milk. We could never
get an eagle's feather, but this child certainly can get one for us."

So they went to the well where they found the boy. The little prince
was very wise, though he was such a little child; and he knew the
demon would try to send him on some other errand that she might get
rid of him. He was quite willing to go on her errands, for he thought
he might thus learn how to kill her. He was not a bit afraid of being
killed himself, for he knew that God loved him, and that no one but
God could kill him.

He at once asked the king's servants, "What do you want now?" "Our
king has sent us for an eagle's feather to lay on the queen's eyes,
which pain her again. Here are four thousand rupees for you if you
will get it for us." "Give me the rupees," said the king's son. "Come
here in two weeks, and I will give you the feather."

He took the rupees to his mothers, and told them he was going to fetch
an eagle's feather. "Where will you find one?" they said. "I don't
know," he answered, "but I am going to look for one." He hired some
more servants, and told them to take care of his mothers and the
tiger-cub.

He rode straight on for two or three days, and at last came to a very
dense jungle, through which he rode for another three or four days.
When he got out of it he found himself on a beautiful smooth plain in
which was a tank. There, too, was a large fig-tree, and under the tree
cool shade, and cool, thick grass. He was very much pleased when he
saw the tank and the tree. He got off his horse, bathed in the tank,
and sat down under the fig-tree, thinking, "Here I will sleep a little
while before I go further."

While he lay asleep in the grass, a great snake crawled up the tree,
at the top of which were two young eagles. They began screaming very
loud. Their cries awakened the little prince. He looked about and saw
the great snake in the tree. Then he took his gun and fired at it, and
the snake fell dead to the ground. He cut it into five pieces, and hid
them in the long grass. Then he lay down again and went to sleep.

The baby eagles were alone in the tree, as their father and mother had
gone to another country. But now the old birds came home, and found
the king's son sleeping in the grass. "See," they said, "here is the
thief who every year robs us of our children! But now he cannot get
away. We will kill him." However, they thought it better to go and
look first at their children, to see if they we