he Sultan.

"'Render justice to this man,' 'What does he want?' 'My lord,' answered
Sidi El-Ahcen, 'the woman you married is my wife,' 'Kill him!' cried the
Sultan. 'No,' said the witnesses, 'let him have justice,'

"'Let him tell me if she carries an object,' Si El-Ahcen answered: 'This
woman was betrothed to me before her birth. An amulet is hidden in her
hair,' He took away his wife, returned to the village, and gave a feast.

"If you open the door," continued the bird, "you will have the same fate as
Fatima-ou-Lmelh. Hamed-ou-Lmelh married her. Fatima said to her
father-in-law, 'Take me to my uncle's house,' Arriving there she married
another husband. Hamed-ou-Lmelh was told of this, and ran to find her. At
the moment he arrived he found the wedding over and the bride about to
depart for the house of her new husband. Then Hamed burst into the room and
cast himself out of the window. Fatima did the same, and they were both
killed.

"The intended father-in-law and his family returned to their house, and
were asked the cause of the misfortune. 'The woman was the cause,' they
answered.

"Nevertheless, the father of Hamed-ou-Lmelh went to the parents of Fatima
and said: 'Pay us for the loss of our son. Pay us for the loss of Fatima.'

"They could not agree, and went before the justice. Passing by the village
where the two spouses had died they met an old man, and said, 'Settle our
dispute,' 'I cannot,' answered the old man. Farther on they met a sheep,
which was butting a rock. 'Settle our dispute,' they said to the sheep. 'I
cannot,' answered the sheep. Farther on they met a serpent. 'Settle our
dispute,' they said to him. 'I cannot,' answered the serpent. They met a
river. 'Settle our dispute,' they said to it. 'I cannot,' answered the
river. They met a jackal. 'Settle our dispute,' they said to him. 'Go to
the village where your children died,' answered the jackal. They went back
to the village, and applied to the Sultan, who had them all killed."

The bird stopped speaking, the pilgrims returned. The old woman saw them
and fled. The robber prepared a feast for the pilgrims.

* * * * *

THE LITTLE CHILD

"Come, little child, eat your dinner."

"I won't eat it."

"Come, stick, beat the child."

"I won't beat him."

"Come, fire, burn the stick."

"I won't burn it."

"Come, water, quench the fire."

"I won't quench it."

"Come, ox, drink the water."

"I won't dr