now satisfied and happy. She believed she had
destroyed the young Prince, and with him the Rajah's love for Suo. For
the Rajah now never went to Suo's apartments. He neither saw her nor
spoke of her, for she only reminded him of his grief for his son.

Now the first time that Dalim Kumar awoke in the temple he was very
much surprised to find himself alone in a strange place, and with no
attendants around him. He arose and went out into the garden, and then
at once he knew where he was, though the temple was new to him. He
went to one gate after another of the garden, intending to go and
return to the palace, but he found them all locked. The gardeners had
gone away for the night, and before going they had securely fastened
the gates, according to the Rajah's orders. The young prince called
and called, but no one heard or answered. Feeling hungry, he plucked
some fruit and ate it, and after that he amused himself as best he
could, playing about among the trees and flowers.

Toward morning he felt sleepy and returned to the temple. He lay down
upon the couch, and later on, when Duo again put on the necklace, his
breath left him, and he became as one dead.

As it had been that night, so it was also in the many nights that
followed. In the evening the Prince revived and came out to play among
the flowers, but with the coming of day he returned to the temple and
lay down on the couch, and all appearance of life left him. After a
time he became used to the strange life he led, and no longer wondered
why he was left there alone and why no one came to seek him.

So year after year slipped by, and from a child the Prince became a
youth, and in all that time he had seen no one, for the gardeners had
always gone away before he returned to life.

Now there lived at this time, in a country far away, a woman who had
one only child, a daughter named Surai Bai. This girl was so beautiful
that she was the wonder of all who saw her. Her hair was as black as
night, her eyes like stars, her teeth like pearls, and her lips as red
as ripe pomegranates.

When this child was born it was foretold to her mother that she would
sometime marry a Prince who was both alive and dead. This prophecy
frightened the mother so much that as soon as her daughter was of a
marriageable age she left her own country and journeyed away into a
far land, taking the girl with her. She hoped that if she went far
enough she might escape the fate that had been fo