Page:Tales of the Punjab.pdf/119

Rh pond, guarded by the eighteen thousand demons.They were really frightful to behold, but, plucking up courage, he whistled a tune as he walked through them, looking neither to the right nor the left.By and by he came upon the Jogi's cow, tall, white, and beautiful, while the Jogi himself, who was king of all the demons, sat milking her day and night, and the milk streamed from her udder, ﬁlling the milk-white tank.

The Jôgi, seeing the lad, called out ﬁercely, 'What do you want here?'

Then the lad answered, according to the old hag's bidding, 'I want you skin, for King Indra is making a new kettledrum, and says your skin is nice and tough.'

Upon this the Jogi began to shiver and shake (for no Jinn or Jôgi dares disobey King Indra's command), and, falling at the lad's feet, cried, 'If you will Spare me I will give you anything I possess, even my beautiful white cow!'

To this, the son of seven mothers, after a little pretended hesitation, agreed, saying that after all it would not be difﬁcult to ﬁnd a nice tough skin like the Jôgi's elsewhere; so, driving the wonderful cow before him, he set off homewards.The seven Queens were delighted to possess so marvellous an animal, and though they toiled from morning till night making curds and whey, besides selling milk to the confectioners, they could not use half the cow gave, and became richer and richer day by day.

Seeing them so comfortably off, the son of seven mothers started with a light heart to marry the Princess; but when passing the white hind's palace he