Page:Indian Fairy Tales (Stokes, 1879).djvu/45

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The Story of Foolish Sachúlí
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with the cook's pot, and said, "Mother, I have brought home a cooking-pot. If you ask it for any food you want, you will get it." "Nonsense," said Hungní; "what lies you are telling!" "It is quite true, mother; only see," and he asked the pot for different dishes, but none came. Hungní was furious. "Go away," she said. "Why do you come back to me? I want no liars here." "Give me five flourcakes and I will go," said her son. So she baked the bread for him, and he set off for the jungle where he had met the five fairies, and as he went along he said, "I will eat one, and I will eat two, and I will eat three, and I will eat four, and I will eat five." The five fairies heard him and were terrified. "Here is this bad man again," said they, "and he will eat us all five. Oh, what shall we do? Let us give him a present." So they went to Sachúlí and said, "Here is a box for you. Whenever you want any clothes you have only to tell this box, and it will give them to you; take it, and don't eat us." So he took the box and went to the bazar, and he stopped at the cook-shop again, and asked the cook for a red silk dress, and a pair of long black silk trousers, and a blue silk turban, and a pair of red shoes, and the cook laughed and asked how he should have such beautiful things. "Well," said Sachúlí, "here is a box; when I ask it for the dress and trousers, and turban and shoes, I shall get them." So the cook laughed at him. "Just see," said Sachúlí, and he said, "Box, give me a red silk dress and a pair of long black silk trousers, and a blue silk turban and red shoes," and there they were at once. And the cook was delighted and said to himself, "I will have that box," and he gave Sachúlí a good dinner and a sleepy drink, and Sachúlí fell fast asleep. While he slept the cook came and stole the fairy box, and put a common box in its place. In the morning Sachúlí went home to his mother and said, "Mother, I've brought you a box. You have only to ask it for any clothes