Page:Tales of the Punjab.pdf/136

114 the bank, very much astonished at the marvellous sight.

Some months passed by without further news of the crocodiles.The farmer's wife wept because she had lost her daughter, declaring that the girl was really drowned and her husband's fine story about the stream dividing was a mere invention.

Now when the King of the crocodiles was on the point of leaving with his bride, he had given a piece of brick to her father, with these words: 'If ever you want to see your daughter, go down to the river, throw this brick as far as you can into the stream, and you will see what you will see!'

Remembering this, the farmer said to his wife, 'Since you are so distressed, I will go myself and see if my daughter be alive or dead,'

Then he want to the river bank, taking the brick, and threw it even so far into the stream.Immediately the waters rolled back from before his feet, leaving a dry path to the bottom of the river.It looked so inviting, spread with clean sand, and bordered by flowers, that the farmer hastened along it without the least hesitation, until he came to a magnificent palace, with a golden roof, and shining, glittering diamond walls.Lofty trees and gay gardens surrounded it, and a sentry paced up and down before the gateway.

'Whose palace is this?' asked the farmer of the sentry, who replied that it belonged to the King of the Crocodiles.

'My daughter has at least a splendid house to live in!' thought the farmer; 'I only wish her husband were half as handsome!'