the gate of the city begging, from whence he often saw his
brother riding by in state.

One day the heralds came riding by and stood in the open space fronting
the market where the gambling booths are, and gave notice that the king
had commanded that if anybody could bend the magic bow belonging to the
late king, his brother, he was to be made the chief _amat_ of the
kingdom and receive many and great presents besides.

As may be imagined, the next day there was a great crowd gathered
together at the great gate of the palace, waiting for the king. At last
out he came with all his ministers and followed by attendants bearing
golden umbrellas. Behind him came a soldier carrying over his shoulder
the magic bow which was placed at the king's feet. The king called upon
his soldiers to come and bend the bow, and the strongest of them came
forward, but although they pulled and tugged, tugged and strained, they
could not bend it. Then the people of the city, or "the king's people,"
as they loved to call themselves in contradistinction to the people who
lived in the jungle villages, tried, but met with no better success than
the soldiers. They could not bend the bow. The king then ordered the
_amat loeng_ to call the men from the jungle. The very strongest coolies,
those who carried heavy burdens over the mountains, came in answer to
the king's summons, but although some of them could carry fifty _soie_
over the highest mountain they could not draw the cord a hand's-breadth.

The king, much disappointed, was about to return to the palace when a
beggar man approached and bowing at his feet said he was able to draw
the bow and fire an arrow from it. The king was angry at what he thought
was the presumption of this beggar. The soldiers derided him, saying
that the bravest of them could not draw the bow and how was a beggar to
do it? The coolies also asked him whether he could carry fifty _soie_
over Loi Mawk Pah that was called the Cloud Mountain, because its head
was often in the clouds. But the beggar asked to be allowed to try and
the king gave orders that he should be given the bow, at the same saying
that he assuredly should be made _amat loeng_ if he was successful, but
if he could not bend the bow, he should be put to death immediately.

The beggar assented to these terms and seized the bow. He took hold of
the string and without any show of strength pulled it a hand's-breadth,
and then as the king and his courtiers looked