Page:Sagas from the Far East; or, Kalmouk and Mongolian traditionary tales.djvu/187

Rh wounding me with a sharp knife, hath taken away my life, and is even now preparing to cut off my head. This the old bird told to his young.

The young student, however, hearing these words waited to hear no more, but set off at his best speed towards the tower where all his companions were confined. About daybreak he reached the gates, and made his way in all haste in to them. In the midst of their weeping and lamenting over the morning which they reckoned that of their day of death, he cried out,—

"Weep no more! I have discovered the meaning of the word."

Just then the Khan's guard came to conduct them to the Khan for examination preparatory to their being given over to execution. Here the young student declared to the Khan the meaning of the word. Having heard which the Khan dismissed them all with rich presents, but privately bid them declare to no man the meaning of the word. Then he sent for the minister's son, and without giving him any hint of his intention, bid him go before him and show him where lay the bones of his son, which when he had seen and built a tomb over them, he ordered the minister and his son both to be put to death.

"That Khan's son, so well versed in the five kinds of knowledge, would have been an honour and