________________
166
JAINA STORIES
"My dear friend I This heretic was no stranger to thee. How then did ye step into his trap ?".
The minister's son-"Prince I Since you disappeared, we bad a very anxious time Searches were made everywhere and in all directions, but without result Then the family, dcny was propitiated and we had it from her that you were sasc and would soon return home with great laurels. Now, as I was out to hear the talk of the town about you, this scoundrel caught me and brought me here.
As the two were having a tete-a-tete, there appeared a colossal elephant With its stout trunk, it picked up the two on its back and flew away The two were placed outside a deseried city. The elephant then disappeared. Leaving the minister's son outside the city, the prince moved in. There hc met a man-lion wbo had the face of a human being but the body of a lion He held a beautiful man between his teeth, and the man was bitterly weeping When the prince ashed the animal to release the man, the animal said,
"I am very hungry for a long time. After a long gap, I have my food How can I let it go 78
The prince--"It appears to me, my dear fellow, that you have a fluid (vorhriza) body. I wonder how it (the body) takes a human being as its food !"
The man-lion-"You are right, sır. But he is my inveicrasc cnemy from the previous birth, How do you think cin 1 release bun? I vill kill him and that alone will pacify my anger"
The princc fricd utmost persuasion, but when that failed, be applied force. He rescued the man from the animal's mouth, and but the animal so severely that he fied for life
Now, with the same vehemence, he reached the palace, There he was icry cordially received by several waitresses. One sreduced a 37 full of purc water, another washed the prince's fort, a thurd desired to take him to bath, a fourth clered lum food and a firth decorated him in costly robes and ornaments The prince silently obliged all. Just then a drro come, and, on a point of erquiry from the price, made the follosing observation
