ed the woman. 'But leave, I pray you, my lungs and my
liver untouched, till my son comes back. Then give both to him.'

But the men took them out at once, and gave them to the daughter-in-law,
saying: 'Put away these things till your husband returns.' And the
daughter-in-law took them, and hid them in a secret place.

When the old woman's daughter, who had been in the woods, heard that her
mother had been killed while she was out, she was filled with fright,
and ran away as fast as she could. At last she reached a lonely spot far
from the town, where she thought she was safe, and sat down on a stone,
and wept bitterly. As she was sitting, sobbing, a man passed by.

'What is the matter, little girl? Answer me! I will be your friend.'

'Ah, sir, they have killed my mother; my brother is far away, and I have
nobody.'

'Will you come with me?' asked the man.

'Thankfully,' said she, and he led her down, down, under the earth, till
they reached a great city. Then he married her, and in course of time
she had a son. And the baby was known throughout the city as 'Mohammed
with the magic finger,' because, whenever he stuck out his little
finger, he was able to see anything that was happening for as far as
two days' distance.

By-and-by, as the boy was growing bigger, his uncle returned from his
long journey, and went straight to his wife.

'Where are my mother and sister?' he asked; but his wife answered; 'Have
something to eat first, and then I will tell you.'

But he replied: 'How can I eat till I know what has become of them?'

Then she fetched, from the upper chamber, a box full of money, which she
laid before him, saying, 'That is the price of your mother. She sold
well.'

'What do you mean?' he gasped.

'Oh, your mother complained one day that her head was aching, so I got
in two butchers and they agreed to take her. However, I have got her
lungs and liver hidden, till you came back, in a safe place.'

'And my sister?'

'Well, while the people were chopping up your mother she ran away, and I
heard no more of her.'

'Give me my mother's liver and lungs,' said the young man. And she gave
them to him. Then he put them in his pocket, and went away, saying: 'I
can stay no longer in this horrible town. I go to seek my sister.'

Now, one day, the little boy stretched out his finger and said to his
mother, 'My uncle is coming!'

[Illustration: MY UNCLE IS COMING]

'Where is he?' she asked.

'He is still tw