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JAINA STORIES
felt that since the princess was involved the matter should bave been hushed up, instead of being given this much public exposure Now, on bis way to the exccution ground, as the prince reached ncar the gardener's house, he said to the executioner,
"Look here, my good fellow, my family diety is epshirined here Since these are my last moments on this earth, if you permit me, I may say my last prayer."
This was a very pormal request and the executioner agreed The prince came inside the house, made ready his ho.se and soon he was in the sky He came straight to the priocess' chamber, took her with bim and was in the sky again They landed near the sea-shore By this time, the prince was very hungry So the princess said,
'My dear | You stay here Let me return to my chamber on horse-back and get you some sweets I shall be back in a moment"
Man proposes, but destiny proposes otherwise. The princess placed the horse at the window and went in to collect some sweets When she returned, she found the horse dashed against the ground by a gust of wiod and broken into pieces Now she koety not how to get back to the prioce She started weeping and blaming her ill-luck
When the princess returned not for a very long time, the pripce became anxious on her score Restlessly he was paciog on the sea shore This attracted the notice of a Vidyadhara princess, who was flying overhead in search of her husband She came down at once and off ered to help the prince the prince asked her who she was wherefrom she came and whither was she going In revealing er identity, the lady said that she was the queeo of Vidyadharo Manichuda of the Baitadhya hills Since her husband had been stolen by bis adversaries, she was out to rescue him from their hands
The prince accepted the offer The lady was, however, charmed at the prince's beauty and madliness and made lusty overtures But the prince, bound by the vow of restricted
