quench their thirst, sprang by with a startled bound, for
in her hand the maiden bore a lighted lamp. I could see the blood in
her delicate finger tips, as she spread them for a screen before the
dancing flame. She came down to the stream, and set the lamp upon the
water, and let it float away. The flame flickered to and fro, and
seemed ready to expire; but still the lamp burned on, and the girl's
black sparkling eyes, half veiled behind their long silken lashes,
followed it with a gaze of earnest intensity. She knew that if the
lamp continued to burn so long as she could keep it in sight, her
betrothed was still alive; but if the lamp was suddenly extinguished,
he was dead. And the lamp burned bravely on, and she fell on her
knees, and prayed. Near her in the grass lay a speckled snake, but she
heeded it not--she thought only of Bramah and of her betrothed. 'He
lives!' she shouted joyfully, 'he lives!' And from the mountains the
echo came back upon her, 'he lives!'"

[Illustration: THE LITTLE GIRL AND THE CHICKENS.]

SECOND EVENING.

"Yesterday," said the Moon to me, "I looked down upon a small
courtyard surrounded on all sides by houses. In the courtyard sat a
clucking hen with eleven chickens; and a pretty little girl was
running and jumping around them. The hen was frightened, and screamed,
and spread out her wings over the little brood. Then the girl's father
came out and scolded her; and I glided away and thought no more of
the matter.

"But this evening, only a few minutes ago, I looked down into the same
courtyard. Everything was quiet. But presently the little girl came
forth again, crept quietly to the hen-house, pushed back the bolt, and
slipped into the apartment of the hen and chickens. They cried out
loudly, and came fluttering down from their perches, and ran about in
dismay, and the little girl ran after them. I saw it quite plainly,
for I looked through a hole in the hen-house wall. I was angry with
the wilful child, and felt glad when her father came out and scolded
her more violently than yesterday, holding her roughly by the arm: she
held down her head, and her blue eyes were full of large tears. 'What
are you about here?' he asked. She wept and said, 'I wanted to kiss
the hen and beg her pardon for frightening her yesterday; but I was
afraid to tell you.'

"And the father kissed the innocent child's forehead, and I kissed her
on the mouth and eyes."

THIRD EVENING.

"In the narrow stre