Punchkin

Once upon a time there was a Raja, or king,Raja who had seven beautiful daughters. They were all good girls,girls; but the youngest, named Balna, was more clever than the rest. The Raja's wife died when they were very young. Soquite little children, so these seven poor Princesses were left with no mother to take care of them.

The Raja's daughters took it by turns to cook their father's dinner every day, while he was away discussing the country’s affairs with his ministerswhilst he was absent deliberating with his Ministers on the affairs of the nation.

About this time the Prudhan, his chief minister,Prudhan died, leaving a widow and one daughter. Anddaughter; and every day, every day, when the seven Princesses were preparing their father's dinner, the Prudhan's widow and daughter would come and beg for a little fire from the hearth. Then Balna used to say to her sisters, "Send that woman away; send her away. Let her get the fire at her own house. What does she want with ours? If we allow her to come here, we willshall suffer for it some day."

But the other sisters would answer, "Be quiet, Balna; why must you always be quarrelling with this poor woman? Let her take some fire if she likes." Then the Prudhan's widow used to go to the hearth and take a few sticks from it. And whileit; and whilst no one was looking, she would quickly throw some mud into the dishesmidst of the dishes which were being prepared for the Raja's dinner.

Now the Raja was very fond of his daughters. Ever since their mother's death they had cooked his dinner with their own hands, to prevent his enemies from poisoning himin order to avoid the danger of his being poisoned by his enemies. So, when he found the mud mixed up with his dinner, he thought they must have been careless. Surely no one would it must arise from their carelessness, as it did not seem likely that any one should have put mud there on purpose. He was very kind and did not want to scold them, though purpose; but being very kind he did not like to reprove them for it, although this spoiling of the curry was spoiled for many days in a rowrepeated many successive days.

At last, one day, he decided to hide and watch his daughters cooking, to see how it all happened. So he went into the next roomdetermined to hide, and watch his daughters cooking, and see how it all happened; so he went into the next room, and watched them through a hole in the wall.

There he saw his seven daughters carefully washing the rice and preparing the curry. As they finished preparing each dish, they put it by the fire,curry, and as each dish was completed, they put it by the fire ready to be cooked. Next he noticed the Prudhan's widow come to the door and beg for a few sticks from the fire to cook her dinner.door, and beg for a few sticks from the fire to cook her dinner with. Balna turned to her, angrily, and said, "Why don't you keep firewood in your own house, instead of coming here every day and takingfuel in your own house, and not come here every day and take ours? Sisters, don't give this woman any more wood; let her buy it for herself."

Then the eldest sister answered, "Balna, let the poor woman take the wood and the fire; she does us no harm." But Balna replied, "If you let her come here so often, maybe she will do us some harm, and make us regret itsorry for it, some day."

The Raja then saw the Prudhan's widow go to the place where all his dinner was nicely prepared. Asprepared, and, as she took the wood, she threw a little mud into each of the dishes.

At this he was very angry and ordered the woman to beangry, and sent to have the woman seized and brought before him. But the widow said when the widow came, she told him that she had played the this trick because she wanted a chance to speak to him. Her clever, cunning words to gain an audience with him; and she spoke so cleverly, and pleased him so much that,well with her cunning words, that instead of punishing her, the Raja married her and made her his Ranee, or queen. She, and made her his Ranee, and she and her daughter came to live in the palace.

TheNow the new Ranee hated the seven poor Princesses and wanted them , and wanted to get them, if possible, out of the way, if possible. Then her daughter could have their riches in order that her daughter might have all their riches, and live in the palace as Princess in their place. Instead place; and instead of being grateful for their kindness, she did everythingto them for their kindness to her, she did all she could to make them miserable. She gave them nothing but bread to eat, and very little of that, and very little water to drink. The seven poor Princesses had always lived comfortably, with ; so these seven poor little Princesses, who had been accustomed to have everything comfortable about them, and good food and clothes. Now they were miserable. Andgood clothes all their lives long, were very miserable and unhappy; and they used to go out every day and sit by their dead mother's tomb and cry—and say:

"Oh mother, mother, can you not see your poor children, how unhappy we are, and how our cruel stepmother starves us?cannot you see your poor children, how unhappy we are, and how we are starved by our cruel step-mother?"

One day, while they were sobbing and crying like thiswhilst they were thus sobbing and crying, lo and behold! A beautiful pomelo tree grew from the grave, covered with fresh ripe pomelos, large fruits like grapefruitsa beautiful pomelo tree grew up out of the grave, covered with fresh ripe pomeloes. The children ate until they were no longer hungry. After that, , and the children satisfied their hunger by eating some of the fruit, and every day after this, instead of trying to eat their stepmother’s bad dinners, they went each day to their mother’s grave and ate the beautiful tree’s pomelosthe bad dinner their step-mother provided for them, they used to go out to their mother's grave and eat the pomeloes which grew there on the beautiful tree.

Then the Ranee said to her daughter, "I cannot understand it. Everytell how it is, every day those seven girls say they don't want any dinner, and won't eat any; and yet they never grow thin or look ill. Theynor look ill; they look better than you do. I cannot understand it."tell how it is." And she told her tobade her watch the seven Princesses, and see if anyoneany one gave them anything to eat.

So next day, when the Princesses went to their mother's grave, and were eating the beautiful pomelospomeloes, the Prudhan's daughter followed them, and saw them gathering the fruit.

Then Balna said to her sisters, "Do you not see that girl watching us? Let us drive her away, or hide the pomelos, orpomeloes, else she will go and tell her mother all about it, and that will be very bad for us."

But the other sisters said, "Oh no, do not be unkind, Balna. The girl would never be so cruel as to tell her mother. Let us invite her to come and have some of the fruit instead.rather invite her to come and have some of the fruit." And calling her to them, they gave her one of the pomelospomeloes.

As soon as she had eaten it, however,No sooner had she eaten it, however, than the Prudhan's daughter went home and said to her mother, "I am not surprised the seven Princesses refuse the dinner you preparedo not wonder the seven Princesses will not eat the dinner you prepare for them, because a beautiful pomelo tree grows by their mother's grave. They go there every day and eat the pomelos.for by their mother's grave there grows a beautiful pomelo tree, and they go there every day and eat the pomeloes. I ate one, and it was the nicest I have ever tasted."

The cruel Ranee was very upset to hear this. All next day she stayed in her roommuch vexed at hearing this, and all next day she stayed in her room, and told the Raja that she had a very bad headache. The Raja was deeply distressedgrieved, and said to his wife, "What can I do for you?" She answered, "Only one thing will cure my headacheThere is only one thing that will make my headache well. A fine pomelo tree grows by your dead wife's tombBy your dead wife's tomb there grows a fine pomelo tree; bring it here and boil it, root and branch. Put a little of that water on my forehead, and ityou must bring that here, and boil it, root and branch, and put a little of the water in which it has been boiled, on my forehead, and that will cure my headache." So the Raja sent his servants, and had the beautiful pomelo tree pulled up by the roots, and did as the Ranee wanted. When some of the water in which the tree had been boileddesired; and when some of the water, in which it had been boiled, was put on her forehead, she said her headache was gone and she felt quite well.

Next day, when the seven Princesses went as usual to the grave of their mother, the pomelo tree had disappeared. Then they all began to cry very bitterly.

Now beside their mother’s tomb was a small tank, a pool for storing water.there was by the Ranee's tomb a small tank, As they were crying,and as they were crying they saw that the tank was filled with a rich cream-like substance, which quickly hardened into a thick white cake. At the sight of this all the Princesses were very glad. They ate some of the cake and liked it. Andseeing this all the Princesses were very glad, and they ate some of the cake, and liked it; and next day the same thing happened, and so it went on for many days. Every morning the Princesses went to their mother's grave, and found the little tank filled with the nourishing cream-like cake. Then the cruel stepmotherstep-mother said to her daughter: "I cannot understand it.tell how it is, I have had the pomelo tree which used to grow by their mother'sthe Ranee's grave destroyed, and yet the Princesses grow no thinner and look no sadderthinner, nor look more sad, though they never eat the dinner I give them. I cannot understand it!tell how it is!"

And her daughter said, "I will watch."

Next day, while the Princesses were eating the cream cake, who should come by but their stepmotherstep-mother's daughter. Balna saw her first, and said, "See, sisters, there comes that girl again. Let us sit round the edge of the tank and not allow her to see it. Forit, for if we give her some of our cake, she will go and tell her mother; and that will be very unfortunate for us."

The other sisters, however, thought Balna unnecessarily suspicious, and instead of following her advice, they gave the Prudhan's daughter some of the cake. Shecake, and she went home and told her mother all about it.

When the Ranee heard The Ranee, on hearing how well the Princesses were living, she was furious. She sent servants to destroy their mother’s tomb fared, was exceedingly angry, and sent her servants to pull down the dead Ranee's tomb, and fill the little tank with the rubbleruins. And not content with this, next day she she next day pretended to be very, very ill—in fact, at the point of death. The Raja was deeply distressed and asked whether he could find any cure for her. Shedeath—and when the Raja was much grieved, and asked her whether it was in his power to procure her any remedy, she said to him: "Only one thing can save my life, but I know you will not do it." He replied, "Yes, whatever it is, I will do it." She then said, "To save my life, you must kill the seven daughters of your first wife, and put some of their blood on my forehead and on the palms of my hands. Their deaths will savehands, and their death will be my life." At these words the Raja was very sorrowful. Butsorrowful; but because he feared to break his word, he went out with a heavy heart to find his daughters.

He found them crying by the ruins of their mother's grave.

Then, feeling he could not kill them, the Raja spoke kindly to them and told them to come out into the jungle with him. Therethem, and told them to come out into the jungle with him; and there he made a fire and cooked some rice, and gave it to them. In the afternoon heat, But in the afternoon, it being very hot, the seven Princesses fell asleep. Once they were sleeping soundly, their father slipped all fell asleep, and when he saw they were fast asleep, the Raja, their father, stole away and left them, because them (for he feared his wife. He saidwife), saying to himself: "It is better for my poor daughters to die here than to be killed by their stepmother.my poor daughters should die here, than be killed by their step-mother."

He then shot a deer. Returning home, he put some of its blood on the forehead and hands of the Ranee. Shedeer, and returning home, put some of its blood on the forehead and hands of the Ranee, and she thought then that he had really killed the Princesses, and said she felt quite well.

Meanwhile Meantime the seven Princesses woke and were terrified to find themselves awoke, and when they found themselves all alone in the thick jungle. They called as loudly jungle they were much frightened, and began to call out as loud as they could, hoping their father would hear. But he was far away by then. He could not have heard them even if their voices hadin hopes of making their father hear; but he was by that time far away, and would not have been able to hear them even had their voices been as loud as thunder.

That very day,It so happened that this very day the seven young sons of a neighbouring Raja happened chanced to be hunting in the same jungle. As they headed home afterwards, that same jungle, and as they were returning home, after the day's sport was over, the youngest Prince saidsaid to his brothers: "Stop, I think I hear someonesome one crying and calling out. Do you not hear voices? Let us go in the direction of the sound, and find out what it is."

So the seven Princes rode through the wood until they came to the place where the seven Princesses sat crying and twisting their hands together in distresswringing their hands. At the sight of them the young Princes were very much astonished, and still more so when they heard their story. And they decided that each would take one of the poor abandoned young women homeon learning their story; and they settled that each should take one of these poor forlorn ladies home with him, and marry her.

So the first and eldest Prince took the eldest Princess home with him, and married her.

And the second took the second;

And the third took the third;

And the fourth took the fourth;

And the fifth took the fifth;

And the sixth took the sixth;

And the seventh, theand the handsomest of all, took the beautiful Balna.

And when they got to their own land, there was great rejoicing throughout the kingdomkingdom, at the marriage of the seven young Princes to seven such beautiful Princesses.

About a year after this Balna had a little son, and his uncles and aunts were so fond of the boy that it was as if he had seven fathers and seven mothers. None of the other Princes and Princesses had any children, so all the others recognised the son of the seventh Prince and Balna as their heirthe son of the seventh Prince and Balna was acknowledged their heir by all the rest.

They had lived thus lived very happily like this for some time. Then for some time, when one fine day the seventh Prince (Balna's husband) said he would go out hunting, and away he went. They waited a long timewent; and they waited long for him, but he never came back.

Then his six brothers said they would go and see what had become of him. Andhim; and they went away, but they also did not return.

And the seven Princesses grieved very much, becausefor they feared that their kind husbands must have been killed.

One day, not long after this had happened, Balna wasas Balna was rocking her baby's cradle. Her sisters were working in the room below.cradle, and whilst her sisters were working in the room below, A man in a long black robe came to the palace door. He saidthere came to the palace door a man in a long black dress, who said that he was a Fakir, a holy man who lived by begging, and had comeFakir, and came to beg. The servants said to him, "You cannot go into the palace—the Raja's sons have all gone away; we think they must be dead, and their widows cannot be interrupted by your begging." But he said, "I am a holy man, you must let me in." Then the stupid servants let him walk through the palace. Butpalace, but they did not know that this was no Fakir, but a wicked Magician named Punchkin.

Punchkin Fakir wandered through the palace, and saw many beautiful things there. Atthere, till at last he reached the room where Balna sat singing beside her little boy's cradle. The Magician thought her more beautiful than all the other beautiful things he had seen, so he asked her to come home with him andinsomuch that he asked her to go home with him and to marry him. But she said, "My husband, I fear, is dead, but my little boy is still very young.quite young; I will stay here and teach him to grow up a clever man. When he is grown up he willman, and when he is grown up he shall go out into the world, and try to find newsand learn tidings of his father. Heaven forbid that I should ever leave him, or marry you." At these words the Magician was very angry, and turned her into a little black dog. He led her away,dog, and led her away; saying, "Since you will not come with me of your own free will, I will make you." So the poor Princess was dragged away, unable to escape or tell her sisters what had happenedwithout any power of effecting an escape, or of letting her sisters know what had become of her. As Punchkin passed through the palace gate,gate the servants said to him, "Where did you get that pretty little dog?" And he answered, "One of the Princesses gave it to me as a present." When they heard this, they let him go without asking anything moreAt hearing which they let him go without further questioning.

Soon after this, the six elder Princesses heard the little baby, their nephew, begin to cry. When, and when they went upstairs they were much surprised to find him all alone, and Balna nowhere to be seen. TheyThen they questioned the servants, and when they heard of the Fakir and the little black dog, they guessed what had happened. They sent people searching in every direction, but neither the Fakir nor the dog could, and sent in every direction seeking them, but neither the Fakir nor the dog were to be found. What could six poor women do? They gave up all hope of ever seeing their kind husbands, their sister and her husband again. From then on, they devoted themselveshopes of ever seeing their kind husbands, and their sister, and her husband, again, and devoted themselves thenceforward to teaching and taking care of their little nephew.

And time went on, untilThus time went on, till Balna's son was fourteen years old. Then, one day, his aunts told him the family’s story. As soon as he heard it, he longed to find his father, history of the family; and no sooner did he hear it, than he was seized with a great desire to go in search of his father and mother and uncles, and and if he could find them alive to bring them home if they were aliveagain. His aunts, on learning his determination, were very alarmed and tried to persuade him not to gomuch alarmed and tried to dissuade him, saying, "We have lost our husbands, and our sister and her husband, and you are now our only hope. Ifsole hope; if you go away, what shall we do?" But he replied, "Please do not lose hopeI pray you not to be discouraged; I will return soon and, if possible,soon, and if it is possible bring my father and mother and uncles with me." So he set out on his travels. Buttravels; but for some months he could learn nothing to help him in his search.

At last, after he had journeyed many hundreds of weary miles, he had almost lost hope of ever hearing anything more about his parents. Then one day heand become almost hopeless of ever hearing anything further of his parents, he one day came to a country that seemed full of stones, and rocks, and trees. Theretrees, and there he saw a large palace with a high tower. Nearby stood the little house of a Malee, a gardener.tower; hard by which was a Malee's little house.

As he was looking about, the Malee's wife saw him and ran out of the house, saying,him, and ran out of the house and said, "My dear boy, who are you, to venture into this dangerous place?who are you that dare venture to this dangerous place?" He answered, "I am a Raja's son, and I come in search of my father, and my uncles, and my mother whom a wicked enchanter bewitched."

Then the Malee's wife said, "This country and this palace belong to a great enchanter; he is all-powerful. If anyoneall powerful, and if any one displeases him, he can turn them into stones and trees. All the rocks and trees you see here were living people once, and the Magician turned them to what they now are. Some time ago a Raja's son came here, and shortly afterwards his six brothers came. They were all turned into stones and trees. And these are not the only unfortunate ones. Upcame his six brothers, and they were all turned into stones and trees; and these are not the only unfortunate ones, for up in that tower lives a beautiful Princess, whom the Magician has kept prisoner there for twelve years, because she hates him and will not marry him."

Then the little Prince thought, "These must be my parents and my uncles. I have found what I seek at last." He So he told his story to the Malee's wife wife, and begged her to help him stay and learn more about the unhappy people. She promised to help and advised him to disguise himself, so the Magician would not see him to remain in that place awhile and inquire further concerning the unhappy people she mentioned; and she promised to befriend him, and advised his disguising himself lest the Magician should see him, and turn him to stone toolikewise into stone. To this the Prince agreed. So the Malee's wife dressed him up in a saree, a long cloth wrapped around the body,saree, and pretended that he was her daughter.

One day, not long after this, as the Magician was walking in his garden, he saw what he thought was a little girl playing about. Hegarden he saw the little girl (as he thought) playing about, and asked her who she was. She told him she was the Malee's daughter, and the Magician said, "You are a pretty little girl, and tomorrowto-morrow you shall take a present of flowers from me to the beautiful lady who lives in the tower."

The young Prince was delighted and hurried to tell the Malee's wife. After talking with her, he decided much delighted at hearing this, and went immediately to inform the Malee's wife; after consultation with whom he determined that it would be safer to keep his disguise and wait for a chance to speak to the prisoner—if she really was his mothermore safe for him to retain his disguise, and trust to the chance of a favourable opportunity for establishing some communication with his mother, if it were indeed she.

When Balna married,Now it happened that at Balna's marriage her husband had given her a small gold ring engraved with her name. She on which her name was engraved, and she had put it on her son’s little son's finger when he was a baby. As he grew, baby, and afterwards when he was older his aunts had the ring enlarged so he could stillhad it enlarged for him, so that he was still able to wear it. The Malee's wife advised him to fasten the precious ring, which Balna knew so well, to one of the bouquets he presented to his mother, and trust that she would recognisewell-known treasure to one of the bouquets he presented to his mother, and trust to her recognising it. This would be difficult. The Princess was closely guarded to stop her contacting her friends. The was not to be done without difficulty, as such a strict watch was kept over the poor Princess (for fear of her ever establishing communication with her friends), that though the supposed Malee's daughter could bring flowers every day, butwas permitted to take her flowers every day, the Magician or one of his slaves was always therein the room at the time. At last one day, however, he had his chance. When no one was looking, the boy tied the ring to a small bouquetopportunity favoured him, and when no one was looking, the boy tied the ring to a nosegay, and threw it at Balna's feet. It fell with a clang on the floor, and Balna, looking to see what made the strange sound, found the little ring tied to the flowers. She recognised it and immediately believed her son’s story On recognising it, she at once believed the story her son told her of his long search. She asked what she should do, but begged him never to risksearch, and begged him to advise her as to what she had better do; at the same time entreating him on no account to endanger his life by trying to rescue her. She told him that for twelve long years the Magician had kept her shut up in the tower because she refused to marry him. Shehim, and she was so closely guarded that she saw no hope of release.

Now Balna's son was a bright, clever boy, so he said, "Do not fear, dear mother; first we must discover the limits of the Magician’s power. Then we can freethe first thing to do is to discover how far the Magician's power extends, in order that we may be able to liberate my father and uncles, whom he has imprisoned asin the form of rocks and trees. You have spoken to him angrily for twelve long years; now speak kindly instead.rather speak kindly. Tell him you have given up all hope of seeing againhopes of again seeing the husband you have so long mourned, and say you are willing to marry him. Then try to discover where his power lies, and whether he is immortal or can be killedendeavour to find out what his power consists in, and whether he is immortal, or can be put to death."

Balna decided to take her son's advice. Next day she sent for Punchkin and spoke to him as he haddetermined to take her son's advice; and the next day sent for Punchkin, and spoke to him as had been suggested.

The Magician, greatly delighted, begged her to allow the wedding to take place as soon as possible.

But she asked for more time to get to know him before the wedding. After told him that before she married him he must allow her a little more time, in which she might make his acquaintance, and that, after being enemies so long, they could only become friends gradually, she saidtheir friendship could but strengthen by degrees. "And do tell me," she said, "are you quite immortal? Can death never touch you? And are you too great an enchanter ever to feel human suffering?"

"Why do you ask?" said he.

"Because," she replied, "if I am to be your wife, I would like to know everything about you, so that if any disaster threatens, I can help you overcome it—or prevent it, if possiblefain know all about you, in order, if any calamity threatens you, to overcome, or if possible to avert it."

"It is true," he added, "that I am not likeas others. Far, far away, hundreds of thousands of miles from herethis, there lies a desolate country covered with thick jungle. In the junglemidst of the jungle grows a circle of palm trees. At its centre are six chattees, earthenware pots full of water, stacked one above another.trees, and in the centre of the circle stand six chattees full of water, piled one above another: Below the sixth chattee is a small cage containingbelow the sixth chattee is a small cage which contains a little green parrot. My life depends on the parrot’s life. If it is killed,parrot; on the life of the parrot depends my life; and if the parrot is killed I must die. It is, however," he added, "impossible for the parrot to be harmed. The country is so hard to reach, and I have stationed many thousands of genies around the palm trees. They kill everyone who approachesthat the parrot should sustain any injury, both on account of the inaccessibility of the country, and because, by my appointment, many thousand genii surround the palm trees, and kill all who approach the place."

Balna told her son what Punchkin had said. But at the same time she beggedsaid; but at the same time implored him to give up all idea of getting the parrot.

The Prince, however, replied, "Mother, unless I can get hold of that parrot, you, and my father, and uncles, cannot be freed. Do not be afraid. I will return soonliberated: be not afraid, I will shortly return. Meanwhile, Do you, meantime, keep the Magician in a good mood and find excuses to delay the wedding. Before he discovers why, good humour—still putting off your marriage with him on various pretexts; and before he finds out the cause of delay, I will be backhere." With these words,So saying, he went away.

He travelled many, many weary milesMany, many weary miles did he travel, till at last he came to a thick jungle. Being very tired, he sat downjungle; and, being very tired, sat down under a tree and fell asleep. A soft rustling woke him. He looked around and He was awakened by a soft rustling sound, and looking about him, saw a large serpent climbing towards a nest which was making its way to an eagle's nest built in the tree above him. Two young eagles were insideunder which he lay, and in the nest were two young eagles. Seeing the danger the young birds were in, the Prince drew his sword and killed the serpent. AtThe Prince seeing the danger of the young birds, drew his sword, and killed the serpent; at the same moment a rushing sound was heard in the air, and the two old eagles, who had been out hunting for food for their young,young ones, returned. They quickly saw the dead serpent and the young Prince standing over it. Andit; and the old mother eagle said to him, "Dear boy, for many years all our young have ones have been devoured by that cruel serpent. You serpent; you have now saved the lives of our children. Whenever children; whenever you are in need, therefore, send to us and we will help you. And you; and as for these little eagles, take themthem, and let them be your servants."

At this the Prince was very glad. The glad, and the two eaglets crossed their wings, and he climbed onto them. They on which he mounted; and they carried him far, far away over the thick jungles, until he came to the place where where grew the circle of palm trees grew. In the centretrees, in the midst of which stood the six chattees full of water. It was the middle of the day, and the heat was very great. The genies were fast asleep around the trees. But there were so many thousands that no one could have walked through them. DownAll round the trees were the genii fast asleep; nevertheless, there were such countless thousands of them, that it would have been quite impossible for any one to walk through their ranks to the place; down swooped the strong-winged eaglets—down jumped the Prince! In ; in an instant he knocked over the six water pots, had overthrown the six chattees full of water, and seized the little green parrot and rolled it in his cloak. As he rose into the air again, the genies woke. Finding parrot, which he rolled up in his cloak; while, as he mounted again into the air, all the genii below awoke, and finding their treasure gone, they let out a wild, mournfulset up a wild and melancholy howl.

Away, away flew the little eagles, until they came to their home in the great tree. Thentill they came to their home in the great tree; then the Prince said to the old eagles, "Take back your little ones; they have helped me greatlydone me good service; if ever I need help again, I will certainlyagain I stand in need of help, I will not fail to come to you." He then continued his journey on foot until he arrived once more at the Magician's palace. There he sat down at the door and began playing with the parrot.He then continued his journey on foot till he arrived once more at the Magician's palace, where he sat down at the door and began playing with the parrot. Punchkin saw him and came to him quickly, saying,him, and came to him quickly, and said, "My boy, where did you get that parrot? Give it to me, please.I pray you."

But the Prince answered, "Oh no, I cannot give away my parrot. It, it is a great pet of mine; I have had it many years."

Then the Magician said, "If it is an old favourite, I can understand your not caring to give it away; but come,come what will you sell it for?"

"Sir," replied the Prince, "I will not sell my parrot."

Then Punchkin grew frightenedgot frightened, and said, "Anything, anything; name what price you will, and it shall be yours." The Prince answered, "Free the Raja’s seven sons at once—the ones you turned into rocks and treesLet the seven Raja's sons whom you turned into rocks and trees be instantly liberated."

"It is done as you desire," said the Magician, "only give me my parrot." And with that, he waved his wand. Balna's husband and his brothers regained their humanby a stroke of his wand, Balna's husband and his brothers resumed their natural shapes. "Now, give me my parrot," repeated Punchkin.

"Not so fast, my master," replied the Prince. "First, I ask you to restore everyone you have imprisoned like thisrejoined the Prince; "I must first beg that you will restore to life all whom you have thus imprisoned."

The Magician immediately waved his wand again. And while he cried, pleading,again; and, whilst he cried, in an imploring voice, "Give me my parrot!" the whole garden suddenly camebecame suddenly alive: where rocks, and stones, and trees had been before, stood Rajas, and Punts, or chief ministers,Punts, and Sirdars, or nobles,Sirdars, and mighty men on prancing horses, and pages glittering with jewelsjewelled pages, and troops of armed attendants.

"Give me my parrot!" cried Punchkin. Then the boy took hold of the parrot, and tore off one of its wings; and as he did so the Magician's right arm fell off.

Punchkin then stretched out his left arm, crying, "Give me my parrot!" The Prince pulled off the parrot's second wing, and the Magician's left arm tumbled off.

"Give me my parrot!" cried he, and fell on his knees. The Prince pulled off the parrot's right leg, and the Magician's right leg fell off. The Prince pulled off the parrot's left leg, and the Magician's left leg fell off.pulled off the parrot's right leg, the Magician's right leg fell off: the Prince pulled off the parrot's left leg, down fell the Magician's left.

With neither arms nor legs left, Punchkin still rolled his eyesNothing remained of him save the limbless body and the head; but still he rolled his eyes, and cried, "Give me my parrot!" "Take your parrot, then," cried the boy, and with that he wrung the bird's neck and threw it at the Magician. As he did so, Punchkin's head twisted round and, with a fearful groan, hewrung the bird's neck, and threw it at the Magician; and, as he did so, Punchkin's head twisted round, and, with a fearful groan, he died!

Then they let Balna out of the tower. Andtower; and she, her son, and the seven Princes went to their own country, and lived very happily ever afterwards. And as to the rest of the world, everyoneevery one went to his own house.