en, what should
she see but the animal giving her milk to a little boy-baby, whilst on
the ground near by lay the sad remains of the baby's dead mother!
Wondering and frightened, the old woman thought at last that this
little baby might be a son to her in her old age, and that he would
grow up and in time to come be her comfort and support. So she carried
home the baby to her hut, and next day she took a spade to the cave
and dug a grave where she buried the poor mother.

Years passed by, and the baby grew up into a fine handsome lad, as
daring as he was beautiful, and as industrious as he was brave. One
day, when the boy, whom the old woman had named Nur Mahomed, was about
seventeen years old, he was coming from his day's work in the fields,
when he saw a strange donkey eating the cabbages in the garden which
surrounded their little cottage. Seizing a big stick, he began to beat
the intruder and to drive him out of his garden. A neighbour passing
by called out to him--'Hi! I say! why are you beating the pedlar's
donkey like that?'

'The pedlar should keep him from eating my cabbages,' said Nur
Mahomed; 'if he comes this evening here again I'll cut off his tail
for him!'

Whereupon he went off indoors, whistling cheerfully. It happened that
this neighbour was one of those people who make mischief by talking
too much; so, meeting the pedlar in the 'serai,' or inn, that evening,
he told him what had occurred, and added: 'Yes; and the young spitfire
said that if beating the donkey would not do, he would beat you also,
and cut your nose off for a thief!'

A few days later, the pedlar having moved on, two men appeared in the
village inquiring who it was who had threatened to ill-treat and to
murder an innocent pedlar. They declared that the pedlar, in fear of
his life, had complained to the king; and that they had been sent to
bring the lawless person who had said these things before the king
himself. Of course they soon found out about the donkey eating Nur
Mahomed's cabbages, and about the young man's hot words; but although
the lad assured them that he had never said anything about murdering
anyone, they replied they were ordered to arrest him, and bring him to
take his trial before the king. So, in spite of his protests, and the
wails of his mother, he was carried off, and in due time brought
before the king. Of course Nur Mahomed never guessed that the
supposed pedlar happened to have been the king himself, althoug