where his uncle was standing with the old woman on his back, trying to
catch the birds as they flew past. And Mohammed touched him on the arm,
and spoke: 'Dear uncle, did I not warn you never to take service under
any blue-eyed red-haired man?'

[Illustration: .HOW.MOHAMMED.FINDS.HIS.UNCLE.]

'But what could I do?' asked the uncle. 'I was hungry, and he passed,
and we signed a contract.'

'Give the contract to me!' said the young man.

'Here it is,' replied the uncle, holding it out.

'Now,' continued Mohammed, 'let the old woman get down from your back.'

'Oh no, I mustn't do that!' cried he.

But the nephew paid no attention, and went on talking: 'Do not worry
yourself about the future. I see my way out of it all. And, first, you
must take my stick and my mantle and leave this place. After two days'
journey, straight before you, you will come to some tents which are
inhabited by shepherds. Go in there, and wait.'

'All right!' answered the uncle.

Then Mohammed with the Magic Finger picked up a stick and struck the old
woman with it, saying, 'Get down, and look after the sheep; I want to go
to sleep.'

'Oh, certainly!' replied she.

So Mohammed lay down comfortably under a tree and slept till evening.
Towards sunset he woke up and said to the old woman: 'Where are the
singing birds which you have got to catch?'

'You never told me anything about that,' replied she.

'Oh, didn't I?' he answered. 'Well, it is part of your business, and if
you don't do it, I shall just kill you.'

'Of course I will catch them!' cried she in a hurry, and ran about the
bushes after the birds, till thorns pierced her foot, and she shrieked
from pain and exclaimed, 'Oh dear, how unlucky I am! and how abominably
this man is treating me!' However, at last she managed to catch the
seven birds, and brought them to Mohammed, saying, 'Here they are!'

'Then now we will go back to the house,' said he.

When they had gone some way he turned to her sharply:

'Be quick and drive the sheep home, for I do not know where their fold
is.' And she drove them before her. By-and-by the young man spoke:

'Look here, old hag; if you say anything to your son about my having
struck you, or about my not being the old shepherd, I'll kill you!'

'Oh, no, of course I won't say anything!'

When they got back, the son said to his mother: 'That is a good shepherd
I've got, isn't he?'

'Oh, a splendid shepherd!' answered she. 'Why, look how fat