Atondido Stories
passing the white hind's palace he could not resist sending a bolt
at some pigeons which were cooing on the parapet. One fell
dead just beneath the window where the white Queen was
sitting. Looking out, she saw the lad hale and hearty standing
before her, and grew whiter than ever with rage and spite.
She sent for him to ask how he had returned so soon, and when
she heard how kindly her mother had received him, she very
nearly had a fit; however, she dissembled her feelings as well as
she could, and, smiling sweetly, said she was glad to have been
able to fulfil her promise, and that if he would give her this third
pigeon, she would do yet more for him than she had done be-
fore, by giving him the million-fold rice, which ripens in one
night.
The lad was of course delighted at the very idea, and, giving
up the pigeon, set off on his quest, armed as before with a pot-
sherd, on which was written, "Do not fail this time. Kill the lad,
and sprinkle his blood like water!"
But when he looked in on his Princess, just to prevent her be-
coming anxious about him, she asked to see the potsherd as usu-
al, and substituted another, on which was written, "Yet again
give this lad all he requires, for his blood shall be as your blood!"
Now when the old hag saw this, and heard how the lad wanted
the million-fold rice which ripens in a single night, she fell into
the most furious rage, but being terribly afraid of her daughter,
she controlled herself, and bade the boy go and find the field
guarded by eighteen millions of demons, warning him on no ac-
count to look back after having plucked the tallest spike of rice,
which grew in the centre.
So the son of seven Queens set off, and soon came to the field
where, guarded by eighteen millions of demons, the million-fold
rice grew. He walked on bravely, looking neither to the right
484