unds as well as he
was able, and carried him with much difficulty to his hut. There he
and his wife nursed him till his wounds were healed, and took care of
him afterwards.

"Now such is the depravity of women, that Dhumini fell in love with
this poor mutilated wretch, and determined to have him whether he
would or no.

"One day her husband came home from hunting, tired and thirsty, and
asked her for water. She answered: 'I have a very bad headache, you
must go and draw for yourself.' Then walking softly behind him as he
went, she waited till he stooped down over the well, and pushed him
in.

"Having thus, as she thought, got rid of her husband, she took the
maimed man on her back and carried him till she reached an inhabited
country, where there was no famine, telling those who asked her, that
this man was her husband, and had been mutilated in that manner by a
spiteful enemy.

"She thus became the object of much compassion, and praise, for
devotion to her husband, and the king of the country bestowed on her a
small pension on which she lived in the city of Avanti. Meanwhile her
real husband had managed to climb up from the well, and wandered about
a long time, not knowing where his wife was gone. At last he came to
Avanti in great distress, and was begging for food when she chanced to
see him. Going at once to the king, she said, 'That wicked wretch who
mutilated my husband is now here; I have seen him going about as a
beggar.'

"Upon this he was immediately seized, and, notwithstanding his
protestations of innocence, condemned to death, and led away to
execution.

"On the way, with but faint hopes of saving his life, he said to the
executioner, 'I have been condemned on the evidence of one witness
only; let that man whom I am accused of injuring be questioned; if he
says I am guilty, then indeed I deserve to die.'

"The executioner saying, 'Perhaps he may be innocent--a few minutes'
delay can do no harm,' took him at once to the house of his wife, and
there the poor mutilated wretch, with many tears, declared the
kindness with which he had been treated by the supposed criminal, and
the wickedness of the woman who had forced him to live with her as her
husband.

"Thereupon the execution was stayed, and the king, having been made
acquainted with the whole affair, ordered her to be cut in pieces and
given to the dogs, and showed much favour and kindness to her husband.

"I say, therefore, there is nothing