is robe, slipped it into
the little box, locked the box, and set it up where all might see.

'Now,' said the king to Moti, 'guess!'

It happened that when the king had opened the door behind him, Moti
noticed that there was a garden outside: without waiting for the king's
return he began to think what could be got out of the garden small
enough to be shut in the box. 'Is it likely to be a fruit or a flower?
No, not a flower this time, for he clasped it too tight. Then it must be
a fruit or a stone. Yet not a stone, because he wouldn't wrap a dirty
stone in his nice clean cloth. Then it is a fruit! And a fruit without
much scent, or else he would be afraid that I might smell it. Now what
fruit without much scent is in season just now? When I know that I shall
have guessed the riddle!'

As has been said before, Moti was a country lad, and was accustomed to
work in his father's garden. He knew all the common fruits, so he
thought he ought to be able to guess right, but so as not to let it seem
too easy, he gazed up at the ceiling with a puzzled expression, and
looked down at the floor with an air of wisdom and his fingers pressed
against his forehead, and then he said, slowly, with his eyes on the
king,--

'It is freshly plucked! it is round and it is red! it is a pomegranate!'

Now the king knew nothing about fruits except that they were good to
eat; and, as for seasons, he asked for whatever fruit he wanted whenever
he wanted it, and saw that he got it; so to him Moti's guess was like a
miracle, and clear proof not only of his wisdom but of his innocence,
for it _was_ a pomegranate that he had put into the box. Of course when
the king marvelled and praised Moti's wisdom, everybody else did so too;
and, whilst the Afghans went off crestfallen, Moti took the horse and
entered the king's service.

Very soon after this, Moti, who continued to live in the serai, came
back one wet and stormy evening to find that his precious horse had
strayed. Nothing remained of him but a broken halter cord, and no one
knew what had become of him. After inquiring of everyone who was likely
to know, Moti seized the cord and his big staff and sallied out to look
for him. Away and away he tramped out of the city and into the
neighbouring forest, tracking hoof-marks in the mud. Presently it grew
late, but still Moti wandered on until suddenly in the gathering
darkness he came right upon a tiger who was contentedly eating his
horse.

'You