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THE INDIAN ANTIQUABY..
[FEBRUARY, 1903.
At this juncture, the Cucumber asked to be left on the ground. The prince did as he was desired, and the Cucumber drove the cattle home.
When the Rakshashi knew of this, she took the new-born infant in her arms and at once rushed upon the prince to swallow him up, but the Cucumber made him climb up a palmyratree close by. The Rakshashî pat her infant to sleep on the ground, and began to climb up also. The Cucumber then pinched the infant and it cried ont and down came the Rakshashi and pacified the infant. She then climbed half way up the tree again, when the Cucumber again repeated the pinch with the same result. This the Cucumber did three times, and then, thinking to itself that the Rakshashi seemed to never get tired, had recourse to another stratagem. It climbed the tree unknown to the Rakshashi before she began, and stuck two pointed thistles into the tree about half-way up. The Rakshashi's eyes ran into them and became blinded. This brought her down off the tree with immense force and she was killed. The Cucumber then killed her child, and, all fear being vanished, the prince started for his home taking the Cucumber with him. His father was very glad to receive him and the cattle, and revoked the order for the prince's execution.
Now the prince kept his life-preserver the Cucumber in a pot very safely, He used to enquire after its welfare every morning and evening with a shout of Brother,' and used to receive a reply of Yes, brother. This continued for some time, till one day his household complained of having no curry for the night. Whereupon the prince's sisters said, "There's a cucumber in the pot; make it into a pickle." As soon as the Cucumber was out open, the whole house was turned into blood.
The prince, on his return home that evening, shouted as nsual for his brother the Cucum. ber, and, receiving no reply, went up to the pot and saw that there was no Cucumber in it, apon which he ran at once to his mother and asked where the Cucumber was.
"I took it from the pot, and when I cut it open to make pioklo with it, the house and all was turned into blood."
"My life-preserver is gone, why should I live," howled the prinoe and committed suicide. The parents followed suit for grief at the loss of their son, and the cattle also, bemoaning the 1oss they had sustained by the death of their protector, ate a poisonous herb and died also.
No. 20. - The Legend of Ganséa. Sarasvati, the Goddess of Learning, was & most beautiful woman: short of stature, with a round golden face, a curved nose, lustrous eyes, a small sweet mouth, soft, small lily-white hands and symmetrical limbs, ringlets of jet-black glossy hair ; a very parrot among women.
She had a son named Gandba. One day her busband Brahma said to him: “My son, would you like to marry ?” "Yes, father," replied Ganesa. " What would your wife to be like "
As beautiful as my mother," replied Ganesa.
Whereupon the father's anger knew no bounds, and laying hold of a hatchet that was hard by he cat off his son's head.
When Sarasvati came to know what had happened, she at once ran in wild confusion to the spot whero her son's body was lying weltering in blood. But she could not find the head. She chanced to see an elephant passing by, and immediately a wild thought crossed her bewildered brain. She dashed for the animal and lopped off its head, and fastened it on to Ganesn's body and prayed to her lord to bring their son to life.
