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122 up, he saw on it the true likeness of Kanchan, as he had seen her in his dream. The malini at this tore her hair, and her niece fell in a swoon.

Kanchan had seven sisters, as dancing girls at Indra's court, and by the falling of the bells that tinkled at their ankles they knew that their sister on earth was in danger. They at once made their chariot ready, and driving downwards to where Kanchan was struggling with the waves, they rescued her, and placing her on the chariot, drove it through the air. Rup at that time saw his folly, and reproaching himself for having allowed himself to be so duped by the malini, stretched out his hands in the hope of catching Kanchan's garment; and failing to do so, he fell insensible.

How long the fit lasted we cannot say. But when Ruplal came to, it seemed to him as if a hundred years had passed over his head. His hair was grey, his skin shrivelled and his body shivering with infirmity. In this state he returned home and consulted holy men and astrologers as to the religious ceremonies to be gone through and the sacrifices to be offered for the recovery of his health. They told him that the cause of his disease was a look of displeasure cast on him by one of the beauties of heaven, and that the only chance of his becoming his former self was to find some one who loved him so much that, fasting for a whole day, she would imprint kiss after kiss on the whole of his diseased body. They said also that the person doing so would immediately afterwards be transformed into a palmyra tree. Now the question was, who would do so much for him, at so great a sacrifice. Ruplal went to his mother and said, "Mother, I am your son, and who can love me more than you? Take off my disease and when you will be turned into a palmyra tree, I will place sheets of gold round its foot."

But Rup's mother replied, "Alas, son! it is your duty, now in my old age, to help me to make pilgrimages. Instead of that you want me to be a palmyra tree. This is what I never expected of you."