ld you like to go home to your
father and mother while I am away?" "Yes," she said. "Here are some
rupees for you to live on in my absence," he said. "I do not want any
rupees," said his wife. "I only want you to give me two things: your
old cap, and your picture." These he gave her, and then he went to his
boat, and she went back to her own home.

Some time afterwards she had a little son. The servants were greatly
frightened, for they thought their master would not be pleased when he
came home; and he was not pleased when he did come two months later.
He was so cross that he would not look at the baby-boy, and he would
hardly look at his beautiful well.

One night he lay awake thinking, and he thought he would kill his wife
and her little son. But the next day she came to him: "Tell me the
truth," she said; "you are angry with me? Don't be angry, for I want
to show you a picture I like very much--the picture of my boy's
father." Then she showed him his own picture, and the old cap he had
given her on board his boat; and she told him how she had been the
cowherd's daughter; and also how she had gained the money to build his
well. "You see," she said, "I have done all you bade me. Here is your
well, and here is your son." Then the merchant was very happy. He
kissed and loved his little son, and thought his well was beautiful;
and he said to his wife, "What a clever woman you are!"

Told by Muniya, Calcutta, March 3rd, 1879.

[Decoration]

[Decoration]

XXIX.

RAJA HARICHAND'S PUNISHMENT.

There was once a great Raja, Raja Harichand, who every morning before
he bathed and breakfasted used to give away one hundred pounds weight
of gold to the fakirs, his poor ryots, and other poor people. This he
did in the name of God, "For," he said, "God loves me and gives me
everything that I have; so daily I will give him this gold."

Now God heard what a good man Raja Harichand was, and how much the
Raja loved him, and he thought he would go and see for himself if all
that was said of the Raja were true. He therefore went as a fakir to
Raja Harichand's palace and stood at his gate. The Raja had already
given away his hundred pounds' weight of gold, and gone into his
palace and bathed and breakfasted; so when his servants came to tell
him that another fakir stood at his gate, the Raja said, "Bid him come
to-morrow, for I have bathed, and have eaten my breakfast, and
therefore cannot attend to him now." The ser