which she did for some months, until the desire of seeing her husband again overcame her.
Taking counsel with the tiger and tigress she asked them to get a dozen Chatúrdolas; one for herself, two others for them, and the rest for friends of theirs whom she would like to take with her to overawe her father-in-law, and thus induce him to receive her. The arrangement was made, and Malancha, with a number of attendants, duly reached her destination. The tiger was the first to visit the king and inform him of the arrival of the guests. He told him also that Malancha was one of them. But the king, without a word, gave the tiger a kick, and ordered his bowmen to shoot down the trespassers. At this the tiger withdrew in a fury, and asked Malancha's permission to devour the whole palace, except Chandra only. Horror seized Malancha at this suggestion and she cried out, "Uncle, do not say so. I will worship my father-in-law's feet. I will wipe them with my hair. The next time I hear you speak thus, I will kill myself." The tiger, loving her as his daughter, was filled with fear at the threat, and remained quietly at the palace gate with her and his other companions. When seven days had passed thus, the tigers left her, and she sought her mother's house. The latter, torn with grief for her husband, was in extreme distress, and the mother and daughter, after living together a few days, resolved to make an end of their lives. With this intent they went one night to a tank, into which the kotál's widow threw herself, and thus put an end to her life and its sorrows. Her daughter, however, shrank from following her example, for the remembrance of Chandramanik's face held her back. To die without a last lingering look at him was impossible for her; and she therefore left the tank. The desire of seeing her husband becoming too strong for her to resist, she devised the expedient of twining the tiger's hair into hers, and of thus becoming invisible, and at midnight resorted to the sleeping-room of her husband. There she found him in a sound sleep, with the ravishing Kanchi by his
