now there was by the ranee's tomb a small tank, and as they were crying they saw that the tank was filled with a rich cream-like substance, which quickly hardened into a thick white cake. at seeing this all the princesses were very glad, and they ate some of the cake, and liked it; and next day the same thing happened, and so it went on for many days. every morning the princesses went to their mother's grave, and found the little tank filled with the nourishing cream-like cake. then the cruel step-mother said to her daughter: "i cannot tell how it is, i have had the pomelo tree which used to grow by the ranee's grave destroyed, and yet the princesses grow no thinner, nor look more sad, though they never eat the dinner i give them. i cannot tell how it is!"