The legends of the Panjâb

—
BAJA EASAHl). 25
" Spare my life, Master of tlie world, and I will tell you
the truth."
" Speak on," said Raja Hari Chand.
Then said the Brahman, " The RaDi Saunkhnl will never
marry Raj4 Rasalft ;
she will be married to a goldsmith's son,"
To this RciJEi Hari Chand replied never a word, and the
other Bi-S.hmans began to beat their poor brother who had told
such unwelcome news to the Maharaja. After this all the
learned men went home, and Raja Hari Chand, considering
that there was truth in the poor Brahman's words, had every
goldsmith turned out of his city.
Three or four months after this a goldsmith from the village
of Dohman* came to the city for pleasure, but meanwhile the
king had ordered his trusty servants to bring every goldsmith
who might come into the city to him, " Because," said he, " I
have two thousand rupees' worth of ornaments to make up for
•BAni Saunkhni." So as soon as the goldsmith from Dohman
had arrived he was taken before the Raja.
The goldsmith went on to make the ornaments, and worked
away for two^months, and then his wife at home began to weep
bitterly because he did not return. At last her son asked her
why she wept, and she said
" Tour father, when he left us, said he would return within
fifteen days. If he did not return, then we were to give him.
up and mourn for him as dead. He has been gone two months
now, and must have died somewhere."
" I will go and look for him," said her son.
"How long will you search, my son V said the mother.
"Until I find him," replied the son.
So the goldsmith's son took leave of his mother, and disguising
himself as a merchant, started for Hodinagari with a
quantity of merchandise. As he came near the city and was
going to enter it he saw Ram Saunkhni walking in her
garden with her sixty attendants. When the Rani saw the
* The site of this is probably near Bagh Nilab, perhaps the modern
Tillage of DAmal.
4