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then enquired of Bitaram what he had tied up in his cloth, to which he answered, "Gold-dust only." Bitaram then said, "Will you exchange ?" The merchant said, " Yes." So they exchanged, and Bitatam returned laden with gold. Not being able to count it, he again sent his wife to borrow her father's paila, and having measured the gold-pieces returned it to him. This time a few pieces of gold remained in the cracks in the paila, and the raja, being informed of it, went and asked Bita-ram where he got the gold. He replied, " I sold the ashes of my house which you burnt over my head, and received the gold in return." The raja and his sons then enquired if the mer-chant, who bought the ashes from him, would buy any more. Bitaram replied, " Yes, he will buy all he can get." "Do you think," said they, "he will buy from us ?". Bitaram advised them to bum their houses, and like him, turn the ashes into gold. "I had only one small house," he said," and I obtained all this money. You have larger houses, and should therefore receive a correspondingly large amount." So they set fire to, and burnt their houses, and gathering up the ashes took them to the bazar, and there offered them for sale. After they had gone the whole length of the bazar, and had met with no buyers, some one advised them to go to where the washermen lived, saying, they might possibly take them. The washermen, how-ever, refused, and as they could not find a purchaser, they threw away the ashes, and returned home determined to be revenged upon Bitaram.

This time they decided upon drowning him, so one day they seized him, and putting him into a bag they carried him to the river. Arrived there they put him down, and went to some little distance to cook their food. In the meantime a herd boy came up and asked Bitaram why he was tied up in the bag. He replied, "They are taking me away to marry me against my will." The herd boy said, "I will go instead of you. I wish to be married." Bitaram replied, " Open the bag and let me out,