Page:Wonder Tales from Tibet.djvu/70

42 got down from his horse and stood looking at it for a long time in silence. Then he turned to Ananda and said, "You have burnt my bird form, my perch and my cage, have you not?"

"Yes," replied Ananda, beginning to cry, "but I did it that you might keep your man form forever, my dear husband."

"In burning my feathers," he continued, "you have burnt my soul, and now I shall be taken from you, and we can never see each other again."

"No! no! don't say that!" cried Ananda wildly. "If through my fault you have lost your soul, surely I can win it back for you! I cannot, cannot lose you now that I have got you in your own true form!"

The White Bird Prince looked upon her kindly, but there was little hope in his face as he spoke.

"Because you have burnt my soul, to-night there will come a throng of good and evil spirits who will fight for me, and at the end of seven days and seven nights the