limbed to the edge of the nest. Then, very
far away on the horizon, she saw a thin curl of blue smoke. So she let
herself down from the tree, and all day long she walked in the
direction whence the smoke came. Toward evening she reached the place,
and found it rose from a small hut in which sat an old woman warming
her hands over a fire. Now, though Surya Bai did not know it, she had
reached the Rakshas's country, and this old woman was none other than
a wicked old Rakshas, who lived with her son in the little hut. The
young Rakshas, however, had gone out for the day. When the old Rakshas
saw Surya Bai, she was much astonished, for the girl was beautiful as
the sun, and her rich dress resplendent with jewels; and she said to
herself, "How lovely this child is; what a dainty morsel she would be!
Oh, if my son were only here we would kill her, and boil her, and eat
her. I will try and detain her till his return."

Then, turning to Surya Bai, she said, "Who are you, and what do you
want?"

Surya Bai answered, "I am the daughter of the great Eagles, but they
have gone a far journey, to fetch me a diamond ring, and the fire has
died out in the nest. Give me, I pray you, a little from your
hearth."

The Rakshas replied, "You shall certainly have some, only first pound
this rice for me, for I am old, and have no daughter to help me."

Then Surya Bai pounded the rice, but the young Rakshas had not
returned by the time she had finished; so the old Rakshas said to her,
"If you are kind, grind this corn for me, for it is hard work for my
old hands."

Then she ground the corn, but still the young Rakshas came not; and
the old Rakshas said to her, "Sweep the house for me first, and then I
will give you the fire."

So Surya Bai swept the house; but still the young Rakshas did not
come.

Then his mother said to Surya Bai, "Why should you be in such a hurry
to go home? Fetch me some water from the well, and then you shall have
the fire."

And she fetched the water. When she had done so, Surya Bai said, "I
have done all your bidding, now give me the fire, or I will go
elsewhere and seek it."

The old Rakshas was grieved because her son had not returned home; but
she saw she could detain Surya Bai no longer, so she said, "Take the
fire and go in peace; take also some parched corn, and scatter it
along the road as you go, so as to make a pretty little pathway from
our house to yours"--and so saying, she gave Surya Bai several