for you; for though I never saw King nor Prince before, I love you very much.'
So saying, she arose to go to her father's Court, bidding Seventee Bai await her return.
When the Rajah and Ranee of the Rakshas heard that their daughter was coming to see them, they were very much surprised, and thought, 'What can be the matter with our daughter. Can she be ill? or can our Tara Bai be unhappy in the beautiful house we have given her?' And they said to her, 'Daughter, why do you come? what is the matter?' She answered, 'O my father! I come to tell you I should like to be married. Cannot you find some beautiful Prince to be my husband?' Then the Rajah laughed, and said, 'You are but a child still, my daughter; nevertheless, if you wish for a husband, certainly if any Prince comes here, and asks you in marriage, we will let you wed him.' She said, 'If some brave and beautiful Prince were to come here, and get through the great guard you have placed around the palace, would you indeed protect him for my sake, and not allow them to tear him in pieces?' The Rajah answered, 'If such a one come, he shall be safe.' Then Tara Bai was very joyful, and ran and fetched Seventee Bai, and said to her father and mother, 'See, here is Seventee Rajah, the young Prince of whom I spoke.' And when the Rajah and Ranee saw Seventee Bai, they were greatly astonished, and could not think how she had managed to reach their land, and they thought she must be very brave and wise to have done so. And because also Seventee Bai looked a very noble Prince, they were the more willing that she should marry Tara Bai, and said, 'Seventee Rajah, we are willing you should be our son-in-law, for you look good and true, and you must be brave, to have come so long and dangerous a journey for your wife; now, therefore, you shall be married; the whole land is open to you, and all that we have is yours, only take good care of our dear daughter, and if ever she or you are unhappy, return here and you shall find a home with us.' So the wedding took place amidst great rejoicings. The wedding festivities lasted twelve days, and to it came hundreds and hundreds of thousands of Rakshas from every country under heaven; from the north, and the south, and the east, and the west, from the depths of the earth, and the uttermost parts of the sea. Troop after troop they came flocking in, an ever-increasing crowd, from all parts of this wide world, to be present at the marriage of their master's daughter.
