w
shoes, and attached to her girdle a gourd containing pills and other
medicines. In this apparel she went straight to the palace gate,
read the royal edict posted there, and tore it down. Some members of
the palace guard seized her, and inquired angrily: "Who are you that
you should dare to tear down the royal proclamation?"

"I, a poor priest, am also a doctor," she replied. "I read the edict
posted on the palace gates. The King is inquiring for a doctor who
can heal him. I am a doctor of an old cultured family, and propose
to restore him to health."

"If you are of a cultured family, why did you become a priest?" they
asked. "Would it not have been better to gain your living honestly
in practising your art than to shave your head and go loafing about
the world? Besides, all the highest physicians have tried in vain to
cure the King; do you imagine that you will be more skilful than all
the aged practitioners?"

"Set your minds at ease," she replied. "I have received from my
ancestors the most efficacious remedies, and I guarantee that I
shall restore the King to health," The palace guard then consented
to transmit her petition to the Queen, who informed the King, and in
the end the pretended priest was admitted. Having reached the royal
bed-chamber, he sat still awhile in order to calm himself before
feeling the pulse, and to have complete control of all his faculties
while examining the King. When he felt quite sure of himself, he
approached the King's bed, took the King's hand, felt his pulse,
carefully diagnosed the nature of the illness, and assured himself
that it was easily curable.

Strange Medicine

One serious difficulty, however, presented itself, and that was that
the right medicine was almost impossible to procure. The King showed
his displeasure by saying: "For every illness there is a medical
prescription, and for every prescription a specific medicine; how
can you say that the diagnosis is easy, but that there is no remedy?"

"Your Majesty," replied the priest, "the remedy for your illness is
not to be found in any pharmacy, and no one would agree to sell it."

The King became angry, believed that he was being imposed upon,
and ordered those about him to drive away the priest, who left smiling.

The following night the King saw in a dream an old man who said to
him: "This priest alone can cure your illness, and if you ask him he
himself will give you the right remedy."

The King awoke as