"there stand seven men without, clothed in white. Before you open the door to them, let me change myself into the largest bead in that chaplet which you wear around your neck. When they come in, they will ask you for it. Give them the beads, but before you do so, break the string on which they are strung so that they will fall to the ground. If you do this, I can do the rest by my power of magic."
Meanwhile the knocking upon the door grew louder and louder, and so, hastily promising to do as the Prince had said, Nagarguna opened it. Without stood seven men with white hair and long white cotton robes. Very old and wise they looked, but their eyes were wicked.
"What would you, sirs? " said Nagarguna. They stepped into the cave and, looking sharply around, spied the chaplet of beads about the hermit's neck. The white dove, of course, had vanished by this time.
"I pray you," said the foremost of the
