112 STORY OF THE BUilONG GERUDA, 



look twice, but ran straight back to the Princess to tell her 

 what she had seen. She declared she could not tell whether 

 it were a man or an evil spirit. Then the Princess smiled and 

 bade her go back and not be afraid, but find out whether it 

 were a man or not and bring back word. So the nurse went 

 and took courage to approach and speak to the Prince, who 

 slowly and with difficulty told her who he was and what had 

 happened to him. When the nurse heard this she felt very 

 sorry for him and returning told the Princess. Then the 

 Princess was glad indeed and with the help cf the two attend- 

 ants she bore the poor Prince and hid him in a cave lest the 

 Geruda should find him, and she told the nurse to give him a 

 bath and scrape the shells off his body and to be careful not to 

 give him rice at first, but only rice water until his stomach 

 should be stronger. And towards evening they piled up stones 

 before the cave and left him for fear the Geruda should find 

 him on its return. 



Now it w 7 as the Geruda's custom to leave the Island of 

 Langka Pari every morning in search of food, returning only 

 at nightfall ; thus it w 7 as possible for the Princess's attendants 

 to visit the Prince in his cave every day, to nurse him and 

 bring him food. And after a short time the Prince recovered, 

 and the nurse reported to her mistress that he was superior to 

 the princes of all other countries in appearance and manners, 

 but that he was sadly in want of clothes. So the Princess 

 thought of a plan. When the Geruda returned at evening she 

 addressed him, " Oh, my father, you have brought us here and 

 are always taking pains to get us what we want, but there is 

 something more I wish for. I have left all my clothes behind. 

 There is in my father's palace in China a room set round with 

 mirrors, and in it a chest hinged with ivory and set with em- 

 eralds. In this chest are all my clothes. Will you, oh father, 

 go and get it for me?" The Geruda replied that he would 

 gladly and immediately set out. 



So the Geruda flew away till he came near the Emperor's 

 palace when he caused a storm of wind and rain and darkness 

 to come on which shook the whole building and roared horrib- 



Jour. Straits Branch 



