came running to meet them. Till then they had thought their
cubs were burned in the jungle-fire. Now they knew at once this boy
had saved them. The cubs said to their father and mother, "We should
have died had it not been for this boy. Give him food; and when he has
eaten some food, we will drink milk." The tigers were very happy at
having their children safe. They went to a garden and got food and
good water for the boy, who ate and drank. Then the little cubs drank
their mother's milk.

The tiger said to the prince, "You are such a little child, how is it
your mother let you come alone to this jungle?"

"My mother's eyes are sore and pain her; and the doctor says that if
she bathes them in a tigress's milk they will get well. So I came to
see if I could get a little for her."

"I will give you some," said the tigress, and she gave him a little
jar full of her milk. The cubs said, "One of us will go with you, and
the other will stay with our father and mother." "No," said the little
prince, "do you both stay with your father and mother. I will not take
either of you away. What should I do with you?" "No," said one of the
cubs; "I will go with you. I will do all you tell me. Wherever you bid
me stay, there I will stay; and I will eat any food you give me."
"Take him with you," said the old tiger; "one day you will find him of
use." So the boy took the cub and the milk, and made his salaam to the
old tigers and went home. His mothers were delighted at his return,
though, as they had no eyes, they could not see him.

He tied up the tiger's cub and fed him. Then he took a little of the
milk, and went to the dry well in the jungle and sat down by it. The
king's servants came when the week had passed, and the boy gave them
the milk. The servants took it to the king, who gave it to the demon.
She was very angry when she found the tigers had not eaten the boy;
but she bathed her eyes with the milk, and said nothing.

At the end of another week she would not eat or drink, and did nothing
but cry. "What is the matter?" said the king. "See how my eyes pain
me," she answered. "If I could only get an eagle's feather to lay on
them they would be well. Oh, how they hurt me!"

The king called his servants and gave them four thousand rupees. "Go
and get me an eagle's feather," he said, "and he who gets it is to
take the four thousand rupees." "Let us go to the jungle well," they
said, "and find the boy who got us the tigress's