Page:Folk-lore - A Quarterly Review. Volume 4, 1893.djvu/301

 Rh put any fine you like on me as well, but do not let news of it get about."

So Naina Bai's father-in-law gave him a fine of two thousand rupees, as well as Naina Bai herself, and the goatherd accepted it.

They set out from the town, taking Naina Bai with them, and at night they made a halt. In the night the goatherd had a dream, and in the dream he saw that a snake would bite his brother the prince, and he would die; and if he escaped that, then he would drink some curds and would die, for the curds were poisoned; and if he escaped the poison, and arrived at his home, he would die there, for a snake would bite him the first night; and if he was saved from that, the man who saved him would become a stone for a year. And he might be restored to life in this way: a son would be born to the prince and Naina Bai; if they were to bring their son and slay him on the stone, and sprinkle the stone with his blood, it would become a living man.

Next morning they started on their way, and saw a leather thong (used as a whip) lying on the ground. The goatherd told the prince to go on while he picked it up. He got down and saw it was a snake, and killed it. They went on, and a woman came up bearing a bowl of curds, and the prince bought it and said he would drink it; but the goatherd said, "My lord, let me carry it; let us go a little further, and then drink it." He took up the bowl, and then threw it down and broke it. The prince said, "Why did you break it?" But he said, "It slipped out of my hands," Riding on, they came to the prince's town, and in the evening he arrived at his home, and the goatherd said, "I made a vow that when we arrived at the town, I myself would keep watch over you the first night." So the prince and Naina Bai lay down to sleep, and the goatherd mounted guard over them. Towards midnight he saw a black snake come crawling along towards the prince; he struck it with his sword and killed it. A drop