contained than he
ordered his guards to seize it and take it away to the palace, in
spite of the Brahmin's tears and protestations. Thus, for a second
time, he lost the benefit of his son-in-law's gift.

When the Rajah had gone, the Brahmin said to his wife; "There is
nothing to be done but to go again to the Jackal, and see if he can
help us."

"If you don't take care, you'll put him out of all patience at last,"
answered she. "I can't think why you need have gone talking about our
chattee!"

When the Jackal heard the Brahmin's story, he became very cross, and
said, "What a stupid old man you were to say anything about the
chattee! But see, here is another, which may aid you to get back the
first. Take care of it, for this is the last time I will help you."
And he gave the Brahmin a chattee, in which was a stout stick tied to
a very strong rope. "Take this," he said, "into the presence of those
who deprived you of my other gifts, and when you open the chattee,
command the stick to beat them; this it will do so effectually that
they will gladly return you what you have lost; only take care not to
open the chattee when you are alone, or the stick that is in it will
punish your rashness."

The Brahmin thanked his son-in-law, and took away the chattee, but he
found it hard to believe all that had been said. So, going through the
jungle on his way home, he uncovered it, just to peep in and see if
the stick were really there. No sooner had he done this than out
jumped the rope, out jumped the stick; the rope seized him and bound
him to a tree, and the stick beat him, and beat him, and beat him,
until he was nearly killed.

"Oh dear! oh dear!" screamed the Brahmin; "what an unlucky man I am!
Oh dear! oh dear! stop, please, stop! good stick, stop! what a very
good stick this is!" But the stick would not stop, but beat him so
much that he could hardly crawl home again.

Then the Brahmin put the rope and stick back again into the chattee,
and sent to his rich neighbour and to the Rajah, and said to them, "I
have a new chattee, much better than the old one; do come and see what
a fine one it is." And the rich Brahmin and the Rajah thought, "This
is something good; doubtless there is a choice dinner in this chattee
also, and we will take it from this foolish man, as we did the other."
So they went down to meet the Brahmin in the jungle, taking with them
all their followers and attendants. Then the Brahmin uncovered his
ch