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 128 'I bought common melons from your wife, and made them all into common soup long ago; therefore, talk no further nonsense about jewels, but go about your business.' And she turned him out of the house. Yet all this time she had a whole room full of the emeralds, diamonds, rubies, and pearls, that she had found in the melons the Brahman's wife had sold her.

The Brahman returned home, and said to his wife, 'I cannot make that woman give me back any of the melons you sold her; but give me the precious stones our daughter has just found, and I will sell them to a jeweller, and bring home some money.' So he went to the town, and took the precious stones to a jeweller, and said to him, 'What will you give me for these?' But no sooner did the jeweller see them, than he said, 'How could such a poor man as you become possessed of such precious stones? You must have stolen them: you are a thief! You have stolen these from my shop, and now come to sell them to me!'

'No, no, sir; indeed no, sir,' cried the Brahman. 'Thief! thief!' shouted the jeweller. 'In truth, no, sir,' said the Brahman,' my son-in-law, the Jackal, gave me a melon plant; and in one of the melons I found these jewels.'—'I don't believe a word you say,' screamed the jeweller (and he began beating the Brahman, whom he held by the arm); 'give up those jewels which you have stolen from my shop!'—'No, I won't,' roared the Brahman; 'oh! oh-o! oh-o-o! don't beat me so; I didn't steal them.' But the jeweller was determined to get the jewels; so he beat the Brahman, and called the police, who came running up to his assistance, and shouted till a great crowd of people had collected round his shop. Then he said to the Brahman, 'Give me up the jewels you stole from me, or I'll give you to the police, and you shall be put in jail.' The Brahman tried to tell his story about his son-in-law the Jackal, but of course nobody believed him; and he was obliged to give the precious stones to the jeweller, in order to escape the police, and to run home as fast as he could. And every one thought the jeweller was very kind to let him off so easily.

All his family were very unhappy when they heard what had befallen him. But his wife said, 'You had better go again to our son-in-law the Jackal, and see what he can do for us.' So next day the Brahman climbed the hill again as he had done before, and went to call upon the Jackal. When the Jackal saw him coming he was not very well pleased. So he went to meet him, and said, 'Father-in-law, I did not expect to see you again so