, and so every day he sent her a little food,
which she divided with the other Ranis. And every day her little boy
grew bigger, and bigger, and bigger, until he had become a strong lad,
when, as he thought it was very dark in the hole, he climbed out of it
and looked all about. Then he came back to his mothers (for he called
all the seven Ranis "Mother" now), who told him he was not to clamber
up out of the hole any more, for if he did, some one might kill him.
"Still, if you will go," they added, "do not go to your father's
kingdom, but stay near this place." The boy said, "Very well," and
every day he climbed out of the hole and only went where his seven
mothers told him he might go, and he used to beg the people about to
give him a little rice, and flour and bread, which they did.

One day he said to his mothers, "If you let me go now to my father's
kingdom, I will go." "Well, you may go," they said; "but come back
again soon." This he promised to do, and he went to his father's
kingdom. For some time he stood daily at the door of his father's
palace and then returned to the hole. One day the Rakshas-Rani was
standing in the verandah, and she thought, "I am sure that is the
Raja's son." The servants every day asked the boy, "Why do you always
stand at the door of the palace?" "I want service with the Raja," he
would reply. "If the Raja has any place he can give me, I will take
it."

The Rakshas-Rani said to the Raja, "The boy standing out there wants
service. May I take him into mine?" The Raja answered, "Very well,
send for him." So all the servants ran and fetched the boy. The
Rakshas-Rani asked him, "Are you willing to do anything I tell you?"
The boy said, "Yes." "Then you shall be my servant," she said, and
first she told him he must go to the Rakshas country to fetch some
rose-water for her. "I will give you a letter," she said, "so that no
harm may happen to you." The lad answered, "Very well, only you must
give me three shields full of money." She gave him the three shields
full of money, and he took them and went home to his mothers. Then he
got two servants for them, one to take care of them, and one to go to
the bazar. His mothers gave him food for the journey, and he left them
the remainder of his money, telling them to take great care of it. He
then returned to the Rakshas-Rani for his letter. She told the Raja
she was feeling ill, and would not be quite well until she got some
rose-water from the Raks