across, and the Princess would no more consent to marry you, than she would now; for she has vowed to marry no one who has not jumped across on foot. If you want to do the thing, why not do it yourself, instead of talking nonsense? Have you forgotten how, when you were a little boy, you were taught to jump by conjurors and tumblers?—for the parrot knew all the Rajah's history. Now is the time to put their lessons in practice. If you can jump the seven ditches and seven hedges made of spears you will have done a good work, and be able to marry the Panch-Phul Ranee; but if not, this is a thing in which we cannot help you.'
'You reason justly,' replied the Rajah. 'I will try to put in practice the lessons I learned when a boy; meantime, do you stay here till my return.'
So saying he went away to the city, which he reached by nightfall. Next morning early he went to where the Princess's bungalow stood, to try and jump the fourteen great barriers. He was strong and agile, and he jumped the seven great ditches, and six of the seven hedges made of spears; but in running to jump the seventh hedge he hurt his foot, and stumbling, fell upon the spears and died,—run through and through with the cruel iron spikes.
When Panch-Phul Ranee's father and mother got up that morning and looked out, as their custom was, towards their daughter's bungalow, they saw something transfixed upon the seventh hedge of spears, but what it was they could not make out, for it dazzled their eyes. So they called his Wuzeer, and said to him, 'For some days I have seen no one attempt to jump the seven hedges and seven ditches round Panch-Phul Ranee's bungalow; but what is that which I now see upon the seventh hedge of spears?' The Wuzeer answered, 'That is a Rajah's son, who has failed like all who have gone before him.'
'But how is it,' asked the Rajah, 'that he thus dazzles our eyes?'
'It is,' replied the Wuzeer, 'because he is so beautiful. Of all that have died for the sake of Panch-Phul Ranee, this youth is, beyond doubt, the handsomest.'
'Alas!' cried the Rajah, 'how many and how many brave men has my daughter killed! I will have no more die for her. Let us send her and the dead man away together into the jungle.'
He then ordered the servants to fetch the young Rajah's body. There he lay, still and beautiful, with a glory shining round him as the moonlight shines round the clear bright moon, but without a spark of life.
