ild for being so beautiful, by shutting her up as he did. It
so happened that the very first night she was on guard, Putraka had
flown a very, very long way, not noticing where he was going, because
he was thinking so earnestly of Patala. When at last he flew in at
her window, he was so weary that he sank down on a couch and fell
fast asleep. The princess too was tired, because she had lain awake
talking to her lover so many nights running that she had had hardly
any rest. So when the lady peeped through the slit in the tapestry,
there, by the light of the night lamp, she saw the young king lying
unconscious, whilst the princess also was asleep.

Very cautiously the attendant crept to the side of Putraka, and took a
long, long look at him. She noticed how handsome he was, and that he
was dressed in beautiful clothes. She especially remarked the turban
he wore, because in India the rank to which men belong is shown by
the kind of turbans they wear. "This is no common man," she thought,
"but a prince or king in disguise. What shall I do now? I will not
raise an alarm which might lead to this beautiful young lover being
killed and the heart of my dear mistress broken."

27. If you had been the lady who found Putraka in Patala's room,
what would you have done?

28. What could Putraka have done to guard against being discovered?

CHAPTER XV

After hesitating a long time, the lady made up her mind that she would
only put some mark in the turban of Putraka, so that he could be known
again, and let him escape that night at least. So she stole back to
her room, fetched a tiny, brooch, and fastened it in the folds of the
turban, where the wearer was not likely to notice it himself. This
done, she went back to listen at the door.

It was nearly morning when Putraka woke up, very much surprised at
finding himself lying on the couch, for he did not remember throwing
himself down on it. Starting up, he woke Patala, who was terribly
frightened, for she expected her ladies to come in any minute to help
her to dress. She entreated Putraka to make himself invisible and fly
away at once. He did so; and, as usual, wandered about until the time
should come to go back to the palace. But he still felt too tired to
fly, and instead walked about in the town belonging to Patala's father.

The lady who had been on guard had half a mind to tell her mistress
that her secret was discovered. But before she could get a chance to
do so, she