e king did not recognise her,
neither did he think for a moment that the two children, who were
dressed only in rough skins, were his own sons.

He lay down on the bench, and, tired as he was, he soon fell asleep. The
bench was a narrow one, and as he slept his arm fell down and hung by
the side of it.

'My son, go and lift your father's arm up on the bench,' said the queen
to one of the princes, for she easily knew the king again, although
she was afraid to make herself known to him. The boy went and took the
king's arm, but, being only a child, he did not lift it up very gently
on to the bench.

The king woke at this, thinking at first that he had fallen into a den
of robbers, but he decided to keep quiet and pretend that he was asleep
until he should find out what kind of folk were in the house. He lay
still for a little, and, as no one moved in the room, he again let his
arm glide down off the bench. Then he heard a woman's voice say, 'My
son, go you and lift your father's arm up on the bench, but don't do
it so rough!y as your brother did.' Then he felt a pair of little hands
softly clasping his arm; he opened his eyes, and saw his queen and her
children.

He sprang up and caught all three in his arms, and afterwards took them,
along with the man and his horse and his hound, back to the palace with
great joy. The most unbounded rejoicing reigned there then, as well as
over the whole kingdom, but the wicked stepmother was burned.

King Lindorm lived long and happily with his queen, and there are some
who say that if they are not dead now they are still living to this day.

The Jackal, the Dove, and the Panther

Contes populaires des Bassoutos. Recueillis et traduits par E. Jacottet.
Paris: Leroux, Editeur.

There was once a dove who built a nice soft nest as a home for her three
little ones. She was very proud of their beauty, and perhaps talked
about them to her neighbours more than she need have done, till at last
everybody for miles round knew where the three prettiest baby doves in
the whole country-side were to be found.

One day a jackal who was prowling about in search of a dinner came by
chance to the foot of the rock where the dove's nest was hidden away,
and he suddenly bethought himself that if he could get nothing better he
might manage to make a mouthful of one of the young doves. So he shouted
as loud as he could, 'Ohe, ohe, mother dove.'

And the dove replied, trembling with fear,