to make it look like birds' dung.
Then he went back to the village, to the house of the chief, and spoke
thus to him: "I have found a place where a beautiful peacock has its
nest. Let us go there together! Being such a poor man, I feel myself
unworthy of going too near the divine bird. You, being a rich man,
should take the peacock. It will be a great treasure for you. Let us
go!"

So the chief went there with him. When the chief looked, there truly
were many traces of birds' dung near the top of the tall pine-tree. He
thought the peacock was there. So he said: "I do not know how to climb
trees. Though you are a poor man you do know how to do so. So go and get
the peacock, and I will reward you well. Go and get the divine peacock!"
So the poor man climbed the tree. When he was half way up it, he said:
"Oh! sir, your house seems to be on fire." The chief was much
frightened. Owing to his being frightened, he was about to run home.
Then the rascal spoke thus: "By this time your house is quite burnt
down. There is no use in your running there." The rich man thought he
would go anywhere to die; so he went towards the mountains. After he had
gone a short way, he thought thus: "You should go and see even the
traces of your burnt house." So he went down there. When he looked, he
found that his house was not burnt at all. He was very angry, and wanted
to kill that rascal. Then the rascal came down. The chief commanded his
servants, saying: "You fellows! this man is not only poor, but a very
badly behaved deceiver. Put him into a mat, and roll him up in it
without killing him. Then throw him into the river. Do this!" Thus spoke
the chief.

The servants put the rascal into the mat, and tied it round tight. Then
two of them carried him between them on a pole to the river-bank. They
went to the river. The rascal spoke thus: "Though I am a very bad man, I
have some very precious treasures. Do you go and fetch them. If you do
so, it can be arranged about their being given to you. Afterwards you
can throw me into the river." Hearing this, the two servants went off to
the rascal's house.

Meanwhile a blind old man came along from somewhere or other. His foot
struck against something wrapped up in a mat. Astonished at this, he
tapped it with his stick. Then the rascal said: "Blind man! If you will
do as I tell you, the gods will give you eyes, and you will be able to
see. So do so. If you will untie me and do as I tell you, I will p