dun Rajah, of whom they spoke (who was the great Rajah of a neighbouring country) had been dead many months.
So, sad at heart, the Princess wandered forth into the jungle; and when she had gone through it, she came upon another, still denser than the first. The trees grew so thickly overhead that she could scarcely see the sky, and there was no village nor house of living creature near. The food her youngest sister-in-law had given her was nearly exhausted, and she did not know where to get more. At last, however, after journeying on for many days, she came upon a large tank, beside which was a fine house that belonged to a Rakshas. Being very tired, she sat down on the edge of the tank to eat some of the parched rice that remained of her store of provisions; and as she did so she thought, 'This house belongs doubtless to a Rakshas, who, perhaps, will see me and kill and eat me; but since no one cares for me, and I have neither home nor friends, I hold life cheap enough.' It happened, however, that the Rakshas was then out, and there was no one in his house but a little cat and dog, who were his servants.
The dog's duty was to take care of the saffron with which the Rakshas coloured his face on high days and holidays, and the cat had charge of the antimony with which he blackened his eyelids. Before the Princess had been long by the tank, the little cat spied her out, and running to her said, 'O sister, sister, I am so hungry, pray give me some of your dinner.' The Princess answered, 'I have very little rice left; when it is all gone I shall starve. If I give you some, what have you to give me in exchange?' The cat said, 'I have charge of the antimony with which my Rakshas blackens his eyelids, I will give you some of it;' and running to the house she fetched a nice little pot full of antimony, which she gave to the Princess in exchange for the rice. When the little dog saw this, he also ran down to the tank, and said, 'Lady, Lady, give me some rice, I pray you; for I, too, am very hungry.' But she answered, 'I have very little rice left, and when it is all gone I shall starve. If I give you some of my dinner, what will you give me in exchange?' The dog said, 'I have charge of my Rakshas' saffron, with which he colours his face. I will give you some of it. So he ran to the house and fetched a quantity of saffron and gave it to the Princess, and she gave him also some of the rice. Then, tying the antimony and saffron up in her saree, she said good-bye to the dog and cat and went on her way.
