Page:Swahili tales.djvu/133

Rh house as this, and he who says there is a house better than this, that man is a liar; and he who shall tell you that there is anybody with understanding, and prudence, and knowing the positions of gentry and slaves, and knowing that this is great and this is little, who surpasses you, you may know that that man is a liar. And if it should happen that there should be any one first, you are the second. And any one who tells you anything else, tell him he is a liar."

And they stayed many days in that house, till the women begged leave to go, "We want to go home." And it said to them, "Eh, my ladies! eh, my mistresses! eh, my dames! you came yesterday in the morning, and will you go to-day in the evening?" And they said, "We have come many days, father, we have brought the bride to her husband, and we have arrived safely, and we wish to return, that we may look after our places at home." And it said, "All right, mistresses! all right, my mistresses! all right, my companions!"

And it made them many gifts and presented to those ladies, and it gave many gifts and presented to the slaves of those ladies. And the ladies were very glad, and the slaves were very glad, because of the gifts they were presented with. And they thought the gazelle greater a thousand times than his master, Sultan Darai. And they set out, and went away home. And it gave them people, and they saw them on their way.

And the gazelle and its master remained in the house for a term of many days.

And the gazelle said to that old woman, "I came with my master to this house, and to this town, and I have done many things for my master, good things, and things to lift up his countenance before people, till we arrived here; and till to-day he has never asked me, 'Well, father,