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NOVEMBER, 1886.)
THE FOUR PRINCES.
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wishes to relieve his heart of some foul secret. were joking, and a few struck at us for our Let him speak. Let him speak."
apparent folly.' The prince said :-"Ogreat and merciful 'Strange story,' said the young merchant, King and father, hear me, I beseech you, before 'very strange. Cannot you possibly sell the I die :-In past times there lived a merchant, dog for a smaller sum ?' whose only son grew up to be exceedingly clever "No,' replied the four brethren most deciand wise in all manner of works, and was also dedly. We could not disobey our deceased very good. One day the merchant, wishing his father, who charged us so strictly concerning son to have a large experience, bade him to make this matter.' arrangements for going abroad, as it was bis The young merchant believed them and intention to send him to some foreign country thinking that the dog must in some way or with merchandise. Within a week the young other be worth the money, he said, 'I will buy merchant got ready and started. Many strange it.' Besides this, his father had warned him people he met with and many wonderful things not to miss the first purchase or sale, even he saw; and I could occupy the attention of though it might be to his loss.. So he at once Your Majesty and of this assembly for several took the dog and paid the money. The rest days in the narration of some of these, but one of the way he was very much prospered, and incident only I ask permission to mention. in a few years he returned to his father and
In the course of his journeyings the young country a most wealthy and experienced man. merchant met with four men, who were wildly He had not been back from his travels vory disputing with one another over the possession long before his father died. Owing to some of a poor dog, that they were dragging about mismanagement concerning the property the most unmercifully.
young merchant found bimself suddenly withWhy quarrel ye thus one with another
P out anything except the clothes in which be he asked.
stood upright, and the dog that cost him so We are brethren,' said one of the dispu- great a sum of money. In the hour of his tants, and our father has recently died. We distress he visited another merchant, who was bave just been trying to arrange our several a great friend of the family, and begged him shares of the property, and all proceeded most to advance Rs. 15,000 on the dog. This amicably, till we had to decide about this dog. merchant readily complied. Taking the money We each have a cow a piece, an equal share of the young merchant went and traded, and the rice and other grain, an equal number of gained for himself another little fortune. sheep and goats ; but this dog we cannot divide, Meanwhile the other merchant became very so that each one of us may have an equal fond of the dog. He used to take it about portion; and therefore the eldest brother says, with him by day and kept it fastened up to a * It is mine,' and attempts to seize it; and I peg in the middle of the court-yari at night. wish to have it and so lay hands on it; and The dog, too, was very fond of his new master, my other two brothers also think they have a and seemed never so happy as when he was right to it and try to get it. You wonder, with him. perhaps, that we care to wrangle over such a One night the animal's sagacity and trifling matter; but this is not an ordinary dog. faithfulness were put to the test. When Each of us would gladly relinquish his right to everybody was asleep and every place was it, had we not learnt that this is no common covered with a thick darkness, some robbers animal. Our dear father, when on the point arrived at the merchant's house. They came. of death, bade us to sell it for Rs. 20,000; but along very stealthily. However, the dog's nobody will give us so much money for it. quick ear detected their approach. It barked We took it to the buzdr, and the people laughed loudly to wake the household, but no one was at us for asking such a price. Some thought aroused. It barked again and again and yet that we were mad, others thought that we more loudly, when it saw the robbers enter
refusing handsel, or the first bargain or salo of the day. rhoaru, i.e. One must not lose the first trade. They will often lose rather than give up the first chance Traders in the Valley, like those of many European of trade. cities and all over India, are very superstitious about
