been a pretext for extortion, and decided that the two claims offset
each other, so that no payment was due from either one.

* * * * *

THE YOUNG HEAD OF THE FAMILY

There was once a family consisting of a father, his three sons, and
his two daughters-in-law. The two daughters-in-law, wives of the two
elder sons, had but recently been brought into the house, and were
both from one village a few miles away. Having no mother-in-law
living, they were obliged to appeal to their father-in-law whenever
they wished to visit their former homes, and as they were lonesome
and homesick they perpetually bothered the old man by asking leave of
absence.

Vexed by these constant petitions, he set himself to invent a method
of putting an end to them, and at last gave them leave in this wise:
"You are always begging me to allow you to go and visit your mothers,
and thinking that I am very hard-hearted because I do not let you go.
Now you may go, but only upon condition that when you come back you
will each bring me something I want. The one shall bring me some
fire wrapped in paper, and the other some wind in a paper. Unless you
promise to bring me these, you are never to ask me to let you go home;
and if you go, and fail to get these for me, you are never to come
back."

The old man did not suppose that these conditions would be accepted,
but the girls were young and thoughtless, and in their anxiety to
get away did not consider the impossibility of obtaining the articles
required. So they made ready with speed, and in great glee started off
on foot to visit their mothers. After they had walked a long distance,
chatting about what they should do and whom they should see in their
native village, the high heel of one of them slipped from under her
foot, and she fell down. Owing to this mishap both stopped to adjust
the misplaced footgear, and while doing this the conditions under
which alone they could return to their husbands came to mind, and they
began to cry.

While they sat there crying by the roadside a young girl came riding
along from the fields on a water buffalo. She stopped and asked them
what was the matter, and whether she could help them. They told her
she could do them no good; but she persisted in offering her sympathy
and inviting their confidence, till they told their story, and then
she at once said that if they would go home with her she would show
them a way out or the