sk
both our lives. He has put me here all by myself, and I have to cook his
food. When the great snake is coming there springs up a wind, and blows
the dust about, and this goes on till the great snake glides into the
courtyard and calls for his dinner, which must always be ready for him
in those big pots. He eats till he has had enough, and then drinks a
whole tankful of water. After that he goes away. Every second day he
comes, when the sun is over the house. And he has seven heads. How then
can you be a match for him, my son?'

'Mind your own business, mother,' answered the gazelle, 'and don't mind
other people's! Has this snake a sword?'

'He has a sword, and a sharp one too. It cuts like a dash of lightning.'

'Give it to me, mother!' said the gazelle, and she unhooked the sword
from the wall, as she was bidden. 'You must be quick,' she said, 'for
he may be here at any moment. Hark! is not that the wind rising? He has
come!'

They were silent, but the old woman peeped from behind a curtain, and
saw the snake busy at the pots which she had placed ready for him in
the courtyard. And after he had done eating and drinking he came to the
door:

'You old body!' he cried; 'what smell is that I smell inside that is not
the smell of every day?'

'Oh, master!' answered she, 'I am alone, as I always am! But to-day,
after many days, I have sprinkled fresh scent all over me, and it is
that which you smell. What else could it be, master?'

All this time the gazelle had been standing close to the door, holding
the sword in one of its front paws. And as the snake put one of
his heads through the hole that he had made so as to get in and out
comfortably, it cut it of so clean that the snake really did not feel
it. The second blow was not quite so straight, for the snake said to
himself, 'Who is that who is trying to scratch me?' and stretched out
his third head to see; but no sooner was the neck through the hole than
the head went rolling to join the rest.

When six of his heads were gone the snake lashed his tail with such fury
that the gazelle and the old woman could not see each other for the dust
he made. And the gazelle said to him, 'You have climbed all sorts of
trees, but this you can't climb,' and as the seventh head came darting
through it went rolling to join the rest.

Then the sword fell rattling on the ground, for the gazelle had fainted.

The old woman shrieked with delight when she saw her enemy was dead,