The legends of the Panjâb

—
EAJA EASAlt. 11
So the EajSk toot tlie parrot's advice, and getting off his
horse took the sand out of the serpent's eyes with his kerchief.
And then he mounted again, but the serpent stood in his way
and prevented him from going on.
" Is this the way you reward my kind treatment " said the
R&ja.
But the serpent bowed down his head and said
" Be pleased to stay in my humble house to-night and go on
your way to-morrow."
And so the Raja went with him to his cave, and when they
were near it the serpent stopped the R4ja outside, while he
went in to speak to his wife, the Basaknagni. In a short time
the serpent came out again and took the Raja into the cave.
And that night the RajS slept in the same bed as the serpent.
In the morning the Raja got up and asked to be shown the road.
So the serpent came out of the cave and said, " Protector
of the world, your road lies that way, mine lies this way."
Then said the R&ja, "I have been banished from my country,.
and that is why I wander about from country to country, but
tell me why your road lies this -waj."
" I cannot get any thing to eat here," said the serpent,
"and so I go this way and bite a man and then I eat his flesh.""
And saying this he slid away into the grass. Bat the Raja
said to himself,
"now that he is gone I will go and see what
his wife is like." So he went into the cave and found her
asleep on a golden bed, which was placed on a stone dais.
Close
to her was lying a large lizard, and presently they began to
play and jump about. When the Rajl, saw this he became
very jealous and angry that such a mean thing as a lizard
should play with this beautiful N^gni, and be determined to kill
him. He got oat his sword and struck at the lizard, but
the Nagni protected it with her tail, which got badly cut. Then
the Raja was very grieved, for said he,. " I struck at the lizard
with a good object, but evil has resulted instead of good."
And getting on Bhauiir 'Iraqi,* his horse, he said to him.,
" Gallop as fast as you can," And away galloped the horse,
* Should be Bhaiiiiri Eakhi.