Page:Tales of the Punjab.pdf/36

14 'If that is all your trouble, perhaps I can help you,' said the good -natured Rat; 'you are welcome to this dry root, and I'll warrant it will soon make a ﬁne blaze.'

The poor man, with a thousand thanks, took the dry root, and in his turn presented the Rat with a morsel of dough, as a reward for his kindness and generosity.

'What a remarkably lucky fellow I am!' thought the Rat, as he trotted off gaily with his prize, 'and clever too! Fancy making a bargain like that food enough to last me ﬁve days in return for a rotten old stick! ''Wah! wah! wah!'' what it is to have brains!'

Going along, hugging his good fortune in this way, he came presently to a potter's yard, where the potter, leaving his wheel to spin round by itself, was trying to pacify his three little children, who were screaming and crying as if they would burst.

'My gracious!' cried the Rat, stopping his ears, 'what a noise!do tell me what it is all about.'

'I suppose they are hungry,' replied the potter ruefully; 'their mother has gone to get ﬂour in the bazaar, for there is none in the house. In the meantime I can neither work nor rest because of them.'

'Is that all!' answered the officious Rat; 'then I can help you.Take this dough, cook it quickly, and stop their mouths with food.'

The potter overwhelmed the Rat with thanks for his obliging kindness, and choosing out a nice well-burnt pipkin, insisted on his accepting it as a remembrance.

The Rat was delighted at the exchange, and though