Page:Swahili tales.djvu/99

Rh kanzu of daria, and very good; and a loin-cloth of albunseyidi, and very good; and he took out a turban cloth of kariyati, and very good; and he took out a shawl for the waist, a very good one. And he went and fetched a curved sword with a gold hilt, and very good. And he went and fetched a curved dagger with gold filigree, very good. And he fetched a pair of sandals, and they gave him a walking stick of mtobwi wood, very good.

And he told the gazelle, "Take these things with these soldiers to the Sultan, and give them to him, that he may be able to come." And it said, "Ah! master, can I take these soldiers, to go and put my master to shame, and he is there just as his mother bare him? I am enough by myself, master."

And he said, "How will you be enough, and here is a horse and these clothes?" Says it, "As for the horse, tie it to my neck here, and fasten these clothes on the back of the horse—fasten them well, because I shall go fast with the horse." The Sultan said, "If you can manage I will do it for you." It said, "If I could not I would not say so to you, so far as I have said I can manage."

And he fastened the horse to its neck, and the clothes were fastened on the horse's back. And it said, "Ah! master, farewell; I am going." The Sultan said, "Well then, gazelle! when shall we expect you?" It said, "About five o'clock." He said, "Please God."

The gazelle ran off with his horse, the gazelle in front, the horse behind. The people of that city who were there, and the Sultan, and the Emirs, and the Vizirs, and the officers, and the judges, and all the gentry and rich men of