nun's country, or you will never reach
it."

She went on and on, and at last she came to the Bhagirathi river.
There there was a great big fish called the Rohu fish. It was yawning
just as she got up to it, and she instantly jumped down its throat
into its stomach. All the time she kept saying, "Majnun, Majnun." At
this the Rohu fish was greatly alarmed and swam down the river as fast
as he could. By degrees he got tired and went slower, and a crow came
and perched on his back, and said, "Caw, caw." "Oh, Mr. Crow," said
the poor fish, "do see what is in my stomach that makes such a noise."
"Very well," said the crow, "open your mouth wide, and I'll fly down
and see." So the Rohu opened his jaws and the crow flew down, but he
came up again very quickly. "You have a Rakshas in your stomach," said
the crow, and he flew away. This news did not comfort the poor Rohu,
and he swam on and on till he came to Prince Majnun's country. There
he stopped. And a jackal came down to the river to drink. "Oh,
jackal," said the Rohu, "do tell me what I have inside me." "How can I
tell?" said the jackal. "I cannot see unless I go inside you." So the
Rohu opened his mouth wide, and the jackal jumped down his throat; but
he came up very quickly, looking much frightened and saying, "You have
a Rakshas in your stomach, and if I don't run away quickly, I am
afraid it will eat me." So off he ran. After the jackal came an
enormous snake. "Oh," says the fish, "do tell me what I have in my
stomach, for it rattles about so, and keeps saying, 'Majnun, Majnun; I
want Majnun.'" The snake said, "Open your mouth wide, and I'll go
down and see what it is." The snake went down: when he returned he
said, "You have a Rakshas in your stomach; but if you will let me cut
you open, it will come out of you." "If you do that, I shall die,"
said the Rohu. "Oh, no," said the snake, "you will not, for I will
give you a medicine that will make you quite well again." So the fish
agreed, and the snake got a knife and cut him open, and out jumped
Laili.

She was now very old. Twelve years she had wandered about the jungle,
and for twelve years she had lived inside her Rohu; and she was no
longer beautiful, and had lost her teeth. The snake took her on his
back and carried her into the country, and there he put her down, and
she wandered on and on till she got to Majnun's court-house, where
King Majnun was sitting. There some men heard her crying, "Majnun,
Majnun; I wa