Page:Folk-lore - A Quarterly Review. Volume 14, 1903.djvu/432

390 "That is true, and you are my grandson." Then Indra Bangsāwan told him how he had set out to seek the musical reed, and the magician promised to help him, and meantime he desired him to go and refresh himself with a bath after his journey, and sent four beautiful maidens who bathed him and anointed him with sweet unguents. After dinner the magician told him that there was in the country of Anta Branta, nigh at hand, a city named Anta Permana, which was under the power of a Griffin, to whom the king and queen had to pay tribute, this being that whenever they had a child it was to be given over to the griffin. "And now," added the magician, "I hear that the king has a daughter very fair to look upon, and that according to agreement she must be given up tothe griffin, and nine rajas' sons have come to guard her, of whom one is to be betrothed to her, whoever rescues her from the griffin;" and he added that the griffin had seven snouts and seven eyes, and that whoever killed him must take them to the king, otherwise the princess would not be his.

The magician moreover counselled Indra Bangsāwan to go and help the king, for the death of the griffin was fated to be under his hand. The magician then gave him two gifts to aid him—a magic dress which could change him into any shape he desired; and a talismanic sign that he taught him, by the use of which he might be transported wherever he desired.

Thus equipped, Indra Bangsāwan took leave of his grandfather and put on the magic dress. Then he wished to be transported to the city of Anta Permana, and in an instant he was close to it. Then, changing himself into the appearance of a country lad from the woods, he made his way into the palace, where the king, liking his looks, gave him to the princess for a playfellow. And the princess grew very fond of him, and made him take charge of her goats, and in this way he took the goats to pasture during the day, and slept at night at the princess's feet.

Now after a time the princess contracted a disease of the eyes,