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THE STORY OF SIT AND BOSONT.
There was a ceriain laja who had two sons named Sit and Bosont. Their mother the rani had been long ill, and the raja was greatly dejected on her account From the bed on which she lay, the rani could see two sparrows who had made their nest in a hole in the wail of the palace, and she had re- marked, the great love and tenderness which the hen-sparrow bore towards her young ones. One day she saw both sparrows sitting in front of their nest, and the sight of them set her a-thinking, and she came to the conclusion that the hen-sparrow was a model mother. The raja also had his attention attracted daily by the sparrows. One day, very suddenly, the hen-sparrow took ill, and died. The next day the cock-sparrow appeared with another mate, and sat in front of the nest with her, as he had done with the other. But the new mother took no notice of the young ones in the nest, but left them to die of hunger. The rani, who was greatly grieved to see such want of com-passion, said to the raja, " This is how it is, one has no pity for those who belong to another. Remember what you have been a witness of, and should I die take care of the two children." Shortly after this the rani died, and the raja mourned over her, and continued most solicitous for the welfere of their two boys.
Some months after the rani's death, the raja's subjects prayed him to take another wife, sayings "Without a rani your kingdom is incomplete." The raja refused to comply, saying, "I shall never take another wife" His subjects would not, however, be silenced, but continued to press the matter upon him with such persistency that eventually he had to accede to their wishes,- and take to himself another partner. He continued, however, to love and cherish his two sons Sit and Bosont.