Analytical Account of the Pancha Tantra. 197 



of the princess, he should die, there would at least be an end of his misery. 

 The blind man, accordingly, accepted the terms of the proclamation ; and 

 having married the princess, and received the dower, set off with her, and 

 his friend, to a distant residence. 



After passing some time contentedly, the blind man giving himself up to 

 indolence, and hunch-back conducting their domestic arrangements, the 

 evil influence of the princess's deformity began to operate, and she intri- 

 gued with hunch-back. This couple then soon began to plot the blind 

 man's destruction. With this intent, hunch-back brought home one day 

 a dead snake, of a venomous nature, which he gave to the princess, and 

 desired her to mince it, and dress it with proper sauces, after which she 

 should give it to her husband, telling him it was a dish offish. Manthara 

 then went away, and the princess, delighted, cut up the snake, and set it to 

 boil : then, having other matters to look after, she called to her husband, and 

 desired him to attend to the stirring of the nice mess of fish she was cooking 

 for his dinner. He obeyed her, licking his lips at the intimation, and 

 stirring the vessel as it boiled. In this manner, hanging over the caldron, 

 the fumes of the venom drew the tears so copiously from his eyes, that they 

 gradually dissolved the film which obscured his vision, and he was restored 

 to sight. As he looked into the boiler, he saw immediately that he was 

 cooking the fragments of a black snake. He at once concluded what his 

 wife's design was ; but remained in doubt, who her accomplice could be. 

 To ascertain this, he resolved to dissemble, and still affect his former blind- 

 ness. Presently hunch-back returned, and the husband watching his con- 

 duct unobserved, was soon satisfied of the good understanding that subsisted 

 between his treacherous friend, and faithless spouse. He approached them 

 unperceived, and suddenly seizing hunch-back by the feet, being a man of 

 great strength, he whirled him over his head, and dashed him against the 

 breast of the wife with such violence, that his head drove her third breast 

 through her body to her back, and both she, and her paramour, instantly 

 perished : therefore I said, &c. 



The Brdhman who had found the gold mine then concluded, " It is well 

 said, all prosperity proceeds from Fate; but, in compliance with Destiny, 

 prudence is not to be disregarded in the manner in which you neglected it, 

 by not listening to my advice." He then left his friend to his fate, and 

 returned to his own abode. 



Vishnu SarmA having thus terminated these narratives, asked the princes, 



2 D 2 



