"  In  this  place,"  said  the  tigress,  "  there  are  three  big
doors,  through  which  it  is  necessary  to  pass  before  a
person  can  get  to  the  princess.  Near  the  first  door  is  an
immense  block  of  iron,  which  must  be  broken  by  a  wooden
axe,  or  the  door  will  not  open.  At  the  second  door  is  an
imitation  cow,  surrounded  by  real  jinns.  If  any  person
can  milk  the  cow,  he  will  pass  through ;  if  not,  he  will  be
devoured  by  the  Jinns.  By  the  third  door  sits  the  prin-
cess herself.  If  she  is  pleased  with  you,  she  will  receive
you ;  but  if  not,  she  will  accomplish  your  death. "

On  hearing  these  words  the  king  became  very  fright-
ened, and  begged  the  tigress '  to  help  him.
"  Very  well,"  she  said.  "By  a  charm  which  I  possess  I
will  enter  the  block  of  iron,  and  when  you  strike  with  the
wooden  axe,  I  will  cause  it  to  divide  into  two  pieces ;  and
then  the  doorkeeper  will  think  that  you  cleft  the  iron,  and
allow  you  to  enter  through  the  first  door."

"  And  I,"  said  one  of  the  young  tigers,  "  will  cause  the
statue  of  the  cow  to  give  milk,  and  will  keep  the  jinns
who  stand  round  it  from  hindering  you  in  milking.  Thus
will  you  be  able  to  pass  through  the  second  door."

*  Cf.  The  Orientalist,  vol.  i.  p.  27 ;  180;  Wide-Awake  Stories,  p.  6;  Ma-

Itidian  Eranjelical  Reriev:,  vol.  xiii.  danakamdrdjankadai  (The  Dravidian

p.  232;    also  tale  of   the    "'Wicked  Nights),  Tenth  Story;  The  Oriental-

<}neens"iQ  this  collection.  ist,  pp.  181,  182,  250;  also  the  Pan-

'  Apparently  a  very  grateful  beast,  clia-tantra  (Appendix  to  Buck  I.  Story

Cf.  Indian  fairy  TaCet,  pp.  65,156,  2).
