pected his
friend of playing him many tricks. But this he was not able to prove.

One day the Jackal said to the Barber, "It would be a nice thing for
us to have a garden of our own, in which we might grow as many
cucumbers, pumpkins and melons as we like. Why should we not buy one?"

The Barber answered, "Very well; here is money. Do you go and buy us a
garden." So the Jackal took the Barber's money, and with it bought a
fine garden, in which were cucumbers, pumpkins, melons, figs, and many
other good fruits and vegetables. And he used to go there every day
and feast to his heart's content. When, however, the Barber said to
him, "What is the garden like which you bought with the money I gave
you?" he answered, "There are very fine plants in it, but there is no
fruit upon them; when the fruit is ripe I will let you know." This
reply satisfied the Barber, who inquired no further at that time.

A little while afterward, the Barber again asked the Jackal about the
garden, saying, "I see you go down to that garden every day; is the
fruit getting ripe?"

"Oh dear no, not yet," answered the Jackal; "why, the plants are only
just coming into blossom."

But all this time there was a great deal of fruit in the garden, and
the Jackal went there every day and ate as much as he could.

Again, a third time, when some weeks had passed, the Barber said to
him, "Is there no ripe fruit in our garden yet?"

"No," said the Jackal; "the blossoms have only just fallen, but the
fruit is forming. In time we shall have a fine show of melons and figs
there."

Then the Barber began to think the Jackal was deceiving him, and
determined to see and judge for himself. So next day, without saying
anything about it, he followed him down to the garden.

Now it happened that very day the Jackal had invited all his friends
to come and feast there. All the animals in the neighbouring jungle
had accepted the invitation; there they came trooping by hundreds and
dozens, and were very merry indeed--running here and there, and eating
all the melons and cucumbers and figs and pumpkins in the place.

The Barber peeped over the hedge, and saw the assembled wild beasts,
and his friend the Jackal entertaining them--talking to this one,
laughing with that, and eating with all. The good man did not dare to
attack the intruders, as they were many and powerful. But he went home
at once, very angry, muttering to himself, "I'll be the death of that
young jack