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THE INDIAN ANTIQUARY.
[SEPTEMBER, 1893.
and went home and handed him to his wife, who also rejoiced at the event, saying:-"At last God has sent us a child in this miraculous manner."
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They constituted themselves the drowned prince's foster-parents, and, possessing great wealth as they did, took every possible care, and brought him up with great tenderness. The prince grew up rapidly. When he was only one month old he looked two months old, when two months old, he seemed to be four months old, and so on.
Thus the boy grew up strong and beautiful, and was known to all as the fisherman's son, for the prince, too, always addressed the fisherman and his wife as father and mother. When he was about six or seven years old, he used to run about and play with the children from the neighbourhood.
One day the children ran to the shore, and the prince asked his foster-parents to permit him also to go and play there, but the fisherman said:"No, my dear child. Don't you go and play near the seabeach. You know how mischievous the children are. Who knows but that some accident or other may befall you? Then what shall I do? Tell me what you may need, and I will get you any toys that you may wish for, with which you can play about the house in safety."
In spite of the kind advice the prince, as is the wont of children, ran full speed, and joined his playmates at the seabeach.
Now it happened that, as the children were playing and running about on the sand, they spied a very beautiful kambal, floating on the tide which was coming in. Every one of the children attempted to get it, but all failed. At last our hero said he would fetch it, but all of them laughed at his folly, saying:
"What a silly child you are. Such big boys as we are we could not succeed, and you say that you can fetch it."
The prince, however, persisted saying he would fetch the kambal, upon which they laid a wager, to which he consented and dived headlong into the waves, and in a few moments was again on the shore triumphantly carrying the kambal, and thus won the wager. The prince then carried the kambal to his foster-parents, who, on seeing it, asked him where he got it from, or whether he had stolen it from any one. The prince told them how, as he and other children were playing on the shore, they spied it floating on the water, and how, when all the other children had failed, they laid a wager for it, upon which he dived into the sea and came out safely with the kambal.
Now in that country kambals were so rave, that not even the nobles and very seldom the kings could obtain them, and to possess one was thought a great luxury. So the fisherman began to think to himself:-"Here is a most beautiful kambal, but of what use can it be to a poor man like me? I will go and present it to the king."
So one day he took the kambal and presented it to the king, who was very glad to see such a beautiful flower, and asked him where he got it from. The fisherman told him the whole truth, and the king, being satisfied with the answer, dismissed him, after rewarding him handsomely. The king then took the kambal and hung it upon his bed. One of the maidservants of the queen, who happened to come into the room just then, on seeing the kambal, said:
"My lord, this flower is certainly very beautiful, but unless you can get and hang up two more it will never lend a: y beauty by itself to the bed."
It must be borne in mind that this king is the father of our hero.
Two more added would make three kambals. The number three has here evidently some meaning to it, for it could be more natural to add three, so as to make four, one for each of the four corners of the bed.
