owherd to ask him for her dead child. The cowherd gave him to
her, and she took him to the tank. Harchand Maharaja was sitting by
the tank, and when Hirali Maharani saw him she said, "I know that man
is my husband, so he will not take any money for throwing his child
into the water." So she went up to him and said, "Will you throw this
child into the tank for me?" "Yes, I will," said Harchand Maharaja;
"only first give me eight annas." "You surely won't take any money for
throwing your own son into the tank?" said the Maharani. "You must pay
me," said Harchand Maharaja, "for I must obey the dom's orders. If you
have no money, give me a piece of cloth." So the Maharani tore off a
great piece of her sari and gave it him, and the Maharaja took his son
and threw him into the tank. As he threw him in he cried out to the
king of the fishes, who was an alligator, "Take great care of this
body." The king of fishes said, "I will." Then the Maharani went back
to the merchant.

And the Maharaja caught a fish, and cooked it, and laid it by the
tank, saying, "I will go and bathe and then I will eat it." So he took
off his clothes and went into the tank to bathe, and when he had
bathed he put on fresh clothes, and as he took hold of his fish to eat
it, it slipped back alive into the water, although it had been dead
and cooked. The Maharaja sat down by the tank again, very sad. He
said, "For twelve years I have found it hard to get anything to eat;
how long will God keep me without food?" God was very pleased with
Harchand for being so patient, for he had never complained.

Some days later God came down to earth in the shape of a man, and with
him he took an angel to be his Wazir. The Wazir said to God, "Come
this way and let us see who it is sitting by the tank." "No," said
God, "I am too tired, I can go no further." "Do come," said the Wazir;
"I want so much to go." God said, "Well, let us go." Then they walked
on till they came to the place where Harchand Maharaja was sitting,
and God said to him, "Would you like to have your wife, and your son,
and your kingdom back again?" "Yes, I should," said the Maharaja; "but
how can I get them?" "Tell me truly," said God, "would you like to
have your kingdom back again?" "Indeed I should," said the Maharaja.
Then Manikchand's body, which had never sunk to the bottom of the tank
like the other bodies, but had always floated on the water, rose up
out of the water, and Manikchand was alive onc