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APRIL, 1897.] FOLKLORE IN THE CENTRAL PROVINCES ; No. 7.
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actually belonged to the boy, the king pat it in a tray along with other precious gems, and told the tiny owner to distinguish it from the others,
“You are a king, and hence can distinguish precious stones. I can, too!” Saying thas the boy went to the tray, and picked out his lál (ruby), exclaiming at the same time that he would fill a tank with such lúls in six months, if the king would fill a similar tank with pearls. This wager was accepted by the king.
Having received his dole, the young prince returned to his mother's hut, and on giving · it to her, told of the wager. She was exceedingly sorry, and reproached herself for having, in
an evil hour, put the ruby in the boy's loin-cloth. But no persuasion could deter the young prince from going in search of Ills in accordance with the wager laid,
Accordingly he started, and in the first stage of his journey slept anderneath a tree having first killed with his sword a huge snake which, on his arrival, was in the act of ranning up the tree.
Now on one of the top-most branches of the tree was the nest of a pair of white crows. These birds had lost their offspring from year to year, and the mother-bird returning home that day with food for the last hatched brood, saw the young man sound asleep underneath the tree, and, taking him to be the enemy who had purloined her progeny year after year, was on the point of killing him, when the young ones, who had been eye-witnesses of the snake incident, prayed to God for speech for one moment. Their prayer was granted, and they told their inother how much they owed to the youth for having snatched them from the jaws of death.
Pleased with the young prince, the hen-bird and her mate, who had also returned in time to hear the story, treated him with every mark of kindness, and lovingly asked him his errand. As soon as they knew that he was in search of láls, they promised to take him to Lalan, Princess of Rubies, who, though not accessible to man, could alone, they said, give him the precious gems he was in quest of.
As promised, the female bird took the young prince on her wings, and set him down in the palace of Lalan in far off land, the male bird shading him from the rays of the sun with its wings all the way. On taking leave of the saviour of their progeny, the birds gave himn & feather and spoke thus: -
“If you are in need of our service at any time, just turn this feather over a fire for a few seconds, having first put a little frankincense into the fire, and theu we shall be present, and do your bidding."
The princess who was in a cage transformed into a bird, on seeing the prince, the first human being who had ever arrived at the palace, at once exclaimed: - "Oh, what have you done, young man? Why did you come here? You must thank your good fortune in not finding the ogro here at this moment, or else he would have made a meal of you."
Hardly were the words uttered, when the young man was turned into a fly and put on the wall, and immediately appeared the ogre in a great rage exclaiming: -
"I smell a man, I smell a man."
"Do not be disquieted, father. There was no one here in your absence, and you see me as you left me in the cage," replied the bird from the cage."
• There are puna here on the PersoHindi terms 1l and la'l red, ruby, also darling, and Vilin, dim of tai i. e., a little darling, a boy, but it could also be made to mean a possessor of rabios. Lalin is masc., but the com. moner form Ulan is fom, and is usually used towards courtesaus. 5 La'all: Arab. plu. of lala : another pun.
For the pun here see above note. 7 Manus gun, manus gun, is the vernacular expression.
