Indian Fairy Tales | Page 6

when everybody had gone to bed, the princess came down
from her roof, and went to her room; and when she was in bed and
asleep, the Raja's son got up softly, and sat on his bed. "Bed," he said to
it, "I want to go to the Princess Labam's bed-room." So the little bed
carried him to the room where she lay fast asleep.
The young Raja took his bag and said, "I want a great deal of betel-
leaf," and it at once gave him quantities of betel-leaf. This he laid near
the princess's bed, and then his little bed carried him back to the old
woman's house.
Next morning all the princess's servants found the betel-leaf, and began
to eat it. "Where did you get all that betel-leaf?" asked the princess.
"We found it near your bed," answered the servants. Nobody knew the
prince had come in the night and put it all there.
In the morning the old woman came to the Raja's son. "Now it is
morning," she said, "and you must go; for if the king finds out all I
have done for you, he will seize me."
"I am ill to-day, dear aunty," said the prince; "do let me stay till
to-morrow morning."
"Good," said the old woman. So he stayed, and they took their dinner
out of the bag, and the bowl gave them water.
When night came the princess got up and sat on her roof, and at twelve
o'clock, when every one was in bed, she went to her bed-room, and was
soon fast asleep. Then the Raja's son sat on his bed, and it carried him
to the princess. He took his bag and said, "Bag, I want a most lovely
shawl." It gave him a splendid shawl, and he spread it over the princess
as she lay asleep. Then he went back to the old woman's house and
slept till morning.
In the morning, when the princess saw the shawl she was delighted.
"See, mother," she said; "Khuda must have given me this shawl, it is so
beautiful." Her mother was very glad too.
"Yes, my child," she said; "Khuda must have given you this splendid

shawl."
When it was morning the old woman said to the Raja's son, "Now you
must really go."
"Aunty," he answered, "I am not well enough yet. Let me stay a few
days longer. I will remain hidden in your house, so that no one may see
me." So the old woman let him stay.
When it was black night, the princess put on her lovely clothes and
jewels, and sat on her roof. At midnight she went to her room and went
to sleep. Then the Raja's son sat on his bed and flew to her bed-room.
There he said to his bag, "Bag, I want a very, very beautiful ring." The
bag gave him a glorious ring. Then he took the Princess Labam's hand
gently to put on the ring, and she started up very much frightened.
"Who are you?" she said to the prince. "Where do you come from?
Why do you come to my room?"
"Do not be afraid, princess," he said; "I am no thief. I am a great Raja's
son. Hiraman parrot, who lives in the jungle where I went to hunt, told
me your name, and then I left my father and mother, and came to see
you."
"Well," said the princess, "as you are the son of such a great Raja, I will
not have you killed, and I will tell my father and mother that I wish to
marry you."
The prince then returned to the old woman's house; and when morning
came the princess said to her mother, "The son of a great Raja has
come to this country, and I wish to marry him." Her mother told this to
the king.
"Good," said the king; "but if this Raja's son wishes to marry my
daughter, he must first do whatever I bid him. If he fails I will kill him.
I will give him eighty pounds weight of mustard seed, and out of this
he must crush the oil in one day. If he cannot do this he shall die."
In the morning the Raja's son told the old woman that he intended to
marry the princess. "Oh," said the old woman, "go away from this
country, and do not think of marrying her. A great many Rajas and
Rajas' sons have come here to marry her, and her father has had them
all killed. He says whoever wishes to marry his daughter must first do
whatever he bids him. If he can, then he shall marry the princess; if he
cannot, the king will have him killed. But no one can