into the river her old friend the Seven-headed Cobra chanced to be swimming across it, and seeing the little Ranee likely to be drowned, he carried her on his back until he reached his hole, into which he took her safely.  Now this hole, in which the Cobra and his wife and all his little ones lived, had two entrances,—­the one under the water and leading to the river, and the other above water, leading out into the open fields.  To this upper end of his hole the Cobra took the Muchie Ranee, where he and his wife took care of her; and there she lived with them for some time.  Meanwhile, the wicked Fakeer’s wife, having dressed up her own daughter in all the Ranee’s jewels, took her to the palace, and said to the Muchie Rajah, “See, I have brought your wife, my dear daughter, back safe and well.”  The Rajah looked at her, and thought, “This does not look like my wife.”  However, the room was dark and the girl was cleverly disguised, and he thought he might be mistaken.  Next day he said again:  “My wife must be sadly changed or this cannot be she, for she was always bright and cheerful.  She had pretty loving ways and merry words, while this woman never opens her lips.”  Still, he did not like to seem to mistrust his wife, and comforted himself by saying, “Perhaps she is tired with the long journey.”  On the third day, however, he could bear the uncertainty no longer, and tearing off her jewels, saw, not the face of his own little wife, but another woman.  Then he was very angry and turned her out of doors, saying, “Begone; since you are but the wretched tool of others, I spare your life.”  But of the Fakeer’s wife he said to his guards, “Fetch that woman here instantly; for unless she can tell me where my wife is, I will have her hanged.”  It chanced, however, that the Fakeer’s wife had heard of the Muchie Rajah having turned her daughter out of doors; so, fearing his anger, she hid herself, and was not to be found.

Meantime, the Muchie Ranee, not knowing how to get home, continued to live in the great Seven-headed Cobra’s hole, and he and his wife and all his family were very kind to her, and loved her as if she had been one of them; and there her little son was born, and she called him Muchie Lal, after the Muchie Rajah, his father.  Muchie Lal was a lovely child, merry and brave, and his playmates all day long were the young Cobras.  When he was about three years old a bangle-seller came by that way, and the Muchie Ranee bought some bangles from him and put them on her boy’s wrists and ankles; but by the next day, in playing, he had broke them all.  Then, seeing the bangle-seller, the Ranee called him again and bought some more, and so on every day until the bangle-seller got quite rich from selling so many bangles for the Muchie Lal; for the Cobra’s hole was full of treasure, and he gave the Muchie Ranee as much money to spend every day as she liked.  There was nothing she wished for he did not give her, only he would not let her try to get home to her husband, which she wished more than all.  When she asked him he would say:  “No, I will not let you go.  If your husband comes here and fetches you, it is well; but I will not allow you to wander in search of him through the land alone.”