faces no more until she married the Chundun Rajah, who had been dead so many months; and how the youngest had been kind to her and sent her food, which had prevented her from starving by the way.
The Rajah listened to the Princess's words, and was certain that they were true, and she no common beggar from the jungles. For, for all her ragged clothes, she looked a royal lady, and shone like a star in the darkness. Moreover, her eyelids were darkened with antimony, and her beautiful face painted with saffron, like the face of a Princess. Then he felt a great pity for her, and said, 'Lady, have no fear, for I will take care of you,' and dragging the rich coverlet off his bed he threw it over her to keep her warm, and going to the Brahman's house, which was close by, fetched some rice, which he gave her to eat. Then he said, 'I am the Chundun Rajah of whom you have heard. I die every day, but every night I come to life for a little while.' She cried, 'Do none of your family know of this? and if so, why do you stay here in a dismal tomb?' He answered, 'None know it but the Brahman who has charge of this place. Since my life is thus maimed, what would it avail to tell my family? It would but grieve them more than to think me dead. Therefore, I have forbidden him to let them know; and as my parents only come here by day, they have never found it out. May be I shall some time wholly recover, and till then I will be silent about my existence.' Then he called the Brahman who had charge of the tomb and the shrine (and who daily placed an offering of food upon it for the Rajah to eat when he came to life) and said to him, 'Henceforth place a double quantity of food upon the shrine, and take care of this lady. If I ever recover, she shall be my Ranee.' And having said these words he died again. Then the Brahman took the Princess to his little hut, and bade his wife see that she wanted for nothing, and all the next day she rested in that place. Very early in the morning Chundun Rajah's mother and sisters came to visit the tomb, but they did not see the Princess; and in the evening, when the sun was setting, they went away. That night when the Chundun Rajah came to life he called the Brahman, and said to him, 'Is the Princess still here?'—'Yes,' he answered; 'for she is weary with her journey, and she has no home to go to.' The Rajah said, 'Since she has neither home nor friends, if she be willing, you shall marry me to her, and she shall wander no further in search of shelter.' So the
