the sheep
are, and how much milk they give!'

'Yes, indeed!' replied the son, as he rose to get supper for his mother
and the shepherd.

In the time of Mohammed's uncle, the shepherd had had nothing to eat but
the scraps left by the old woman; but the new shepherd was not going to
be content with that.

'You will not touch the food till I have had as much as I want,'
whispered he.

'Very good!' replied she. And when he had had enough, he said:

'Now, eat!' But she wept, and cried: 'That was not written in your
contract. You were only to have what I left!'

'If you say a word more, I will kill you!' said he.

The next day he took the old woman on his back, and drove the sheep in
front of him till he was some distance from the house, when he let her
fall, and said: 'Quick! go and mind the sheep!'

Then he took a ram, and killed it. He lit a fire and broiled some of its
flesh, and called to the old woman: 'Come and eat with me!' and she
came. But instead of letting her eat quietly, he took a large lump of
the meat and rammed it down her throat with his crook, so that she died.
And when he saw she was dead, he said: 'That is what you have got for
tormenting my uncle!' and left her lying where she was, while he went
after the singing birds. It took him a long time to catch them; but at
length he had the whole seven hidden in the pockets of his tunic, and
then he threw the old woman's body into some bushes, and drove the sheep
before him, back to their fold. And when they drew near the house the
seven boys came to meet him, and he gave a bird to each.

'Why are you weeping?' asked the boys, as they took their birds.

'Because your grandmother is dead!' And they ran and told their father.
Then the man came up and said to Mohammed: 'What was the matter? How did
she die?'

And Mohammed answered: 'I was tending the sheep when she said to me,
"Kill me that ram; I am hungry!" So I killed it, and gave her the meat.
But she had no teeth, and it choked her.'

'But why did you kill the ram, instead of one of the sheep?' asked the
man.

'What was I to do?' said Mohammed. 'I had to obey orders!'

'Well, I must see to her burial!' said the man; and the next morning
Mohammed drove out the sheep as usual, thinking to himself, 'Thank
goodness I've got rid of the old woman! Now for the boys!'

All day long he looked after the sheep, and towards evening he began to
dig some little holes in the ground, out of which he took s