Page:Folk-lore - A Quarterly Review. Volume 7, 1896.djvu/185

Rh way off, and he said: "Let me go on and speak to her." "No," said the bride, "wait until we come to your house." But he would do it, and ran up to his mother and said: "O, mother," and forgot all about his bride. The girl went on alone to the town, and ordered masons to come and build a house. In a month it was finished. She stood on the balcony; and her betrothed passed by, and, looking up, saw a pretty girl who pleased him; but, of course, he did not remember her. He made signs to her, to ask if he might come up; and she nodded her head, and in the evening he came to visit her. She had a tame lion, and she had told him: "When a man comes in, tear him to bits;" and the lion did so. She picked up the bits, put them outside, and went to bed.

In the morning they found the bits, and she was ordered to go to the council to be tried. She refused to come, unless they would send a carriage to fetch her, and strew all the road with velvet rugs. Again the summons came, and again she refused; and so the third time. So the Pasha was obliged to consent. She came before him; "Glad to see you, Governor," says she; then she told all her story to everybody in their own tongue. And all the people pitied her, and she was acquitted, and lived alone in happiness ever after.