ood. The
queen filled the king's plate and then her own, and then she thought of
the story which her sister had told her. She ordered her servants to go
through the neighbouring village and bring in any one who was hungry and
too poor to buy food. They found none such in the village, but on the
way back they met a starving wood-cutter, and, bringing him to the
queen, told him to listen to the tale which she would tell him. The
queen brought six pearls. Three she gave to the wood-cutter, and three
she kept herself. Then she told him the story of her father and the
wood-fairies. The wood-cutter listened with all attention, and as he
listened his faggot of wood became all of gold. He went away delighted,
promising to worship the sun in the way the wood-fairies had shown to
the Brahman.

Next day the cavalcade reached the second halting-place. Food was
cooked; the queen filled the king's plate and then her own plate, and
again she told her, servants to bring from the neighbouring village any
one who was hungry and too poor to buy food. They came upon a petty
farmer, whose well had dried up and whose crops had withered. He was
sitting sadly by his field when they called him to go with them and
listen to the queen's tale. He went with them to the camp. There the
queen brought six pearls and gave three of them to the farmer and
kept three of them herself. Then she told the story of her father
and the wood-fairies. And as the farmer listened, all attention,
the water began to pour into the well, and the crop began to look
fresh and green. He went away delighted, and promised to worship the
sun in the way the wood-fairies had told the Brahman. Next day the
cavalcade reached the third halting-place. Food was cooked, and the
queen filled the king's plate and then her own plate. Then she told
the servants to search in the neighbouring village for any one who
was hungry and too poor to buy food. They met an old woman. Her eldest
son had been lost in the forest. Her second son had been drowned in a
pond. Her third son had died of snake-bite. They told her to come and
listen to the queen's story. She went with them, and as she listened,
all attention, first the son who had been lost in the forest walked
into the camp, next the son who had been drowned in the pond, and
last of all the son who had died of a snake-bite. The old woman went
away crying with joy, and promising to worship the sun in the way
the wood-fairies had instructed t