The legends of the Panjâb

BAJA EASALIJ. 39
" I gave this ring to Eaja Rasalu when I went to buy the
horses.
No one but he can have put it here."
All that night MahitS. Chopr^ was in great grief, and next
day he took all the papers of his office and laid them before the
Eaj^, and the ESJEi said to him,
" I sent you to buy horses, and instead you have brought me
your papers, what is the reason of this "
" king." said Mahit^ Chopra, " neither are you holy, nor
Rani Chandm virtuous, nor I your servant."
" Why speak you like this " said the E^ja.
Then Mahita Chopra took the ring and showed it to the
Eaja.
"Chastity and virtue," said the Eaja'
"are not destroyed by
words."
Bat the minister was not satisfied, and the Eaja had him
beaten, and said again,
" Do you believe me now or not"
"If the Rani Ohandni will spin a single thread of cotton
yarn, and if with it you will both draw up water in an unburnt
earthen pot from the wells I will believe you."*
So the Raja sent for Eani ChandnJ, and she spun the single
thread, and with it they drew water from the well in an unburnt
earthen pot, and then Mahita Chopra believed.
Then said the Eaja, " Why did you disbelieve before "
''
Because," said the Minister, " men are jealous where women
are concerned."
Whereon the Eaja struck him two or three times with a cane,
and said,
" Are you not ashamed then of praising your wife in the
public court "
After this Eaja Rasalfi gave up his kingdom and started for
the City of Raja Sarkap.f Before he had gone very far he came
* An absolute impossibility, because a single thread of yam has very
little cohesion, and an unburnt pot melts on contact with water.
f As far as this tale is concerned this seems to be Kot Bithaur, near
Atak, overhanging the Indus.