Most unreasonable of women, cried the rajah, where am I to get eight more such jewels as these? I gave ten villages for them, and yet you are not satisfied!
What does it matter? said the rani; do you want me to die? Surely you can get some more where these came from? And then she fell to weeping and wailing until the rajah promised that in the morning he would make arrangements to get some more such rubies, and that if she would be patient she should have her desire.
In the morning the rajah sent for the wazir, and said that he must manage to get eight more rubies like those he had brought him the day before, and if you dont I shall hang you, cried the rajah, for he was very cross. The poor wazir protested in vain that he knew not where to seek them; his master would not listen to a word he said.
You must, said he; the rani shall not die for the want of a few rubies! Get more where those came from.
The wazir left the palace, much troubled in mind, and bade his slaves bring Lna before him. Get me eight more such rubies as those you brought yesterday, commanded the wazir, directly the banker was shown into his presence. Eight more, and be quick, or I am a dead man.
But how can I? wailed Lna; rubies like those dont grow upon bushes!
Where did you get them from? asked the wazir.
From Dna, the oil-seller, said the banker.
Well, send for him and ask him where he got them, answered the wazir. I am not going to hang for twenty Dnas! And more slaves were sent to summon Dna.
When Dna arrived he was closely questioned, and then all three started to see the rajah, and to him Dna told the whole story.
What night was it that you slept in the peepul tree? demanded the rajah.
I cant remember, said Dna; but my wife will know.
Then Dnas wife was sent for, and she explained that it was on the last Sunday of the new moon.
Now everyone knows that it is on the Sunday of the new moon that spirits have special power to play pranks upon mortals. So the rajah forbade them all, on pain of death, to say a word to anyone; and declared that, on the next Sunday of the new moon, they four-Kahr, Musli, Lna and Dna-would go and sit in the peepul tree and see what happened.
The days dragged on to the appointed Sunday, and that evening the four met secretly, and entered the forest. They had not far to go before they reached the peepul tree, into which they climbed as the rajah had planned. At midnight the tree began to sway, and presently it moved through the air.
See, sire, whispered Dna, the tree is flying!
Yes, yes, said the rajah, you have told the truth. Now sit quiet, and we shall see what happens.
Away and away flew the tree with the four men clinging tightly to its branches, until at last it was set down by the waste sea-shore where a great wide sea came tumbling in on a desert beach. Presently, as before, they began to see little points of light that glistened like fires all around them. Then Dna thought to himself:
Think! last time I only took four that came close to me, and I got rid of all my debt in return. This time I will take all I can get and be rich!
If I got ten thousand rupees for four stones, thought Lna, I will gather forty now for myself, and become so wealthy that they will probably make me a wazir at least!
For four stones I received ten villages, Musli was silently thinking; now I will get stones enough to purchase a kingdom, become a rajah, and employ wazirs of my own!
And Kahr thought: What is the good of only getting eight stones? Why, here are enough to make twenty necklaces; and wealth means power!
Full of avarice and desire, each scrambled down from the tree, spread his cloth, and darted hither and thither picking up the precious jewels, looking the while over his shoulder to see whether his neighbour fared better than he. So engrossed were they in the business of gathering wealth that the dawn came upon them unawares; and suddenly the tree rose up again and flew away, leaving them upon the sea-shore staring after it, each with his cloth heavy with priceless jewels.
Morning broke in the city, and great was the consternation in the palace when the chamberlains declared that the rajah had gone out the evening before and had not returned.
Ah! said one, it is all right! Musli wazir will know where he is, for it was he who was the kings companion.
Then they went to the wazirs house, and there they learnt that the wazir had left it the evening before and had not returned; but, said a servant, Lna the banker will know where he is, for it was with him that Musli went.
Then they visited the house of Lna, and there they learnt that the banker had gone out the evening before, and that he too had not returned; but the porter told them that he was accompanied by Dna the oil-seller, so he would know where they were.
So they departed to Dnas house, and Dnas wife met them with a torrent of reproaches and wailings, for Dna too had gone off the evening before to Lnas house and had not returned.
In vain they waited, and searched-never did any of the hapless four return to their homes; and the confused tale which was told by Dnas wife was the only clue to their fate.
To this day, in that country, when a greedy man has overreached himself, and lost all in grasping at too much, folks say:
All has he lost!-neither Dna, nor Lna, nor Musli, nor Kahr remain. And not five men in a hundred know how the proverb began, nor what it really signifies.
(Major Campbell, Feroshepore.)
THE FATE OF THE TURTLE
In a very hot country, far away to the east, was a beautiful little lake where two wild ducks made their home, and passed their days swimming and playing in its clear waters. They had it all to themselves, except for a turtle, who was many years older than they were, and had come there before them, and, luckily, instead of taking a dislike to the turtle, as so often happens when you have only one person to speak to, they became great friends, and spent most of the day in each others company.
All went on smoothly and happily till one summer, when the rains failed and the sun shone so fiercely that every morning there was a little less water in the lake and a little more mud on the bank. The water-lilies around the edge began to droop, and the palms to hang their heads, and the ducks favourite swimming place, where they could dive the deepest, to grow shallower and shallower. At length there came a morning when the ducks looked at each other uneasily, and before nightfall they had whispered that if at the end of two days rain had not come, they must fly away and seek a new home, for if they stayed in their old one, which they loved so much, they would certainly die of thirst.
Earnestly they watched the sky for many hours before they tucked their heads under their wings and fell asleep from sheer weariness, but not the tiniest cloud was to be seen covering the stars that shone so big and brilliant, and hung so low in the heavens that you felt as if you could touch them. So, when the morning broke, they made up their minds that they must go and tell the turtle of their plans, and bid him farewell.