to give the
old fakir two pounds and a half of gold. The treasurer went into the
treasury, but all the Maharaja's gold and silver and jewels had become
charcoal! The treasurer came out again to the Maharaja saying, "Oh,
Maharaja, all your gold and silver and jewels are turned into
charcoal!" "Oh, nonsense," said the Maharaja. "Come and see,
Maharaja," said the treasurer, who was in a great fright. The Maharaja
went into his treasury, and was quite sad at the sight of the
charcoal. "Alas!" he said, "God has made me very poor, but still I
must give this fakir his money." So he went to the fakir and said,
"All my gold and silver and jewels are turned into charcoal; but I
will sell my wife, and my boy, and myself, and then I will give you
the money I promised you." And he went and fetched his wife and son,
and left his palace, his houses, servants, and possessions.

He then went to a merchant, who bought from him his Maharani, who was
called Hirali, that is, the diamond lady, for she was very beautiful,
and her face shone like a diamond. Her hands were very small, and so
were her feet. The merchant gave the Maharaja a pound of gold for the
Maharani. Next, Harchand Maharaja went to a cowherd and sold him his
son Manikchand. The cowherd gave him for the boy half a pound of gold.
Then he went to a dom, that is, a man of a very low caste, who kept a
tank into which it was his business to throw the bodies of those who
died. If it was a dead man or woman, the dom took one rupee, if it was
a dead child he was only paid eight annas. To this dom Harchand sold
himself for a pound of gold, and he gave the two pounds and a half of
gold to the fakir, who then went home. The dom said, "Will you stay by
the tank for a few days while I go home and do my other work, which is
weaving baskets? If any one brings you a dead body you must throw it
into the water. If it is the body of a man or woman, take one rupee in
payment; if it is a dead child, take eight annas; and if the bearers
have got no money, take a bit of cloth. Don't forget." And the dom
went away, leaving Harchand sitting by the tank.

Well, Harchand Maharaja sat for some days by the tank, and when any
one brought him dead bodies he threw them into it. For a dead man or
woman he took one rupee, for a dead child eight annas, and if the
bearers had no money to give him, he took some cloth. Some time had
passed, and Manikchand, the Maharaja's son, died; so Hirali Rani went
to the c