received, and learnt that the Rakshasas' lives were in a lemon and the Ogress Queen's in a bird. He cut the lemon and thus killed all the Rakshasas, brought back the blind Queens' eyes, and killed the bird, and with it the Ogress Queen.

In Folk-Tales of Hindustan, Allahabad (Shaik Chilli), p. 105, the seven Queens were thrown into a large dry well; it is not stated that their eyes were plucked out. The seventh boy got his grandfather, a carpenter, to make him a wooden flying horse. He was sent for singing-water, magic rice, and news of the Rakshasa Queen's relatives. He met a lion, a wolf, and various other savage animals, which he appeased by addressing them as "Uncle," Cousin," etc. A kind Yogi changed his letter, and he was welcomed by the Rākshasas, whose lives he learnt were in a number of birds. These he killed, taking back a pea-hen in which lay the life of the Ogress Queen, as well as the magic water and rice. Each of the animals sent a cub with him, and on his return these performed a dance, at the end of which he killed the pea-hen and the Ogress died. The persons who had been eaten by the Ogress revived when the magic water was sprinkled on their bones. The magic rice plant, called Vanaspati, grew into a tree forty yards high, and bore cooked rice.

In Folk-Tales of Kashmir (Knowles), 2nd ed., p. 43, the seven Queens' eyes were put out, and they were thrown into a large dry well. The seventh boy was sent for the milk of a tigress, and then to the grandparents of the Ogress Queen. A friendly Fakir having altered the messages, he was well received, got medicine that cured the blind Queens' eyes, and also killed the birds and smashed a spinning-wheel in which were the lives of the Ogress Queen and her relatives.

At p. 446, also, the eyes of a Queen which had been plucked out were replaced and healed.

A variant of the Western Province of Ceylon, in which there were twelve Queens, whose sight was not regained, however, has been given already. See No. 24.

IN

No. 49

Mr. Janel Siñña

N a certain city there are a King and a Queen, it is said. There are six Princes. The youngest Prince of the six plays with (lit. beats) the ashes on the ash-heap at the corner of the hearth; the other five Princes are doing work, and going on journeys together.

The King said at the hands of the Queen that he must behead the Prince who was [idling] on the ash-heap. Then the Queen said, "What is the use of beheading him? Let us send the Prince whom we do not want to any place where he likes to go."

Having come to the Prince, the Queen says, "Son, the King says that he must behead you; on that account go away to any place you like."

Then the Prince said, "If so, give me a bundle of cooked rice, and a thousand masuran, in order to go and trade." So the Queen gave him a package of cooked rice and a thousand masuran.

The Prince took the masuran and the package of cooked rice, and having gone on and on, when he was coming to a travellers' shed [saw that] a man was taking a brown Monkey,1 in order to throw it into the river. This Prince called the man, and the man thereupon brought the Monkey and came to the travellers' shed.

The Prince asked, "Where are you taking that Monkey?" The man said, "I am taking this to sell."

The Prince asked, "For how much will you give it?" The man said he would give it for a thousand masuran. The Prince gave the thousand masuran that were in his

1 Macacus pileatus.

hands, and got the Monkey, and that man having taken the thousand masuran went away.

The Prince having unfastened the package of cooked rice, and given some to the Monkey also, and the Prince himself having eaten, took the Monkey and came back to the very city of the King. When he came there the King was not at the palace; only the Queen was there. The Queen asked, What sort of goods have you brought?"

The Prince says, "Mother, having given that thousand masuran I have brought a Monkey."

Then the Queen says, "Ane! Son, should the King and the rest of them get to know that, he will behead you and behead me. As you have taken that Monkey put it away somewhere."

So the Prince took the Monkey and put it in a rock cave in the jungle, and shutting the door came to the palace. While he was there the King saw him, and having seen him, called the Queen and said, "I shall not allow that one to stay in my palace for even a pãēya (twenty minutes). I shall behead him to-morrow."

Afterwards the Queen came to the Prince and said, “ Son, the King says he must behead you to-morrow, therefore go to any place you like, and do not come back."

The Prince said, "Give me a package of rice, and a thousand masuran."

where the Monkey

Having gone

Afterwards the Queen having cooked a package of rice gave him it, and a thousand masuran. The Prince taking them, and having gone to the rock cave was, took it and went to [another] city. At that city he ate the package of rice at the travellers' shed, and having gone to the hearth the Prince slept on the ash-heap. The Monkey went away to dance in cities. and danced, collecting requisite articles, he came back to the place where the Prince was, and the Prince cooked some of the things he brought, and gave him to eat. The Monkey goes every day to dance; and having danced, the Prince and Monkey, both of them, eat the things he brings. In that way the Monkey brings things every day.

One day, the Monkey having gone to a city and danced,

fell down at the palace at that city. Then the King came and asked, "What is it, Monkey? Why have you fallen down there?"

The Monkey says, "I have come to beg and take the measure1 in which masuran are measured."

Afterwards the King gave him the measure for measuring masuran. The monkey having taken it and having been absent for as much as a month, brought the measure back.

Then the King asked, “What is this, Monkey, that having taken the measure thou hast been such a time [in returning it]?"

The Monkey says, "For just so much time I measured masuran."

The King asked, “Having measured them did you finish?” Then the Monkey said, "Andō! Could it be finished? Not even a quarter was finished."

The King said, "Aha!" and was silent.

The Monkey that day also having danced in that city, the King gave him many presents. Taking them, and stealing a cloth from a field where clothes were spread out [to dry], while he was coming a man having met him in the road asked the Monkey, "Monkey, to whom dost thou give the articles that thou art taking every day?"

The Monkey says, "I give them to our Mr. Janel Siññā. I am supporting that gentleman.”

The Monkey having gone to the place where the Prince was, says, “Here is a cloth. It is good for the gentleman, is it not?" and he showed him the cloth which he had stolen. The Prince threw it aside, and said, "This cloth which I have is enough."

"

Next day the Monkey having come to that city and danced, lay down on the lawn of the palace. Then the King asked, "What is it, Monkey, that you have fallen down there for?"

Then the Monkey says, “Our Mr. Janel Siññā burnt his cloth while drinking. I have come to ask you to cause the cloth to be woven for him [anew]."

The King said, "If so, bring it.”

Afterwards the Monkey having gone to the place where the

i Beräē.

Prince was, brought a thin cloth and gave it to the King. Afterwards the King caused one to be woven, and gave it to him.

Then the Monkey says at the hand of the King, "You ought to marry your Princess to our Mr. Janel Siññā.” The King said, "Ha. It is very good."

The Monkey, begging two copper pots,1 went away, and having gone, heated water in the two copper pots, and having made the Prince bathe, said to the Prince, "Do not eat largely of the sorts [of food] after I have cooked and given [the food] to you [at the palace]. I have asked for a [Princess in] marriage for you after I went there."

Afterwards the Monkey, summoning the Prince also, went to the palace of the King of that city. Having gone there, and prepared a seat at the King's table, and made ready the food, after the Prince sat down to the food seven Princesses themselves began to divide [and serve] it.

Then that Prince began to eat very plentifully. The Monkey having come and nudged him with his finger, said, "You have eaten enough." Taking no notice of it, the Prince went on eating. Having eaten that, he shaped his hand [into a cup] and reversing it there [when full], ate in

excess.

Then the King asked the Monkey, "What, Monkey, is [the reason of] that?"

The Monkey said, "Our Mr. Janel Siññā having been overheated [by his bath] could not eat. Through that indeed it has befallen that he has lost his senses.' That also the King kept in mind.

Then the Prince and the King's eldest daughter were married.

After that, the Monkey said that he wanted a thousand bill-hooks, and a thousand digging-hoes, and a thousand axes, and a thousand people. The King gave him a thousand bill-hooks, and a thousand digging-hoes, and a thousand axes, and a thousand people. [With these the royal party set off to deliver the Princess at the Prince's palace.] Afterwards, having given the tools to those people, the 1 Haeliya.