Then the magician got frightened and said, “Anything, anything; name what price you will, and it shall be yours.” “Then,” the prince answered, “I will that you liberate the Rajah’s seven sons whom you turned into rocks and trees.” “It is done as you desire,” said the magician, “only give me my parrot” (and with that, by a stroke of his wand, Balna’s husband and his brothers resumed their natural shapes). “Now give me my parrot,” repeated Punchkin. “Not so fast, my master,” rejoined the prince; “I must first beg that you restore to life all whom you have thus imprisoned.” The magician immediately waved his wand again; and whilst he cried in an imploring voice, “Give me my parrot!” the whole garden became suddenly alive: where rocks and stones and trees had been before, stood Rajahs and Punts and Sirdars, and mighty men on prancing horses, and jewelled pages and troops of armed attendants. “Give me my parrot!” cried Punchkin. Then the boy took hold of the parrot and tore off one of its wings; and as he did so the magician’s right arm fell off. Punchkin then stretched out his left arm, crying “Give me my parrot!” The prince pulled off the parrot’s second wing, and the magician’s left arm tumbled off. “Give me my parrot!” cried he, and fell on his knees. The prince pulled off the parrot’s right leg—the magician’s right leg fell off; the prince pulled off the parrot’s left leg—down fell the magician’s left. Nothing remained of him save the limbless body and the head; but still he rolled his eyes, and cried, “Give me my parrot!” “Take your parrot, then,” cried the boy, and with that he wrung the bird’s neck and threw it at the magician; and as he did so, Punchkin’s head twisted round, and with a fearful groan he died! Then they let Balna out of the tower; and she, her son, and the seven princes went to their own country, and lived very happily ever afterward. And as to the rest of the world, every one went to his own house. CHAPTER III ANIMALS IN CULTURE MYTHS All the stories so far have reflected primitive man’s way of thinking and acting. Passing now to more developed phases of life, we are confronted in myths by such an array of animals—definite personifications of natural phenomena—that no possible ark would hold these cosmical monsters.