offers you the promised reward, say that you wish for neither silver nor gold, but ask him to give you his daughter in marriage. Thus you may gain her for your wife.'
The Prince did as his mother advised; and when, after a long, long journey, he reached the court of Sodewa Bai's father, he presented the slipper to him, saying, 'I have found your daughter's slipper, and, for restoring it, I claim a great reward.'—'What will you have?' said the Rajah. 'Shall I pay you in horses? or in silver? or gold?'—'No,' answered the Prince, 'I will have none of these things. I am the son of a Rajah who lives in the plains, and I found this slipper in the jungle where I was hunting, and have travelled for many weary days to bring it you; but the only payment I care for is the hand of your beautiful daughter; if it pleases you, let me become your son-in-law.' The Rajah replied, 'This only I cannot promise you; for I have vowed I will not oblige my daughter to marry against her will. This matter depends upon her alone. If she is willing to be your wife, I also am willing; but it rests with her free choice.'
Now it happened that Sodewa Bai had from her window seen the Prince coming up to the palace gate, and when she heard his errand, she said to her father, 'I saw that Prince, and I am willing to marry him.'
So they were married with great pomp and splendour.
When, however, all the other Rajahs, Sodewa Bai's suitors, heard of her choice, they were much astonished, as well as vexed, and said, 'What can have made Sodewa Bai take a fancy to that young Prince? He is not so wonderfully handsome, and he is very poor. This is a most foolish marriage.' But they all came to it, and were entertained at the palace, where the wedding festivities lasted many days.
After Sodewa Bai and her husband had lived there for some little time, he one day said to his father-in-law, 'I have a great desire to see my own people again, and to return to my own country. Let me take my wife home with me.' The Rajah said, 'Very well. I am willing that you should go. Take care of your wife; guard her as the apple of your eye; and be sure you never permit the golden necklace to be taken from her neck and given to any one else, for in that case she would die.' The Prince promised; and he returned with Sodewa Bai to his father's kingdom. At their departure the Rajah of the Mountain gave them many elephants, horses, camels, and attendants, besides jewels innumer-
