1837.] old Mandavi in Raepur. 651 



night cause the walls of my city to become brass, the turrets silver, 

 the gates gold, and collect all the milk in my province into one 

 spot, I will give my daughter in marriage to this donkey. Satisfied in 

 his own mind that his daughter was safe under this agreement he 

 departed. No sooner had he left the place than the son of Indra said 

 to the potter, Place a chatty (earthen pot) of milk on either side of 

 me, rub my tail with milk and mount me. The potter obeyed him and 

 away they flew to the city. The potter was then directed to sprinkle 

 the milk from the chatties on the walls and turrets ; — he did so, and 

 they became brass and silver ; with a switch of the donkey's tail 

 the gates became gold, and all the milk in the province collected into 

 one place. In the morning, great was the surprise of the king to 

 find the task he had given and on which he had relied for the safety 

 of his daughter so scrupulously fulfilled. He had no remedy therefore 

 but to perform his promise, and the marriage rites of the princess 

 with Indra's son in the shape of a donkey were duly solemnized. 

 That night the bride with a confidential friend, a brahmin's daughter, 

 awaited the coming of the bridegroom. The son of Indra who had the 

 power of appearing in mortal form (which power he only possessed 

 during the night) came to the chamber where the damsels were in 

 a form surpassing mortal beauty. The princess supposing some 

 stranger had intruded himself ran away and hid herself in another 

 apartment, but the brahmin's daughter remained. In short he reveal- 

 ed the secret of his divine origin, and the curse under which he suffered, 

 to both the women, whom he took to wife, and in due time each be- 

 came pregnant. The king astonished at the apparent apathy of his 

 daughter, respecting the disgusting form of her husband, inquired 

 of her and discovered the secret, resolved to emancipate his son-in- 

 law from the curse, he one night seized and burnt the donkey's skin. 

 The son of Indra was immediately aware of the occurrence and 

 directed his wives to take all the jewels and valuables they possessed 

 and flee from the city to preserve their lives, for that he being re- 

 leased from his curse must return to his father Indra, but that the city 

 where they then were, would immediately become " dattan" (desolate 

 and destroyed). The women fled and the city was destroyed, as 

 Vikram the son of Indra had foretold. The women journeyed to- 

 wards Hindostan : on the road the brahmin's daughter was delivered 

 of a son. Not having any means of providing for the infant she aban- 

 doned him in the jungle where a jackal suckled him with her young. 

 The mother accompanying the princess proceeded until they arrived 

 at a city where this latter was also delivered of a son whom she called 



