“Why are you so late?” she cried. “A young maiden has been here, a fine and dainty morsel, all pink and white, and as tender as a bird, and you might have had her for your supper if only you had returned earlier, in time to catch her.”
When the Rakshas heard this, his eyes grew red as fire, and he gnashed his teeth together with rage.
“Which way did she go?” he bellowed. “Which way did she go? I’ll follow her and catch her however far she’s gone.”
“You’ll have no trouble finding the way,” replied his mother, “for I gave her corn to scatter as she went along, so as to make a pathway. Just follow the corn, and you’ll soon find her.”
At once the Rakshas set off. So fast he went that the ground was burned up beneath him. It did not take him long to reach the little house in the tree top, but Surya Bai was safely inside, and all the seven iron doors were locked behind her.
The Rakshas beat on the door and called to her to come and open. “I am your father, the eagle, returned from his journey,” he called to her. “Open quickly, dear child, that I may put the diamond ring upon your pretty finger.”
But Surya Bai did not open the door or answer, for she was fast asleep and the little cat and dog were asleep also.
The Rakshas began to tear at the iron door, but he could not stir it, and all he did was to break off one of his long brown nails, and then off he went, howling horribly, and leaving the nail still sticking in the crack of the door.
A little while after he had gone, the cat awoke and wakened Surya Bai. “Surya Bai,” mewed the cat, “I dreamed the eagles had returned and were calling at the door for you to open it. You had better go and see if they are there.”
Surya Bai at once arose and took the keys and opened the doors, one after another, and when she opened the seventh door, the Rakshas’ nail that he had broken off ran into her hand, so that she fell down as though she were dead; for the fingernail of a Rakshas is very poisonous.