cream, and among the lotuses of gold floating on its surface he found a milk-white elephant, out of the head of which there peeped a string of pearls, bright like diamonds. He jumped up on to the elephant's back, greedily seized the pearls, and put them in the pocket of his robe. But what was his wonder to find the sea dried up and the lotuses gone, except one of gold into which the elephant had been transformed, and which said to him, "Take me and the pearls to Rupamoti and she will then pass her life happily with her husband." Having finished his work, Basanta was about to retrace his steps when he heard voices saying, "O brother, take us with you." The voices came from under the sands on the seashore, and digging under these, he found three fishes of gold. He took them up and went on, a dazzling light enveloping him. At the end of his long journey homewards he found out the kingdom of Rupamoti's father, and inquiring after her, was told that she was a prisoner in the palace of the great king, Sheet. He went there, and sending the king the three gold fishes as presents, asked that Rupamoti might be set at liberty. But neither the presents nor the request reached the king, for some days previously, having suddenly recalled to his memory the picture of his brother and the forlorn condition in which he had left him, he had been so grieved that he had shut himself up for days and nights within his private apartments, denying himself every nourishment and the company of those he loved. Basanta was informed of this, and he waited in the palace, expecting to see the king when he should be restored to his usual state of mind. On the eighth day after Basanta's arrival the king recovered from the first shock of his grief, and in the course of the preparations that were being made for a sumptuous repast for him, the three fishes which, though of gold, were eatable, were about to be cut in pieces. But they cried out saying, "Do not kill us, we are the king's brothers." The maidservant who had charge of the fishes ran up to her master and reported to him what had happened. He ordered
