Demon With Matted Hair " 196, part 22 · page 21 2101Fear not, my brother, but go and take this necklace, and try to sell it in the bazaar."102The prince took it to a goldsmith and asked him to buy it.103"How much do you want for it?" asked the man.104"Fifty thousand rupees," the prince replied.105"All right," said the man; "wait here while I go and fetch the money."106The prince waited and waited, till at last the goldsmith returned, and with him the kotwal, who at once took the prince into custody on the charge of stealing the princess's necklace.107"How did you get the necklace?" the kotwal asked.108"A fakir, whose servant I am, gave it to me to sell in the bazaar," the prince replied. "109Permit me, and I will show you where he is."110The prince directed the kotwal and the policeman to the place where he had left the vizier's son, and there they found the fakir with his eyes shut and engaged in prayer.111Presently, when he had finished his devotions, the kotwal asked him to explain how he had obtained possession of the princess's necklace.112"Call the king hither," he replied, "and then I will tell his Majesty face to face."113On this some men went to the king and told him what the fakir had said.114His Majesty came, and seeing the fakir so solemn and earnest in his devotions, he was afraid to rouse his anger, lest peradventure the displeasure of Heaven should descend on him, and so he placed his hands together in the attitude of a supplicant, and asked, "How did you get my daughter's necklace?"115"Last night," replied the fakir, "we were sitting here by this tomb worshipping Khuda, when a ghoul, dressed as a princess, came and exhumed a body that had been buried a few days ago, and began to eat it.116On seeing this I was filled with anger, and beat her back with a shovel, which lay on the fire at the time.117While running away from me her necklace got loose and dropped.118You wonder at these words, but they are not difficult to prove.119Examine your daughter, and you will find the marks of the burn on her back.120Go, and if it is as I say, send the princess to me, and I will punish her."121The king went back to the palace, and at once ordered the princess's back to be examined.122"It is so," said the maid-servant; "the burn is there."123"Then let the girl be slain immediately," the king shouted.124"No, no, your Majesty," they replied. "125Let us send her to the fakir who discovered this thing, that he may do whatever he wishes with her."126The king agreed, and so the princess was taken to the graveyard.127"Let her be shut up in a cage, and be kept near the grave whence she took out the corpse," said the fakir.128This was done, and in a little while the fakir and his disciple and the princess were left alone in the graveyard.129Night had not long cast its dark mantle over the scene when the fakir and his disciple threw off their disguise, and taking their horses and luggage, appeared before the cage.130They released the princess, rubbed some ointment over the scars on her back, and then sat her upon one of their horses behind the prince.131Away they rode fast and far, and by the morning were able to rest and talk over their plans in safety.132The vizier's son showed the princess some of the poisoned pilaw that she had sent him, and asked whether she had repented of her ingratitude.133The princess wept, and acknowledged that he was her greatest helper and friend.134A letter was sent to the chief vizier telling him of all that had happened to the prince and the vizier's son since they had left their country.135When the vizier read the letter he went and informed the king.136The king caused a reply to be sent to the two exiles, in which he ordered them not to return, but to send a letter to Gulizar's father, and inform him of everything.137Accordingly they did this; the prince wrote the letter at the vizier's son's dictation.138On reading the letter Gulizar's father was much enraged with his viziers and other officials for not discovering the presence in his country of these illustrious visitors, as he was especially anxious to ingratiate himself in the favour of the prince and the vizier's son.139He ordered the execution of some of the viziers on a certain date.1 2← previousDemon With Matted Hair " 196, part 21next →Demon With Matted Hair " 196, part 23↑ back to Indian Fairy TalesThis page in Markdown → https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/tales/pg7128/28/page/2/