then, feeling he could not kill them, the raja spoke kindly to them, and told them to come out into the jungle with him; and there he made a fire and cooked some rice, and gave it to them. but in the afternoon, it being very hot, the seven princesses all fell asleep, and when he saw they were fast asleep, the raja, their father, stole away and left them (for he feared his wife), saying to himself: "it is better my poor daughters should die here, than be killed by their step-mother."