December, 1873.] LEGENDS FROM DINAJPUR. 359 deposited his touchstone with the disguised rob¬ ber : so one day she askod him to bring it, and he went to fetch it from tho man in whose care he had deposited it; but tho robber had taken away the real touchstone from tho window and put a small pebble in its place, and when the prince came he said, “ The touchstone is in the place where you loft it: take it away.” The prince went to the window, but found nothing but a small pebble; and, as he was able to do nothing, he went to Pr&nn&- sini and told her ail about it, and sho replied, “ Do not trouble yourself: I will take tho touch¬ stone from him.” So she went into tho house and called a shepherd and said, “ Take two bags and a bullock and come along with me.” So the shep¬ herd made his preparations and went with her to a corner of the village, where he filled the bags with 8 mall stones and put them on the bullock’s back, and she said to him, “ Go opposite the house of the wicked robber and drive tho bullock along with you, and when ho asks you what it is, tell him the bullock is loaded with touchstones.” When she had given these instructions she went back to the prince. Then the shepherd, as ho had been ordered by the girl, went near the robber’s house, and when he inquired what was in the bags, re¬ plied, “This bullock is loaded with touchstones belonging to the prince,” and the wicked robber thought that if he gave back the first touchstone he should be able to get the whole bagful: so he put the touchstone back in the window and called the prince aud said to him, “ I was only putting you to the test: I have no need of any more wealth; take your touchstone and go.” The princo said* “ I have taken my touchstone, and where can I leave these two bags full of touchstones ?” The robber replied “ You can leave them wherever you like so the prince put down the two bags, and taking his touchstone from the window went to Pr&nn&sini and told her about it, aud proposed that they should return to his native country. Sho agreed, and they both of them set out, and after some days’journey he arrived at his own village and said to her, “ I think it would be better for you to remain hero to-night in the house of this garland- maker, and to-morrow I will tell my father, and take you to him in proper state.” With theso words he said to the garland-maker, whom he had known before, “ Let this girl remain in your house to-night, and to-morrow I will take her home; and take care she is put to no inconvenience, and what¬ ever expense is incurred I will repay you.” The garland-maker agreed, and the prince went to his own house and had an interview with his father, and told him how he had found the touchstone and would give it the next day. Then he went to his private houso and said to his first wife, “ Where can I deposit this touchstone P She told him to put it in the window, and he did so and went to sleep. Now tho prince’s wife had a great friendship for tho kotwdl of the city, and she went to see him; and when she arrived he asked her why she came bo late at night, and then she told him all about the touchstone. The kotwdl told her to bring it to him, as he wished to see it; so sho went and fetched it, and he was very much delighted to get it, and took it to his own home, and she went back to her own house and stopped there all night. In the morning the king called his son and wished to see the touchstone; the prince went to bring it, and when he could not find it, became suddenly mad, and did nothing but repeat the words, “This is where it was; give it me.” After a little time the king heard what had befallen his son, and sent for him and tried every kind of medicine to heal him. After ten or twelve days Pr&nn&sini discovered by magical arts that tho prince had become mad, and that the touchstone had fallen into the possession of the kotwdl, and unless the prince regained the stone he would not be cured : so she determined to reco¬ ver it and heal him. Accordingly she told the garland-maker what she intended to do, and the garland-maker made her pretend she was her Bister, and told her to go and stand on the top of the house. As the kotwdl was going round the city he saw the girl on the roof, and said to the gar- land-maker, “I will come and see your sister to-night.” She said, “ My sister has made a vow that no one shall come and visit her unless he presents her with a touchstone.” The kotwdl promised to give it, and went away. After this the king’s councillor saw the girl, and said to the garland-maker, “ I will come and visit your sister to night.” By the girl’s order the garland-maker agreed, and he said he would come at one watch in tho night. After this the prime minister came, and, having made an arrangement that ho should come at the second watch in the night, he went away. And at last the king himself came out to enjoy the air, and when he saw the girl on the roof he said he would come at the last watch of the night. When the girl heard they were all coming, she prepared a large pot and mixed in it two seers of milk and one seer of water, and put it on the fire, and also brought some grass and a jar of water, and placed them ready, and when it was evening she put a stool near the fire for herself, and another stool for the other people to sit on, and proceeded to mix the milk and water. In the meantime the kotwdl came, bringing the touchstone with him; so the girl took it and invited him to drink the milk and water which she had prepared, and they talk¬
