IX.--THE BULBUL AND THE COTTON-TREE.

1. Cotton-tree, in Hindustani _Semal_.

2. Koel, Indian cuckoo.

X.--THE MONKEY PRINCE.

1. Bandarsa means like a monkey; Dunkni in telling this husk-story
just as often called the monkey-skin a husk (_chhilka_) as she called
it a skin (_chamra_).

2. Princess Jahuran throws mattresses to her drowning husband. In a
Manipuri tale published by Mr. G. H. Damant in the _Indian Antiquary_,
vol. IV. September 1875, p. 260, Basanta's wife throws him a pillow
that he may save himself when the envious merchant, on board whose
boat they are, pitches the prince into the river that he may secure
the princess for himself.

XI.--BRAVE HIRALALBASA.

1. With this story all through compare "The Demon is at last conquered
by the King's Son," p. 173 of this collection.

2. Rakshas means protector, and is, probably, an euphemistic term. The
chapter on Mystic Animals in Swedish traditions (Thorpe's _Northern
Mythology_, vol. II. p. 83) gives a list of certain creatures that are
not to be mentioned by their own but by euphemistic names for fear of
incurring their wrath. This belief, Thorpe in the same chapter, p. 84,
says, extends to certain inanimate things: water used for brewing, for
instance, must not be called _vatn_ (water) or the beer will not be so
good; and fire occasionally is to be spoken of as _hetta_ (heat). The
girl in an Esthonian tale quoted by Gubernatis at p. 151 of the 1st
vol. of his _Zoological Mythology_ addresses a crow whose help she
needs as "Bird of light." Fiske says (_Myths and Mythmakers_, p. 223),
"A Dayak will not allude by name to the small-pox, but will call it
'The chief' or 'Jungle leaves;' the Laplander speaks of the bear as
'the old man with the fur coat;' in Annam the tiger is called
'Grandfather,' or 'Lord.' The Finnish hunters called the bear 'the
Apple of the Forest, the beautiful Honey-claw, the Pride of the
thicket'" ("The Mythology of Finnland," _Fraser's Magazine_, May
1857). The Furies, as every one knows, were called the Eumenides, or
the gracious ones.

The Rakshases are a kind of huge demons who delight in devouring men
and beasts. They can take any shape they please. The female Rakshas
often assumes that of a beautiful woman. Compare the demon Mara as
described by Fiske at p. 93 of his book above quoted.

The Rakshases do not travel in the way mortals do. See a Dinajpur
story told by Mr. G. H. Damant in the _Indian Antiquary_ (Februa