Kinnarī. North-western Province.
This is a story of Vikrama and the Vampire, one of the puzzling questions set to the King being a decision as to whom the girl belonged.
In Indian Nights’ Entertainment (Swynnerton), p. 237, the girl threw herself down from the house-top. One of the suitors sprang on the funeral pile, and was burnt with her. The second watched over the grave. The third became a Fakīr, and learnt how to revive the dead. He revived both the girl and the burnt suitor. The merchant whose opinion was required decided that the two who were burnt together were brother and sister, the Fakīr who gave them renewed life was their father, and the man who merely sat by the grave must become her husband.
In the Jātaka story No. 150 (vol. i, p. 321), there is an account of a person who had learnt the spell for reviving the dead. In this case it was a tiger, who killed him.
In Totā Kahānī (Small), p. 139, out of three suitors for the hand of a girl who was carried off by a fairy, one learnt the manner of her disappearance and the place where she was, the second made a magical flying wooden horse, on which the third rode to rescue her, killed the fairy, and brought her back. The Parrot’s decision was that the last one had the best right to her, as he had risked his life for her.
No. 75
The Crocodile and the Jackal
In a river in a certain country a Crocodile stayed, it is said. While it was living there, the Crocodile having become friendly with a Crab, the Crocodile said to the Crab, “Friend, you call the Jackal to drink water, so that I may seize and eat the Jackal after he has come.” The Crab said “Hā.”