Ramavijaya, *45

rant of that prince who had saved your life at the court of
Janajc and cut off the nose o! your sister. You are a
great villain. You hare carried off his wife, Sita. I am
sent by my master to ascertain whether she is here. My
master will shortly invade Lanka and, cutting of? your
ten faces, will return to Ayodya with .Sita/' At these
words ]Javana was greatly insulted and ordered the de-
mons to cut off the tongue, nose, -ears and tail of the
monkey. In obedience to the order .of the king all the
demons brought weapons of various sor.ts and began to
pierce him with them bat nothing could be done to him,
as his body was made of vajara.* Ilayana was alarmed
and did not know what to do. At last he asjfced the
monkey by what means he would die. " f. am immortal,"
replied Maruti, " but if you cover my tail with cloth so-
aked in oil and set fire to it, I shall be immediately burnt
to death. Do not leave any part of my tail uncovered,
and if you (Jo so, nothing can be done to me." "^here-
upon Ilayana ordered his .servants .to cover his tail with
cloth. All the demons accordingly brought innumerable
heaps of cloth soaked in oil and began to cover the tail
of the monkey with them, but the more they covered the
tail with them,, the more he lengthened it; and consequently
a part of it remained uncovered. All the cloth in Lanka was
finished and oil exhausted. At last Havana orderecj. his
Servants to go to the Asoka forest aaad get the cjress of
Sita, when Maruti shortened his tail and allowed it to
be entirely covered. 'The demons then began to set fire
to the tail but they failed to light it. Maruti said, ** If
Havana will blow the fire himself, it will catch my tail;
and I shall be immediately burnt to death '' Havana
accordingly blew the fire and the tail of the monkey was
lighted, \7hilst he was blowing the fire, it caught his
beard; and his mustaches on one side were entirely burnt.