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THE INDIAN ANTIQUARY.
[OCTOBER, 1893.
remain till my father goes out again to-morrow. In the meanwhile you must be hungry; so take some food at my hands and be ready for the transformation before the rankhas, my father, comes back, which will not be very long hence.' The prince thanked her for her kindness, and being very hungry did ample justice to the dishes set before him. After this the girl transformed him into a fly and put him up on the wall.
"A little while afterwards the rankhas came home after his day's excursion, and, as was his custom, lay down to rest, while his daughter shampooed his body. As he lay there he said to his daughter: My dear girl, I smell the smell of a human being about the place. Are you aware of any one having come or gone this way ?' In reply the girl said: What makes you think of human beings being about here? Here I am, alone from one hour of the day to the other. What a silly idea this is of yours ?' 'But,' said the rankhas, I do smell the smell of a human being; otherwise I shon't have said so.' The girl, however, said that she had seen no human being anywhere, and was, therefore, unaware of it. The rankhas was now quieted, and fell fast asleep.
"On the next day when the rankhas went, as usual, in search of prey, his daughter transformed the fly on the wall into its original shape, and there stood the prince before her. She then prepared some food, of which they partook together, and conversed with each other freely during the whole day. At the close of the day, when it was near the time for the rankhas to return, the girl again transformed him into a fly and stuck him up on the wall. Thus matters continued for several days.
"One day the prince told the girl to ask her father, the rankhas, in what lay his life. Accordingly, in the evening, when the rankhas returned, and she was shampooing him, she said: Father, tell me in what lies your life.' The rankhas replied: Why are you so anxious about knowing in what my life lies?' Father,' said she, if I am not to be anxious about your life, who should be? Every day you go in quest of food, which consists generally of animals. Should any accident occur to you, how could I know it, and what shall I do in the event of your death?' But the rankhas replied: 'Cast off your fears and anxieties, for there is no likelihood of my ever dying. However, to calm your fears, I may tell you as regards my life, you know the three brab-trees standing near our house. Should any person, with one stroke, cut down one of the trees, I shall get an attack of strong fever; and if he succeeds in cutting the other two trees, also with one stroke, then shall I die. So long, therefore, as the trees are safe and intact, I, too, am safe. You see, therefore, you have no cause for anxiety about my life.' He then went into sound sleep.
"The following day when the rankhas had gone out, the girl, after transforming the prince, told him everything she heard from her father concerning his life. The prince now looked about and saw the sword of the rankhas hanging on the wall. He took it down, and, after sharpening it, went where the three brab-trees stood. He first cut down, with one stroke, one of the trees. As soon as the tree was cut down a strong fever came on the rúnkhas, who now retraced his steps homewards, but before he could reach it, our hero, using all his strength, cut down the other two trees also with one stroke of the sword, and with the fall of the brab-trees the rankhas fell down dead.
"The prince then lived with the damsel for several days, during which he gathered plenty of the kambals, which dropped from her mouth every time she spoke. At last he got tired of the life in the subterraneous abode, and thought to himself that he had absented himself for rather a long time from his home and foster-parents, who must be growing anxious about him. So he determined to quit the place at the earliest opportunity, taking with him the kambals, which he intended presenting to the king. So he one day told the girl of his intention. The girl, however, said: 'You have killed my father, and now wish to go away, leaving me alone! What can I do here all by myself? Under whose protection shall I live? Take me with you, and we will be husband and wife, and live together happily.'
