a distant part of his
dominions, but fearing his high-born wives might ill-use Guzra Bai in
his absence, at parting he gave her a little golden bell, saying, "If
while I am away you are in any trouble, or any one should be unkind to
you, ring this little bell, and wherever I am I shall instantly hear
it, and will return to your aid."

No sooner had the Rajah gone, than Guzra Bai thought she would try the
power of the bell. So she rang it.

The Rajah instantly appeared. "What do you want?" he said.

"Oh, nothing," she replied. "I was foolish. I could hardly believe
what you told me could be true, and thought I would try."

"Now you will believe, I hope," he said, and went away. A second time
she rang the bell. Again the Rajah returned.

"Oh, pardon me, husband," she said; "it was wrong of me not to trust
you, but I hardly thought you could return again from so far."

And again he went away. A third time she rang the golden bell. "Why do
you ring again, Guzra Bai?" asked the Rajah sternly, as for a third
time he returned.

"I don't know, indeed; indeed I beg your pardon," she said; "but I
know not why, I felt so frightened."

"Have any of the Ranees been unkind to you?" he asked.

"No, none," she answered; "in fact, I have seen none of them."

"You are a silly child," said he, stroking her hair. "Affairs of the
state call me away. You must try and keep a good heart till my
return;" and for the fourth time he disappeared.

A little while after this, wonderful to relate, Guzra Bai had a
hundred and one children--a hundred boys and one girl. When the Ranees
heard this, they said to each other, "Guzra Bai, the Malee's daughter,
will rank higher than us; she will have great power and influence as
mother to the heir to the Raj; let us kill these children, and tell
our husband that she is a sorceress; then will he love her no longer,
and his old affection for us will return." So these twelve wicked
Ranees all went over to Guzra Bai's house. When Guzra Bai saw them
coming, she feared they meant to do her some harm, so she seized her
little golden bell, and rang, and rang, and rang--but no Rajah came.
She had called him back so often that he did not believe she really
needed his help. And thus the poor woman was left to the mercy of her
implacable enemies.

Now the nurse who had charge of the hundred and one babies was an old
servant of the twelve Ranees, and moreover a very wicked woman, able
and willing to do what