t the other red swan's wings on his wife, and they
leapt over the edge of the Star-country and flew down through the air
to the prairie, and came to the tent where High-feather's mother was
mourning for them; and there was a great feast in the village because
they had come back safe and sound. The Star-wife finished embroidering
her dancing-cloth that day; and whenever the Indians danced she danced
with them. She never went back to the Star-maidens' dancing ring;
but she still lived on berries and corn, because she would never kill
anything,--except one thing, and that was the little yellow bird. It
flew into the tent one day when High-feather had his back turned,
and began to whisper into the Star-wife's ear; but it never came to
trouble her again.

* * * * *

ARABIAN STORIES

* * * * *

THE STORY OF CALIPH STORK

Caliph Charid, of Bagdad, was reclining on his divan one pleasant
afternoon, smoking his long pipe and sipping coffee from a handsome
dish which a slave was holding for him, when his Grand Vizier, Mansor,
entered and told him of a peddler in the court below whose wares might
interest him. The Caliph, being in an affable state of mind, summoned
the peddler, who, delighted with the opportunity, displayed all the
treasures of his pack. There were pearls, rings, silks, and many other
rich things. The Caliph selected something for himself, a handsome
present for the Vizier, and another for the Vizier's wife.

Just as the peddler was putting the things back into his box, the
Caliph noticed a small drawer and asked what it contained.

"Only something of no value, which I picked up in a street of Mecca,"
the peddler replied. He thereupon opened the drawer and showed the
Caliph a small box, containing a black powder and a scroll written in
characters which neither the Caliph nor his Grand Vizier could make
out. The Caliph immediately decided that he wanted this strange
scroll, and the peddler was persuaded to part with it for a trifle.
Then the Vizier was asked to find some one to decipher its meaning.

Near the mosque lived a man called Selim, who was so learned that
he knew every language in the world. When the Vizier brought him to
interpret the scroll, the Caliph said to him:

"They tell me that you are a scholar and can read all languages. If
you can decipher what is written here, I shall know that it is true,
and will give you a