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Now, if I keep the coat, I can shake it down there. To this the faqir agreed, and off went Bikru with the coat. Meanwhile, King Karan came toiling up the hill, and was surprised, when he entered the faqir's house, to find the fire out, the frying-pan put away, and the faqir himself as holy as ever, but not in the least hungry. 'Why, what is the matter? faltered the King.
Then deceitful Queen Lona, who all these years had been longing vainly for a son, when she saw what mighty power the unknown faqir possessed, fell on the ground also, and begged for an heir to gladden the heart of Raja Salbahan. Then Puran Bhagat spoke, and his voice was stern, 'Raja Salbahan already has a son. Where is he? What have you done with him?
But the faqir was a very remarkable faqir indeed, and when he had eaten the King, and picked the bones quite quite clean, he just put them together, said a charm or two, and, hey presto! there was King Karan as fat and jolly as ever, ready for the next morning's breakfast.
While he was pondering what could have brought this into the merciless desert, a man drew near who was dressed like a faqir, and had bare head and feet, but walked with the free carriage of a person of rank. His face was kind, and wise and thoughtful, and he came on and spoke to the prince. 'O good youth! how did you come here? Who are you? Where do you come from?
Now, of course, there was some secret in all this, and this secret I shall now tell you. King Karan had made a compact with a holy and very hungry old faqir who lived at the top of the hill; and the compact was this: on condition of King Karan allowing himself to be fried and eaten for breakfast every day, the faqir gave him a hundredweight of pure gold.
She chid the maidens, gathered up the broken alms, and setting the food aside, filled the plate with jewels and put it herself into Rasalu's hands, saying proudly 'Since when have the earrings been thine? Since when wert thou made a faqir? What arrow from Love's bow has struck thee? What seekest thou here? Do you beg of all women you see, Or only, fair Jogi, of me?
In fact, the faqir made no bones at all over the affair, which, it must be confessed, was very convenient both for the breakfast and the breakfast eater. Nevertheless, it was of course not pleasant to be popped alive every morning into a great frying-pan of boiling oil; and for my part I think King Karan earned his hundredweight of gold handsomely.
But after a time he got accustomed to the process, and would go up quite cheerfully to the holy and hungry one's house, where the biggest frying-pan was spitting and sputtering over the sacred fire. Then he would just pass the time of day to the faqir to make sure he was punctual, and step gracefully into his hot oil bath. My goodness! how he sizzled and fizzled!
Speak truth, Queen Lona, if you would find favour with God! Then the woman's great longing for a son conquered her pride, and though her husband stood by, she humbled herself before the faqir and told the truth, how she had deceived the father and destroyed the son.
'I never was devilled in my life! shouted the King; 'you must have eaten somebody else! 'That's just what I was saying to myself! returned the faqir sleepily; 'I thought it couldn't be only the spices that -Snore, snore, snore! 'Look here! cried King Karan, in a rage, shaking the faqir,'you must eat me too!
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