h
the wisdom of Stas not even that of the King could be mentioned. She
also was quite certain that a multitude of the kites would fly even to
their papas, and she promised to glue them from morning until night.
Her joy was so great that Stas, from fear that she might get a fever,
was compelled to restrain her ardor.

And from that time the work that Stas spoke of began in earnest. Kali,
who was ordered to catch as many leaping fish as possible, ceased to
catch them on a line and instead made a high fence of thin bamboo, or
rather something in the nature of a trellis, and this sluice he pulled
across the river. In the middle of the trellis was a big opening
through which the fishes had to swim in order to get into the free
water. In this opening Kali placed a strong net plaited of tough palm
ropes, and in this manner was assured of a bountiful catch.

He drove fish into the treacherous net with the help of the King, who,
led into the water, muddied and stirred it so that not only those
silvery leapers but all other creatures vanished as far as they could
to an unmuddied depth. On account of this, some damage also occurred,
as several times escaping crocodiles overturned the trellis, or at
times the King did this himself; cherishing for crocodiles some sort of
inbred hatred, he pursued them, and when they were in shallow waters he
seized them with his trunk, tossed them onto the bank, and trampled
upon them furiously. They found also in the nets tortoises, from which
the young exiles made an excellent broth. Kali dressed the fish and
dried them in the sun, while the bladders were taken to Nell, who cut
them open, stretched them upon a board, and changed them into sheets as
large as the palms of two hands.

She was assisted at this by Stas and Mea, as the work was not at all
easy. The membranes were thicker, indeed, than that of the bladders of
our river fish, but after drying up they became very frail. Stas after
some time discovered that they ought to be dried in the shade. At
times, however, he lost patience, and if he did not abandon the design
of making kites from the membranes it was because he regarded them as
lighter than paper and of better proof against rain.

The dry season of the year was already approaching, but he was
uncertain whether rain did not fall during the summer particularly in
the mountains.

However, he glued kites with paper, of which a large amount was found
among Linde's effects. The first