Page:Indian tales of the great ones.djvu/71

Rh escape except across a river in flood; and his horse sank exhausted in mid-stream. Then the King would have died; but a water-carrier on the opposite bank saw the King's trouble, and brought him his own skin-bags, on which Humayun floated safely to land.

"I have nothing to give thee now," said the King; "but come to me in Agra, and if I live thou shalt sit on my throne for a whole day." The King did live, and got back his kingdom; and the water-carrier came to claim his reward.

Humayun kept his word, like the King that he was.

For one whole day the water-carrier sat on the throne; and the skin that had saved the King's life was cut into little pieces and stamped into money by the Royal Mint.