Atondido Stories
followed her to see what she did with the box. As soon as she
had gone back to the four Queens (who gave her a great many
rupees), the dog went to the hole in which she had put the box,
took the box out, and opened it. When he saw the beautiful little
boy, he was very much delighted and said, "If it pleases Khuda
that this child should live, I will not hurt him; I will not eat him,
but I will swallow him whole and hide him in my stomach." This
he did.
After six months had passed, the dog went by night to the
jungle, and thought, "I wonder whether the boy is alive or dead."
Then he brought the child out of his stomach and rejoiced over
his beauty. The boy was now six months old. When Shankar had
caressed and loved him, he swallowed him again for another six
months. At the end of that time he went once more by night to
the broad jungle-plain. There he brought up the child out of his
stomach (the child was now a year old), and caressed and petted
him a great deal, and was made very happy by his great beauty.
But this time the dog's keeper had followed and watched the
dog; and he saw all that Shankar did, and the beautiful little
child, so he ran to the four Queens and said to them, "Inside the
King's dog there is a child! the loveliest child! He has a moon on
his forehead and a star on his chin. Such a child has never been
seen!" At this the four wives were very much frightened, and as
soon as the King came home from hunting they said to him,
"While you were away your dog came to our rooms, and tore
our clothes and knocked about all our things. We are afraid he
will kill us." "Do not be afraid," said the King. "Eat your dinner
and be happy. I will have the dog shot to-morrow morning."
Then he ordered his servants to shoot the dog at dawn, but
the dog heard him, and said to himself, "What shall I do? The
King intends to kill me. I don't care about that, but what will
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