22.  How could Putraka have prevented them from doing him harm if he had returned to his home?

CHAPTER XII

The old woman grew very fond of Putraka, caring for him and waiting on him as if he had been her own son.  She was so anxious that he should be happy that she became afraid he would become tired of living alone with her.  So she said to him one day:  “My dear adopted son, you ought to have a wife to keep you company.  I know the very one for you, the only one really worthy of you.  She is a princess, and her name is Patala.  She is so very lovely that every man who sees her falls in love with her and wants to carry her off.  So she is most carefully guarded in the top rooms of a great palace, as high as the summits of the loftiest mountains.”  When Putraka heard this he was all eagerness to see the princess, and at once determined to go forth to seek her.  He was more than ever glad now that he had stolen the shoes, because he knew that they would carry him even to the top of the highest mountains.

23.  What qualities did the old woman show when she told Putraka about the Princess?

24.  What faults of character did the young king show when he decided at once to leave the old woman who had been so good to him?

CHAPTER XIII

The very evening of the day when Putraka heard about the princess, he started on his journey, taking with him his bowl and staff.  The old woman gave him very careful instructions which way to go, and begged him to come back to tell her how he had got on.  He promised he would, thanked her for all she had done for him, and flew away in a great state of excitement.  She watched him till he was quite out of sight, and then went sadly into her lonely home, wondering if she would ever see him again.

It was not long before Putraka came in sight of the palace.  It was a beautiful night, and the moon was shining full upon the room in which the princess was asleep.  It was a very big one, with costly furniture and priceless tapestry hung round the walls, and there were doors behind the tapestry leading to other apartments, in some of which the attendants on Patala slept, whilst others kept watch lest anyone should intrude upon their mistress.  No one thought of guarding the windows, for they were so high up that only a bird could reach them.

The young king alighted on the ledge of the window of the princess’ room, and looked in.  There, on a golden bed, amongst soft cushions and embroidered coverings, lay the most lovely creature he had ever beheld, so lovely that he fell in love with her at once and gave a loud cry of delight.  This woke the princess, who started up and was about to scream out aloud in her terror at seeing a man looking in at the window, when Putraka with the aid of his magic staff made himself invisible.  Then, thinking she had been dreaming, Patala lay down again, and the king began talking to her in a low voice, telling her he had heard of her beauty and had flown from far away to see her.  He begged her to allow him to show himself to her, and added:  “I will go away again directly afterwards if you wish it.”