and where are you going?' She answered, 'I am a Sowkar's wife from a far country, and because I was very unhappy at having no children, I am going to find Mahadeo and ask him to grant that I may have a child of my own.'
Then, in her turn, she said to the Ranee, 'And pray who are you, and where are you going?' The Ranee answered, 'I am Coplinghee Ranee, queen of all this country, but neither money nor riches can give me joy, for I have no children; I therefore am going to seek Mahadeo and ask him to grant that I may have a child.' Then Coplinghee Ranee asked the Nautch woman the same question, saying, 'And who may you be, and where are you going?' The Nautch woman answered, 'I am a dancing-woman, and I also have no children, and am going to seek Mahadeo and pray to him for a child.' At hearing this, the Sowkar's wife said, 'Since we are all journeying on the same errand, why should we not go together?' To this Coplinghee Ranee and the Dancing-woman agreed, so they all three continued their journey together through the jungle.
On, on, on they went, every day further and further; they never stayed to rest, nor saw another human being. Their feet ached dreadfully, and their clothes wore out, and they had nothing to live on but the jungle-plants, wild berries and seeds. So weary and worn did they become that they looked like three poor old beggar-women. Never had they by night-time sleep, nor by day-time rest; and so, hour after hour, month after month, year after year, they travelled on.
At last, one day, they came to where, in the midst of the jungle, there rolled a great river of fire. It was the biggest river they had ever seen, and made of flames instead of water. There was no one on this side and no one on that; no way of getting across but by walking through the fire.
When Coplinghee Ranee and the Nautch woman saw this, they said, 'Alas! here is the end of all our pains and trouble. All hope is over, for we can go no further.' But the Sowkar's wife answered, 'Shall we be deterred by this, after having come so far? Nay, rather seek a way across the fire.' And, so saying, she stepped into the fire waves; the others, however, were afraid, and would not go. When the Sowkar's wife had half crossed the river of fire, she turned, and waving her hands towards them, said, 'Come on, come on! do not be afraid. The fire does not burn me. I go to find Mahadeo; perhaps he is but the other side.'[1] But they still
