The legends of the Panjâb

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RAJA BASALU. 43
Eight ferries, nine boats, fourteen whirl-pools !
Count the stars in the sky, and I will tell thee how many
sers of water.
As many leaves and sticks as are in the forest, so many
sers are there of water.
After this the Raja went on and arrived at the city, where
he found the other daughters of Raja Sarkap standing, and
when they saw him one said to him
NUe-ghorewdlid Bdjd, mweii neze ah !
Agge RdjA Sarleap hai, sir laisi y,ldh !
Bhald chdhehjo apnd, tdn pichhe M mwr jdh !
Grey-horsed Raja, come with lowered lance I
Before thee is Raja Sarkap, he will take thy head !
If thou seek thy own good, then turn thee back
Raja Rasalu answered—
'
Duroft bird chuhid, * ithe pahnta ae :
Sarkap da sir Jcathe tote hassdn char.
Tainun handsdn wohtri, inaih bansan mikrdj !
I have come here from afar under a vow of victory
I will cat off Sarkap's head, and cut it into four pieces.
I will make thee my little bride, and will become the
bridegroom.
When he had said this she fell in love with him, and the
others said to him
" If you wish to make her your wife you must do one thing
for us."
" What is that " said the Raja, " tell me and I will do it."
Then the girls mixed a mayi of millet seed with a man of
sand and told him to separate the one from the other. So the
B^ja fell into a difficulty, but remembering the hair which the
cricket had given him he put it into the fire and immediately
a flight of crickets came round him. The cricket whose life he
had saved was among them, and said to him,
" What is your difficulty, that you have heated the hair in
the fire"
* Bird chuknd is to undertake a task of extraordinary difficulty,
and to solemnly promise to go through it under all circumstances.