The legends of the Panjâb

48 LEGENDS OV THE PANJaB.
" Oh," said the potter, "this kiln is not baked yet, the" fire
is only lighted as yet on one side of it. What is the use of
Belling the pots now "
However at last the E^j^ induced him to name his price, and
gave him what he asked. So he was able to give the kittens
back to their mother.
But the cat gave him one of them, and
said,
" It will help you when you are in difficulties."
The Eaja took the kitten and went off to R^ja Sarkap, who
asked him some riddles, which were answered, and then they
made agreements about their game of chaufur. RajS. Sarkap
fixed the following stakes for himself: first game, his whole
kingdom ; second game, the wealth of the world ; third game,
his own head. And Raja Rasdlu fixed the following for himself:
first game, his arms j second game, his horse; third game, his
own head. Then the two R^jls began to play.
It fell to EaJEl Rasalu to begin the game, and when he began
Raja Sarkap let loose his rat, called Dhol Raja, nobody knows
why.* Dhol Eaj^, the rat, upset the chaupur pieces, so that
Eaja Sarkap won the first game, and E4ja Easalu gave up his
arms. At the second game Eaja Easalu lost his horse in the
same way, and the horse said to him
—
Sahh'i, samundar jamidn, Rdjd lio tkoI zar mde :
Ao to charho inen pUh te, hot tudh hhardn tarpde :
JJrde panTcM main na desdh, jo dauran laTch haror.
Je tudh, Bdjd, pdsd Tchelnd, jeb hdth to pde.
my beloved, I was born in the ocean, and the RaJEl bought
me with much gold.
Come and jump on my back and I will take thee off with
thousands of bounds.
Wings of birds shall not catch me, though they go thousands
of miles.
If thou wouldst gamble, E&ja, keep thy hand on thy pocket.
When the horse had said this, Eaja Sarkap told his slaves
* Dhol Raja is tlie name of tlie hero of a celebrated Punjabi popular
love-tale.