When the time came for the seven Princes to go and fetch their brides, the youngest said to his father: “If we all go, who is to look after the house, and all your property? Let me remain behind, and when my brothers return with their wives, they can bring my bride also.”
His father thought this a very wise suggestion, so they set out, leaving the youngest brother at home.
After the wedding festivities were over, the seven brides were carried along in doolies, with the six Princes for an escort, and they halted for the night near a tank or pond in the forest, but did not know that the place was full of tigers. At night the tigers formed a ring round the camp, and said they would eat every one in it unless one of the Princesses was given up to them.
None of the six Princes would give up his wife. At last they decided to leave the seventh Princess to the tigers.
When the procession arrived at the Rajah’s Palace, the youngest Prince wondered why only six doolies had come, and asked what had become of his bride; but nobody would give him an answer.
At last an old man told him what had happened, and the young Prince, who was very angry and disappointed with his brothers, at once set out to seek his bride.
On the way he met a rat and a jackal, and they said: “May we go with you?” The Prince consented, and the three set out together, and walked or rode till evening, when they were overcome with fatigue and sat down to rest.
The Prince fell asleep, but the jackal said to the rat: “I am very hungry, what shall we do for food? Do you eat the Prince’s clothes, and I will eat his horse.”
No sooner did they agree than they carried out their plan. The rat ate all the clothes worn by the Prince, and the jackal ate his horse, so that when he awoke it was to find himself alone in the forest, without either horse or clothes.
Just then a monkey came down from the tree, and asked him what was the matter.