happened and she was[Pg 111] no longer a girl, but a tiger, and was afraid to go home. [Pg 111] The birds and animals can understand any language, and, being now part animal herself, Sunev had no trouble in understanding them. “Do not cry,” they told her. “It must be the work of Witch Zitna, but we will protect you, and when the hunters come we will warn you so you may hide until they go. Eat the berries and nuts and we will find you a nice place to sleep, so dry your eyes and some way may be found to restore you to your own shape.” Sunev did as the birds and animals told her, for there was no other way, and soon she became fond of her forest home and all her new friends. Witch Zitna now proceeded to have her beautiful daughter seen by the messengers of the Prince of Esor, and they carried her off to his palace, sure they had found at last a wife that would suit their royal master. Of course the parents of little Sunev looked everywhere for her, but she could not be found, and when they saw the tiger coming toward them they fled, for they did not know that the beautiful and graceful tiger-skin held their own child. [Pg 112] [Pg 112] The Prince of Esor, when he saw the witch child, thought that she was beautiful, but he had wished for a wife that was as fair, so he decided to wait, and sent out his servants again to look for a lady with golden hair. Witch Zitna was enraged when she heard this, for she knew that until her daughter was safely married to the Prince she was not safe. The reason for this was that every night Venus, the goddess of beauty, came to the forest to look for the graceful tiger the fairies had told her about, for, while Sunev looked like a tiger, she had more grace and beauty than a real tiger, though they are graceful, too. Venus did not wish even a tiger to rival her in being graceful, so she wanted to see this wonderful animal that she might learn from it more charm. One night Sunev was walking through the forest in the moonlight when Venus, in the form of a tree, beheld her. Knowing at once that the graceful tiger was a mortal changed, she called her attendants, who were not far away, and, changing herself back to her own beautiful
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