: "Since you do not belong to your husband, whoso are you? Go, and never come near me again." Then she took her husband's trunk and head and placed them near the wazir's son. He rose, tied them up in a cloth, put them on his borse and rode off to his wife's house. There he was treated with great respect and exactly the same events occurred. For at midnight his wife got up and went out. He took his sword, followed her and saw her go to a fair. He asked her why she was late, and she answered that her husband had come and delayed her. On hearing this the faqir was greatly pleased, and said: "I will give you whatever you ask." She said: "I will consult my father and mother, and then say what I want." So she went and consulted them. They said : “God has given us all we want. Ask your husband : perhaps he may want something." Then she asked her husband and he replied: " My friend has laut his head cut off. I wish him to be restored to life." So the lady went again to the facer and asked him to restore her husband's friend to life.
The fugir gave her some water, and told her to instruct her husband to sprinkle it on the head and trupk of his friend and he would recover. So this was done, and when the prince's head was joined on to his trunk and the water sprinkled over him he revived, and said: "I have had a fine sleep. What time is it?" But when he looked round he said: “This is not the place where I went to sleep." Then the wazir's son told him the whole story. The prince thanked his friend, and they stayed there.
Some days afterwards they both went ont to hunt, and being tired out the prince became very thirsty. The wazir's son seated him under a tree, and went to search for water. With difficulty he found a tank and brought some water. When the prince drank he said: "This water is very sweet. I want to see the place where you got it." So the wazir's son took him there. Bat on the way he recollected that on the edge of the tank ho had seen the image of a very lovely woman, and he thought : "Perhaps he may want her." So he excused himself by saying the place was very dirty. But the prince insisted on going there, so the wazir's son could not help taking him there, but he tried not to take him in that particular direction. However, the prince would walk all round the place, and when he saw the image, he said: "I will never leave this till you marry me to the original of this image." The ecuzir's son remonstrated, but in vain. Finally, the wazir's son had to promise to search for the woman, and told the prince to sleep in a tree there until he returned. When night fell, the prince ascended a tree on the edge of the tank, and at midnight a snake came out, who hau a jewel in his mouth. When he touched the water with the jewel, it all dried up; and in the middle of the tank & door appeared. Then the snake put down his jewel, and by its brilliancy the whole place was illuminated. Then the snake began to drink the dew. When morning approached he again touched the tank with the jewel and the water returned.
In the morning the prince descended from the tree. Then the prince prepared an iron trap and a rope, and again at night climbed up the tree. At midnight the snake appeared and put down his jewel ander the tree, where the prince was. When he had gone a little distance, lapping up the dew, the prince put the iron trap down on the jewel, and the moment its brilliancy was obscured the snake came up in a rage, and began to beat his head with such violence against the trap, that at last he died. Then the prince came down, secured the jewel and entered the tank. The water gave way before him ; so he opened the door and entered.
When he came into the first room, what did he see but a bed of silver and over it a coverlet of silver, and on it was sleeping a silver fairy (chándi ki ek pari). She was extremely lovely, and there were two necklaces of silver - one at her feet and the other at her head. These he took up and examined and put them down, but by mistake he placed the necklaces in the
The word used in taswit.
+ Or ruby fairy (la'l part).
