her to
rest upon. When all was ready she embraced her grand-daughter, and with
many tears sent her away down the river, with four women servants.

Granny stood for a long time by the river bank, watching the little
canoe disappear with the current, then she turned and entered the
doorway, and sitting down closed her eyes, and began to think of the
pleasant life she had enjoyed while serving Miami's child; and while so
doing she was so pleased that she smiled, and as she smiled she slept,
and never woke again.

But the princess, as she floated down and bathed her eyes, which had
smarted with her grief, began to think of all that granny had taught
her, and began to sing in a fluty voice, as she beat her tiny drum--

"List, all you men,
To the song I sing.
I am Gumbi's child,
Brought up in the wild;
And home I return,
As you all will learn,
When this my little drum
Tells Gumbi I have come, come, come."

The sound of her drum attracted the attention of the fishermen who were
engaged with their nets, and seeing a strange canoe with only five women
aboard floating down the river, they drew near to it, and when they saw
how beautiful the princess was, and noted her graceful, lithe figure
clad in robes of fine grass-cloths, they were inclined to lay their
hands upon her. But she sang again--

"I am Gumbi's child,
Make way for me;
I am homeward bound,
Make way for me."

Then the fishermen were afraid and did not molest her. But one desirous
of being the first to carry the news to the king, and obtain favour and
a reward for it, hastened away to tell him that his daughter was coming
to visit him.

The news plunged King Gumbi into a state of wonder, for as he had taken
such pains to destroy all female children, he could not imagine how he
could be the father of a daughter.

Then he sent a quick-footed and confidential slave to inquire, who soon
returned and assured him that the girl who was coming to him was his own
true daughter.

Then he sent a man who had grown up with him, who knew all that had
happened in his court; and he also returned and confirmed all that the
slave had said.

Upon this he resolved to go himself, and when he met her he asked--

"Who art thou, child?"

And she replied, "I am the only daughter of Gumbi."

"And who is Gumbi?"

"He is the king of this country," she replied.

"Well, but I am Gumbi myself, and how canst thou be my daughter?" he
asked.

"I