Page:Folk-lore - A Quarterly Review. Volume 13, 1902.djvu/93

 Collectanea. 8 1

So the girl was brought to the palace, and wedded with the same ceremonies as her sister, and on the bridal night she was placed in the cage of the Tiger Prince. When he saw her, he sprang upon her to rend her, but she put the garland on his neck, and sprinkled the sand and water over him, and behold ! he was turned into a young man, and they enjoyed each other's society till the morning. Then the King and Queen came to visit them, and were amazed when they saw a young man in place of the Tiger Prince. " Do you want your Pidi Raja ? " the bride asked ; and turned him into a tiger again, and then again restored him to human form. His parents were overwhelmed with joy, and the pair lived happily for many days.

By-and-by the Princess became with child, and her girl-cousin, who envied her, came to Puli Raja and said, " Her mother desires to see her ; let me take her to our own people." He gave his consent, and the two girls set out together. On the way they came to a well, and the cousin proposed that they should look at their reflections in the water, " I am not beautiful, as you are," said she, " but let me put on your jewels, and let us look again, and you will see what a difference that makes." The Princess gave her the jewels, but when she came to the brink of the well to look again, the cousin pushed her in.

Now there lived an old snake in this well, who was then afflicted with a great boil just on his hood, and who suffered greatly. When the Princess fell in, she dropped just on the neck of the snake ; the boil burst and he was cured. In his joy the snake dived with her down, down through the water, till they came to Nagaloka, the snake kingdom beneath the earth. He took her to his wife. " This is our daughter, who has healed me of my painful disease. Tend her well and treat her with honour." So the Princess remained in the under-world with the snakes, and there in due time she gave birth to a son.

But the cousin went to the Tiger Prince and pretended to be his wife. " How can this be? " said Puli Raja to himself. " My wife was ruddy and beautiful, not like this one." But at last, though with great misgivings, he accepted her as his wife, and in course of time she also bore him a son.

Some time passed by, and one day a bangle-merchant went past the well, crying, " Bangles ! lacquered bangles ! glass bangles I who wants bangles ? " Then the Princess called to him out of

VOL. XITI. G