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194 TALES OF THE PUNJAB

‘All the Princess has to do,’ said the cat, ‘is to ask the wise woman to give her rice for supper tonight, and instead of eating it all, she must scatter some in front of the rat-hole in her room. The rest is my business, and yours.’

So that night the Princess had rice for supper, and instead of eating it all, she scattered some before the rat-hole. Then she went to bed, and slept soundly, and the wise woman snored beside her. By and by, when all was quiet, the rats came out to eat up the rice, when the cat, with one bound, pounced on the one Which had the longest tail, and carrying it to where the wise woman lay snoring with her mouth open, thrust the tail up her nose, She woke with a most terrific sneeze, and the ring flew out of her mouth on to the floor. Before she could turn, the parrot seized it in his beak, and, without pausing a moment, flew back with it to his master the spendthrift Prince, who had nothing to do but make a holy place, lay the ring in the centre, sprinkle it with buttermilk, and say, ‘O ring, | want my wife!’ and there she was, as beautiful as ever, and overjoyed at seeing the golden palace and her dear husband once more.

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