y he came as usual, and the merchant and his wife were very glad
to see him. As they were all sitting together, they saw a goat led
away to be killed. The goat escaped from the man who was leading him
and hid behind the merchant, but he was caught and marched off to
death.

At this the merchant said nothing, but the fakir laughed.

A little later they saw an old woman who had done something wrong,
and, therefore, the king had ordered her to be taken to the jungle and
there put to death. The old woman escaped from the men who were
leading her and took refuge behind the merchant, but she was seized
and led away to die.

The merchant said nothing; the fakir laughed, and the merchant's wife
saw him laugh.

At this moment the merchant's little daughter woke and began to
scream. Her mother took her in her arms; the child was cross and
pulled her mother's clothes all awry.

The fakir laughed.

The mother put her dress straight and held her child in her arms and
stopped her crying. She then took a knife and went up to the fakir,
saying, "Why did you laugh three times? Tell me the truth. What made
you laugh three times?" Nanaksa answered, "What does it signify
whether I cry or laugh? Ask me no questions, for I am a fakir, and it
does not matter in the least whether I laugh or cry." However, the
merchant's wife insisted on knowing why he laughed, and she said, "If
you do not tell me, I will kill you with my knife." "Good," said
Nanaksa; "if you really do wish to know, I will tell you." "I really
do wish to know," she answered.

"Well," said Nanaksa, "you remember the goat took refuge behind your
husband? That goat in his former life was your husband's father, and
your husband would have saved him from death had he given the man who
was taking him to be killed four rupees, for the man would then have
gone away contentedly without the goat."

"Good," said the woman. "Why did you laugh the second time?"

"Well," said Nanaksa, "that old woman who hid herself behind your
husband was his grandmother in her former life. Had your husband given
the men who were taking her to the jungle twenty rupees, they would
have given her up to him, and he would have saved her from death.
Should a wild beast or a man ever take refuge behind us, it is our
duty to save his life."

"Well," said the merchant's wife, "you have told me why you laughed
the first two times. Now tell me why you laughed the third time."

"Listen," said Nanaksa. "