Page:Swahili tales.djvu/267

Rh Whenever I go in the porches of people's houses, I shall not be able to lift up my face to look at anybody, women or men, free or slave, little or great; they will say of me that I have borne unlawfully. Now you, master, do you wish me to be spoken to by people in such words as these? And he said, "Far be it. I do not wish evil words to be uttered to you by people; neither these nor any other evil words do I wish to be uttered to you by people. I wish to give you good words myself, and all people who shall hear of us in this land, or any other, shall be told that Sultan Majnún gives sweet words to his wife; he does not vex his wife; what his wife wishes, that he does to her, and other people will act towards you in like manner." And she said, "Thanks, my master, that is the very thing I wanted of you, and I have obtained it. And let the youths stay quiet."

So that youth, the last born, was loved much by his father, and his grandmother loved him much, and his aunt loved him much, and his uncle loved him much, more than his brothers, though there were six of them. Those six were loved much by their mother, more than the last born. The woman told her husband, "I shall not give up plenty for fewness, I shall not give up six sons and love one."

So they lived quietly, till the Sultan's cat went and caught a calf. And the Sultan was told, "The cat has caught a calf." And he said, "The cat is mine, and the calf mine." And they said, "Very good, master."

And they stayed two or three days, and it caught a breeding-goat. And they told him, "Master, the cat has caught a breeding-goat to-day." And he said, "The goat was mine, and the cat mine."

And they stayed, till after two days it caught a cow. And he was told, "Master, the cat has caught a cow." And he said, "It was my cow and my cat."