ole; how six of the Ranis had eaten their children; how his mother
had not had the heart to eat him; how he had got his seven mothers'
eyes from the Rakshas-grannie; and lastly, how he had married Sonahri
Rani. Then the Raja ordered seven litters for his seven Ranis, and a
beautiful litter with rich cloth for Sonahri Rani. The Raja and his
Wazir and his attendants, and his son, all went with the litters to
Hiralal's house; and when the Raja saw Sonahri Rani he fell flat on
his face, he was so struck by her beauty. For she had a fair, fair
skin, rosy cheeks, blue eyes, rosy lips, golden eyelashes, and golden
eyebrows, and golden hair. When she combed her hair, she used to put
the hair she combed out in paper and to lay the paper on the river,
and it floated down to where the poor people caught it, and sold it,
and got heaps of money for it. Her sari was of gold, her shoes were of
gold, for God loved her dearly. Then the Raja rose and embraced all
his wives and Sonahri Rani, and the seven Ranis walked into the seven
litters; but Sonahri Rani was carried to hers, for fear she should
soil her feet, or get hurt. Then Manikbasa Raja gave Hiralal's house
to his Wazir, while his seven Ranis and Hiralal and Sonahri Rani lived
with him in his palace. And they lived happily for ever after.

Told by Dunkni at Simla, 26th July and 1st August, 1876.

FOOTNOTE:

[2] A long piece of stuff which Hindu women wind round the body
as a petticoat, passing one end over the head, like a veil.

[Decoration]

XII.

THE MAN WHO WENT TO SEEK HIS FATE.

Once there was a very poor man who had a wife and twelve children, and
not a single rupee. The poor children used to cry with hunger, and the
man and his wife did not know what to do. At last he got furious with
God and said, "How wicked God is! He gives me a great many children,
but no money." So he set out to find his fate. In the jungle he met a
camel with two heavy sacks of gold on its back. This camel belonged to
a Raja, and once it was travelling with other camels and with the
Raja's servants to another country, and carrying the sacks of gold.
Every night they encamped and started again early in the morning; but
one morning the servants forgot to take this camel with them, and the
camel forgot the road home, and the sacks were too tightly strapped
for it to get rid of them. So it wandered about the jungle with the
sacks on its back for twelve years. The camel asked