at my house for the night, for you look faint and weary.' The Rajah consented. Next morning, however, very early, he woke the Bangle-seller, saying, 'Pray let us go now and see the people you spoke about yesterday.'—'Stay,' said the Bangle-seller; 'it is much too early. I never go till after breakfast.' So the Rajah had to wait till the Bangle-seller was ready to go. At last they started off, and when they reached the Cobra's hole, the first thing the Rajah saw was a fine little boy playing with the young Cobras.
As the Bangle-seller came along, jingling his bangles, a gentle voice from inside the hole called out, 'Come here, my Muchie-Lal, and try on your bangles.' Then the Muchie-Rajah, kneeling down at the mouth of the hole, said, 'O Lady, show your beautiful face to me.' At the sound of his voice the Ranee ran out, crying, 'Husband, husband! have you found me again?' And she told him how her sister had tried to drown her, and how the good Cobra had saved her life, and taken care of her and her child. Then he said, 'And will you now come home with me?' And she told him how the Cobra would never let her go, and said, ' I will first tell him of your coming; for he has been as a father to me.' So she called out, 'Father Cobra, Father Cobra, my husband has come to fetch me; will you let me go?'—'Yes,' he said, 'if your husband has come to fetch you, you may go.' And his wife said, 'Farewell, dear Lady, we are loath to lose you, for we have loved you as a daughter.' And all the little Cobras were very sorrowful to think that they must lose their playfellow, the young Prince. Then the Cobra gave the Muchie-Rajah and the Muchie-Ranee, and Muchie-Lal, all the most costly gifts he could find in his treasure-house; and so they went home, where they lived very happy ever after, and so may you be happy too.
