Page:The jade story book; stories from the Orient (IA jadestorybooksto00cous).pdf/46



upon a time there was a Rajah who had seven daughters. They were all good, beautiful and clever girls, but especially so was the youngest, whose name was Balna. The Rajah's wife died when they were very little children, so these seven Princesses grew up without having a loving mother to watch over and care for them.

As soon as they were old enough, the Rajah's daughters took turns every day to cook their father's dinner, while he was busily engaged with his ministers in directing the affairs of his country.

About this time the Prime Minister died, leaving a widow and one daughter, and every day, when the Princesses were getting the Rajah's dinner ready, the widow and her daughter would come and beg for some fire from the hearth. Balna would say to her sisters: "Let us send that woman away; why