which the
tigers held their councils. Now the tiger who had given the barber so
many rupees and jewels had made ready a great quantity of meat, fowls,
chickens, geese, men the tigers had killed--everything he had been
able to get hold of--and he made them into a heap under the tree, for
he said that after the tigers had settled the matter they would dine.
Soon the tigers arrived with their Raja, and the barber's tiger said,
"Brothers, what are we to do? This man came again to-day to cut off
all our ears to make medicine for Maharaja Kans. I told him this
would be a bad business for us, and that he must go and cut off all
the dogs' ears instead; and I gave him as much money and jewels as two
men could carry. So he went home. Now what shall we do? We must leave
this jungle, and where shall we go?" The other tigers said, "We will
not leave the jungle. If this man comes again we will eat him up." So
they dined and went away, saying they would meet again to-morrow.

After the tigers had gone, the barber and fakir came down from the
tree and went off to their homes, without taking any rupees or jewels
with them. They agreed to return the next evening.

Next evening back they came and climbed into the great tree. The
tigers came too, and the barber's tiger told his story all over again.
The tiger Raja sat up and said, fiercely, "We will not leave this
jungle. Should the man come again, I will eat him myself." When the
fakir heard this he was so frightened that he tumbled down out of the
tree into the midst of the tigers. The barber instantly cried out with
a loud voice, "Now cut off their ears! cut off their ears!" and the
tigers, terrified, ran away as fast as they could. Then the barber
took the fakir home, but the poor man was so much hurt by his fall
that he died.

The barber lived happily ever after, but he took good care never to go
to the tigers' jungle again.

Told by Dunkni.

[Decoration]

[Decoration]

IX.

THE BULBUL AND THE COTTON-TREE.

There was once a bulbul, and one day as he was flying about, he saw a
tree on which was a little fruit. The bulbul was much pleased and
said, "I will sit here till this fruit is ripe, and then I will eat
it." So he deserted his nest and his wife, and sat there for twelve
years without eating anything, and every day he said, "To-morrow I
will eat this fruit." During these twelve years a great many birds
tried to sit on the tree, and wished to build their ne