The Prince said, “Anē! Somehow or other you must save me.”
They said “Hā,” and made him creep among their wings.
While he was there the Aet-Kanda Lēnī (the female Rukh, their mother), having pierced with its claws a tusk elephant, came bringing it, after flying round the sea in three circles. After she had come she said, “What is this, children! Here is prey for you; are you delaying to eat? On other days you come screaming for it.”
Those young ones said, “Mother, to-day we are not hungry. Food has been given to us.”
“Whence?” she asked.
The little ones said, “There is a man with us; [he gave it to us].”
“Show me him,” the Aet-Kanda Lēnī said.
“You will eat him, mother,” they replied.
The Aet-Kanda Lēnī said, “I will not eat him.”
“If so, take us and swear,”[2] the little ones said.