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NOVEMBER, 1874.)
THE BENI-ISRAEL OF BOMBAY
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another hen walking about with her mate. She said angrily, “Leave her alone." The cock said, “Both of you can be my wives and live with ine." The hen did not approve of this arrange ment, and a great dispute arose, and at last they all three went before the Raja to have the matter settled, and when the court was closed they flew away.
In this way they continued to come and go for two or three days, and then the Raja asked the minister what was the reason of their ceming: he said he had not the least idea. The Raja then said, “ If you can tell me to-morrow, good ; if not, I will cut off your head." The minister, hearing the Raja's orders, went into his garden and sat thinking, with his head between his hands. The fool seeing his master's dejected appearance asked why he was so distressed, but he answered nothing till the fool continued to ask him in such a determined way that he could not help telling him the royal coinmand. The fool said, “Is this the reason you are distressed? I understand all the birds are saying." And then he told him the whole story of their quarrel, and also said, “If the king decides that both the hens shall continue to live with the cock, then show two fingers and they will all fly away; but if it is decided that he is only to live with his wife, then show one finger, and one bird will immediately fly away, and a little time after the pair of birds will fly away together." The minister was dolighted to hear all this, and next day went early to the darbâr, and found that the birds had already come and were sitting there.
The Raja said to him, "To-day the case of the birds will be tried : what is their complaint ?" The minister told him what he had heard from the mouth of the fool, and he was much astonished, and decided that the cock should only have one wife; so he showed one finger, and
immediately one of the birds flew away, and a short time after the other two went off together. The case being decided, the court was closed, and the king thought the minister's conduct very praiseworthy. The minister thought within himself, “This is no ordinary fool, and if he remains here this story will come to the king's ears, and I shall lose iny reputation, while the fool will get the credit: so I inust kill him." Accordingly he thought over the matter, and decided to send an order to the exeentioner to kill him. lle then wrote the order in it letter and gave it to the foul, and told him to take it to the executioner. Is he was taking the luttor, the minister's sou met him and ordered him to pick a nosegay of flowers. The fool said he would deliver the letter and then como and pick the flowers, but the ininister's son would not listen to him, but told him to pick the flowers and he would deliver the letter himself. So he went with the letter to the person to whom it was addressed, and the executioner read it and put him to death. After a little while, the minister seeing the fool walking in the flower-garden asked him if he had not delivered the letter, and he replied, "My lord, your son told me to pick a nosegay for him, and would not listen to my excuses but took the letter himself." When the minister heard this, he was overwhelmed with grief for his son and fell down on the ground and cried aloud. His wife ran out and asked why he was crying, and he told her about the letter, and sho too fell on the ground and they both became insensible. When the fool understood what the minister had done, he called him and said, "My lord, when I first saw you I said, "Those who leave the road and come off the path will fall into my pit.' My lord, you have left the straight road and come off the path." So saying he left the place and was never heard of again.
THE BENI-ISRAEL OF BOMBAY.
From a lecture by John Wilson, D.D., F.R.S. In the island of Bombay and on the adjoining artizans, particularly masons and carpenters. On coast on the continent, from the Punå road to the the continent they are generally engaged in Bankot river, there is a population of Beni.! agriculture, or in the manufacture and sale of oil. Israel amounting to about 8,000 or 10,000 souls. Some of them, often bearing an excellent character In worldly affairs they occupy but an humble as soldiers, are to be found in most of the regiposition. In Bombay, with the exception of a few ments of native infantry in this Presidency. They shopkeepers and writers, they are principally can easily be recognized. They are a little fairer
