THE STORY OF KHERUDIN. 37 



learnt that he had run away. So she ran back to the prin- 

 cess and informed her. As soon as Kherudin heard what the 

 servant said he swooned without saying a word. The prin- 

 cess was greatly distressed for her husband. An uproar 

 arose in the palace and the king her father came to see why 

 his son-in-law had fainted. 



While this was going on the mangy cat got to know 

 what had happened to his master and he took counsel with 

 the mangy dog. 



: . What will be the end of this thing ? Our master 

 has been in a swoon for several days because he has lost the - 

 fairy ring given to him by the king snake. I think that 

 it is only right that we should go and look for this ring for 

 that Chinaman has run off with it to some other country. If 

 we cannot find it, the care spent on us by our master is quite 

 useless." 



The mangy dog replied, " Go and get it, for I cannot 

 look for it." 



The mangy cat said, "It is not that you are not able 

 merely. You have no strength for it, for you have no love 

 for your master." 



The mangy dog said, " It is not that I have no love for 

 my master. I am very fond of him. But I do not know 

 where on earth that ring has been taken by that Chinaman." 



The cat said, " If you do not know how to look for it, 

 let me be the head and you can follow. But whatever I say 

 you must do." 



The mangy dog said, " If it be arranged like that, let 

 us go." 



After they had made this plan the dog and the cat set off, 

 into forests, out of forests, up mountains and down mountains, 

 into plains and across plains. At last they came to a village. 



The dog said, " I cannot walk any farther, for I am tre- 

 mendously hungry." 



The cat replied, " I am hungry too. Since that is so, 

 I had better go and look for some food. But let us make 



R. A. Soc.No. 46, 1906. 



