"You were ordered to kill me, so kill me."
"No," they answered, "we cannot kill you, we cannot kill you."

Then the girl took the knife in her own hand and cut out her two eyes;
and one eye became a parrot, and the other a _maina_. Then she cut out
her heart and it became a great tank. Her body became a splendid
palace and garden--a far grander palace than was the King's palace;
her arms and legs became the pillars that supported the verandah roof;
and her head the dome on the top of the palace.

The prince's servants looked on all the time these changes were taking
place, and they were so frightened by them, that when they got home
they would not tell the prince or any one else what they had seen. No
one lived in this wonderful house. It stood empty in its garden by its
tank, and the parrot and _maina_ lived in the garden trees.

Some time afterwards the youngest prince went out hunting, and towards
evening he found himself on the great plain where stood the wonderful
palace. He rode up to it and said to himself, "I never saw any house
here before. I wonder who lives here?" He went through the great gate
into the garden, and then he saw the large tank, and how beautiful the
garden was. He went all through the garden and was delighted with it,
and he saw that it was beautifully kept, and was in perfect order.
Then he went into the palace, and went through all the rooms, and
wondered more and more to whom this beautiful house could belong. He
was very much surprised, too, at finding no one in the palace, though
the rooms were all splendidly furnished, and very clean and neat.

"My father is a great king," he said to himself, "and yet he has not
got a palace like this." It was now deep night, so the prince knew he
could not go home till the next day. "Never mind," he said, "I will
sleep in the verandah. I am not afraid, though I shall be quite
alone."

So he lay down to sleep in the verandah, and while he lay there, the
parrot and _maina_ flew in, and they perched near him, for they knew
he was there, and they wanted him to hear what they said to each
other. Then they began chattering together; and the parrot told the
_maina_ how the prince's father was king of the neighbouring country,
and how he had seven sons, and how six of the sons had married six
princesses, "but this prince, who was the youngest son, would not
marry; and what is more, he did not like his brother's wives at all."
Then the birds stopped talking