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to enlarge  NCE upon a time there was a Raja who had seven
beautiful daughters. They were all good girls; but the youngest,
named Balna, was more clever than the rest. The Raja's wife died
when they were quite little children, so these seven poor
Princesses were left with no mother to take care of them.  The
Raja's daughters took it by turns to cook their father's dinner
every day, whilst he was absent deliberating with his Ministers
on the affairs of the nation.  About this time the Prudhan died,
leaving a widow and one daughter; and every day, every day, when
the seven Princesses were preparing their father's dinner, the
Prudhan's widow and daughter would come and beg for a little
fire from the hearth. Then Balna used to say to her sisters,
"Send that woman away; send her away. Let her get the fire at
her own house. What does she want with ours? If we allow her to
come here, we shall suffer for it some day."  But the other
sisters would answer