“Oh, you lovely, lovely creatures!” exclaimed the Prince aloud. “But I must not look at you, for truly you must be they of whom the master told me,—the ghosts of little children who lived and died long years ago and were forgotten!” [[22]]
Slowly and reluctantly the Prince, covering his eyes with his sleeve, cast the magic barley corns in the air and waited. The little silken sounds ceased, the splash of the water grew softer, and when he looked about him again he found himself standing on the other side of the fountain, with the garden behind him and a cool shady grove in front of him. And by a tree at the entrance to the grove, looking at him, stood the Siddhi-kur!
The Prince knew him at once by the shining gold and the emerald green of his body, by his head which looked like mother-of-pearl, and by the fair gold crown upon it. As he was looking at him, the Siddhi-kur turned and fled, and the Prince ran after him. Deep into the grove they sped, this way and that, and a long chase they had of it, until at last the Siddhi-kur reached the middle of the grove where stood his favorite mango tree, and before the Prince could touch him, he had [[23]]climbed up to the very top of it, and there he sat, looking down and laughing.
The Prince waited only to catch his breath, and then, seizing his axe, he raised it high above his shoulder, exclaiming, “Oh, Siddhi-kur, come down! Nagarguna, the hermit, has need of you! Come down, I pray you, or with my magic axe, ‘White Moon,’ I will fell your mango tree!”
“Nay, do not so!” cried the Siddhi-kur, gazing in terror at the uplifted axe. “Do not cut down my mango tree with the terrible ‘White Moon’; much rather would I descend to you!”
“Come, then, quickly!” said the Prince, laying aside his axe and picking up the sack and cord. On seeing these, the Siddhi-kur hastily climbed down from the tree and stood beside the Prince, trembling.
“See, now,” continued the lad, holding the sack wide open. “Resistance is useless, for here I have the magic sack of many [[24]]colors, in which, though it looks so small, is space to stow away a hundred creatures. You shall ride in it upon my back, and the neck of it shall be tied around your neck with this magic cord of a hundred threads, each of a different kind, and each strong enough to bind an ox. Be content, then, come with me, and you shall dwell happily in a cool grove on the shining mountain, beside the good Nagarguna.”
The Siddhi-kur sighed deeply. “Resistance is indeed vain!” said he, “since you have the axe, the sack and the cord. So take me on your back and let us be about our way, for he who cannot mend his fortunes should make the best of them.”
The Prince was overjoyed that his adventure should be thus accomplished so easily, and without more ado he settled the Siddhi-kur comfortably in the sack, tied the mouth of it with the cord of a hundred threads, balanced it upon his back, and picking up the axe, “White Moon,” started on his homeward journey. Very [[25]]proud he felt, and very well satisfied. He ate of the magic cake which grew not less, and being much refreshed, he walked bravely along, though the way was twice as hard as it had been before, owing to the heavy burden on his back.
After they had proceeded a long way in silence, the Siddhi-kur spoke: